What Is A Blog? And How Does Blogging Works? (Simple Guide)
Blogs are getting popular day by day. Almost 70 million blogs are created through WordPress every month. The reason because every individual who plans to work from home considers starting a blog.
Many blogs are created but never become famous; why? Well, it’s all because of a lack of understanding of what exactly a blog is, how does blog works, what are the basics you need to know before starting a blog, and other requirements to start a blog, and this what we are going to discuss in this post.
History Of Blogging
Before going into the depths of blogging, I want you to know a little history about blogging, as in who was the first blogger and when blogs came into existence.
According to many people, the first blog was launched back in 1994 by a student named Justin Hall (Link.net). It was a personal blog where he used to share his thoughts with his audience.
As you see, blogs were treated more like a journal back in days, but today blogs are much more than just sharing thoughts; it is considered a career.
Basics Of Blog
Q1: What is a blog?
A blog is an online journal/diary or an informational website written in an informal and friendly style by an individual or small group of people. A blog is also known as a weblog.
Explanation of the definition above, a blog is a website where a blogger shares information and personal thoughts. Blog posts are typically written in a conversational style so, it may be easy for the audience to understand. A one-person usually runs a blog, but sometimes it can have contributors.
Q2: Who is a blogger?
A blogger is the owner and maintainer of the blog and publishes 1-2 articles per week.
Q3: What is blogging?
Blogging is the term we use to describe the act of publishing a blog online. It’s like owning your own online newspaper or magazine and having thousands of readers each day.
Q4: What are blog posts?
A blog post is a piece of content that contains information about a particular topic written in a conversational style. A blog post can also have a personal side where the author might share his thoughts in the content.
Q5: What are the purpose of blogs?
Blogs have many purposes; for example, blogs help people find what they are looking for, answer their questions, share messages or thoughts, build a brand, earn income, and others.
Q6: Why do people blogs?
People create blogs for different reasons, and there is no confirmed answer to it. However, it depends on someone why they choose to start a blog.
Two are the main reasons why people create a blog:
Blogging to earn:
When it comes to making a profit, online blogging seems to be the best fit.
Many individuals are making tons of money through their blogs. Bloggers usually make an income through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, selling courses/e-book or sponsorship posts.
Blogs have been a great source of income for many companies as well. Blogs have helped companies reach their marketing goals by promoting their brand and selling products.
Both of these have different methods but are targeting the same goal.
Hobby Bloggers:
Whereas many people are blogging for profit, a small number of people still blog for fun.
People who blog to pass the time have no big goals with their blogs; they don’t plan to make an income or turn their blogging passion into a blogging career.
Hobby bloggers usually have a personal blog where they write about just anything; it could be their life journey, sharing creativity, thoughts, experiences, or opinions on things.
People who blog as a hobby try to interact with the audience a lot.
As you see, the mindset of what kind of blog you want should be made at the very beginning.
How Does Blogging Works?
Blogging does not have many steps to follow, and all of the steps are easy to understand.
Four are the basic steps of blogging:
Writing Content:
The number one requirement of starting a blog is writing epic content. What do I mean by that? Well, many bloggers have already written a piece of content on a topic you chose to write, and Google is ranking them for it.
Those posts are already considered to be the best by Google. You need to write a post better than theirs by adding your recipe to it.
Creating Category Pages:
Category pages are essential; they will be the reason for your better ranking on Google. A category page is a blog page containing posts only about the same topic.
Almost every blogger out there has one or two category pages. Category pages are created when a blogger is covering two or more topics on the blog.
Using Tags:
Tags can be helpful in so many ways; they can help Google and people find posts they are searching for on the web.
If you use tags, Google will show your post on the search result. Tags can also help to organize posts.
Adding Links:
Internal (Your blog posts links) and external links ( a link to a website) are essential in your blog post. Link Juicing will boost your Google rankings.
Also, adding an internal link won’t let your old post die.
And at last, you can hit the publish button after correcting grammar mistakes.
What are the types of blogs?
Blogging isn’t about just sharing thoughts anymore like it was in 1994. Nowadays, blogging is considered a career, so people look for the most profitable niches, which will help them earn passive income.
