Blogging Definition (and Examples)
Blogging is the process of writing, photography, and other media that is published online. Blogging became popular as a way of sharing diaries-style entries with followers on the internet. But now, many businesses also use it to share content with potential customers.
Blogging comes with a few defining features. They’re typically informal, include frequent updates, and are open to readers starting conversations.
Every day, there are more and more people from all different backgrounds who are getting into the blogging world. With this in mind, it’s important to know all you can about blogs before starting one to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
In the next section, we’ll discuss what a blog is and why they’re popular.
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What Is Blogging?
‘Blog’ actually stands for ‘weblog,’ and they were the earliest form of blogs. Much like a diaries, weblogs allowed internet users to “log” any important events or thoughts of their day in blog posts.
Blogs are very popular, so you can create communities around your blog. Online comments are often allowed on blogs, so this is another way for readers to join in with communities.
Note: Blogs have a wide range of content available. For example, travel blogs often rely on pictures to convey most meaning with just a few paragraphs, while political blogs will have more lengthy articles discussing big things in the world. The popularity of YouTube and similar sites led to the emergence of “vlogging”, or video blogging.
Companies want their own place on the internet and blogging gives them that chance. Many entrepreneurs saw this potential and started making blogs. This helped make popularity of blogging even stronger among the business community.
Marketing blogs don’t just help businesses grow, they can also generate revenue on their own.
How Blogging Works
Blogging is as simple as registering a domain name and publishing your original content. If you’re tech-savvy, you don’t even need to hire a web designer – you can build the entire website yourself!
WordPress is an easy-to-use website building service with a HUGE library of templates and layouts. So if you’re not that computer savvy then you can still create a professional looking website.
Blogs are exactly that – simple websites.Older blog posts may have been archived to a separate page and may have a separate contact or bio page.
The main content of the blog itself will usually just be one long page that can be scrolled through: this is a similar format to what you might see on social media sites like Facebook.
Similar to the news feed on Facebook, a blog will show new content at the top of the page.
Note: A company may employ a number of different writers to keep their blog updated, hiring some freelancers or purchasing articles to use. However, companies will generally have one individual who can be considered the “blog owner” or “editor.”
One of the coolest things about blogging is that you can create links that connect to other peoples work. When you do this, it’s called “interlinking”. It’s a very creative way to introduce your readers to something new.
For example a political blogger may be interested in linking to a blog post on a similar topic and then explaining where they agree or disagree.
A music teacher might maintain a blog and write a blog post about how to form a chord. They might also link to a musician’s blog or YouTube video to show how the chord sounds in action.
Interlinking and the comment section are two things that make blogs really unique. They help build the community feeling that makes this platform so special.
Traditional Websites vs. Blogging
Websites vs. Blogging
#Websites
- Predominantly evergreen content
- One-way communication
#Blogs
- Updated frequently
- Allows for reader engagement
Some people are puzzled as to what differentiates a blog from a website. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that most companies have both, usually by adding a blog section on their company’s website.
Though it shares some similarities with a website, there are two features of a blog that make it different:
#1. Most blogs will have regular content updated every few days. It could be a mommy blog with stories about parenthood, or recipes. Others might share updates on recent services they have been providing.
Websites have have different types of content, but by and large, the content on the site changes only occasionally.
#2. Blogs provide an opportunity for reader engagement. Social media is an extension of blog culture because both serve the same purpose of bringing an audience together.
Just as a blog is more interactive than a traditional website, there are features on some websites that allow for conversation. However, blogs usually have more interactions and conversations going on.
Pros and Cons of Blogging
#Pros
- Very good for SEO
- Maintains effectively communication with customers
- Builds rapport with customers & establish trust
- Generate alternate income
#Cons
- Time-consuming
- Continuously requires fresh new ideas
- Payoff is delayed
- Blogging in and of itself won’t generate income
Pros Explained
- Good for SEO: Search engines love updated content, and as a result, blogging is an excellent SEO tool. Blogging is increasingly prevalent in today’s world and part of the reason why is because fresh content improves website rankings.
