When I began blogging back in April 2006, I had no idea that anyone would read and listen, let alone track down my blog with some interest.

I found if you are passionate about your business and mine was a new Web 2.0 start up called Minti.com, I felt I had something to say to the world, even if it was only for the fact that I would potentially be the only one listening. Luckily, I was wrong and I managed to meet many entrepreneurs interested in my blog, as well as press, research companies and people interested in what I was doing. I loved checking my stats, see how many subscribed to my feed and finding my posts number one and two in Google, without any marketing spend.

My style of writing is my first golden advice to any blogger wishing to engage their intended readers, without trying too hard, is humble intelligent PASSION, not fly off the handle jibberish. Also, find your edge, your angle, this helps with press finding you interesting, not just your products that comes later....I was blogging about the Family 2.0 space and I was the first to, I had ideals that I conveyed without too drastic emotions that happened to resonate with other founders of Family 2.0 start ups.

I also realized that you can't blog about something with devious ulterior motives, you need to moderate your enthusiasm, always write as if you are talking to someone who is really interested in what you have to say, and as I type out my train of thoughts, I also realized that my actual style of mispellings become your trademarks, or issues you seriously believe in. You let out a certain personality that even your peers didn't realize was in you.

This is golden for any CEO, founder or entrepreneur to talk about their market that they are in and show some passion for their business. A chance to garner an insight into the mind of another person, you. That is a responsibility and for online marketing the most subtlest form (in my opinion) of getting instant free online PR. It tells a reader just how stable they hoped you'd be, someone reliable to trust. If they trust you and your thinking (may not necessarily agree) they are more likely to trust your product. But, you have to stay CONSISTENT, never blog in a bad mood and wait a few days before blogging to DEFEND any controversy, but acknowledge the controversy immediately. The important thing here besides the "PASSION to engage", is "CONSISTENT saneness" and an balanced image. Cool, calm, collected personality is easier to believe.

The journey of blogging for business is a journey of evolution of YOU, your readers are just along for the ride to see you evolve, and maybe evolve your products into having a better relationship with its users, consumers and believers.

As business bloggers there is a strategy, but you need to be extremely clever in focusing on the passion and consistent sane communication of your business, but showing passion for raising the profile of the entire market, even if that means your competitors is a big KEY not to ignore. If you disclose everything, that too becomes the initial style of your blogging and right from the get go, quells any critism or any perceived double standard.

I blogged for a couple of months and stated all my values out on my blog about my wishes for raising profile of the Family 2.0 space, before I contacted CNET, whom eventually did a cover story on Family 2.0, using my blog as a source. Not only did Minti get a mention but so did Jotspot (bought out by Google) and a host of other sites in our space.

Even now as I type wanting to convey the power of PR blogging for your business, being passionate about passing on my experiences to help others, inadvertantly promotes me.

My advice is to never underestimated the value of championing a market cause rather than just a sales blog. Your audience wants to hear from the horses mouth, not the sales pitch.