1. Establish 'expert' credentials

Become the 'go to' source for information on topics you know a lot about or that form the basis of your service or business.

So much research is done on the internet. If you have a well structured, informative blog, you will be able to share your knowledge and information with others.

2. Build networks

Use your blog to reach out to new people and build your network of contacts. You can do this by:

• Giving new people you meet the details of your blog address (and Twitter)

• Running your blog headline on Twitter with a link to your blog for details

3. Build relationships

Use your blog to keep in touch with your networks. A regular blog can help you to stay connected, especially if it is informative and interesting. You can:

• Email your contacts when you publish each new blog

• Encourage people to take your blog by RSS feed

4. Establish trust

Sharing 'expert' knowledge is a great way to build trust. Potential clients can visit your blogsite to check you out. They can form an idea of your style and how comfortable they are likely to feel working with you.

5. Build your body of material

Blogs are a great way to build up a comprehensive body of published material – in bite-sized chunks. Once you have a series of blogs on a subject, you can turn them into an article. A series of articles can build into an e-book which you can distribute via the Apple store. All good material for promoting your ideas.

6. A cost-effective alternative website

A blogsite can become a cost effective website, especially for smaller businesses and single-operators who need only a small website. Use existing templates, so you don't have to pay for design, and add two or three screens (for example, 'about us', 'our services' and 'contact us') and you have a simple website that's easy to navigate and maintain that covers the basics of your business. You can make your own changes, without paying a designer.

7. Develop your website – grow as you go

A blogsite can grow as your business grows, adding extra screens or functionality. It might even grow into a fully fledged website!

8. Drive business to your website

If you have a separate website, a blog can help drive visitors to it. Your blogs can link to the website. Articles and e-books you build from your blogs can be added to your website. All these things can help improve your search engine ratings, bringing you nearer the top of the pile when people search on topics and words that appear in your website.