Last Updated on July 26, 2024 by Gavi
What is a blog and how does it work: Why do People Like to Blog?
Difference between blog and website: Blogging is the hot word at the moment. Everyone wants to blog and each has a different motive in mind. In this post, I decided to have a look at the most common things people think about before they start blogging.
1. Money- Except it or not, 99% of those who start blogging do this for money. They read the success stories of other bloggers somewhere and with the same dream, go on to start a blog and do the same.
2. Frustration- For many people, blogging is a way to blow out their steam. What they cannot say in front of the world, they write as Anonymous. Blogging has become a medium to say, to let out our words to the world.
3. Knowledge Sharing- Many people start blogging because they want to share their knowledge with the world. And blogging is a nice way to do so because it is cheap (or free) and others will read you if you write well.
4. Part of Job- This is also one of the reasons why people HAVE TO BLOG. Just because their job requires them to do so, they do so.
5. To call themselves a blogger- some of my friends may argue on this particular point, but I have seen many who blog because they want to become a part of the blogging world. So that he can interact with the blogger’s community.
6. It’s Free- Sensible enough! Blogging does not cost a single penny if you blog at BlogSpot. So why wait? Choose a topic, register at Blogger and here you go.
Everybody has a different reason to blog. All it needs is a sincere effort to succeed.
The Importance of Your Writing Style
I do not know if you know about this or not but I have seen a common thinking about blogging in people- apart from we bloggers, everybody thinks blogging is easy. For them, all a blogger has to do is to start writing and some free time passes people will come and read it.
Well, they may be right on their part but a blogger knows it is not easy to write a post that attracts visitors. It is very difficult to write something that keeps your reader interested in your post and that forces them to revisit your blog. And it is your style of writing that plays a major part in the process. It is often neglected and most of our attention goes to promotion and monetizing, but this is as important as any other thing.
Today, I am not telling you any tips or tricks to write quality posts because there is no established way to do so. It all depends on your style of writing and your selection of words. Every single person has their unique way of writing and it is up to them how effectively they use it to write their blog articles. There have been numerous articles already written on this and I hope the following tip can prove useful.
NEVER TRY TO IMITATE OTHERS
I have seen many bloggers who try to write like Darren Rowse for the simple reason he is popular. For some, this may work but the majority of the time this strategy backfires. The reason is you can’t copy him. What he has by birth, you can not do that in a day or month or in a year. Instead, try to concentrate on your strengths.
Use that technique that you are good at and it will be much easier for you to write. If you have a good sense of humor, add some funny lines. If you are good at quotes, incorporate some in between. This will be more effective than copying others.
And my personal experience says that writing your own stories or experiences is a great way to start. Tell others what you have gone through and some people may relate to you. But write the truth only, do not makeup stories to get others’ sympathy and affection.
Last but not the least, you might have heard- PRACTICE MAKES THE MAN PERFECT. Keep writing regularly, never lose patience, and one day you will be an awesome blogger. From monetizing to writing, you will perfect every aspect of blogging.
Blog vs. Site- What Are the Differences?
When I started blogging, like today, at that time, there were not many guides and tutorials available to help newbies. Blogs were like the sole property of the BlogSpot team and I was not aware of WordPress even if I would have been aware of that, it was of no use as I did not have money to get a domain and hosting in those days.
Then, I sometimes used to think about what makes a blog different from a website. I had something clear in my mind- if there is BlogSpot with the domain name, it is a blog otherwise it is a blog. Simple enough? And logical too.
But this changed when I acquainted myself with blogging and the established bloggers and soon was able to make out the differences between the blog and website. Have a look-
1. A blog will always have posts in chronological order. The blog started as online diaries where people wrote about themselves. Now they have expanded to much more than diaries. But still, the blog admin writes there. Sites can have anything anywhere. Nothing like a schedule to follow.
2. Blogs do not need much designing as you have infinite themes available on the internet for every platform. But a site owner needs to think hard over the design to give it a professional feel.
3. Bloggers are more oriented toward relationship building while helping others. The site owner wants customers. They are more interested in selling the stuff rather than conversing with the people.
4. Blogs are updated on a routine basis. It depends on the schedule of the webmaster. But sites can have the same look and content for months. It is not mandatory for them to change themselves to attract visitors.
5. Blogs provide a way to readers to get a notification whenever they get updated. Sites normally do not have this facility.
There might be many other factors differentiating these two things. I have written what I felt. Your views are most welcome.
Blogging: Full Time or Part Time
When blogging came into existence, nobody thought that one day, it will be the only source of income for many bloggers. When I started blogging, the only blogger known to me was Darren Rowse of Problogger.net. Times changed and the focus shifted a lot to serious blogging. And the way Indians accepted this, had a strong impact on me. Two years back, I did not know a single blogger from India (not even Amit Agarwal of Digital Inspiration), and today, I read only Indian bloggers because I can relate to them.
And the success stories of these bloggers have forced the upcoming ones to think- whether they should be part-time serious bloggers or full-time bloggers. It’s a tough choice to make, I know. And I hope this post can help you to decide and clear the dilemma.
Let’s talk about full-time bloggers first. There is no such definition for them. These are the bloggers for whom the blog is their bread and butter. Also called Problogger, they usually run 2-3 blogs simultaneously and write 1-2 posts daily in each blog. And to get maximum income, they also offer services like shifting from BlogSpot to WordPress, setting up all-new WordPress blogs, and SEO services.
Sounds exciting? But remember, leaving your day job to become a full-time blogger is not a small deal.
This requires deep thought. You have to consider every possibility and consequence and have to go against your family. And PATIENCE is the key. If you want to earn $10 every day from the first day, you can never become a successful full-time blogger. So, if you can write on 2-3 topics, have something different to say, and can offer some value-added services, give it a try.
If you are planning to become a part-time serious blogger, it should not be difficult. Start one blog; concentrate fully on it to make it inch perfect. For part-time bloggers, time management is the key. I am also a part-time serious blogger and know the pros and cons of it.
But I will say that if you get 2 hours per day for your blog, it is okay. You get enough time for everything, from writing to commenting and from Facebook to Digg.
Decide what you will like to become and go for it. And so let us know what your decision is.
Writing Good Content is Just Not Enough
Good content is the most important thing in blogging, every blogger knows that. Someone who wants to be a blogger must have been told by the established ones that content is king. Concentrate on the content, try to get it perfect and traffic will come searching for your blog.
I learned this line by heart and with full force, devoted myself entirely to writing quality content. The promotion was also being done but the main attention was on the content. I spent days and nights writing something which was never written and that will suit my readers.
The traffic started to come and I thought that CONTENT is KING true. Content drives your traffic. When regular traffic started coming to my blog, I stopped commenting thinking enough promotion has been done. People now know that there is some Tushar Agarwal in the blogosphere who has a different style of writing and has something new to offer them.
My traffic continued at the same pace for the next few days. It does not increase and I ignored this fact. It was after two weeks that I realized that my traffic is dipping. I am not getting the same amount of page views. At first, I did not understand why. And then it struck me.
I have stopped my blog promotion in every way. I stopped commenting on my fellow blogger’s blogs and I stopped using forums. Slowly, my comments on other blogs grew old and not many saw them which resulted in a decreased number of visits.
So, the lesson I learned from this was that even if you are writing terrific content, do not stop promoting your blog ever. Keep commenting on other blogs, making relations with people, and user forums. Spread your link on Facebook and Twitter, the hottest free traffic generators on the web in the modern world, and be active. Promote and then only your content, your blog, and your effort will be recognized and appreciated.
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