Blogs are becoming a larger and larger part of the Internet. Because much of the information online is now in blog format, it’s important to understand what a blog is.
The word “blog” stands for the two words “web log.” Blogs began as personal vehicles that were used either to keep friends and family updated on the writer’s daily life, or as a personal online diary. Blogs are now used for a far wider variety of uses, including for business and marketing.
Bloggers
A blogger is the term for the writer of a blog. Many blogs are written by just one blogger who injects some personality into the blog to deliver the information in a personal way. There are other blogs that are written by multiple people. These are often business blogs that are maintained by a company in order to keep customers interested in the business.
Blog Posts
Each entry of a blog is called a blog post, though some people refer to each post as a blog. These posts are generally written in a far more casual style than a typical article would be. This is true even for business blogs that use their blog to convey business information through the blog.
Many businesses use blogs to convey information and to answer questions precisely because blog writing style is more causal. This fosters a more intimate experience for customers who then feel that they can get to know the personalities behind a company rather than simply reading factual information about it.
Blogs are generally updated often with many updated daily. The posts are listed in reverse chronological order on the page with the newest posts at the top.
Amateur Blogs
Though there are people who eventually begin earning a living through blogging, there are many more people who simply keep amateur blogs to express themselves. Amateur blogs are often more like diaries than informational blogs that are ties to marketing campaigns.
Amateur blogs may not be kept just for the money, but they often have some ads to bring in a little extra money along the way. This can be done with Google’s AdSense program that places ads on the blog or by signing up with any of the many sites that now sell ads that are placed on blogs. Some bloggers earn a small monthly income with their own personal, amateur blog.
Free Blogs
The easiest way to get started with a blog is to sign up for a free blog. There are several free blog sites that offer completely free blogs to anyone who agrees to a few simple rules. These rules are usually to refrain from posting adult or defamatory material. After signing up for a free blog, the blogger can begin writing about anything that interests them.
Some blogs are about general topics and others are about extremely specific topics that might not be of interest to a large audience. The beauty of the blog is that the blogger is in control of the content and can make it as personal or as remote as he pleases.
