Basically, the definition of a blog is “web log”, which means a website for storing “logs” or records, which are managed by one or more bloggers.
What are bloggers? A blogger is a person who creates or owns and maintains a blog, sharing views and perspectives with an audience for personal or business purposes. Blogger is also the name of the blogging service from Google, with the address Blogger.com or what we often encounter as Blogspot.
Well, in this article, we discuss various information about blogs, such as what is a blog, what is blogging, the history of blogs, various types of blogs, the function of blogs, the difference between blogs and websites, and so on. Happy reading!
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What is Blogging?
Blogging is the activity of managing a blog, such as writing, updating, or adding other elements (such as videos) to blog content. This activity is carried out by bloggers by utilizing digital tools available on the Internet.
Blogging became popular in the early 2000s when a number of political blogs emerged. Moments later, how-to themes and tutorials began to appear. Since then, this activity has become very popular. However, the question is, why the activity of managing a blog can become this famous?
Well, after discussing what a blog is and what blogging is, we will explain its history.
History of Blogs and Blogging
Blogs were first initiated by Blogger.com in August 1999, which was later acquired by Google in 2003. The history of blogs begins with the term ‘Weblog’, which was coined by Jorn Barger on December 17, 1997.
Initially, blogging was mostly done for news and information segments. The goal is similar to the earlier newspapers, but blogging is developing comparatively faster. Constant updating of information and the ease of choosing topics that match your interests and hobbies are two of the reasons why people start blogging.
The following year, namely in 2003, WordPress was launched, offering all the conveniences for people who are interested in starting blogging and becoming a blogger. The blogging website then became famous and attracted the attention of netizens.
Some online journal bloggers, such as ProBlogger.net and JohnChow.com, make their blogs a ‘money printing machine’ by working with third parties (in terms of advertising). Both are even examples of how you can also try to make money from the internet by blogging.
Types of Blogs Currently Existing
After knowing what a blog is, what a blogger is, and the history of blogs, then we will discuss the types of blogs.
Here are 5 types of blogs that are quite popular today:
1. Personal Blog
Blogs like this are more focused on the blogger himself, not the audience. Personal bloggers usually keep their blogs as journals or documentaries about their life, interests, or hobbies.
Because the goal is to share the blogger’s personal story, this type of blog generally doesn’t only cover one topic. The blogger can discuss various subjects according to his interests.
An example is Design for Mankind. The owner, Erin Loechner, tells about her family, work projects and self-reflection.
Then there is Neil Gaiman’s online journal which focuses on projects and updates from the blogger’s life.
2. Niche Blogs
This type really discusses a certain topic, usually related to the interests, skills, and knowledge of the blogger. For example, if you love to read books, you can discuss everything about books.
Well, here are blog niches that are quite popular in the blogging community:
- Traveling. Bloggers who focus on this niche often share stories about their journey. They share their hobby of traveling on a blog and provide lots of tips and travel guides. A well-known example is The Blonde Abroad.
- Fashion. This niche discusses the latest fashion trends, such as clothes, styling, and tips when buying fashion-related items. One well-known blogger for this niche is Jordan Bunker who discusses menswear.
- Health and fitness. The most common articles for this niche cover topics around exercise, nutritious recipes, and tips for maintaining mental health. One blogger who is quite popular for this niche is Fit Bottomed Girls.
- Food. In this niche, the blogger usually shares recipes, restaurant reviews, and kitchen utensils reviews. A fairly popular example is The Minimalist Baker, which focuses on cooking recipes with only 10 ingredients, or even less.
- Personal finance. This niche focuses on financial management, from budgeting tips to side business ideas. A cool example for this category is The Penny Hoarder.
- Lifestyle / lifestyle. This niche combines various topics that interest the blogger, for example fashion with beauty, or food with traveling. An example is A Cup of Jo, with a niche around lifestyle that discusses style, design, and motherhood.
3. Company or Business Blog
Usually it is part of the company website. Several companies use their websites to participate in the world of blogging.
The main goal is to attract the target market by posting content about the business. Some companies also use it to inform readers about changes in their organization.
One cool example of this type is Mailchimp, which provides tips and materials about marketing by utilizing its digital marketing software.
In addition, there is also a discussion of case studies of clients who have successfully used their tools, which can be used as promotional tools.
Productivity software developer Toggl also has a cool business blog. His posts focus on things around their app features, such as recruitment, team management, company culture, and project planning.
4. Affiliate Blog
For this type, the focus is affiliate marketing, which is a marketing technique by promoting third party products and services through online platforms.
The blogger usually provides a link in his post that directs readers to the online store of a business. When someone clicks on the link and buys a product, the blogger will earn money from his blog.
Articles that you will generally find in this type include product reviews, product buying tips and tricks, or lists of the best products.
There are also some that focus on one niche, such as the Outdoor Gear Lab. They only review outdoor equipment products and usually include products from Amazon.
In addition, there are also affiliate blogs that include products from various categories, such as The New York Times’ The Wirecutter.
5. Reverse Blog
On a reverse blog, the content is written by a number of guest writers or guest writers and not the blogger who owns it.
The owner may write the articles himself, but his main job is usually just editing and editing guest writers.
This type is quite popular among freelance writers because it can help expand their connections and exposure. Some bloggers also pay freelance writers for the articles they write.
