The term blog was first coined in the late 1990s. It became common in modern lexicon about 2004. Now, in 2013, it's still hard for some people to get. When I talk to businesses about blogging, I'm convinced that the most common reason why they don't blog it's because they don't like the word blog. They seem to think it's kind of hokey.

I think that a part of the problem is that blogging may have gotten a bad reputation over the years because the mention of a blogger typically elicits the image of someone in their parents’ basement, uploading opinionated and overly sarcastic content to the "blogosphere".

Regardless of your opinion of blogs, the truth of the matter is that blogs are a great way to upload fresh, relevant content to your website. If you really hate the term blog, you can call them whatever you want. You can call them news stories, articles or just your personal rantings.

There are many important benefits associated with regular blogging. The most important advantage you have from a blog is that it allows you to offer the Internet community, and anyone who is interested in reading, tips and information related to your specific industry. There are many authorities currently chiming in on different topics these days, and blogging allows your voice to be heard among the experts. Blogging allows you to establish yourself as the credible authority.

Other benefits of blogging include:

• Relay important information to your readers - The readers of your blog may be your website visitors, new users, or people subscribed to your RSS feed. Blogging is great way to keep content on your site fresh, updated, and targeted to current events and happenings.
• Become an authority in your field - It’s a little more difficult to become a trusted authority or voice in your particular industry, but if your content is good enough, people will adhere to it. Blogging is a great way to spread your knowledge to the world.
• Reap the SEO benefit of blogging - Aside from branding yourself as a reputable source of information, regular blogging also helps in terms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The Google algorithm loves fresh content, so every time the Google Bot scans the interwebs for fresh information, they’ll stumble across your newly written blog.

Yes, I know, blogging can be hard. It's time consuming and can be difficult to find the time. Blogging is sometimes regarded as a chore to many webmasters or business owners as the topic needs to be relevant and the content needs to be good. Your ultimate goal for a blog is to be picked up by other sources like news media, more established blogs, or other industry pages in order to gain maximum SEO benefit and truly establish yourself as a credible source of information.

Get active on your website and post a blog today!