Blogging is changing the world and you need to be a part of it. For the first time in human history, nearly each and every human being on this planet can share their experiences, opinions, lifestyles, thoughts, and professional expertises with the entire world! You can connect with old friend and make new ones as well. It's all quite amazing, and powerful when you think about it.
The communication mechanism is called blogging, and blogging is the act of writing a blog post to a blog, which is also known as a web log. Lost? Yeah, I was too. It's easiest to start with the basics, so keep reading and I'll try to explain it the best way I can.
When did it start?
Individuals started 'blogging' around the late 1990's and it has become one of the the fastest growing trends on the Internet. The topics that blogs cover are unlimited and there is plenty of room for new ideas and trend-setters. New services are popping up each day to connect, enhance, improve and provide services for both the blogger, and the reader of blogs (currently you). Thank you for being here. :)
Having said all that...
So, what is a Blog?
The easiest way to understanding what a blog is, and how it fits in with everything else is by watching this excellent video created by Lee and Sachi LeFever at the CommonCraft show.
Lee and Sachi LeFever Explain what a blog is
Reasons to Blog
Each person or business is unique in what they bring and and what they can provide to the Internet. There are also many reasons why any blogger starts sharing stories, experiences, or practical advice through a blog.
The mere act of writing and focusing on writing something brings thoughts into focus and allows the writer to discover and work through ideas and concepts that would otherwise may have been less evolved. Writing forces you to think things through, which will more often than not, help you bring your ideas to a more complete state.
Here are just some of the many reasons why one would have started blogging in the first place.
Personal Reasons to Blog
- To Be Among Like People! Each one of us living in today's world has the ability to be heard thanks to the Internet. Everyone can be a critic, and one can also be criticized. Every story has two sides, and that has never been more true on the Internet. A blog allows you to share your information with anyone and everyone, and they can comment back.
- Self Promotion - A blog is a great way to show your expertise in any area you can write about with some level of competence. By writing in a blog, you are saying things that will be seen and reviewed by potentially millions of viewers, as well as potential employers. Putting your best foot forward could make the difference between you and your competition.
- It's fun! Many blogger's have found that maintaining a blog is quite an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. The interaction that comes from communicating with your users can bring new friends, perspectives and ideas.
- It can make you extra income! Blogging is not only a way to communicate with other people across the globe, it can also make you some money. How much depends on many factors, the most important being how much traffic you garner from your blogging related activities and how you set yourself up to convert your visitors into 'cha-ching'!
- There are possible psychological benefits - Recent studies may have shown that blogging has psychological benefits. The report from the Swinburne University of Technology seems to show that people who blog feel less anxious, depressed and stressed. I can speak to this point personally. Not only do I use my blog to vent my frustrations sometimes, but I also try to maintain an open mind about everything. I know there are two sides to every story, even more so now than before. It only takes a few electronic beatings to really understand this.
Business Reasons to Blog
Not all blogs are personal. Companies and corporations are hopping on board by including blogs as part of their web sites. Blogging is an excellent mechanism for small shops as well. Being able to connect with your customers (and potential customers) can help to promote your products and/or services to them.
- To build a community - Your product and brand are out there for all to see, why not take it to the next level and begin communicating with your customers? Build a rapport with them! You might find that they begin to promote for you. You might also find that new customers will be more inclined to do business with you because the company is more available to it's customers.
- It's an easy solution to publish new content - No longer does one need a web master to place a new article on the web. There are great client-side tools like Windows Live Writer that allow anyone with the appropriate rights to the blog to create, publish, modify and delete posts.
- SEO is built in - Search engine optimization means that search engines like Google can read your site, and read it well. Google is the number one easiest way to obtain traffic in the early stages of a blog. You will want to make indexing your sites content as easy as possible for all search engines. Most blogging software you find at this point has been built with this in mind.
- It's Low Cost - The cost for operating a blog web site is pretty minimal. We are talking less than $100 in start-up money, excluding any labor costs which will vary from developer to developer. The domain name, should you choose a personalized .com, and web site hosting is all you really need to start. Of course, if you want a custom skin or features not included with whatever base software you decide to use, you will most likely have to pay or do it yourself.
- Better Communications - I might even say enhanced communications. No longer is the communication one-way with the company advertising that provides questionable returns. Your audience is engaged, asking questions and commenting - making the communication two-way. This can provide insight that you may not have realized before.
- Cheaper Advertising - A single post can take your brand, service or product worldwide, making blogging a very intriguing advertising model, and all you did was create a blog post!
Other Resources and More Information
It's darn near impossible to try to write something that will fit everyone's needs and address all concerns. So here are some other resources related to blogging.
Was this helpful?
Let me know if this was helpful to you or point out something that you feel should be said. In the weeks to come, I'll be writing the remaining sections I have planned for my blogging introduction and tutorials.
