You've been hearing people talk about them on a regular basis now for months. Some people are writing them, others are reading them, Blogs.
You have heard the word, but have NO idea what it means.
The word "Blog comes from the word "Weblog". Basically, a blog is a website with an online journal, kept by either one person or group of people. Some are updated daily, others on a weekly or monthly basis, and are often displayed in reverse-chronological order.
A blog can be written about ANYTHING at all that you want. It can be strictly factual and informative or can be relaxed and full of personal opinions and experiences. It can be a journal of your daily events, thoughts, feelings, opinions etc. Maybe you have a passion for or collect something you know tons about. So much, if you wrote it down, someone else could actually learn from your information. You could start you own blog and be sharing you information with people all over the world, with just a few simple clicks.
The Avid Reader, Reading a Blog:
*The wonderful thing about a blog is, if you have a topic to search, chances are, there is a blog out there about it, somewhere! No joke. People write about everything under the sun, dog grooming, daily food & calorie intake, balloon animals, work from home, tools, trees. Anything that makes them happy, because really, that's the point of a Blog. To share information about what you enjoy, with others.
*Another fun part is that you can comment on these blog posts that you read. If you really liked what the writer had to say, you can let them know by making a comment. Writers love feed back. Good and bad. It's hard to inprove your skills if you don't know what you are doing wrong, and it's always nice to hear you're doing a good job, and how people enjoy reading your articles! (you do not have to be a blog writer to make comments)
*You can use a blog to learn about a new company or product. Most websites will have their own blogs, but there are also REAL people out there writing their opinions and experiences as well.
Let's say you saw a commercial for the new Swiffer Sweeper Wet/Dry on tv. They are a bit pricey and you may be reluctant to buy the product without knowing how well it will REALLY work.
Sit down and search the topic "Swiffer Wet/Dry", on any search engine (google, msn, yahoo etc.) You will be amazed at how many people have written a blog post on this topic, overwhelmed actually. It will take you less than 5 minutes to find out how well it REALLy works, and if it's right for you!
*Maybe you would like to try shopping online, but you are not sure where to start, and what sites are safe for you to use! You can search "Safe shopping online", "smart ways to shop online" etc. to find out which sites people are recommending and which ones are being banned or boycotted. You will also find tips on how to stay safe and protect your identity while shopping online. The information is endless. Within a half an hour or so of blog reading you will be ready to shop till you drop, without leaving your home or putting your identity at risk. That in it self is a HUGE stress reliever!
*How about working from home? Everybody would like to make a little extra money online, using their computers, from the comfort of their own homes. Where do you start, what will work best for you? You can research ANY program you are interested in, to make sure it is on the up and up. There are Sooooooo many people out there who want to do nothing but scam you out of your time and money. If the site is a scam, you can be sure there is a blog, or blog post written about that site being a scam, failure to upgrade memberships, or failur to pay, if that site has been banned etc.! Make sure you get all the facts before making any decisions. Working online is risky if you don't know what you are doing.
Here are a few blogs for a range of different topics:
Sports: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/ysportsblog
News: www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/blog
Recipes: http://yummumrecipes.today.com/
Pets: www.internet-pets.blogspot.com
Entertainment: www.blogtoplist.com/entertainment
Kids: http://www.commonsenseblog.org/
*Some of the most popular topics people are writing about are : Obama, work from home, small businesses,stay at home parents, a variety of How to... directions, the war in Iraq, gay rights etc. You will be over whelmed by the information overload at first, but you will be fine! It's amazing the information sites like google, msn, yahoo, actually have on their search engines. USE THEM, that's what they are there for.
*If you come across a writer or blog, that you feel has useful information on a regular basis and would like to visit daily, all you have to do is, save the blog main page, or the writer's profile page to your favourites or bookmarks. This will allow for quick & easy access any time you get the urge to read, or need to look something up.
The Passionate Writer, Writing a Blog:
*To write a blog, the first thing you need, is a topic you know plenty about. (Nobody is good at everything, but Everybody is good at Something)
Second, you will need a place to write this blog. Sites like Google, Yahoo, Msn, etc., all have there own blogging communities. So pick your favourite, (I use Google: Blogger) you will need to fill out an online registration form. Standard stuff, name, location,email, title & topic of blog etc. It may take up to 48 hours for your blog to be excepted, once it is, you are free to post as you please. How often you post an entry on your blog is up to you, and how much you wish to share!
*If you are a blog writer and are looking for ways to get traffic to your blog, (faithful readers/followers) try visiting a forum (used to be called chat rooms) or two related to your blog topic. Become a member and venture through the forum to see if you can answer any questions or offer advice on the subject. When you reply to a question, you can add a link to your blog at the bottom and let people know, you are an expert in the subject! (with some forums you can design your online signature to include the link to your blog. It will be included at the end of each of your posts in that forum. If people enjoy reading your replies and posts in the forum, you can be sure they will want to read more of what you have to say!
*Here's a little secret, did you know you can also get paid to write your blog? Try Today.com Once you have a minimum of 10 posts in your blog you can apply to different paid to blog sites, to have your blog added or excepted. Some sites will pay you per post, others per word. There are also companies that will pay you to review their products and then write about them in your blog! This will give them a chance for some out of the box advertising with your site or blog. Be sure to google it and check out what people are saying about it!
*Please do not attempt this until you are familiar to blogging, other wise it may be a bit confusing and frustrating for you!*