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The Benefits of Blogging: How Writing Can Change Your Life 2022

Blogging
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Blogging

Initially seen as a way to share stories with internet users, blogging has become, in recent years, one of the most profitable online marketing strategies for businesses around the world. So what is a blog, and what makes it different from a regular website?
We’ll answer these questions by looking at their definition, common types, and what you need to know to start a blog.

First of all, you have to be a good content writer for blogging. If you’re not, don’t worry we have professional IT experts at BITS that give you content writing training and practice.

A most relevant content writing online training can help you in developing your skills and you will be able for starting a charming career as a content writer or a blogging.

Summary

Summary
What is a blogging
What is blogging for?
The difference between a blogging and a website
The benefits of having a blogging
5 types of blogging with examples
What makes a good blog?
Are bloggers paid?
What you need to start a blog
What is a blog: summary

What is a blog

A blogging is a website or part of a site that contains regularly updated content on one or more topics. This term is the abbreviation for “weblog”, which means to record information on a website.

Blog content typically comes in the form of articles on individual web pages called blogging posts. The article you are reading is an example.

On the blogging home page, you can find a collection of these articles presented in reverse chronological order – from newest to oldest. The Hostinger Tutorials page is a good illustration of this.

What is a blog for?

When blogging first appeared, people mainly used them to share personal information, such as their experiences and interests. For example, the inventor of the term weblog, Jorn Barger, posted essays on internet culture and tech trends on his Robot Wisdom site.

The function of blogging remains the same until today, although the type of content is much more diverse. So many are starting to blog for personal reasons, others do so to educate others on a specific topic or to establish a professional presence online.

Many organizations and businesses also use blogging as a marketing channel. Their content is generally focused on industry-related information that may be of interest to their target market.

In this case, the blog is usually managed by a team of several writers and not by a single administrator

The difference between a blog and a website

In this section, we will see what blogging is and how it is different from a regular website. A blog periodically features new content, while a regular site provides static information about a person, group, or topic.

The benefits of having a blog

Considering small-scale blogging, the main benefit of starting a blog is the ability to get in touch with like-minded people.

That said, there are other perks you can get by leveling up.
With the right strategy, blogging allows you to build a following, which can open up various opportunities including monetization. We’ll talk more about how bloggers make money in more depth in this article.

Also, blogging is a great way to build a personal brand. In fact, many professionals today have managed to get a job thanks to blogging.

A blog that showcases your skills and knowledge can set you apart and convince employers of your credibility.

For a business, blogging is a great way to improve a website’s online visibility.
Reports have shown that websites with blogs have 434% more pages indexed in search engines.

Therefore, their chances of appearing on the first pages of SERPs and getting organic traffic are much higher.

Under these conditions, it’s easy to see why blog posts are the number one type of content for increasing brand awareness. If more people view your blog, the likelihood of acquiring new customers will also be higher.

In addition, company websites that have a blog section that can get 97% of backlinks (English link) more than those that do not. Inbound links are essential for increasing a site’s domain authority and consolidating a brand as an industry authority.

Finally, blogging and SEO are profitable marketing strategies. Marketers don’t have to spend as much money on blogging as they do on online advertising.

What’s more, statistics show that prioritizing blog content is 13 times more likely to get a positive ROI.

5 types of blogs

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of blogging, let’s start with the five most common types of blogging and their examples. Note that it is also possible to classify a blog in more than one category.

1. Personal blog

With this type of blogging site, the focus is more on the blogger than on the audience themselves. The author usually creates journal-type entries or comments about his life, interests, or hobbies.

As this type of blog is intended for personal use, it rarely covers a single topic. The blogger can choose to cover a wide range of topics, as long as they match their interests.

A good example of this type of blog website is Doctor Bonne Bouffe. Its owner, Nathalie Majcher, writes articles on her news, her professional projects (books, consultations, recipes, etc.), and her personal reflections.

