What is a Blog? Types of Blog and Reasons to start a blog

Disclosure- Hello there! Before you get started just wanted to be transparent and let you know that Blogging Unplugged is a blog that makes most of its income from affiliate commissions meaning some of the links on this page are affiliate links and if you purchase a product using our link we will make a small commission. Also, the product purchased will not cost you anything extra and in some cases you might get a decent discount using our links. Thank You for listening and Have a good day.

What is a Blog?

Blog is a truncated or shortened version of the term Weblog which is a combination of 2 words

Web meaning the internet
Log stands for chronological entries

This means a blog is a space on the web where you can store your entries/ content and it will be displayed according to the time of publishing.

And with that said, here is a

Proper definition of a blog

A Blog is an online journal or an informational website where the content is displayed in reverse chronological order.

Blogs are often referred to as dynamic as these are updated on a regular basis. Now updation can be of two types. It can be either adding new content or updating old content with latest information.

Now, this takes us to the next question which is

Who can run and maintain a blog?

The answer to this question is simple, it can be anyone. Earlier blogs were generally run by individuals or a group of like minded people. However, this has changed now.

Many corporate and companies now a days use blogs to communicate with their user base as it is a very effective and strong channel of communication.

As blog is used as an online journal or a platform for sharing information or as a medium of communication, the emphasis is given more to the content.

The entries or log on the blog are known as blog posts. And as mentioned before these posts are displayed in reverse chronological order starting with the latest post first.

It is important to know, you can share anything on a blog on any topic you like. Be it your opinions on politics, entertainment, fashion or any other broad topi. Also you can share personal experiences, stories, information, announcements or anything else. It is your personal space on the world wide web and you can share whatever you want.

This take me to the next question which is

What are different types of blogs?

There are several different kinds of blogs based on various factors such as

Type of content published
Ownership
Media
Niches

And more. Here I will be discussing some of the important ones

Personal Blog

Personal blogs are the ones where individuals share their experiences, stories and more. These blogs cover a wide variety of topics based on the interest of the writer.

Such blogs are generally created to share personal stories, experiences and to inspire people. Personal blogs are mostly written to make a positive difference.

Collaborative Blogs

Collaborative blogs are also known as Group Blogs.

This is the type of blog where instead of a single author there are multiple authors. These blogs are based on a single broad topic such as politics, technology, entertainment and more.

The purpose of creating such blogs is basically sharing massive amount of information and on top of that there is less pressure when it comes to maintaining or running it.

Corporate Blogs

As the name suggests, this type of blog are owned and maintained by a business.

The purpose of these blogs is to highlight and spread awareness about the products and services offered by the company to generate sales or to capture leads.

Often such blogs are also used by businesses to share various announcements and future plans and act as a medium of communication between a business and its user base.

This gives companies a way to stay in touch with their audiences and build relations.

Niche blogs

Niche blogs are the ones that focus ob a single topic.

An example of such a blog can be any vegan recipe blog. It is important to note here recipe blogs are also categorized under niche blogs. However, the topic can be as specific as the one mentioned above.

These blog can be on any topic and cover it thoroughly. In most cases, niche blogs are related to a topic that the author is passionate about.

And often these blogs can help you turn your passion into a small side business.

Affiliate blogs

As the name suggests, an affiliate blog is the one where you will find the blog owner is generating an income from Affiliate marketing or in other words are selling products by others and making a small commission.

The purpose of such blogs is to encourage visitors to buy products using their links. This type of blog can be on any niche such as food, travel, tech, lifestyle, fashion and more.

The content you will find on affiliate blogs is generally reviews, deals, discounts, product based how-to’s and more.

Vlogs

I’m pretty sure you are already familiar with this type of blog. The word vlog is the short form of video blog.

In this type of blog, the medium of expression is video. Currently vlog style videos are very popular on YouTube.

These types of videos are generally created to share personal experiences, lifestyle, product reviews and more. And just like blogs, on vlogs you can share anything.

Podcast

Another type of blog that is gaining a lot of popularity these days is Podcast. Unlike a vlog, Podcast is only voice based and there are generally no images, text or rich media included. Its just plain and simple voice based discussion.

However, today you will find a lot of podcasts that are creating a video version of it as well.

Now, a Podcast generally has one or more hosts that discuss and share their knowledge and opinion on a certain topic.

Just like TV serials, Podcast can be divided into seasons and the best part is, it can be downloaded on your favorite devices and you can listen to it on your own time.

The main reason to start a podcast is to build a community of like minded people and just like blogs and vlogs you can share information or have a discussion on any topic.

Having said that,

There are other types of blogs as well and later on I will cover them in a dedicated post.

The next question on the list is

What is the purpose of starting a blog

Lets be honest blogging is very popular and money and fame are 2 of the main reasons why people start a blog. However, there are plenty of blogs that do not publish content for monetary purposes.

And here I will discuss some of the compelling but non-financial benefits of creating a blog.

1. Express your thoughts and opinions

If you have the knowledge, then why not share it. When you will start blogging, you will come across people who would like to listen to your point of view on situations.

As mentioned before, your blog is your personal space online and you can share your thoughts on any subject freely.

2. Building connections and community

When you will start a blog, you will notice a growth in your reader base with time. Also, people will actively engage with your content. This will create a strong community around your blog.

Also, you will meet like minded people with whom you will build connections. Later on these connections will lead to collaborations which will help you expand your horizons.

3. Helping others

Let me ask you a question. Whenever you face a problem or are looking to find meaning to a new word or are having troubles using a product or a service, What do you do?

In most cases the answer will be search and the solution you are looking for will be found on a blog post where someone would have shared an experience related to the one you are facing.

And that is how you can help others using a blog. There are plenty of blogs out there today that are written just for the purpose of helping.

4. Exploring the creative side

When you start a blog, there are plenty of things that you need to do before you hit that publish button. The process starts with creating a click-worthy title then writing an engaging blog post, creating graphics, in case you want to include a video then video editing, and much more.

Each and every activity listed above will help you explore and enhance the creative side of you and if you have no prior experience then you will learn these skills

It will broaden your skill set.

5. Work for a Cause

Till now we have established that a blog offers a platform using which you can voice your opinions, share your experiences and at the same time build a community.

Now, when you have access to all of these incredible tools then you also use them for the greater good like spreading positive messages, supporting a cause, promoting a charitable cause that is close to your heart and more.

It definitely will make a difference.

As you can see there are plenty of benefits of blogging then what are you waiting for. Follow our guide on how to start a blog from scratch and create one today.

Blog