What Is Blogging?
Blogging refers to writing, photography, and other media that's self-published online. Blogging started as an opportunity for individuals to write diary-style entries, but it has since been incorporated into websites for many businesses. The hallmarks of blogging include frequent updates, informal language, and opportunities for readers to engage and start a conversation.
Here's
an overview of what a blog is, why it's popular, and tips for starting your own
blog.
What Is Blogging?
The word blog is actually a
shortened form of its original name, "weblog." These weblogs allowed
early internet users to "log" the details of their day in diary-style
entries. Blogs often allow readers to comment, so as they became more common,
communities sprung up around popular blogs.
Note
The content of blogs varies
significantly. For example, travel blogs may feature many pictures with few
written passages, while political blogs may weigh in with wordy takes on the
news of the day. The popularity of YouTube and similar sites also gave rise to
video blogging, or "vlogging."
Like most internet-based
innovations, many entrepreneurs saw marketing potential in having a blog, and
the adoption of blogging among the business community helped further increase
the popularity of the medium. Not only can a blog be used for
marketing a business, but it can
also become a home business in and of itself.
How Blogging Works
Blogging is as
simple as obtaining a website and publishing original content on it. Tech-savvy
bloggers can buy a domain name and build the website themselves. Those with
less HTML knowledge can create an account with sites like WordPress that
simplify the web design and publishing process.
Blogs are
usually simple websites. Older pieces may be archived in separate sections of
the site, and there may be a separate page with contact info or a bio, but the
blog itself is usually just a single page that can be scrolled through—similar
to the news feed on social media sites like Facebook. As with a Facebook news
feed, a blog displays the newest content at the top of the page.
Note
All of the posts on a blog
are usually created by a single author. However, when a company or organization
maintains a blog, it may pay for blog content—either by hiring a team of
writers or buying content to post.
Another unique feature of
blogging is interlinking. This occurs when a blogger links to another person's
blog within their own blog post. For example, if a music teacher maintains a
blog, and they write a blog post about how to form a chord, they might link to
a musician's blog to show an example of the chords in action. A political
blogger may link to another politics blog and then discuss how they agree or
disagree with a post on that blog. Interlinking, along with the comment
section, fosters the sense of community that makes blogs unique.
Blogging vs. Traditional
Websites
Blogs
Updated frequently
Allows for reader engagement
Websites
Largely evergreen content
One-way communication
Some
people are confused over what constitutes a blog over a website. Part of
the confusion stems from the fact that many businesses use both, usually
by adding a blog section to the company website. However, there are two
features of a blog that set it apart from a traditional website.
First,
blogs are updated frequently. Whether it's a mommy blog in which a woman shares
adventures in parenting, a blogvarient sharing informative content, or a
business providing updates to its services, blogs have new content added
several times a week. Websites might occasionally have new information, but for
the most part, they offer static information that rarely changes.
Secondly,
blogs allow for reader engagement. Blogs and social media accounts
often go hand-in-hand because they serve a similar purpose of connecting an
audience with each other and the content creator. Some websites may incorporate
features that allow for conversation, but generally speaking, a blog allows for
more conversation and interaction than a traditional website does.
Pros and Cons of Blogging
Pros
·
Good for SEO
·
Maintains communication with customers
·
Builds rapport with customers
·
Generate alternate income
Cons
·
Time-consuming
·
Constantly requires fresh ideas
·
Payoff is delayed
·
Blogging in and of itself won't generate income
Comments
Post a Comment