2. Niche Blog

A niche blog focuses on a particular range of topics, usually related to the passions, skills, and knowledge of the blogger.

For example, if you are an avid reader, your blog may be exclusively about content related to books.
The extent of the niche depends on the preferences of the blogger.

Using the book blog example again, the author can narrow it down further by focusing on just one or two genres.

The following niches are quite popular in the blogging community:
Travel blogs. Bloggers in this category share their travels, give advice to fellow travelers, and provide destination guides.

A famous example is L’oiseu rose, a travel enthusiast who shares her tips and tricks for traveling the world.

Fashion blogs. This niche is all about the latest clothing trends, style tips, and buying guides. Check out the Pauline fashion blog for women’s and children’s clothing to get a better understanding.

Health and Wellness Blogs. The most common types of articles in this niche are exercise lists, nutrient-dense recipes, and tips on how to take care of your mental health.

A well-known blog in this category is unetoutezen.
Feed blogs. In this niche, the blogger can share recipes, restaurant guides, or kitchen equipment reviews.

A great example of a food blog is Go Green with Lili, which focuses on cooking instructions using ten ingredients or plants and/or gluten-free.

Personal finance blogs. This niche revolves around money management, ranging from budgeting tips to side income ideas.

Manage my budget.fr is an excellent blog in this category.
Lifestyle Blogs.

This niche mixes several topics related to the blogger’s interests, such as fashion and beauty or food and travel. A good example is mademoiselle bon plan, a blog on lifestyle, design, and motherhood.

3. Business or corporate blog

This type of blog refers to any business website that has a blog section.
The main objective is to attract the target market by posting content relevant to their interests or concerns.

Some companies also use blogs to inform users of any changes within their organization.
A great example of a corporate blog is Mailchimp’s. He provides marketing tips and resources on using his digital marketing software.

In addition, it features case studies of customers using their tools, which is a great way to demonstrate the usefulness of their business.

Toggle productivity software also has a great corporate blog. Blog posts cover topics relevant to their functionality, such as hiring, team management, corporate culture, and project planning.

4. Affiliate blog

This type of blog is based on affiliate marketing – the practice of promoting the products and services of a third party on an online platform.

The blogger typically provides a link on their blog posts that directs users to the company’s online store. When someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase, the blog owner receives a commission.

Typical articles that you would expect from an affiliate blog are product reviews, buying advice, or reference articles.

Some affiliate blogs may focus on a niche, such as Outdoor Gear Lab. This WordPress site only performs outdoor travel equipment reviews and mainly features products from Amazon.

5. Reverse Blog

In a reverse blog, the content comes from multiple guest authors rather than the blog owner. The owner can produce their own articles, but their main job is to moderate and edit incoming submissions.

This type of blog is popular with freelance writers because it allows them to develop their network and increase their visibility. Some blogs may also offer them financial compensation for each article they have written.

Business2Community is another great example of this type of blog. The content consists of thousands of articles written by professionals in the business world.

What makes a good blog?

If you want to start a blog, it can be helpful to know what makes it a great one. In general, you can expect to find the following in a great blogging site:

High-quality blog posts

People visit a blog to read its content and get useful information. Therefore, a great blog site provides knowledge and inspires users to take action.

Blog posts can vary from niche to niche. However, a good article usually meets the needs of the target audience, usually by:

Answer the most common questions people have on the subject.
Provide a practical guide for readers to follow.
Use a style of language and a format that the audience can understand effortlessly.

A good article should also be original – it can present a unique angle or information that other blogs haven’t yet covered. This method of writing can make your blog stand out from the crowd and establish itself as a trusted voice in the industry.

Below is a list of other characteristics that are common to a great blog post:
Well documented. The content goes beyond surface information and provides strong evidence to arguments.

Organized. It uses headings and captions to organize ideas and keep information flowing naturally. It may also include a table of contents for ease of navigation.

Legible. The formatting makes the content easy to read and digest. This can be done using short paragraphs, active sentences, and ordered and unordered lists.