- Maintains communication with customers: By blogging your customers and clients stay up-to-date on what’s going on, are able to find out about any new deals that are available, and are offered tips. The more frequently you post valuable content the more often someone visits your blog, which in turn increases the chances of them buying something.
- Builds rapport with customers: The best thing about a blog is that you can not only use it to display what you know, but also receive feedback from the people who visit. In this way, your customers form a relationship with you and become more inclined to buy from you.
- Generate alternate income: It is possible for blogs to make money without any other marketing expenditure. Alongside your product, blogging allows you to generate income from other sources such as advertising and affiliate products.
Tip: Blogging is a flexible and creative way of working. It can be done from anywhere and requires only some technical know-how. This makes it a great option for those who wish to work as lifestyle entrepreneurs.
Cons Explained
- Time-consuming: Blogging success depends on people wanting to visit your platform, and they’ll come back if there’s new content. As such, you need to produce content at least several times per week in order to engage readers and improve SEO.
- Constantly requires fresh ideas: I definitely recommend coming up with fresh and engaging content before hitting the ‘publish’ button. Hitting ‘publish’ too often without such content will be time consuming and boring for readers to see. One way you can work around this is to get guest writers or freelancers to take care of it for you. Another idea is to buy content from different sources, such as articles with Private Label Rights (PLR). You can also reuse and recycle content that’s already been published elsewhere.
- Payoff is delayed: One of the major frustrations with blogging is that it can be time-consuming with limited returns in the early stages. It takes time to build up a readership and as a result there are periods where it pays off less.
- Blogging in and of itself won’t generate income: Blogs had more weight back in the day. Nowadays, you need marketing tactics like email marketing for your blog, as well as content upgrades or even a Facebook group to help increase your blog’s exposure.
Requirements to Start Blogging
Great news, starting a blog or adding a blog to your existing site couldn’t be easier. Follow these four steps and you’ll be moving forward in no time.
#1. Set Up the Blog
There are a lot of free blog platforms out there such as Blogger and WordPress, but in order to maintain control and a professional image it is important that you invest in a domain name and hosting service.
You can get a host with a content management system or install WordPress if you don’t want to start from scratch.
#2. Add Content
As you start your blog, it’s important to keep it active with new content. Developing a schedule of when to write and post will help with getting quality content out there on time. It might be helpful to develop a development calendar so you always know what you’re going to write about.
Read more: Increase Blog Engagement: 10 Highly Effective Tips
#3. Market
Like all other business ideas, success requires marketing and getting your message in front of the target market. Great ways to reach your target market are through social media apps, email lists, and reaching out to bloggers, podcasters, and other media outlets for publicity.
Get the most out of your blog content by repurposing it across platforms. For example, you can use quotes to promote your business on Twitter and Instagram, or create a video of an article to share on YouTube.
#4. Add Income Streams
You can use your blog to generate additional income streams in your small business. Products and services from other companies can be promoted in affiliate marketing which inevitably leads to more residual income that increases your bottom line.
You can add advertisements to your blog such as AdSense. If you sell a product, then you can create information products that relate to it. If you offer services, then you can advertise them on your blog.
Key Takeaways – Blogging Definition
- Blogging is a shortened form of “weblog,” which began as an online diary for early internet users.
- Blogging is a robust medium that does not limit you to written content and can easily include photographic and video content as well as any other subject matter.
- Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your website, increase SEO performance, and earn passive income.
- Blogs are unique from other websites because they’re frequently updated and readers can easily engage with one another and the content creator.
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2 thoughts on “Blogging Definition: What Is It and Examples”
I like the difference between websites and blogs Sebastian. Way too many aspiring bloggers fear the work we must needs put in to the platform without realizing the vast potential of blogging. Plus, the 1 way communication channel websites offer ain’t working in this day and age of 2 way chatting channels via social media, forums, blog comments and the web in general. Excellent blog post.
Ryan
Thank you for your great review and for bringing up the difference between websites and blogs. We completely agree that many aspiring bloggers don’t fully understand the potential of blogging and the effort required to maintain a successful platform. You make a great point about the shift from one-way communication channels to two-way channels through social media and other interactive tools. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our blog post and found it informative.