The Blog Format: Instant Online Publishing

by: IVY MG

The blog and the blog format of writing is very much different from most of the other forms of online written content. It was first developed from informal, personal writings with journal-like entries, and more of a self-expression vehicle for many themes and topics.

Blogs have been made more convenient with its quick and user-friendly publishing with added online features. Among these are its interactive properties, ability to include images, to embed video, and to link/interlink other sites. It also allows virtually anyone who has something to say a way for instant online publishing with dynamic content and interaction.

The blog is also generally shorter and easier to ‘scan’ through, adapting to the instant, fast-paced delivery of online content. It is much easier to present, read, or scan in half the time.

Although blogs started from a more personal standpoint or perspective, it has been adapted and capitalised for promotional, advertising, and commercial uses as well. And with it, many web traffic and advertising concepts have been successfully used to generate money. It has proven highly effective for these other functions due to its instant, short-attention-span-designed visibility and scan-ability.

The Development of the “Blog” And Its Features

The roots of the ‘blog’ we know today developed from the term ‘weblog’, and over time was abbreviated to the current word form we know today. The word itself sounds weird to denote a piece of easy-to-digest writing.

The blog is very user friendly, using a pre-formatted layout and presentation that can easily publish writings in an instant, and usually open to the online public, thanks to content publishing platforms that don’t need html or web coding.

The most popular use for the blog is still for personal posts, as it was the original function when it was first introduced to the web in the late 90’s. It can be a direct blog page with all the standard layouts and functions. Or it can be a blog-styled site; i.e. a website that is mainly formatted and laid-out like a blog, with additional features and functions, but functions like a website.

The blog can also be duly considered as an early form of social media (or as a component of it). This is due to its instant posting nature and ready interaction via commenting, which is a staple social media attribute.

Another reason is its use of embedding other content, such as images, links, and multimedia, which is another main feature for social media posts. Think of it as a precursor to many main features found on social media platforms, and an early influence on what we have today.

Blog Content

A blog can pretty much tackle all sorts of topics. There are no real rules for them. However, it pays to follow some rough guidelines to establish an audience and a certain feel.

For those aimed at a bigger readership, it has to keep people coming back with attractive material, preferably in small but well written doses. The layout should be attractive enough, and easy-to-use, or well suited to the themes and topics.

Its easy customisation can be done with the instant tools available in most free blog sites, and basic but good looking layouts can be used without any experience in html. Of course, those who want to take it further can use html or those codes from instant web design templates and apps, for real custom designs and layouts.

Other blogs exist for purely, specifically instructional and educational purposes. There are no direct monetisation schemes in place, and there are no other personal agendas, other than to present information or provide free education, mostly via entries with video and images.

While mostly free, other blogs and blog-type sites have used the free donation model, which adds the option of sending a donation of any amount to the site to help keep with the running and maintenance, as opposed to the direct commercialisation aspects of others, made and intended with nothing but to generate revenue.

The Blog Format: Instant Online Publishing (Part II)

A word on using written content, images and other embedded content: while most public domain images can be used to a certain degree, the real issue arises when official or copyrighted material is used and with no permission, reference or credit. It is a common courtesy to practice, to avoid any legal implications, especially for bigger and more established sites, to credit, link to, and get permission.

The same goes for written content that is directly ripped-off or directly adapted from original and copyrighted writings. Even non-copyrighted content and material that has been ‘ripped-off’ by other writers are big issues and are already cases of plagiarisation. Anyone involved in these are treading on dangerous ground.

Also directly related to this is the actual written material. Those that are written with malicious intent or intent to verbally abuse or damage people and companies can be considered unlawful. It depends on how people present the content and how it was written.

Many blogs with such content have been the subjects of lawsuits and accusations. They can be damaging to both parties involved. It proves the power and exposure of the blog and the written content, in all its forms, and the many implications that can complicate running a regular blog or blog type site.

Blog Monetisation: Business and Advertising Concepts

In order to monetise a blog site, we have to present regular and semi-regular content that has high site visit and re-visit value. This is where the operation of a blog gets more serious, with a need to step up with what is presented to the audiences. Heavy, regular interaction is also a key ingredient for a successful blog site, as it keeps people coming back and reacting to the content. You need ingenious and calculated ways to do these, but without being a cheap schmuck.

In order for this to happen, the content must be compelling, engaging, entertaining, well-researched, well written, and informative. The content must have a niche readership, or something that’s up to date and popular with many specific groups. It could be wide ranging, but more often, there’s an underlying theme that maintains readership.

Topics such as films, shopping, food, cooking, record reviews, show reviews, the latest gadgets and phones, pop culture, memes, hot and trending news and developments—these are types of content that get people curious. Often the ‘hook’ that baits people into the post lies in the title, subtitle and the first one or two sentences. It could either hook the person into reading the whole piece, or have a quick glance scan of the content.

The majority of the posts have to get the person to revisit the site or keep them hanging around longer. Since the content is the main attraction, it also pays to edit the material for all grammatical, but also factual errors, to make sure content is high quality, and also reliable and true. This adds to the credibility and reputation of the site that will attract advertising and other monetisation concepts and make them efficient.

Monetisation

With site content streamlined and checked, we now look at the different forms of achievable monetisation. The most common concepts are SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), direct promotion, and linking.

These may or may not be used with algorithms, as algorithms use entered user data to analyse the content and ads to present ‘intuitively’ to the browser. Thus it may only work in the more dynamic and highly interactive blog type sites with user information involved.

SEO uses hot ‘key’ words that are heavily searched, or are hot trending topics online. Strategically using this method raises the rankings of the site and brings more people to visit and then revisit their site, which transforms to precious web traffic. From there, the site can use the web traffic generated to present ads (which are set-up with the blog site as an affiliate or partner), or reuse the traffic for other links and affiliate sites.

Often, this also involves direct promotion and marketing. This method can come from the content itself, when doing reviews and spotlight features on certain products, services, and establishments, or other sites. It can also cover ads placed strategically on site, from the company, or from an affiliate programs and sites that the blog is involved with.

For linking, it has many forms, and the most common would be hosting ‘affiliate links’ that refer to other recommended sites, which may or may not ‘exchange’ advertising links with them, depending on the set-up. People in online advertising and marketing use these concepts and strategies to spread other sites, or to promote their sponsors by putting these links in the post, in the comments, or at their list of links.