For hard-up small or mid-sized businesses, The New York Times calls blogging a "low-cost, high-return tool" for marketing, public relations, raising company profiles and brand-building. Blogging necessitates writing skills and a commitment of more time than some firms can afford to lose.

Aliza Sherman Risdahl, who wrote The Everything Blogging Book, said finding a legitimate reason for blogging can be challenging unless the sector enjoys a steep learning curve — wine is one example.

Firms whose products are integrated in a certain lifestyle (pets, travel) or social mission (hungry children, saving redwood trees) are also good candidates for blogging. But the trick, says Risdahl, is to focus on a blogging strategy and decide whether there is really enough to write about.

Bloggers are also advised to track their sites in order to determine who is visiting and why. While advertising can be a slow way of making money at outset, some bloggers end up doing relatively well.

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