Everyone who has ever used the internet has stumbled upon or least have heard about blogs. This is hardly surprising, having in mind blogs are some of the most popular types of websites. But what exactly is a blog and how does it differ from a regular site? If you want to find the answers, keep reading.
What is a blog?
In blogs, publications appear in a reverse order, meaning the newest posts appear first. The author of the articles is often referred to as a blogger.
Blogs could focus on one particular topic such as football, forex, digital marketing, hiking or just sports in general. What is unique for bloggers is that they share their opinion on a certain but they also allow their readers to take part in the discussion by posting comments.
There could be one single author that creates and posts fresh content but in some cases, a group of authors publishes new articles.
Types of blogs
Initially, blogs served as personal online diaries, in which the author talks about his everyday life, struggles, interesting situations, etc. Over time, bloggers started to narrow their focus to several or just one topics. There are blogs literally about everything you can think of – travel, SEO, history, philosophy, comics, punk, etc.
However, there are corporate blogs as well and they have rather a different purpose. They become more and more popular because they allow businesses to communicate with clients in a friendly manner. In corporate blogs, you can usually find information about new joint ventures, upcoming products, services, updates, partnerships, “How to…” articles, and all sorts of useful information. A good example of a corporate blog is Google Blog and the one you are currently reading.
History of blogs
Blogs originally came to prominence in the mid-1990s. Most of them were just online diaries back then. However, more and more blogs started to emerge and this led to the development of many blog-publishing platforms. Blogger.com was first launched in 1999 but Google acquired it in 2003.
Meanwhile, our beloved WordPress came to life as well. Today it is still the most popular instrument for launching websites and blogs. To get an idea of how great WordPress is, here’s a little statistics – 30% of all websites are developed on WordPress.
What is the difference between a website and a blog?
Though the lines separating websites from blogs are blurred there is one major difference we cannot ignore. Websites are usually static and rarely change. They usually have pages like “Home”, “Products”, “Contacts”, “About”, giving information about who is behind this website and what do they offer.
In contrast, are usually personal as only one individual updates them and publishes in them. The blogger publishes new posts regularly, expresses an opinion, writes guides, and so on. This is the main difference between a website and a blog – blogs are active, they constantly change, and posts appear in a reverse order.
Despite that, a blog can be a part of a larger website. Business websites often tend to add blog pages, where they publish relevant content. Some online stores also have blogs. More often than not you can see the opposite example, too. When a blog’s popularity grows, its owner might add a store or launch a whole new website. Everything depends on the vision the blogger has.
Why do people blog?
Well, because some people are good at writing and because blogging allows them to share their opinion, communicate with and meet like-minded individuals. Let’s say you are good at cooking but you know not everyone is able to spend much time cooking. If you have a blog where share recipes, which are not time-consuming, those who don’t have a lot of cooking time will appreciate your work. They will come back for more because your recipes are delicious and quick. Over time, you could even become the leading cooking blogger. You could even make a living off writing. Who knows?
Blogs help people voice their concerns, interests, ideas, practically they can talk about they care for. Additionally, blogs help businesses bring in more traffic. NPOs can promote campaigns via blog posts, or bring relevant social questions to the table.
Can one make a profit from blogging?
Yes, of course! However, it takes some time before you would be able to leave your 9-to-5 and become a full-time blogger. Bloggers usually earn their money through several channels some of which include affiliate marketing, selling products on their online store, selling online courses, placing AdSense banners on their blogs, writing product reviews, and so on.
Blogs are easy to build
Literally, everyone can start a blog on any topic. The only things you need are time and effort. You don’t have to be an IT specialist to create your own blog. There are tools that allow for quick and easy blog set up and WordPress, Blogger, Wix, and Weebly are just some of them.
Because of that, the number of blogs published is ever-growing. There are currently more than 440 million blogs out there. According to Statista, there are more than 425 microblogs on Tumblr alone. Don’t lose hope, however. There is a place for your blog as well. Just make sure you create valuable content.
