The Basics of Blogging
Starting a project such as a blog is much easier if you know the
basics. It is helpful to understand what a blog is, what types of blogs exist,
and what kind of content can be uploaded to a blog. Not only will this give you
a glimpse of what to expect of the blogosphere, but it is also useful when
planning your own blog.
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| Basics of Blogging |
What is a blog?
A blog is a web page that is regularly updated with new content.
Usually, blog posts are sorted in reverse chronological order so that the
visitors will see the newest content first. Content can also be arranged into
categories, but within the categories, again, you will see posts in reverse
chronological order. Unlike websites, which have what's called “static” pages,
the most characteristic of blog content are its dynamic pages. New pages are
regularly added with old content being updated when necessary(especially data
are updated).
Blogs can be run by:
• Individuals
• Teams of bloggers
• A company
Ever since blogging started in 1997, there was this idea for blogs
to be perceived as a part of a large online community. This is how the term
blogosphere was coined. It is used to include all of the blogs and the
different ways they are connected. This sense of community is another thing
that differentiates blogs from websites. Bloggers strive to achieve the
connections with other bloggers, through commenting, sharing, having blogrolls,
etc. The more they do this, the more they establish their own persona as a
blogger and indirectly build their influence.
Types of blogs
When it involves blog types, it's impossible to enlist all of
them, because they vary counting on the subject. There also are tons of blogs
that combine a few of the kinds. What is helpful here is to understand the
most general groups where most blogs fit.
Types of Blog
Personal blog
The main idea with the private blog is to make personalized
content where the blogger shares own opinion, experience, beliefs, advice, etc.
It involves a rather individualized approach and it can, but does not have to
be, monetized. In the spotlight of this blog, there is a person, who can
eventually become an influencer. Typical samples of personal blogs are
lifestyle blogs, mom blogs, etc.
Business blog
Business blogging may be a common practice today where businesses
use blogging as another strategy to position their business within the online
market. The main difference from personal blogging is that a business blog
usually features a more substantial budget, a team of bloggers performing on
its content and content promotion, etc. The topics of the business blogs are
often different. However, it is always a topic that is somehow related to
achieving business goals, so the topic should be interesting and engaging to
the target group the business is trying to reach through the blog.
When you believe the business blog, you initially believe large
brands and their comprehensive strategies. For example, a world clothing brand
can use a blog to interact with its customers. Be that as it may, a business blog is
a legitimate strategy on a micro level as well. For example, if you are a
fitness trainer and you want to promote your service and share your knowledge,
one way you can do so is by starting a blog. Since the main goal of this blog
is to
become a kind of a bridge between your business and your
customers, it's still a business blog, not a private blog.
Niche blog
If you'd wish to divide blogs supported the topics, this is often
done through niche blogging.
Niche is a broad term used to signify a calling, vocation or
opportunity. In terms of marketing, a niche represents a specific topic you are
focused on. When it involves niche blogging, those are the blogs that affect
one particular topic. Niche blogs can be both personal or business. They are
divided based on the topic.
When you start a blog, you should determine your niche. It will
help you design your blogging strategy with more success and think about how to
implement content in order to attract your target group efficiently.
Types of content
When starting a blog, it is helpful to know some of the content
types that are available. Personally, I recommended to use multiple content
types on your blog. Not only would this provide a dose of diversity, but it
might also enable you to explore which content types work best for your blog
and audience.
Types of contents
How-to article
The goal of those articles is to answer the question of the way to
do/understand/use, etc. something. They are instructional and practical.
Ebook
If you have quite a lot to say about a topic, or you wish to
present an elaborate analysis of a particular concept, an ebook is a perfect
way to go. It is often published on your blog, but it's usually provided as
downloadable material.
Guest post
When you write an article that is going to be published on another
blog, this is a guest blog post.
List
This type of content is very popular for blog posts, as it is
quick to skim through it and easy to consume.
Slideshare
When you want to create content in the form of a presentation, this
is the type to use. It is very useful for presenting statistics, definitions,
key findings, etc.
Case study
The product of research and analysis is presented within a
document called case study. It is an ideal format for presenting market
studies, poll results, etc.
