A blog is basically an online journal wherein you can digitally pen down your thoughts, ideas, opinions and practically anything that you want people to read. Blogs come in different styles, formats, and settings, depending on the preference of the user. Many blogging sites, offer built in features such as hyperlink, straight texts, pictures etc. Some blogging sites, even allow you to put video and mp3's on your blogs.
Instead of writing texts, some bloggers choose to make their blogs more audio friendly, by using spoken word entries. This is called audio blogging.
Basically a blog contains these features:
title- which allows you to label your post
body- this is the content of your post
track back- other sites can be linked back to your blog
permanent link- every article that you write has a URL
comments- this allow readers to post comments on your blog.
One of the advantages of blogging, is that it is made of only a few templates. Unlike, other websites that is made up of numerous individual pages. This make it easier for blog users to create new pages, because it already has a fix setting that include: slots for title, body of the post, category, etc.
This is especially useful for first time users, since they can start blogging right away. They can choose from a number of templates that blogging websites provide.
Anyone who wants to start a blog can do so by becoming a member of a blogging website of their choice. Once they've become members, they automatically become a part of that particular blogging community. They can browse through other bloggers pages, and link them back to their own blogs. They can also make comments on other members' blogs.
Blogging is not just limited to personal usage. There are a lot of blogs that follow a theme such as: sports, politics, philosophy, social commentary, etc. These blogs espouse on their specific themes. This way blogging becomes a medium in which people can share their knowledge and opinions about a variety of themes and topics.
Some bloggers even use their blogs as a means to advertise. Some authors advertise their books on their blogs. While other bloggers, use their blogs to shed light to currents issues, events, news and catastrophes.
Nowadays in education, blogs also play an important part. Professors use blogging to document the lessons that they have discussed and taught. This way, students who have missed classes, can easily catch up with their assignments.
A lot of entrepreneurs benefit from blogging by promoting their businesses on their blogs, with millions and millions of people logging onto the net every day, blogging has become a lucrative move. Some bloggers who run online businesses promote their merchandise online. While others profit through advertisement.
But by far, the most popular blog type is the one that takes the form of a personal journal. This is the kind that is usually used by first time bloggers. Individuals who want to document the daily struggle of their everyday lives, poems, rants, opinions, find that blogging offers them a medium in which to express themselves.
Bloggers usually communicate within themselves. This is one of the appeals of blogging. It creates a community of people sharing their ideas, thoughts, and comments with each other.
Blogs varying in topics, themes, and set-ups, can be found in blog directories. First time users who want to get an idea of what the blogging world is all about can browse through a number of blogs using these directories. This way they'd get an idea of what these blogging communities are like.
Blogging is popular all over the world. Blog is short for the term weblog. There are no rules when it comes to blogging. Bloggers have the freedom to express themselves however way they want, and the best thing about blogging, is that most blogging sites are free.
There are numerous blogging websites to choose from in the net. This give first time users the option of joining a blogging community that appeals to their interests.
Just search any blogging directory and you'd get a listing of a lot of blogging sites that are available on the net. It's easy to search a blogging directory, because it is organized according to category. This way you would get exactly what you are after. Blogging is really for everyone. It is fun, simple and easy.
If someone were to tell you that you could create a global business, completely for free, with nothing more than the tools you already have, and the investment of your time, you'd question their sanity.
Nevertheless, it's true. If blogging appeals to you, you can create a viable Internet business within a few months: for free.
Blogging is a new development in online businesses. Essentially, it's instant publishing. Because entrepreneurial blogging is so new, you have a great opportunity to build your business before others copy what you're doing, so get started now, and start building your own online empire.
Let's look at five business models for your new Internet blogging business. These five models can be combined if you wish — there are no rules in blogging. You can change the business model of a blog at any time, to a model which generates more income.
Each of these models has the potential to earn you a six-figure income. They are:
• Affiliate blog(s)
• Web publisher blog(s)
• Sales blog(s)
• Service blog(s)
• Blog network(s)
Let's look at these models one by one.
Affiliate blog(s)
Many businesses develop affiliate programs, because they can recruit a sales force of thousands of people, with little expense. The appeal of affiliate programs for affiliate marketers is that you don't need a product or service — you can start selling others' products, on commission.
If you intend creating an affiliate blog, select the products that you'll be selling before you create the blog. This is because you want to be sure that there is a wide range of products that you can promote. There's nothing worse than developing a blog, and finding out that the well is dry: you've picked a niche where products rarely change, and in which the products are so standardized that there's nothing new to write or podcast about.
Web publisher blog(s)
In this model, your blog is the online equivalent of a magazine. Just as a magazine has features and advertising, so does your blog. In this business model, your content is vital, because you're counting on your content to attract advertisers.
