Nowadays any information that you require is available for you on the internet. You can also provide information through blogging on the internet.
All you need is a device that can use data or be connected to a wifi signal and the right browser or application to enter the world of the Internet.
The Internet has revolutionized the communication system all around the world and has now become the preferred means of communication.
We not only use the Internet to find information but also to complete various activities like blogging, ordering food or shopping items online, keeping ourselves informed with the latest news, connecting with our colleagues, friends, or relatives, etc.
The recent pandemic also allowed the internet and technology to grow further as more people began to use it as means to work or learn by using video conferencing software that enabled us to connect with our peers and loved ones.
In olden times, if we needed a piece of advice regarding a topic we could only depend on our family members’ advice but now with the help of the Internet, you can seek advice or personal opinions from anyone around the world.
You can also share your experiences online by maintaining blogs on the internet where you can give advice or interesting facts or hacks related to a specific topic. This helps many people to find a solution to a problem or just get an idea on the related topic.
But what is a blog?! Although some of us might have heard of this word, many may not know the difference between a website and a blog or how a blog works. This article could give an introduction to it all and get you started right away on how to maintain a blog.
What is a Blog?
A blog (short term for “weblog”) is an online personal journal where people record their views and experiences about a specific topic along with pictures and videos to support the article.
Previously, blogs were used to record a person’s personal experience or views but now, it’s being widely used for business purposes, for reporting the latest news articles, or for networking.
People who maintain their own blogs are called bloggers and the process of writing a blog and updating them online on to a website is called blogging.
Difference between a Website and a Blog
Now, you might be confused about how to differentiate between a website and a blog. Here is how to differentiate them.
Websites are pages that are set in a certain chronological order that starts from a home page. You can navigate through these websites using menus provided on the website.
However, they are usually static. The process of updating these web pages with new or more information may not be as frequent as in a blog since they are made to provide only the necessary information.
Whereas, blogs are websites that are more dynamic and are updated with information regularly. They are usually displayed with the latest posts that were updated without chronological order.
Some business websites have sections for blogs where they can inform and answer certain questions asked by their customers using regulated content.
To summarize, blogs are websites that people can create and publish to express their views on any topic they like.
Benefits of Blogging
So, why do people use blogs to gain more information rather than just using websites? To know that there is a list of benefits of blogging to make you understand why blogs are more popular nowadays:
- Provides you with an area to express your thoughts and views.
- Helps you to showcase your talents in creativity.
- Helps you to socialize with like-minded people online on certain topics.
- Helps to promote business or product sales.
- You can also earn using various monetization methods from your blog.
- Enterprises use blogging methods to attract potential customers.
- Non-profit organizations use blogging methods to spread awareness, even alert people on campaign dates just to influence the general public opinion for certain topics.
How do Blogs work?
A Blog may consist of posts that are updated by more than one blogger. The latest topics appear first on the homepage of the blog.
Nowadays, blogs are designed to categorize their posts. This is done so that the viewers may browse through a topic of their interest easily.
Blogs may focus on a specific topic or may contain views about a range of topics updated by the bloggers. Some these topics can be about:
- Enterprises or their products.
- Food or recipes
- Celebrity gossip
- Sports or Festivals
- Films or TV shows
- Games
- Career or parenting advice
- Travel, etc.
Features of Blogs
Some of the features of a blog that most people find attractive are:
Propagandize expertise
people like to embrace the simplicity and effectiveness of a blog’s ability to reach millions of people. Blogs don’t have specific website layout rules or literature requirements; they can be designed however a blogger wishes.
Blogs can also establish their bloggers as subject matter experts in their chosen field which can lead to more sales or customers, which is why business establishments now also create blogs for the customers apart from their official websites.
Sending messages
Blogs even allow a comments section for the viewers to interact with their bloggers.
While bloggers convey their message about a professional service or item they wish to sell or speak about their experiences, viewers can also comment back and join for discussions.
This allows both parties to stay connected at all times.
Why do people blog?
Reasons for Blogging
When starting an online blog, different people have different motivations that help them to start an online journal.
There could be many reasons why many people start blogs, one of them may be to earn profits or it might just be to share their knowledge and experience with people around the world. Out of them, the two main reasons are:
Blogging for fun
Most blogs are started by those who just wish to record and express their opinions of an experience they have faced such as, recording about their daily life activities, their cooking interests, or their parenting hacks done in their family, etc.
Although these blogs have limited viewership and readers, they can become popular among like-minded people forming small communities this way.
Blogging for profit
There are many blogs used for business purposes, where bloggers are paid for every advertisement they place on their blogs.
Some businesses also start blogs to attract various customers for their products or to keep their customers informed.
Here are a few ways that some bloggers use to earn from their respective blogs.
- The most common and easiest way is to display ads on your blog page. However, it is quite difficult to find advertisers on your own but not quite impossible as there are solutions to work your way around it.
Google Adsense is one of the ways that you can gain ad profits. It is an application provided by Google that helps you to find ads to display on your blog website that could help you earn.
- The second method is through affiliate marketing where bloggers recommend certain products on their website and earn a commission fee when their viewers buy these products.
It is not only these options that you could use to earn through your blog there are many other ways to earn using different monetization methods like memberships, selling online courses, etc.
Getting started with a blog
However, one of the most important reasons why people blog is that anyone can create a blog and express themselves online. To create a blog, you just need to follow a few steps:
First, to help you to start with blogging there are many blogging tools available like WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Wix, etc.
These tools help to provide you with a blogging platform to start a blog. Then you will require a topic to start writing on and then enhance the chosen theme.
Some blogs like WordPress also provide their users with Search Engine Optimization or (SEO) tools that could help drive readers to your blogs.
One of the most recommended blogging tools is the WordPress software as it allows you to set up your own website for blogging easily.
While the software is free and allows its users many different themes to choose from as well, to host the website you will be required to purchase it along with a domain for your website.
To learn more about how to create a website using the WordPress tool, click on this link to learn directly from the website: https://wordpress.com/learn/.
Blogging essentially depends on the creativity of those in charge.
Be it travel, cooking, advertising, or even a company wishing to strike a chord with their clients, blogging is one of the most useful tools to ensure that people with the same interests can communicate.
The uniqueness of your content and the constant effort you’re willing to place into it will determine the returns you get, whether it’s pure revenue or customer loyalty that you’re focusing on.