Related images. The author uses images or video content to make the information more understandable to those who prefer the visual.

Hanging title. It entices potential readers to check out the content. At the same time, it reveals the subject of the article without being too long.

Additionally, high-quality blog content often takes SEO best practices into account. While this does not directly benefit the reader, it can help search engines understand how an article is relevant to users’ interests. Thus, the article can reach the right audience.

Typically, an SEO-optimized blog post includes keywords that people enter frequently in search engines. It can also be written in a longer format (link in English) of at least a thousand words, which is preferred by search engines.

Active reader engagement

Engagement refers to any type of action taken by readers when they visit a blog, for example:
Read the article from start to finish.

Explore another web page after you have finished reading.
Leave a comment
Share the blog post on their social media profiles.
Subscribe to the blogger’s emailing list.

All of these activities can mean that visitors enjoy the content, which is a major sign of a good blog. And what usually prompts people to take these actions are blog posts.

Quality information can prompt readers to thank the author, share the article with their peers, and follow the blogger for future content.

That said, there are other practices that generally prompt the public to such responses, such as:
Publish regularly. With a regular posting schedule, it’s easy for people to know when to check out the blog for new content.

Invite users to comment on the article. Bloggers usually do this at the end of the article. When a reader makes a comment, the blog owner often leaves a response to continue the discussion or show appreciation.

Encourage social sharing. These include, for example, adding social media buttons to the top and bottom of the blog post or activating the “Click to Tweet” link for specific quotes in the post.

Recommend relevant blog content. Include links to other articles, along with anchor texts (link in English) inviting users to consult these pages.

Good user experience

While user experience (UX) isn’t the primary goal of a blog, it’s still an essential part of a good website. Poor design and navigation can make it difficult for visitors to crawl content, not to mention the possibility of becoming a loyal reader.

Although every blog is different, they generally share certain characteristics. For example, a typical blog post layout includes the following, from top to bottom:

Header with a navigation menu
A content area on the right, displaying the entire article
A left sidebar containing a description of the blogger, links to other articles, and call-to-action buttons.

A comments section
Footer for further navigation links
Bloggers usually don’t stray too far from these conventions, as they are quite familiar to most users. Using this structure will make it easier for new visitors to interact with the content from the start.

Are bloggers paid?

One of the factors that affect a blogger’s income is the monetization method they use. Having more sources of the income usually leads to a higher salary.

Here are some common ways blog owners can make money:
Advertising displays. The blogger will work with companies interested in advertising on his blog. They can register with an advertising network, such as Google Ads, or contact businesses directly.

Affiliate Marketing. They can join platforms, such as Amazon Associates or Skimlinks, which will provide them with links to the products and services of their partners that they can present on their blog.

Sponsored content. They will partner with a brand that is relevant to their target audience and create a blog post specifically to talk about their product or service.

The sale of products and services. Some content creators create physical products for their fans, like t-shirts or mugs. Digital products, like e-books and online courses, are also common.

Donations via PayPal or Patreon. This is a popular monetization method for bloggers who are only looking for funds to keep their site alive, like Captain Awkward.

Another factor that affects a blogger’s income is blog traffic. In general, blogs with hundreds of thousands of pageviews find it easier to collaborate with brands and generate sales from their readers.

So, those who want to start a blog and make money usually need to focus on building their audience before generating a stable income.

What you need to start a blog

There are a lot of things to prepare if you want to start blogging. We recommend that you start with the following:

Website

To build a blog website, you first need to decide on the platform you are going to build it on. One option is to use a content management system, like WordPress.org. It is a popular choice among personal and professional bloggers because it is free and open-source.

Using WordPress requires the purchase of a web hosting service to make your blog accessible on the internet. Hostinger offers reliable, user-friendly shared hosting plans starting at $ 0.99 / month, which also include a free domain name – perfect for newbies and small business owners.

