Blogging

A blog (a portmanteau of the term web log) is a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often are themed on a single subject. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

The emergence and growth of blogs in the late 1990s coincided with the advent of web publishing tools that facilitated the posting of content by non-technical users. (Previously a knowledge of such technologies as HTML and FTP had been required to publish content on the Web.)

Although not a must, most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via GUI widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of social networking. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers.

Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries; yet still others function more as online brand advertising of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging or vlogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.

Types

There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written.

Personal blogs

The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. One type of personal blog, referred to as a microblog, is extremely detailed and seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing.

Corporate and organizational blogs

A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called corporate blogs. Similar blogs for clubs and societies are called club blogs, group blogs, or by similar names; typical use is to inform members and other interested parties of club and member activities.

By Genre

Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs (also known as travelogs), gardening blogs, house blogs, fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a blawgs) or dreamlogs. Two common types of genre blogs are art blogs and music blogs. A blog featuring discussions especially about home and family is not uncommonly called a mom blog and one made popular is by Erica Diamond who created Womenonthefence.com which is syndicated to over two million readers monthly. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.

By media type

A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see typecasting (blogging).

A rare type of blog hosted on the Gopher Protocol is known as a Phlog.

By device

Blogs can also be defined by which type of device is used to compose it. A blog written by a mobile device like a mobile phone or PDA could be called a moblog.One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person’s personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. This practice of semi-automated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as sousveillance. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters.

Reverse blog

A Reverse Blog is composed by its users rather than a single blogger. This system has the characteristics of a blog, and the writing of several authors. These can be written by several contributing authors on a topic, or opened up for anyone to write. There is typically some limit to the number of entries to keep it from operating like a Web Forum.

What is blogging, really?

Absurd as it seems, I think this is worth exploring, even if you’ve been doing it for a while already. We all have our conceptions about it, and you’d be surprised at how many ways there are to look at it. So humor me as I go over some various ways we understand what blogging is. Add your own ideas in the comments.

It’s Writing on a Blog

The fact that the writing takes place on a blog makes it different than other forms of writing. How do you know it’s a blog? Articles, called posts, are listed in reverse chronological order. Each post has its own unique web page address called a Permalink. Posts usually (but not always) allow readers to leave comments. Writing in any other environment which lacks these “bloggy” characteristics is not blogging. Blogging must be done on a blog, or using blog software of some kind. This is the most technical definition of what is blogging, and it’s an obvious one, but it’s not the only one.

It’s Writing Authentically

Separate from the technical definition of writing on a blog, we can also define blogging by trying to identify its spirit. Regardless of any other purpose the writing may have: to inform, to teach, to entertain, to provoke, whatever—authentic writing is held by many as an ideal associated with blogging. There is plenty of authentic writing found in places which are not blogs, but it’s my completely unscientific observation that the majority of authentic writing I have read on the web has been on blogs.

It’s Writing for Others, Not Yourself

Even though early blogs really were, in a sense, “online diaries,” the paradox is that a blog written to satisfy oneself is nearly always worthless to others. A blog written to satisfy others will nearly always satisfy oneself. Funny how that works, no? Blogging may appear to be writing about oneself, but only if doing that is beneficial to others. In other words, there’s a lesson to learned from a blogger’s personal story. The personal is the universal, and the more personal it is, the more universally it applies. Again, it’s a paradox.

It’s Beyond Writing

Blogging is not just writing. It can include images, audio, video, slideshows, ebooks, and all other manner of what we call “embedded media.” Blogging does not even have to include words: a blog post can have only pictures, for example. You could even choose to not have a headline (although I wouldn’t recommend that). Since part of the definition of blogging is technically as a digital publishing platform, the mechanics of publication on the web don’t care about the medium. That part’s up to us. Do it regularly and you got yourself a podcast. Blogging is beyond writing.

It’s Everything

Or at least, it seems like it. Blogging is now what television used to be. It’s what newspapers used to be. It’s what magazines used to be. It’s what books used to be. Granted, right now, all these other media are still in use, and perhaps they always will be within our lifetimes, but don’t you think it’s interesting how almost any form of traditional media has been transmogrified somewhere by someone into the “new thing.” It’s like the entire world is being slowly converted to digital,

Over to you. These are not the only ways to describe blogging. What is blogging… to you?

