What is a Blog?
Posted by Tim Roenicke on July 07, 2010 in Blogging
It’s probably something you’ve thought a little about. It’s relativity safe to assume since you’ve stumbled upon this post. What you might not realize is you read from a blog more often than you think. In fact, right now, you’re reading a blog.
A blog is …
- A web log – In other words it’s a collection of ideas, news and multi-media in the form of a website.
- An online voice - It may be the voice of one or more people. Non the less, its available to: individuals, businesses, politicians, corporations, non-profits and more. Anyone has the potential to blog; and blog they do! Blogs have changed the way we interact and get our information online. It’s taken main stream media and given it back to everyone. With that being said keep in mind you can’t trust everything everyone says, or all you read online for that matter.
- Expandable – With the use of easy to install plugins you can extend the functionality of your blog to do just about anything you need it to do.
- A Social Tool – Most blogs are open for reader interaction. This allows users to comment on articles, pages, and content; as well as share that same content with people in their social networks. This offers businesses and individuals a way to connect with their readers in a whole new way.
- Simple – It wasn’t always this way, but you can literally start blogging in a matter of minutes. As with most things in life the more time you invest the better your return. The point, however, is anyone can do it and I’ll teach you how in future posts.
- FREE – Almost all the blogging software available on the web is free. Which opens up the door for anyone to talk and publish content about their business, passions, or experiences.
A Blog Can…
- Express your Thoughts – Sometimes you just need a place to jot down thoughts and express your opinions. It is therapeutic and you can meet some truly interesting people in the process.
- Sell Something – It doesn’t matter if it’s an eBook or a box of matches. With the use of e-commerce plugins a blog can easily be turned into a sales front for your wares. It’s also easier than you may think. With tools like Paypal and Plugins you can sell items on your site in a few minutes.
- Promote Something – Have an event or a product you want to advertise? Blogs are great ways to get the word out.
- Help People – Much like LiveBinary, some blogs are their to help their users. Many parenting, makeup, health, and ‘do it yourself’ blogs are setup just for this purpose.
- Establish Yourself - Establishing yourself as an expert in your field takes trust from users. There’s no better way to build your reputation then giving back to your community in the form of news they can use.
- Be Fun – Some people blog just for the fun of it. It not only keeps the creative juices flowing but can also keep them active and knowledgeable in their field of interest.
- Make you Money - Ok lets face it, if you’re blogging for money you’re in it for all the wrong reasons. We can all smell salesmen a mile a way and online surfers can smell them just the same. Although a blog can make you money your soul purpose should not be to make money from it. Going into it with this mentality is only going to set you up for disappointment down the road.
Be sure to check out our full ‘Blog’ series, coming up, for information on how you can start blogging.
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