Perhaps you’ve considered starting a blog, maybe you’ve been hesitant. But one thing is for sure: if you’re a freelance writer, then you need a blog. It’s as simple as that.

You won’t necessarily make money off of it in the first year, you will definitely spend a lot of time putting articles together, and you’ll have to work your butt off to become known…but it’s all worth it in the end.

Here are five reasons why you need a blog if you’re thinking of freelance writing long-term:

1. Explore Writing Issues - By consistently writing blog articles, you’ll be able to explore many facets of your subject matter. This won’t only allow you to grasp a better understanding of your business, it will also help you become an expert.
2. Networking - Blogging isn’t just about writing articles and posting them, it’s also about developing an online community. To do this you’ll have to stay active on your blog as well as comment on others.
3. Gain Name Recognition - The more you write and the larger your reader base becomes, the sooner you’ll develop name recognition within your specialty.
4. Get New Clients - As you get more readers and gain name recognition, people will start to see you as an expert. This will help you garner new clients through first-hand readers as well as referrals.
5. Promote Your Information Products - Assuming you want to make it big as a freelance writer, you’ll need to eventually consider becoming an infopreneur…and what better way to market your information products than through your blog?

A blog can be a difficult thing to get going at the start, but if you stay persistent then it will definitely pay off. I’ve had blogs turn develop a solid readership in as little as one month, others have taken much longer. But one thing’s for sure, if you stick with it then it will come. One year from now you’ll be extremely happy with your decision to blog on a consistent basis.

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