It is now over 2 decades since the blogging idea was introduced. However, many today are still wondering, what is a blog? In this digital era, almost everyone with access to the internet has interacted with a blog.
Whether you are hearing about the term “blog” for the first time, or you cannot define it, this guide helps to clear all your doubts once and for all.
So, what is a blog definition and example?
By definition, a blog is a website that is regularly updated through the publishing of new content. According to the blogging Law, the published content is written in a conversational or informal style to inform the audience.
Of course, the content goal is either to build a community or to achieve a business purpose.
The topic may appear new, but if you read news online, or check information about the latest trends in town, then you have read several of them, including this one. Today, there are over 500 million blogs on the web, and almost 80 million posts are pumped on the WordPress platform alone per month.
What is the difference between a Blog and a Website
Not many people differentiate between the two, even though they play a separate role. From our blog definition, we have seen it is active through regularly updating of the content, while a website is static without regular updates.
For easy understanding, all blogs are websites, but not all websites are blogs.
Websites are designed with pages only, such as homepage, services page, and contact page. A website can have one page only, to convey business information and contacts to the target audience.
If you are still wondering what is a blog, let us dig deeper. It is designed with both pages and posts of which posts are more than pages. The blog focuses on a subject like a fashion blog and regularly inform the readers by updating with fresh content.
Every new content you upload on a blog displays in reverse chronological order. Therefore, your audience gets to read your most recent posts.
So, how can you tell the difference between a blog and a website? The easy way to make the difference between the two is that blog has the author reference, publishing date, category, and tags. But the website is static without the mentioned elements.
That means when you visit the website today, after one year it will still look the same. Not all blogs have them though; however, there is constant change in content.
Read: Ways to Boost Traffic Using Search Engine Optimization
Pages VS Posts – Do they have a difference?
Differentiating, the two may be a little bit confusing, which is natural. They have similarities, but there is a difference in how both work. Here is the way you can single out one from the other as classified below.
Blog Posts:
✅ They are arranged based on categories and tags
✅ They have a comment section for engagement with the audience
✅ You can have numerous posts
✅ They have the author name and the publishing date
✅ They are shareable on social media and other platforms
✅ They can be archived based on months or years
✅ They have a similar format depending on your blog theme
✅ They are organized with headings and subheadings
Pages
✅ They don’t have an RSS feed
✅ They do not display the date of publishing and the author
✅ There is no comment section
✅ The information doesn’t change often
✅ Their design is not shareable on social media as posts
The process of writing blogs is different from that of pages for they require a well-strategized approach. You need to create an outline, tone that flows with the audience, topic, subtopic, and the focus depending on the subject. When it comes to pages, it is different.
I believe you now have a better understanding of what is a blog, its difference with websites, posts, and pages.
What are the Benefits of a Blogging
Over the years, blogs have evolved, and today people blog about anything. Some use blogs as a journal, and it gives them a platform to share their ideas, experiences, and creativity with a wider audience.
On the other hand, big companies use blogs to reach their customers by educating them and as a channel to release news. Today, blogging has become an important part of marketing strategies for businesses to promote their products and services.
If you are still not sure what is a blog benefit, check the list below:
☑️ A blog gives you a voice and presents you to the world as an authority
☑️ A blog allows you to showcase your talents, skills, and creativity
☑️ It helps you to organize your thoughts and present them to the reader in an orderly manner
☑️ Businesses are using blogs to lure customers
☑️ There are various methods today you can monetize your blog, and many are making passive through that.
☑️ A blog helps you to connect and interact with like-minded people.
Example of a Blog Platform (on the web)
Currently, there are millions of blogs covering various topics. They are spread all over the world and focus on certain audiences depending on the individual or business target.
You can check our 5 blog list below that can give you a clear idea of blog definition and example.
1. Shoutmeloud
This blog, also known as SML (initials for ShoutMeLoud) is built around a community of bloggers idea popularly referred to as “shouters.”
It was started in 2008 by Harsh Agrawal. And the blog has had an impact on many bloggers, including the birthing of Newbie Block.
2. Tech Savvy Mama
This blog run by Leticia has been helping parents maneuver the upbringing process, especially with the digital age idea. She has a teaching background and fuses that knowledge by guiding parents on how to connect their children with technology positively.
3. Dun Kariuki
Dun Kariuki is a blog that talks about anything Social Media. It was started in 2017, and you will find topics such as Social Media features, advertisement, marketing, news, and more.
Also, the founder Duncan Kariuki uses the blog to display his Virtual Assistant services.
4. Deliciously Ella
If you love anything to do with foodie, this is the blog to bookmark. Ella started the blog back in 2012 and shares about eating healthy, especially plant-based eating.
Delicious Ella has personally documented the blog by sharing the real-life story of her cooking and the experience.
5. James Clear
The owner of this blog, which is under his name is a renowned New York Times bestseller author “Atomic Habits” with over a million copies sold. He covers about habits and how people can enhance their lives by adopting good habits.
He started the blog in 2012 and is a transforming place for anyone looking for positive vibes in their lives.
These are some of the popular blogs out there that you can emulate if you want to start your own.
Why Everyone is Turning to Blog
There are a couple of reasons why individuals and many brands have turned to blog.
- Keeps clients and customers up-to-date – Regular updates allow customers to keep coming to learn new ideas, check deals, and if your blog is interesting to them, the more they will make purchases now and then.
- Ability to Generate Income – You can use a blog as a source income from different sources such as selling digital products, affiliate products, and advertisements.
- Create Long-Lasting Prospects – Your blog can become an authority through your continued sharing of insightful posts, and it builds trust plus credibility. That connection allows your audience to make your blog top priority when seeking for answers because they can trust you.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool – Search engine loves to crawl new content, and through that, it can rank.
Who can Start a Blog?
Anyone can start a blog today, unlike a couple of years ago when you needed to have coding skills.
Things are very easy today, and thanks for the new innovative tools making the building process easy. By drag and drop tools, your blog takes a few days to set up the process.
Many starting to run a blog make a big mistake by choosing the wrong platform. Luckily, you are safe here if you are still wondering about the process on how to create a blog. The best platform to run your blog is on WordPress platform. It is a website builder and a leading platform in the world where popular blogs run.
Statistically, 37% of the web is built on WordPress, and yours should be there as well. Note that, there are two WordPress platforms: One is WordPress.com, which is a hosted platform, while WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform like this blog.
I would recommend you go with WordPress.com because it gives you the freedom to run your blog with no restriction. You can opt to use any method to bring money through your blog (legal means, of course) with no interference.
Are you excited to run your blog? Learn from here on how to start a blog step by step. It is an easy process that requires you to buy a domain and a website hosting account.
Today, you can purchase a domain name less than $10 per year and website hosting less than $4 per month. If you are just starting out, this may seem like a costly venture, but, it is a road worth taking.
In fact, Bluehost, the only hosting company recommended by WordPress, has an offer when you host with them. You are given a hosting at $2.95 per month and a free domain for the first year.
So, you have 12 months to build a successful blog that earns you money, and the returns you get to pay for hosting and domain 2nd-year renewals. What would you call that? The smart blogging idea, right. But after securing your domain name and hosting package, check blogging for beginners and follow the simple process shown there.
I hope this blog post has helped you answer pressing questions about what is a blog. May you start a successful blogging journey that helps you to earn passive income and frees you from the 9 to 5 slavery system.