WordPress also exists in a hosted version, accessible from WordPress.com (link in English). However, this version is paid and offers fewer customization options.

You can also opt for a hosted blogging platform, like Blogger or Tumblr, which are generally more popular with non-commercial blog owners.

Once you have chosen the platform, you will need a domain name. This is the URL that people will type in their browser to open a website.

It is best to use a short, memorable name that describes the content of the blog. This way, visitors will be able to understand what it is from the domain name alone. If you get stuck, this name generator can give you some ideas.

Finally, a website requires a theme or template, that is, a group of files that make up the design of the site. WordPress users can find thousands of free themes for various blogging categories on the official WordPress directory.

Niche

While it is not necessary to have a niche, it is recommended for those who want to start a blog as a business. It helps define the scope of the content you will produce and ensure that it remains relevant to your target audience.

A blog that addresses multiple niches usually has a harder time gaining a loyal readership. Indeed, not everyone is interested in the same topics as the blogger.

As stated earlier, a niche can be narrow or wide, depending on the range of topics you want to cover. That said, it’s best to be specific, especially if you’re choosing a popular niche. This will make it easier for the blog to stand out from similar websites.

For example, The Points Guy travel blog sets itself apart from other niche travel sites by focusing on the use of credit card points and airline miles for travel.

Content writing skills

If you want to write a blog post that the audience will benefit from, it’s a good idea to hone your writing skills first. Here’s what great content writing skills typically include:

Research – ability to collect data from reliable sources. Doing so will make your blog post much more in-depth and more authoritative.

Additionally, reading existing content on a given topic can give you insight into what readers may enjoy and how your content can measure up against your competition.

Communication. To connect with your target audience, you need to express your ideas in a way that resonates with them. Be sure to organize your thoughts and ideas in a way that is natural and easy for you and your readers to follow.

Linguistic attention. Mastering the grammar, spelling, and punctuation of your language will make your content easier to understand. Also, it will give the blog more credibility.

SEO skills and tools

We have already stressed the importance of blogging content optimization for search engines. Without basic SEO skills, your website won’t appear on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), which means it won’t be able to reach your target market.

For a beginner’s guide to SEO, we recommend reading this Ahrefs article. WordPress users can also check out this blog post.

Also, consider using these tools to help you in the field of SEO:
Ubersuggest. This is free web software that is useful for analyzing competitors, researching keywords, and finding popular content in your niche.

Google Search Console. A program that can show the ranking of blog posts in the Google SERPs. It can also reveal website performance bottlenecks, which can be a hindrance to SEO.

Google Analytics. A tool for tracking website traffic. Additionally, it can provide information about user behavior on your website, from the total time they spend on a web page to the number of posts they read.

Screaming Frog. A website crawler that can search for common on-page SEO issues like broken links, redirects, and duplicate content.

Yoast SEO. A WordPress plugin that will give you a checklist of things to do to get your content ranked in the SERPs. It can also generate an XML sitemap to make it easier for search engines to locate web pages.

What is a blog: summary

The most common answer to the question “What is a blog?” Is “a place where you can talk to your followers”. While this is correct, blogging sites can be used for a lot more than that.

While many people use blogging sites to share information with their followers, businesses typically use them to reach potential customers through search engines.

In addition to explaining the definition and use cases of a blog, we also covered the following topics:

What is a blog: summary

The most common answer to the question “What is a blog?” Is “a place where you can talk to your followers”. While this is correct, blogging sites can be used for a lot more than that.

While many people use blogging sites to share information with their followers, businesses typically use them to reach potential customers through search engines.

In addition to explaining the definition and use cases of a blog, we also covered the following topics:

  • The difference between a blog and a website
  • the five types of blogs
  • The elements of a good blog
  • If bloggers make money

If you want to start your first blog, be sure to choose the right platform and build an easy-to-navigate website. Also, having a well-defined niche, excellent content writing skills, and some SEO knowledge will be beneficial for people interested in personal websites or corporate blogs.

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