So you’re thinking of setting up a blog to go alongside your freelance business. After all, everyone else seems to be doing it.

Nowadays there are posts all over the internet talking about how setting up a blog is essential for business. But is it really? Do you really need a blog?

Blogging can be a great way of demonstrating your skills and expertise in your industry or connecting with businesses and marketing yourself. Many people set up blogs and have great success with them. However, there is a much larger number of people who set their blogs up for various reasons and then abandon them.

When your potential clients come across your site, you don’t want them to see a blog that hasn’t been updated in a year. So before you jump into blogging, here are some questions to ask yourself first:

Do you have the time?

Are you able to fit regular blogging around your other work? A lot of beginner freelancers keep their day job and freelance in their free time. Adding the maintenance of a blog into the mix means you’ve got a lot of commitments. Some people find a way to make it work, but be realistic with yourself and don’t try to take on too much or it’ll become counterproductive.

If you’ve just started freelancing and are unsure about a blog, it’s probably better to hold off rather than start one only to abandon it.

Bear in mind that simply writing blog posts is only half the job. You’ll also need to market your blog. This means posting through social media, following other bloggers and interacting. It ends up taking up more time than you might think.

Do you want to do it?

If you’re going to commit to blogging on a regular basis, it’s important that it’s not just another chore. If you’ve got a blog because someone said it would be good for marketing, and that’s the only reason, then this is likely to come out in your work.

Your posts might seem to lack enthusiasm which is only going to translate as a lack of enthusiasm for your readers who will go elsewhere. If you enjoy what you’re writing about it’ll be much easier to stick to writing regularly and marketing it.

Is there a need for it?

You can blog all you want about any given topic but unless there’s actually a demand for that kind of content, you’re going to find it hard to get ahead and grow your blog.

So think carefully about the type of audience you’re going to be targeting and plan content around them. Is it something enough people are going to want to read about? While picking a niche is important, you don’t want to pick something so obscure there’s no one interested in reading it.

Does it tie into your business?

At the end of the day, your primary reason for considering a blog to go alongside your business is so that you can market yourself and your brand, attract clients and therefore grow your business. Don’t lose sight of this! Try to think how your blog can help to propel your business forward.

If you’ve got a blog idea in mind, ask yourself how it ties into your business? Are you using it as a way of providing samples for potential clients? If so, then you need to write posts similar to ones you’ll sell.

Are you’re using it to write about news in your industry? If so you’re going to have to jump on news stories quickly so that they’re timely posts.

Are you planning to write as and when about a variety of topics? Most people advise against this and to stick to a plan or niche as this will give you focus as well as give consistency that your readers want.

Remember

Whatever you decide, there are people blogging and not blogging still able to grow their business. Blogging is just a method of growing your business, it’s not the only option.

You might decide that it’s best to wait until you’re more established or you may think it’s better to start one sooner than later. Either option can work as long as you think it through carefully.

Are you thinking of starting a blog or already have one and have some tips to share? Let us know your thoughts and tips in the comments section.