What’s a Blog?
When I mentioned to a friend that I was starting a ‘blog,’ I got a blank stare and a sarcastic remark, so I figured I’d take a moment to discuss one of the latest and easiest to use technologies out there – the weblog, affectionately called a ‘blog.’ Sure, blogs have been around for quite some time, but they have recently become increasingly popular. Some even see them as an alternative to email since so much email is now ‘spam’ that getting people’s attention through that medium can be increasingly difficult. They are easy to set up and in just a couple of minutes, you can have a blog up and running… and depending on which provider you go with, they can even be free (ie our blog from blogger.com)!
Ok, but what’s a blog?
Let’s try this definition from Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content by Biz Stone, which is a pretty good overview if you’re interested in learning more.
Blogs are usually made up of brief, frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically. The text most often flows vertically down the page, and modules or boxes aligned in columns down the sides of the page very often provide information about the author—favorite links, recently read books, recently seen movies, currently playing albums, and so forth.Some blogs serve as microportals, publishing commentary and links to other sites relating to a particular topic; whereas others lean more toward online journals, where the content focuses mainly on the thoughts and experiences of the author and the links more frequently point to that person’s other projects, essays, and so on. In any case, a blog usually takes on the character of the person or persons that contribute to it because it is so simple to update. This ease of use leads to frequent posting, which creates a fluid, ongoing “conversation” with an audience that helps to bring out the nature of the person “behind the screen.”
How does it work?
Once you sign up with a blogging service provider – some of the biggies include Blogger.com, Movable Type, and Userland.com - you just go to the admin section of your blog, fill out a form, and hit “publish”. It’s extremely simple.
Learning More
Marketing Profs has published a couple of articles on blogging for business. Some good ones include:
5 Key Questions (You’ve Been Dying) To Ask About Business Blogs by Debbie Weil
Blog for Business: Is It Right for Your Company? by Barbara Payne
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Categories: Blogging