An example of a reverse blog is The Writing Cooperative from Medium which focuses on writing and publishing. They accept submissions from writers on Medium.
Business2Community is also a cool example of this type. The content consists of thousands of articles from business professionals.
Blog Structure
The blog structure consists of several parts, depending on the purpose. However, in general, the blog structure consists of:
- Headers. This section is where the navigation bar is located, which is usually at the top.
- Content area. This is where the latest post or highlight is located.
- Sidebar. In this area, there is some additional information such as the author’s social media profile and the most popular posts.
- Footer. Located at the bottom, which contains information such as privacy policy, disclaimer, and contact information.
Blog Uses and Functions
There are many reasons why people or companies use them. Generally, the purpose of people looking for how to create a blog and then starting blogging and becoming a blogger is to express their thoughts and share information.
The following functions blog in general:
1. As a Sharing Room
For example, say you love dogs and want to share your hobbies and stories with an audience on the internet. You can pour it through this online journal.
Or you are studying the effects of sleep deprivation and want to write down your results and conclusions. Or maybe you are a businessman and want to offer a product by writing it on a blog to increase awareness of a larger audience.
2. To Make Money
Is it true that we can earn income by online blog? The answer is yes, we can use this online journal as a means to earn money.
Be active blogging to build a broad audience. Once the traffic is high enough, you can use it to make money through advertising or affiliates.
3. Means of Channeling the Hobby of Writing
Just like websites or journals, blogs also have a structure that is not rigid. This is because this online journal offers various designs and forms, especially with regular updates. There are standard and structured features that you will notice when you open and read them, so this online journal can be used as a means to channel your writing hobby.
Difference Between Blog and Website
Many people think of the two as the same thing. What’s more, there are many companies that use it at the same time so the difference between these two formats is quite confusing. It seems difficult to distinguish the two platforms, but actually there are special points that make blogs and websites different.
Blogs, as we mentioned earlier, have content that must be constantly updated and managed. Furthermore, you must use an attractive design to grab the attention of the audience and maximize the potential. One example is by activating the comment field so that site visitors can write their thoughts or criticisms.
Websites, on the other hand, tend to be ‘static’ – they don’t have to be constantly updated. When you log into a blog, you’re bound to notice that the content is always up to date. This is different when visiting a website, you will see that almost everything is the same and nothing has changed.
Apart from constantly updating content, there is another way to see the difference between a blog and a website.
Blogs have the publishing date, author reference, category, and tags in the byline. While not all of them have these elements, websites don’t have them at all.
So, that’s the difference between a blog and a website in a nutshell.
Differences between Blog Posts and Website Pages
Then what about blog posts and web pages? We’ve mentioned the word ‘static’ before when referring to the definition of a website. This word also applies to web pages.
Blog posts are written in order of the newest post to the earliest post. By default, the main homepage is the blog posts page and this is where you can see the latest posts.
If you want a neater look where everything is well organized and can be accessed via a navigation bar or similar feature, then we recommend using static pages, i.e. web pages.
The most popular example is an online store. You want to create a web page that contains all the important and relevant information, but at the same time offers the option to search for the desired item individually.
This method cannot be applied with blog posts because all posts will be ‘overwritten’ with new posts. Site visitors also have difficulty if they want to find the items they need.
Why Do People Blog?
Initially, this online journal became a place for users to express personal opinions or feelings. But over time, its function is growing and reaching various branches.
Many companies are starting to use it to provide up-to-date information for their clients. The more people who visit your site, the brand awareness and trust in the company will also increase.
Interaction is one of the main things that affect the success of a blog. If people can interact with the company and the brand it creates, the feedback will be positive.
In addition, many people have also started to look at this service as a source of income, both part-time and full-time. You only need to write your opinion or thoughts on a topic, then earn money. Who doesn’t like a concept like this?
The most effective way to earn money from blogs is to take advantage of third-party advertising services. You display third-party ads (usually in the form of banners) which visitors can then view.
If a visitor clicks on the ad, you will earn quite a bit. However, if you have your own business, it is more than enough to display information about the products you offer.
Do Bloggers Make Money from Their Blogs?
As we have mentioned above, the answer is yes, bloggers can earn money from their blogs.
Based on information adapted from Forbes, the 10 best blogging sites can bring in income from $175,000 to $14,000,000 per month. That’s a fantastic amount, isn’t it?
Of course, it took years to build a brand and image, even hiring a number of professionals in the field.
Don’t be discouraged if yours is not currently as big as the ten blogs mentioned. With patience and perseverance, surely you can earn from your own blog.
Conclusion
So, through a blog, you as a blogger can write your views, opinions, and various other things that you do everyday. In fact, you can turn it into a source of income, especially if you focus on a unique topic that can attract readers.
Blogging is not just a hobby, but also a way of life and even the main career of the blogger. It seems like it would be very difficult to imagine how to live without it because from this online journal we can learn and find out many interesting things, ranging from guides, tips and tricks, stories, and other people’s daily lives.
Likewise when you run a business or company. To increase customer awareness and trust, one of the best ways is to create a powerful weblog that contains a variety of important information.
Hopefully through this article, you can learn a lot about blogs. If you have an opinion or question, please share it in the comments column below.
