Early stage blogging as a great way to gather market data, test and validate assumptions about the market and client needs, become a member of the “ecosystem,” and generate buzz.

I’ve seen this done very effectively.

On the other hand…

A lot of people don’t have the stomach to do this…they’re cognizant that what goes on the web stays on the web, and are increasingly concerned about online reputation management. Do you want to market-test a new business idea in public? Can you do it in a subtle way?

Also, it’s well known that blogging can be…well, addictive…How much time can one devote to blogging and social media? It may be low cost in terms of laying out vendor expense, but time is money. Blogging can take an inordinate amount of time. People are aware of this, and so they hesitate to take the plunge…

But for the right individual, I agree with you, this can be a great strategy.