Podcasts
Podcast is an audio type of content, which is growing in
popularity. It is an interesting way to present your content or interview
someone. Podcasts are quite handy for people on the go.
Interview
An interview is a type of content that can be presented in a blog
article, in a podcast, or even in a video. It features the opinions of the
people other than you, so it is an opportunity to provide a bit of diverse
content and fresh information for your readers.
Other content types include reviews, giveaways, FAQs, press releases, photo galleries, surveys,
quizzes, etc.
While on the topic of content types, it is worth mentioning these
as well.
Evergreen content
Evergreen content may be a sort of content that's always relevant
for your target group. It offers a value that does not fade over time. It is
about the topic that is constant and does not change frequently.
The main advantage of evergreen content is that it doesn't lose
value over time. It is created once and generates visits in the years to come.
This represents less work for the blogger while keeping the traffic coming.
Some examples of evergreen content include:
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Definitions
• How-to articles
• Tutorials
• Resource lists
Even though the evergreen content is valuable and informative in
the long run, it is still necessary to keep an eye on such content and make the
adjustment when and if needed.
Another thing to possess in mind with evergreen content is to form
sure this content is out there to the blog visitors. Since blog articles are
displayed in reverse chronological order on your blog, evergreen articles might
end up buried deep in your blog even though they provide a lot of value,
especially for the new visitors. One way to stop this is often to make a top
posts section, a neighborhood with recommended posts, or a “Start here” page.
Compounding blog post
Compounding posts represent an excellent value for a blog because
their principal characteristic is that they carry organic traffic over a
substantial period of your time, which traffic increases to surpass the initial
traffic the post receives when it was first published. Sometimes compounding
posts make a substantial portion of overall organic blog traffic, which is why
they're so valuable to a blog owner.
Besides the traffic, other things that differentiate a compounding
blog post include:
• The blog post answers the precise (and common) question
• It covers a topic broadly with lots of helpful details and
information
• It is SEO-friendly
• The blog post features a title with the words how, what, why,
best, etc.
• It is structured well, to highlight the particular segments in a
reader-friendly way.
Content formats
There are four content formats you can use on your blog. Bloggers
often use multiple content formats. You can even see blog posts that combine
multiple content formats and how they are presenting to their audience. The
goal is to use to provide diversity in terms of content formats to increase the
performance of the blog post.
Content formats for blog
Written content
Written content represents the largest percentage of blog content.
Blogging first started with written content being shared with online readers
who seek knowledge or information on certain topics. This kind of content
contains the main idea, it represents the topic and showcases what the blogger
has to say about the topic.
Due to the content saturation on the internet, other content
formats are also used to provide a more interactive experience.
Visual content
A blog post with visual content is claimed to perform better than
a blog post without visual content. The main purpose of the visual content is
to attract the attention of the readers and to illustrate the crucial ideas
presented in the written content.
Different types of visual content can be used in a blog post:
• Images
• Graphics
• Infographics
Audio content
The most popular form of audio content is a podcast. Podcasts
feature content in an audio form, which is very convenient for people to
consume when on the go, especially for mobile users. When blogging, you can use
this content format to repurpose your articles. In this case, you provide a
visitor a choice of reading the article or taking note of a podcast with an
equivalent content. Interviews are also a popular topic in podcasts. Instead of
podcasts, audiobooks also can be a stimulating content format to supply to your
blog visitors.
Video content
This type of content has been growing in popularity over the past
few years. There is a growing trend to use video in online marketing, and
bloggers are also starting to explore this strategy. Unlike written content,
video content is more engaging and can be consumed on the go, which makes it
quite convenient for the contemporary online users.
This is how another sort of blog, called a vlog, was created. A
vlog is a blog in a video format. It is usually shared on a platform that
enables video uploading, such as YouTube. Still, a vlog can be a part of a blog
post. Besides vlogs, a blog post can contain other sorts of videos, like
reviews, tutorials, presentations, etc.
Knowing about all of the content types and formats enables you to
have the whole picture in mind when planning your blog. Most bloggers use
written format and choose regular blog articles, but having in mind that there
are so many different options will help you diversify your blog content and
offer something for everybody. Once your blog is up and running, you will also
use statistics to determine what kind of content is the most popular among your
target group.
