What is blogging?
The word “blog” is a contraction of the words
“web” and “log.” According to the WordPress Codex, blog is a “term used
to describe web sites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of
information.” In other words, blogs are updated regularly with current
material, relevant to the site’s main topic.
Blogs started gaining popularity in the 1990s, but became widespread
throughout the web around 2003. Most blogs are produced using an online
interface, enabling the blogger to access and update his or her blog
from any device with Internet connectivity. The most popular blogging
platforms are Blogger and WordPress.
How does blogging work?
Blogging platforms use a combination of coding
languages, such as PHP, HTML, and CSS, to display templates or themes.
Most blog themes include a header, a footer, a navigation system,
sidebars, and an area to display the blog entries.
Depending upon the theme, posts can be displayed in a variety of
ways, but the most common is to list posts on the blog’s home page, with
the most recent entry shown first.
A typical blog entry, called a “post,” consists of a title, the post
body, post date, tags, and comments. Effective blog posts include a
catchy title, a compelling lead, a relevant image, the post body, and a
call to action. Posts are categorized into subtopics and “tagged” with
keywords to help readers readily find the information they are looking
for.The comments are added by readers who visit the blog site.
In addition to posts, blogs include various pages. Unlike the dynamic
or constantly changing content of the blog posts, blog pages are
typically static. Pages are used to display “evergreen” information,
which doesn’t require frequent updates.
Each page fills a specific purpose, such as providing the blogger’s
contact information, more details about the blogger and the site, and
whatever else the blogger wishes to include.
Many popular bloggers create opinionated and controversial content.
Some blogs are used as a tool to make money for the blogger. Methods of
blog monetization include selling advertising, promoting affiliate
products, or providing premium content through a members-only area.
Advantages of blogs
Blogs offer a means of developing relationships with the blogger’s
audience, often referred to as the blog’s “readership,” “community” or
“tribe.” Bloggers interact with their communities through post comments
and can even add a community forum to their blog, if desired.
Many small business owners and corporation staff members have begun
using blogs to maintain good customer relationships by providing answers
to frequently asked questions and addressing issues as they arise.
Another advantage of blogs is their innate ability to be noticed by
search engine “spiders” that crawl the web, seeking out new content.
Since blogs are typically updated regularly, the frequently indexed
content gives blogs a boost in the search engine rankings. Most blogs
rank better than static websites which aren’t updated often.
The ability to access one’s blog from any Internet connection is
another advantage of blogging. Most static website files are stored on a
computer hard drive, which means the site manager may only access and
update the site from that particular computer.
Most blogging platforms are open source, meaning
there is no cost to use them. Bloggers often purchase their own domain
names and/or premium themes, but if desired, a new blogger can set up a
blog for free.