Tips & Tricks in Blogging:-

When writing blog posts or copy content for websites, the rules of engagement are quite often very different to those for print or other media.

Due to the electronic and visual nature of how web content is delivered, there are certain factors regarding web writing and formatting which make it unique amongst the other mediums.

For instance things like the screen size and resolution can differ greatly for people reading the exact same content, especially now that there are so many smart devices and tablets.

Also there has never been a phenomenon like the Internet which is able to provide on-demand content anytime of the day to virtually anyone.

Therefore if you’d like to increase your chances of converting or achieving your intended goal, your site’s content needs to hold people’s attention and deliver your message in an efficient and effective way.

The highest conversion rates often come from content which is easily readable & digestible

The way you format and write your copy or blog articles can have a tremendous impact on how your readers react to what they’re reading.

Studies about human online reading patterns reveal that most people don’t read every word on a web page – but instead they scan the page in an “F” pattern.

Therefore, copy content that is easily scanned by the human eye is much more likely to efficiently get the point across and is less tiresome to read.

When your readers can find what they’re looking for more easily they will also most probably click the appropriate call-to-action such as signing up to your mailing list or perhaps purchasing your product.

Below are some handy formatting tips you can apply to the pages on your site which will help to make your content easier to read and yield better conversions:

1) Write shorter chunks of copy or content of no more than about 4 or 5 lines at a time.

There are no strict rules on the Internet when it comes to paragraphs so feel free to separate long sentences if you find they take up many lines.

Splitting up your writing like this will increase scan-ability and decrease the chances of your message being lost somewhere in a sea of words. A good practice is to group sentences into chunks of no more than 4 or 5 lines.

Note: Even though there are many orthodox literary conventions that you can afford to break on the Internet, there is one which you should not violate – and that is, always ensure you have the proper spelling.

2) Use a larger and easily readable font

Typography is quickly becoming a valuable skill for Internet marketers and bloggers because using an optimum font and line spacing can be one of the key things which determine how long readers stay on your site.

This is because the more easily and less wearisome your site is to read, the better the experience your visitors will have. Therefore it is a good idea to use a large an easy-to-read font if possible.

3) Use grouping & visuals to organize content

Grouping is where you clearly segment sections of your content using columns and concise headings and messages, together with some visuals such as icons or images.

This type of delivery makes it very reader-friendly and allows your visitors to access the information they need without having to scour your site for it.

A lot of WordPress themes now give you the ability to create columns and tables which can help you achieve the above format.

4) Use numerals, ampersands & other symbols to shorten headings (or sub-headings)

This is a simple yet effective way to deliver your message concisely. For instance take the following example:

Without using symbols and abbreviation:
“Earn hundreds of points and get exclusive access to our member specials”

With symbols and abbreviations:
“Earn 100s of points & get exclusive access to our member specials”

5) Use bolding to highlight what you want your readers to see

The simple act of making a word or words bold can make a message stand out. As long as you don’t overdo it this is a great way to facilitate easy scanning of your pages.

6) Use bullet lists of no more than 5 or 6 items

• Bullet lists are great for breaking the monotony of reams of text and a handy way to link related points together.
• A bullet list should be no more than 5 or so items so as to ensure that your readers are not overwhelmed with content.
• You don’t have to use bullets or dots. Icons and other images are sometimes the most effective if you can keep them relevant to your message.
• Your second-best bullet point should be placed last so that someone scanning your list will be surprised and impressed to read it because people usually expect the least useful point to be the last!

7) Use icons and images to enhance your message delivery

The placement of relevant images or icons around copy text can serve a useful purpose of drawing your readers eyes to your message. The key is not to overdo it.

8 ) Ensure your text links are easily recognizable

When you place a link on your page, you usually do so because you want your readers to click it. Therefore, if a piece of text looks like a link then people will more than likely click it.

Most WordPress themes already have an inbuilt ability to colorize and/or underline text links. Sometimes you can add your own touch by crafting your links to look the way you would like them to.

Hope it helps You!

Regards,

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