What is a Blog Anyway?

If you are not new to the Internet and have spent some time here, you must have heard about these terms - "Blogging" and "Blogs". However, if you are feeling a little difficulty in understanding properly what exactly is this blog and how you can use it, then read this simple explanation of blog and blogging which will clear the everything for you.

What is a Blog?

In simplest terms, a blog is a daily journal of your thoughts maintained you (a Blogger) on the web. When posting to a blog you will notice that it is arranged in chronological order - with the most recent additions on top. As you keep postings more and more posts, the older posts will enter into an Archive folder so that visitors can view your past posts easily.

You can allow your readers to add their own comments/feedback on any of your Blog post. You can add audio to your blog known as Podcast, which readers can listen to. In fact it's a great way be in touch with your customers.

How I can start a Blog ?

It's very easy really. There are numerous options available. If you want to have an experience of Blogging without spending money, you can opt for the blogging service from Blogger.com or from Wordpress.com. These two websites are world's most popular free blogs providers and have some excellent tools for starting a blog. On Blogger.com you also have the option to earn money from your free blog through Google Adsense program. Basically you only need to register at these blogging service for a free account, fill some information and lo your blog is ready ! Starting a Blog is just like opening a new email account !

However, I strongly advise you that once you get a sufficient experience of running a blog on these free blogging platform, you should switch to a professional blog by having your own domain name and host. This can be easily done by using the Wordpress Blogging tool (wordpress.org) which is the most powerful and free blogging software on earth. Working on wordpress is as simple as a breeze. There are zillions of wordpress tutorials for newbies on internet. Further, there are many web hosting companies which offered wordpress enabled site hosting where installing wordpress is just a matter of point and click.

What a blog can do for me?

Well, a blog can changed your life literally. If your blog become successful, you will be freed from all your financial worries. For many people, their blog has become a virtual moneymaking machine. If you have any doubts over power of a blog ask Steve Pavlina, the guy who is earning $1000 a day (probably more) from his personal Blog.

What are other benefit of having a blog :

There are many and some of them are :

1. A blog is a strong communication tool to keep in touch with your customers.

2. A blog allows you to get to know your customers and their needs, as well as, allowing your customers to know the blogger - that is you J

3. A blog (if updated regularly) can provide daily, quality content - which the Search engines love and thus, increase your traffic.

4. A blog can be used to advertise your links. You can write on an affiliate product in your blog post thus increasing the chance of a sale.

5. A blog can be used to answer inquiries that people may have about your product.

6. A blog can be used to bring social change as is doing by some bloggers from China, Myanmar and Iran despite stiff resistance from their Governments.

Well , the list is not exhaustive and I have not mentioned all the benefits of a blog as it's an introductory article on blogging. In my opinion there is only one draw back of starting a blog ­­­­­ -- you'll have to maintain it constantly :)

I read somewhere that a Blog is like a shark. It'll die if it stops. A blog needs constant feeding of your thought matter to survive. The blog should be maintained on a regular basis or it'll lose it's power and effectiveness.

Now enough of my ranting on blogging. Get up and go blogging. Best of luck to you.