If you operate an Internet business you are probably always looking for new and innovative means of promoting your product or service. Of course, cost always is a factor as it would be in any type of marketing plan. This is where starting a blog can prove helpful as it has the ability to promote a business in an extremely cost effective manner. After all, there are a number of free blogging formats out there so right off the bat you are promoting your online business without an initial expenditure. You can not beat that!

Here is a common means of using a blog to promote a business. Let's say your business sells sporting goods. Obviously, it would be wise to launch a blog that covers sporting goods and the content of your blog will provide news, tips, product reviews and other interesting entries that will also include photos of products you are selling as well as links that direct to your site. For example, you can review a Wilson catchers mitt and include a picture of one as well as a link that leads to the sale page for that particular catchers mitt. Does this sound pretty easy? If it does it's because … it is!

If there were any trick that could make this venture successful it would be consistency and volume. That is, you would greatly benefit by adding three short blog entries (150 – 200 words) five days a week. Be sure that these entries are interesting and well written because if the value and quality of the writing is poor, well, the whole plan is doomed to failure. Also, it is absolutely CRITICAL to optimize your blog and pull in as much traffic as possible. After all, if no one sees your blog then no one is going to click your links! One of the best ways of boosting traffic to your blog would be writing 1 – 2 short articles for article directories that link to your blog. If this looks like a lot of work you may even wish to outsource some or all of the blog writing because consistency is absolutely critical for success with this type of promotional blogging venture.