Blog Basics: Intro to Blogging

Blog Basics: Intro to Blogging

Digital Communication

Poll

Have you ever read a blog before?

• yes

• no

• I don't know

Objective: you will be able to define "blog" and give an example of one.

Introduction

Chances are you've heard about blogging. You may have heard a story about a blogger uncovering information about a politician or controversial subject. Maybe you've even read a book or seen a movie based on a blog. What exactly is a blog, anyway?

In this lesson, you'll learn about blogs and bloggers. You'll also get a look at a few common types of blogs and explore the reasons why people blog.

What is a blog?

A blog is a type of website that is updated regularly with new content. Most blogs contain short, informal articles called blog posts. These posts usually contain some combination of text, photos, videos, and other media. At its core, a blog is just a space on the Web that you can create to record and express your opinions, experiences, and interests.

If you spend much time browsing the Web, you've probably read a blog post before, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Some of the most-read blogs are a bit like online magazines because they're written by a team of people who are paid to update the blog with new posts several times a day.

However, a majority of blogs are written by one person. As a result, the average blog is fairly personal, reflecting the interests and personality of the person who writes it. This is the type of blog we'll focus on in this tutorial.

Who Blogs?

The people who write blogs are called bloggers. From what you hear on the news, you might think bloggers are all a certain type of people—young, politically inclined, and tech-savvy. Or maybe you've heard about bloggers who've written about amazing experiences or ambitious projects, then turned their blogs into bestselling books. While some bloggers do fit these descriptions, a majority of bloggers don't. In fact, there's no "average" blogger—blogs are written by people of all ages and backgrounds and from all walks of life.

Why blog?

As you saw in the infographic on the last page, most bloggers consider blogging a hobby. It can be a fairly time-consuming hobby, as many bloggers spend several hours each week writing blog posts, replying to comments, and more. So why do they do it?

There are many reasons why people blog, but here are some of the most common reasons:

To share your experiences and expertise

To speak up about an issue you care about

To become more involved with hobbies and passions

To be part of a community

To advance your career or start a career in writing

To keep family and friends updated about your life

No matter what their main reason for blogging is, most bloggers have at least one thing in common: They're passionate enough about a topic to write about it over and over again, usually for free. If there's a subject you care deeply about, you might enjoy blogging about it. When you have your own blog, you have unlimited space and freedom to express your opinions and discuss the things you care about with others.

Blogging for money

Another reason some people blog is to earn money. People earn money from their blogs by hosting advertisements, selling products, or publishing their blog posts in the form of a book or printed articles.

The media often reports on bloggers who have done this successfully, turning their blogs into careers and even a book and movie deals. While it's fine to try to earn money from blogging, you should be aware that these success stories are very rare.

You may see advertisements for services that promise to help you make your blog profitable with little effort. However, making money this way is not as easy as it may seem. Many bloggers write for years without ever earning a cent from their blogs. Keep this in mind as you begin blogging.

What do people blog about?

A blog can be about literally anything. There are people blogging about every topic imaginable, from their political views to their pets. Think of any interest or hobby, no matter how unusual or specialized—there's bound to be an entire community of blogs devoted to discussing it. Although it's impossible to list all of the subjects people blog about, there are certain topics that are commonly covered.

Blogging’s 6 pillars & defines how blogs are different:

• 
  

  ◦Publishable-cheap and easy to set up; free

  ◦Findable-can be found with search engines

  ◦Social- conversations about mutual interests

  ◦Viral- can spread information faster than news

  ◦Syndicatable- viewers can easily subscribe

  ◦Linkable- blogs can link to each other

Multiple Choice

True or False: Most bloggers make money from their blogs.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Most bloggers have at least one thing in common: They're passionate enough about a topic to write about it over and over again, usually for free.

• True

• False

Open Ended

What is your definition of "Blog"

Multiple Choice

True or False: People earn money from their blogs by hosting advertisements, selling products, or publishing their blog posts in the form of a book or printed articles.

• True

• False