If you choose to develop a Web publisher blog, you've got great models — the thousands of magazines which are published each year. Check out a couple of your favorite magazines. Usually a monthly magazine will have a theme for each monthly issue, with two or more stories devoted to this theme. The magazine publishes its editorial calendar a year in advance, so that advertisers can line up their advertising for a specific issue.
Sales blog(s)
In the sales model, you devote a blog to a single product, or range of products. When offline companies start blogs, their blogs are sales blogs — they're using their blogs to sell their products. If you have products that you want to sell, a sales blog is an excellent business model. You could sell a product that you've created — an ebook, a DVD, or art work — or products that you buy from others, and resell.
If you're already running a business, you could start an entrepreneurial blog to act as the marketing arm of the business.
On the other hand, if you don't have a business, look into having products created for you, or buy products which you can resell on your blog. Look in your local Yellow Pages for manufacturing companies: you may be able to find products that you could resell at a profit. Of course, there are many wholesaling companies online, but the benefit of dealing with a local supplier is that you can inspect the products that you're selling, to ensure quality. Your shipping costs will also be low, resulting in more profit for you.
Service blog(s)
While the sales blog sells products, the service blog sells services. If you have a service that you sell, then you could create a blog to generate customers for your services. Or, you could sell the services of other people, via a blog.
If you're selling a service, you know that it's hard to differentiate yourself from the thousands of others who are selling the same service. A blog is a way to do that. If you're a dance coach, for example, you've got plenty to write about. You'll attract lots of new business, and you can bring in additional income when you solicit your equipment suppliers to advertise on your blog.
Blog network(s)
Blog networks are groups of Web publisher blogs formed into a network. There can be half a dozen, or hundreds, depending on the ambitions and interests of the owner of the network. Blog networks usually derive their income from advertising.
If you want to develop a blog network, your aims will be to: develop a mission for the network, as well as a clear idea of where and how you'll add blogs to the network, and where and how the revenue stream will be built.
So, there you have it. Five different business models for your blog-based Internet business. Now all you need to build your new Internet business is enthusiasm, inspiration, and time.
If you are new to the internet and wondering what an earth this blogging craze is all about, or if you already have your own website and you’re wondering why everyone keeps advising you to start your own blog, read on. I’m going to explain to you what a blog is, why you need one, how to set it up, promote it and of course, make money from it.
Blog is short for “web log” and is similar to an online diary or journal. The craze of blogging began in the very late 1990s and has started to become more and more popular over the last couple of years. Almost everyone seems to have a blog these days, from CEO's of large companies to webmasters, from world travelers to teenagers. Even my Dad has his own blog now! A blog allows you to communicate informally with people via an online journal, but it’s more personal and unstructured than a website and easier and cheaper to set up than a website.
If you have your own website, but haven’t yet started a blog you can easily start one using a free service such as Blogger or WordPress. Try to post to your blog at least once or twice a week on topics related to your website. Blogging will help your search engine rankings and open up the communication channels between you and your visitors or customers, encouraging them to interact with you and give them a reason to return to your site in the future.
If you don’t have your own website and are looking to set up a blog quickly and easily I recommend opening a free account with Blogger. You can blog about anything you like, for example a hobby, a vacation, your home town, something political, a sport or your business. Just be sure to pick something that you are interested in and knowledgeable about. You can host your blog for free on Blogspot — all you need to do is pick a name that is relevant to the topic of your blog. Once you have set up your profile and chosen a template, blogging is as simple as sending an email to a friend.
There are many ways to make money from your blog, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
— Google Adsense — this is free to join and easy to set up. The ads will match the content of your blog and you will get paid every time a visitor clicks on an ad.
— Affiliate Programs — sign up for affiliate programs related to the topic of your blog and display links to related products on your blog. Clickbank, Trade Doubler and Commission Junction are good places to start, or do a Google search for “affiliate program” + the topic of your blog to find more affiliate programs. Whenever someone clicks through your affiliate link and buys a product, you will receive a commission. If you are knowledgeable about your topic you could also write product reviews to help increase your affiliate sales.
— Sell Advertising Space — if you have a popular blog you can charge people to advertise on your blog. This could be in the form of a text link, a banner or a graphic.
You are not going to make money with a blog unless people can find it. As soon as you have started to post to your blog it’s time to start promoting it. You can get your blog noticed by…
— Submitting your blog to blog directories — just search for “blog directories” in Google
— Asking other bloggers to exchange links with you — you put a link on your blog in exchange for a link from their blog.
— Writing an article related to the topic of your blog and posting it to article directories. Remember to include an author’s resource box with a link to your blog.
- Pinging blog ping services every time you make a new post – pingomatic.com and pingoat.com are two sites you can use to do this.
— Participating in forums related to the topic of your blog. Put a link to your blog in your forum signature.
Finally, once you have your blog monetized and you have started promoting it don’t forget to post regularly. The most important aspect of every successful blog is frequent posting, so be sure not to let the virtual dust gather over your blog!