Introduction To Blogging

I usually get asked by many people what blogging entails and what are the benefits/strings attached to it so today I thought I would take a couple of minutes and write down this blog post.

To start with, I’ll today talk about what a blog is, who is a blogger, what blogging is all about (the definition of blogging) and what it requires then at a later time I’ll proceed to talk about the benefits of blogging (How bloggers can earn from their blogs), how to optimize a blog otherwise known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so as to rank better in search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, AOL and the rest and finally about syndication to ensure one gives their blog as much exposure as possible in the online world.

What Is A Blog?

The Wikipedia describes a blog as a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web (www) and consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).

I’ll now go ahead to describe a blog in my own words which I hope will help you better understand what a blog is.

My Definition Of A Blog

I’d like you to think of a blog as an online platform that enables one to communicate and share ideas with others either in the form of words, actions (videos) or both.

Another way of looking at a blog is to think of it as an online diary where you can write down your thoughts and opinions concerning certain issues of life that you feel need attention or that you’re passionate about e.g. Politics, Finance, Entertainment e.t.c.

A blog essentially aims to help bloggers communicate with people as though there were talking face to face i.e. where words and actions (video) are involved though this may not be in real time i.e. the present time.

A blog is mainly made up of posts which are usually displayed in reverse chronological order so that the reader is able to read the latest post first and the older ones last.

You can take a look at this blog (Scopegater) and see for yourself what I mean.

I’ll now go ahead and define some of the terms I’ve used in my above definition of a blog and others that you might probably come across.

What Is Blogging?

Blogging is simply the activity of writing posts on a blog.

Who is a Blogger?

A blogger is someone who writes on a blog and manages it.

Who is a guest blogger?

A guest blogger is a blogger who writes on another bloggers blog once in a while or often.

What is a post?

A post is a new blog entry. It may consist of several paragraphs normally 300, 500, 700 or 1000 words.

Who is a blog reader(s)?

This is someone (or people) who read a blog. They may bookmark it; visit the blog every day, after a couple of days or once in a while.

It’s important to mention that the readers of a blog give the blog its value hence 0 (zero) readers = no money. This is because a blog is just like a business, it survival is highly dependent on it readers (people). As we go on I’ll explain why this is so.

What does blogging require?

Blogging requires one to have an open mind, be willing to learn, be highly motivated, have a focused mind and most importantly to be a smart+ hard worker though I tend to think it’s more of being a smart worker than a hard one (I’ll explain why I’m saying this as we move along).

As I come to the conclusion of this post, it’s important to mention that blogging is an international activity which means that anyone with a laptop or computer, an internet connection and a focused mind can be able to do e.g. you can be a Kenyan blogger, American blogger, Asian Blogger, African blogger e.t.c.