Introduction to Blogging

INTRODUCTION

So you've heard the term "blog" and you want to know what blogs are all about. Well you've come to the right place. In this series of four articles we will take you from asking what a blog is to having all the knowledge you need to start a blog of your own so you can share your thoughts with hundreds or even thousands of readers.

WHAT IS A BLOG?

Let's begin with some definitions. A bit dry, we realize, but this is a necessary evil. First we'll define the word this whole site is based around - blog.

A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions. Really, it's anything you want it to be. For our purposes we'll say that a blog is your own Web site that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.

Here are a couple of other definitions:

"...the first journalistic model that actually harnesses rather than merely exploits the true democratic nature of the web. It's a new medium finally finding a unique voice."--Andrew Sullivan

"[a] collection of posts...short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal...with the freshest information at the top."--Meg Hourihan

TERMINOLOGY

As so often happens in the English language, many derivates of the word blog have been created. One who participates in the activities of maintaining a blog is known as a blogger and the activity of keeping a blog is known as blogging. So we could say that the blogger blogs in his blog, but that might cause your English teacher to weep. We are going to use these terms with alarming frequency, so make sure you understand what they mean before you go on.

Blog (noun) - a journal or diary that is on the Internet - Andrew Sullivan has the most popular blog on the Internet.

Blogger (noun) - a person who keeps a blog - Bloggers are revolutionizing the way news is shared.

Blog (verb) - to write a blog - I am going to blog before breakfast this morning.

Blogging (verb) - the action of writing a blog - Blogging is my way of sharing my passions with the world.

Originally blogs were known primarily as places for people to write about their day-to-day activities. Their mundane, everyday tasks became fodder for journal entries. Somehow these writers gained a following and the hobby of blogging was born. Today people write about far more interesting topics. But we'll get to that in a minute.

WHO BLOGS?

So who are these fearless people who would be willing to post about their lives in as public a forum as the Internet? They are people just like you. Once the haven of technical know-it-alls, blogging has suddenly caught-on as a legitimate hobby and has entered the mainstream. Every day millions of people, some of whom have no technical ability whatsoever, write on their blogs. To meet this demand some amazing tools have been created that will allow anyone, even people with very little knowledge of computers, to have their own blog. If you can find your way onto the Internet and follow some basic instructions you can have your own blog. It's just that easy.

WHY DO PEOPLE BLOG?

So you may be asking why anyone would want to have their own blog. We believe the answer lies in the fact that every human has a voice and wishes their voice to be heard. The Internet is a medium that is unparalleled in its reach. Never before have average people like you or me been able to reach a global audience with so little trouble. Bloggers have the opportunity of reaching hundreds or even thousands of people each and every day.

There are still many people who like to share the details of their days. They may post twenty or thirty times a day, detailing when they ate lunch and when they headed home from work. On the other hand there are bloggers who give almost no detail about their lives, but write instead about a hobby or interest of theirs. They may dedicate their blog to something they are passionate about. Let me give you some examples:

This blog is about the business of Online Marketing.

So by now you know what a blog is and know that people from all walks of life have their own blogs. We'll turn now to the various components of an average blog.

COMPONENTS

1. Advertising - Many blogs have advertising banners on them. Most often the money generated by advertising goes to the company providing the blog software, not the individual blogger.
2. Title - The blog's title.
3. Date - The date of the most recent post. You will notice that previous posts have been pushed down on the page to fit below the most recent one.
4. Post Title - The title of the most recent post.
5. Text - The actual text of the most recent post.
6. Posting Information - Information telling who wrote that particular post and when it was posted to the blog.
7. Comments - An area for readers of the blog to add their comments. This is an option some bloggers use and others avoid.
8. Previous Posts - A list of the most recent posts.
9. Archives - A link to view the archive section which contains older posts.

Though there may be variety from one to another depending on the preferences of the individual blogger, most blogs have all or most of those components.

REVIEW

A blog is a place for anyone to say anything to everyone at any time. Blogs are so easy and accessible that even a novice computer-user can begin and maintain one and gain a dedicated readership.

WHAT NEXT?

In Step Two of this tutorial we will look at how to get started, what costs you can expect and what pitfalls to avoid.