What the Heck is a Blog?

Everybody is talking about blogs. They are everywhere: on the TV, in the newspapers, and all over the internet. With the number of blogs doubling every five months, there is no stopping the power of blogs.

But what the heck is a blog? For the elegant simplicity and beauty that blogs create, they certainly have an ugly, ungainly name. Blawg sounds like some kind of gurgling sound your cat makes before coughing up a hairball.

A blog, short for weblog, is often described as an online diary. The most recent entries (called posts) - appear on the homepage of the blog with links to archives of older posts. Archives are organized by date and often categorized by topic. Often, each post will have a form for readers to add their own comments and to give their opinion or reaction to the post's content.

But that's just what a blog looks like - it doesn't really tell you why a blog is different from a conventional website. The real genius in blogs appears in the process of how they are written.

You can update your blog instantly from any internet connection on any computer anywhere in the world - even from your summer home in Tahiti (as you sip an ice-cold island cocktail). Blogs are designed for people who don't want to learn (or don't have the time to learn) HTML or web design. You use a special type of blogging software (called a blog tool) to create and update your weblog. You type your latest post into a simple online form. You click "Publish" and it is instantly available online for the whole world to see. It's super-easy. If you can send an email, you can publish a weblog. So my updated description of a weblog is:

A blog is an easy, instantly and frequently updated website, focused around a topic, industry or personality.

One big reason businesses (especially small businesses and entrepeneurs) flock to blogs is because they reduce dependency on a web design team to get ideas and announcements online. Developing a website for your business can take weeks, sometimes months, from shopping for a designer and doing project negotiation phase to getting the final site launched. Developing a website can be not only costly, but time consuming.

Many of my clients have found blogs a great way to start out online while they are building their business with the eventual goal to move towards a more robust web design solution. Others have moved all of their web sites into a blog format and have vowed to never look back.

You can create a blog and have a website in less than fifteen minutes, for less than $10, with hosting and software included - and, all without having to know anything about web design. With a blog there's ten thousand less decisions to make.

Blogging is the fastest, cheapest, easiest way to build a website in the time it takes to watch a sitcom.

Andy Wibbels is a blogging evangelist and creator of the Easy Bake Weblogs seminar that has helped hundreds of small businesses all over the world leverage blogs and RSS news feeds to increase profits and save time. You can download his free special report on business and blogs at http://easybakeweblogs.com/

---

Are Blog Meant for Raves and Rants?

Blogging is the latest internet craze and it may turn... Read More

RSS & How to Use It (part 1)

Have you ever read an article, intended to explain RSS... Read More

Blogging - Whats It All About

A blog usually is a web page that contains brief,... Read More

How to Use Blog Exchanges

Traffic exchanges and blog traffic exchanges are a way to... Read More

Blogs and Journalism

The world has seen the emergence of a new style... Read More

Internet News Services Explode Online

It seems no matter how much information comes available online,... Read More

If an RSS feed is the Yahoo Backdoor, is a Blog Googles?

Though the answer is in a book I wrote this... Read More

An Example of a Business Blog: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Blog

Think of a product or a service that your business... Read More

How To Use RSS Correctly

There is no doubt in my mind that RSS is... Read More

Is Your Site Ready For The Coming RSS Revolution?

Recently, there have been many developments in the RSS arena.... Read More

Introduction to Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Really Simple Syndication is exactly what it's name states. A... Read More

Blogging for Personal Benefits

While there is a lot of debate about blogs replacing... Read More

RSS & How to Use It -- Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of the article that aims to... Read More

RSS: A Really Smart System For Sending And Receiving Content Online

"RSS" stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a standard... Read More

Business Blogging - 5 Tips to Help You Smashl Through Writers Block

It's inevitable. Everyone hits the wall. Whether you've been blogging... Read More

12 Reasons Why You Need A Blog

"Why Should I Blog? I Simply Don't Get It"This post... Read More

What is Blogging?

Blogs have been around for many years but have recently... Read More

Promoting Your Business Using Blogs

Internet marketing using blogs has quickly gained a lot of... Read More

Use RSS to Get Your Sites Indexed Overnight

As you may know, Google has it's very own blogging... Read More

The Right Blog Software Can Make A Blog Stand Out from the Crowd

Blogs are an easy way to get your voice out... Read More

13 Steps to Successful Blogging

Blogs can be a very marketable and very profitable tool... Read More

How Can RSS Feeds Help Your Online Business?

So who should I use RSS Feeds? How can it... Read More

Got Blog?

In 1999 I asked my friends and colleagues if they... Read More

7 Tips for Successful Blogging

So, you have a blog! Do you have traffic? Do... Read More

How To Make A Cool Xanga

A xanga is something akin to a blog. It all... Read More

A Person Is Known By the Blog He Keeps

Literature is the soul of the wit. The best source... Read More

Article Marketing For Bloggers - 4 Tips To Build Traffic For Your Blog

Bloggers blog. That's what they do. A blog is short... Read More

Blog Your Way To a Successful Private Practice

What is a Blog?Blogs are a type of website often... Read More

How and Why to RSS

RSS feeds and blogs (and blog and pinging) are part... Read More

RSS Latest News - Blogging or Blagging?

The RSS latest news suggests that RSS can stand for... Read More

3 Overlooked Ways to Get Hundreds of Links and Prospects to Your Blog

Did you know that there are free ways that you... Read More

A Blog Isnt Just For Christmas

I was watching the news on TV last night and... Read More

What Are RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds.RSS also known as rich site summary or real... Read More