There are many types of blogs:
- Food
- Lifestyle
- Blogging
- Marketing
- Personal
- Fitness and health
- Finance
- Travel
There are other types of blogs too, but these are the most famous and profitable niches. If you are interested in knowing more, you can check this post out of 9 types of blogs that make money.
Difference Between A Blog And A Website
This is one of the most commonly asked questions “what is the difference between a website and a blog?“. Many people are confused about the difference, and some even consider these both the same when, in reality, that is not the case.
As mentioned above, “a blog is an online journal/diary or an informational type of website written in an informal and friendly style by an individual or small group of people.”
The posts are displayed in reverse chronological order on a blog to allow the recent post to be on the top.
Here is a visual example:
A website is known as a collection of related web pages usually recognized by its domain name. A website is mainly used for marketing services but can have a section of a blog.
Compared to blogs, websites are more organized.
Example of a website:
Yes, WordPress.com was the best example to use because almost all of us know about it.
How To Start A Blog As An Absolute Beginner
After learning about the basics, I hope you are ready to start this fun journey of blogging. There is no need to stress about launching a blog.
Starting a blog is relatively easy and fun; follow these seven step-by-step guides, and you will have a fantastic blog created in no time.
Step #1 Pick A Niche:
The first step is to pick a niche. You can choose one niche or multiple niche blogs if you don’t want to stick to one topic. Whatever you choose, make sure you are passionate about it.
Step #2 Content Management System:
After picking a niche, it is time to choose the right content management system (blogging platform). There are plenty of CMS out there, but if you are looking for the easiest one, then WordPress is for you.
Step #3 Web Hosting:
Now it’s time to look for an affordable hosting service. Look for a hosting service that meets your needs. I know most people will go for Bluehost, but to be honest, it is expensive; if you want, you can check Dreamhost.
Step #4 Pick A Theme:
This is the most crucial step in your blogging journey. Maybe some bloggers don’t care about it but picking a suitable theme related to your niche matter’s a lot. The theme is the first thing your audience will notice when they land on your blog. Tip: Use light colors.
Step #5 Logo:
If you want to be anonymous but at the same time want your viewers to treat your blog as a brand, then you need to create a logo. You can create a logo using software like Canva or other apps to make sure it matches your theme.
Step #6 Bio:
Well-written bio matters and you need to pay attention to it. It describes to your audience who you are what your blog is about. Add your name, age, and location, especially if you want to start a blog about multiple niches.
Good about me page also helps with SEO because Google loves some information about you and the blog.
Step #7 Writing Style:
Blogging is all about writing and, again, writing. Every blogger has their writing style, and you need to find your own, which will make your blog unique and stand out compared to other blogs of your niche.
After picking a writing style, it is finally time to write your first post and hit that publish button.
What Are The Best Blogging Platforms?
Many blogging platforms have been on the internet for decades, but two are the most famous and recommended one WordPress and Blogger.
WordPress: WordPress is a free content management system that can help you create a blog/website in no time.
Blogger: Blogger is also known to be one of the best blogging platforms by Google. It is also free to use.
How Bloggers Get Paid?
Bloggers use different methods to generate income, such as affiliate links, advertising, sponsor posts, etc. I already covered this topic in this post, “How To Make Money Blogging For Beginners.”
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Blogging
I want to end this post by sharing the pros and cons of blogging.
Cons of blogging:
- Blogging is like a full-time job
- You can’t make money with blogging right away or even just with ads unless you get 40.000 views daily
- You need to be creative all the time
- It requires too much writing, reading, and researching
- It can take a year or so to get unique viewers every day
- You will need to post every day even if you don’t feel like it
- Not posting for too long can make your blog dead
Pros of blogging:
- Blogging is fun if you enjoy writing and reading
- Every time you get likes, views, or comments, it helps you write more
- You get to say what’s on your mind, and your audience support you
- It is a good way to pass the time and make some income once you get used to it
- The more you write, the more you will become creative
- It can help you improve your writing skills and English (for non-native)
- You will become more confident
- Each day you learn something new when doing research
Now it is totally up to you if you want to become a blogger or not.
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