What Is a Blog?
Some of us have a sense of what a blog is, but what makes a blog different than an actual website? Anyone that has been reading blogs for a while will know that there is a difference between a blog and just any old website.
In the beginning days of blogging, they started out as personal journals, or informal link lists. But they eventually evolved into much more. So if blogs are just websites, what is it that makes them so different?
Content
For the most part, websites tend to be static pages that don’t get updated very often. They just kind of sit there waiting for people to visit. On the other hand, a blog is continually updated either weekly, daily, and sometimes even several times a day. This keeps visitors continually coming back for more information. When a new blog post gets posted it will display at the very top of the page, with the older posts getting pushed down to the bottom. This makes it nice for readers, enabling them to find the most recent information easily.
Syndication
One of the other really nice things about a blog is that it is capable of syndication using feeds. This allows people to use software that will feed the latest blog posts to their software of choice so that they can read the latest posts without actually visiting the site.
Writing Style
Blogs deliver a whole different writing style. It is more conversational than a traditional website. The blogger will usually be communicating directly to the reader. Readers are encouraged to get involved by leaving comments on the blog. This also creates a sense of community.
You can get a feel for what makes a blog interesting to readers by visiting several blogs yourself. Keep in mind while you visit these blogs, what it is that makes reading them interesting to you. What style of writing is it that draws you in and makes you want to come back for more.
