Alisha, Arizona

A: I cannot disagree that theweb log, or blog, is definitely the Flavor of the Month. But even when chocolate is the Flavor of the Month, that doesn’t make it any less tasty. Sometimes trendy is OK, and this is one of those times.

Basically, a blog is an online journal that can discuss any and every subject matter, and it usually links to other items or stories of related interest.

For the small business, there is much value that can be derived from creating a blog, not the least of which is that it can become a new profit center. But money is just a small part of the many business blog benefits. Consider a blog can:

• Strengthen Relationships: Online, it is far harder to get your personality across than it is in the real world. But because a blog allows you to wax poetic about subjects of your choice in your voice, it allows customers and potential customers to get to know you better.

And because blogs can also be used to solicit feedback from customers (not just talk to them), it can be a valuable way to increase interaction. For instance, asking for feedback via your blog may be a great way to get immediate reactions to your business, a sale, a promotion, or whatever.

• Build your Brand: Your blog is your voice and your words. It allows you to directly convey the image you want people to have of your business without having to go through the cost and diffusion that advertising and marketing require. The values that define your business and brand can, and should, be incorporated into your business blog.

• Improve Customer Service: You can use your blog to keep customers informed of important events, sales, deadlines, and so forth. You can answer customers’ questions or provide valuable links to related products and services.

• Increase Employee Awareness: An internal blog can be used to post schedules, make announcements, crack a joke, etc.

• Build your Reputation: Blogging is an inexpensive marketing tool that permits you to position yourself as an expert in your field. If your blog provides cutting-edge analysis or information for people in your industry, your reputation grows in direct proportion to that.

• Bump your Search Engine Rankings: Blogs that allow reader responses (and many do) create web pages with valuable key words. This in turn can increase your search engine rankings.

Let’s see. Is that it? No? Oh, right. There is one more benefit to blogging:

• Make Money: You could sell ad space next to your blog. You could tap into affiliate programs and get paid for that. For instance, you could post an ad provided by Amazon.com or Lands’ End affiliate programs and receive a commission every time readers click that ad. You could use Google Adsense. This is a service that automatically posts ads next to blogs and for every click on those “Ads Provided by Google,” a small amount of money is paid to you.

So it does indeed behoove you to start a blog. To get started, all you need to do is choose a blogging service and get typing. There are several to choose from: Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com, TypePad.com, Xanga.com, Blog-City.com, and MSN Spaces.

Today’s tip: I always like the idea of using a good idea that works, even if it’s not your idea. You don’t have to be a trend-setter. So, if others are using blogs to get ahead, you should too. Consider:

• Michael Powell, the chairman of the FCC, started a blog to discuss government regulations of the telecommunications industry. His blog got more than 30,000 hits in its first week.
• Michael Moore started one to promote Fahrenheit 9/11.
• Tim Draper, founder of the Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson uses his blog to find new businesses. “It has become a terrific source of leads,” he told Business Week.