As a small business owner, utilising visually driven social media platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook is undoubtedly important. However over the past year or so I've started to notice a massive decline in the one thing that started it all; blogging. While I used to love reading my favourite business owners' blogs, these days more and more of them appear to be neglected. They have been abandoned for the bright lights and instant gratitude of social media.

Blogging is a powerful tool for promoting new work, sharing inspiration, letting people into the behind the scenes action, and posting your opinions. It's the best way to share who you really are with the world and build a loyal following. But blogging hard. It takes forward planning and lots of work, hence the mass exodus.

I get it. You're busy. And while updating a blog is a slog, social media is so fun and easy in comparison. But here's the thing, if you're willing to put the work in, a blog will bring you many more rewards than even the largest following on Instagram.

♥ Writing helpful articles for your ideal client will build those fans who are much more likely to go on and book your services or buy your products. This simply can't be done with a tweet.

♥ With your blog, you make the rules. You own the domain and you can share whatever you want, whenever you want. You don't have to adhere to anyone else's guidelines or parameters.

♥ Seo. Facebook fans are all well and good, but they don't help the searchability of your website, which is ultimately what you'll be using to sell your services.

♥ You own all your own work. Yes, sharing your images on Instagram might get you lots of likes - and even sales - right now, but what will happen if Instagram goes the way of MySpace? Will your followers go out of their way to find you elsewhere online? Most of them will not.

Sure, the instant validation that social media brings with likes, shares and comments just isn't there with blogging any more (blog comments are down internet-wide) but that doesn't mean it's pointless. Your social media presence should add to your online visibility, not be the sole source of it.

Blogging may not seem so essential any more but I'd caution you to ignore it completely. Yes, it is hard work, but aren't all the worthwhile things in life? I might be a full time blogger and so completely biased, but I nearly always discover my most favourite online businesses through their blogs first.