Blogging.

A Blog is more than an online diary.
You don't have to be a Pulitzer worthy writer to have a successful blog; thank goodness.  A blog is an excellent way to develop a following online.  If you are willing to write on a regular basis about your business and experiences, you will begin to establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Your followers will have the ability to learn from you (as the expert) and also link to your site and easily share your words with the world (Digg, Tweet, etc.).  THIS IS GOOD. Many people are afraid to talk too much about their services and techniques for fear of giving away "secrets" about their business.  TRUST US, there are no more secrets.  With the ability to easily search millions of web pages, blogs, forums and the like, you are able to find out anything want to know if you look hard enough.  So why not use the opportunity to promote yourself or business as an expert that people can come to for advice on your subject?  There are numerous ways that it will pay off.

It's a nice little cycle that blogs have created:  I post valuable information to the world and, in turn, become viewed as someone who might actually know what he's talking about! 

Give your readers, and potential readers, something worth reading. Write something of value that they can use in their lives or businesses.  What you'll find is that one of the best ways to promote your products and services is to prove to the world that you actually care about helping them.  It may sound easier to just "sell" something whenever you get the chance, however, people don't like to be "sold" to. They appreciate someone who is willing to give a little extra even if they don't get a return right away.

Yes - you read that correctly. 
Many companies are now hiring writers to blog regularly for their company blog.  There are even ads on Ebay and Craigslist for such services.  Does $1600 per blog sound expensive to you?  It does to us too.  BUT, many corporations are seeing the value in fresh and updated content regarding their industry. 

Ask yourself: 'What's it worth to my business for my readers to view ME as the expert in my field?"