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A blog — or “web log” — is a type of online journal in which individual pieces of content, called posts, are published on a semi-regular basis and (usually) presented in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be personal, corporate, or community-oriented, and can take a wide variety of formats. From their conception in the mid-1990s to today, blogs have taken a larger and larger role in the media landscape, and are now widely scene as a legitimate source of news and commentary.
History of Blogging
There have been blogs longer than the word “blog” has existed. In the early 1990s, with the advent of the web as a medium for non-technical people, writers began publishing online journals and “web diaries.” Some proto-bloggers referred to their online projects as “zines.”
In 1997 the term “weblog” was coined, and in 1999 it was shortened to “blog” (as a joke: “we blog”). The term took off as a perfect way to describe what more and more people were doing. By the end of that year blogger.com was launched — the name stuck.
Types of Blogs
The quintessential blog is the personal blog, written by a single individual who uses the blog as a platform for discussing personal observations and opinions. But this is no longer the dominant style of blogging.
Corporate blogs, in which a company or organization uses the blog as a form of semi-formal official communication, are a major part of the blogosphere — the global ecology of blog sites.
A large number of news organizations have launched blogs, many of which are essentially an online version of their print or TV presence. In some cases, news organizations have only an online presence, and use blogging software to publish news stories and other content typical of newspapers or magazines.
This, along with the growing number of multi-author blogs on a number of topics, blurs the line between “blog” and “online magazine.” This makes it sometimes difficult (both for authors and audience) to determine the level of formality appropriate and the extent to which traditional standards of journalism should be adhered to.
Benefits of running a blog
Whether you are are thinking about blogging as an individual, starting a blog for your small bussiness, or launching one for a large company or non-profit organization, blogging can be a richly rewarding experience.
- Authentic communication — Readers tend to see blogs as a more authentic form of communication that traditional press releases and corporate announcements.
- Audience connection — If you only speak to the public when you have an official announcement to make, or want to advertise something, you have to work very hard for those moments to even be noticed and to have any impact. But if you blog regularly, you can develop an audience who is voluntarily receiving your messaging on a regular basis. This allows you to impact them on a much more profound level.
- Public feedback — Most blogs allow for comments and discussion. Even if you don’t, Twitter and Facebook can serve as a platform for discussion. Either way, this allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your writing and the response to your ideas.
- Refine ideas — Most bloggers will tell you that the process of writing regularly, for public consumption, helps them clarify in their own mind their thinking and their values. Many popular bloggers have expressed that they would continue to blog even if they had no audience.
- SEO — The most important thing you can do for SEO is to produce content —- high quality content — on a regular basis. Blogging provides a ready-made platform for creating new content. Because of the conversational nature of blogging, it is also a good way to develop links into your site.
Things to keep in mind while blogging
- It takes time to develop an audience, and it takes regularly publishing high-quality content. If you plan to “save” all your great blog ideas until after you have readers, you’ll never have readers.
- Blog posts should be written by a person, they shouldn’t be the anonymous announcements mechanism of a faceless corporate entity.
- If you monetize your blog through affiliate links or writing paid reviews, you have to disclose this information to your readers.
Blogging Platforms
WordPress
WordPress is, far and away, the most popular blogging platform available. It is Free and Open Source software, and can be easily installed on even the most basic web hosting account. In fact, many low-cost shared hosting plans are especially optimized to provide WordPress hosting, and offer one-click installation of the application.
Other Blogging apps
Content Management Systems
The line between what is a blog application and what is a Content Management System is a bit fuzzy. WordPress is considered by many (including its developers) to be a fully-featured CMS, not just a blog engine. Likewise, most CMS applications include blog posts as a content type. These are especially useful if you plan you have a larger site which is not only a blog, but which includes one.
Popular Content Management Systems with blog features include: – Drupal – Joomla – Moveable Type
