A Blog for Life
A Blog for Life

A Blog for Life


Saint-Martin: The perfect honeymoon destination

Posted on Wednesday 14 September 2022

Travel & Transportation

Saint-Martin: The perfect honeymoon destination

Saint Martin is a small island in the Caribbean Sea, known for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs. It’s a great destination for a honeymoon or romantic getaway. Why? The soft sand beaches, the turquoise waters, the numerous fun activities that you can enjoy as a couple, and let’s not forget the many luxurious villas!

SIR 2023 International Rum Summit

Posted on Monday 12 September 2022

Food & Dining

SIR 2023 International Rum Summit

SIR 2023 is the very first international summit of the rum industry. There are already many events (fairs, competitions…) that promote the rum product as such. Our goal with this summit is to highlight the sector, to explain why and how rum is expanding tremendously worldwide and to try to think about its future. We will therefore organize conferences, keynotes, debates, workshops, which will feed these reflections.


If you just searched “what is a blog” (or a similar query), chances are you already know something about the topic, but are looking for more relevant information.

Turns out you’re not alone!

Every month, millions of people around the world discover online blogging because they are curious to try it.

The good news is that anyone can start a blog, and I mean anyone. But a large portion of those do not fully understand what a blog is and, more importantly, their role in running a blog.

As a result, many of them run out of steam either because the topic chosen is too limited or because demotivation sets in due to incorrect expectations.

This post goes back to basics. I’ve gathered all the facts on this subject, and by the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a solid understanding to build on.

Finally, I’m going to guess the real reason you’re here. So make yourself comfortable and enjoy.

1. What is the definition of a blog?

There are many ways to deal with this question. But, the best answer lies in the history of the blog.

The term "weblog" was coined in 1997 to describe a news journal on the World Wide Web. Over the next year or two, the "we blog" comment was made (on a blog, I imagine) as a joke. However, the term stuck and was eventually shortened to simply "blog" in the early 2000s.

This is how the term was born, but what does blog mean today?

Nowadays, it is a word that is used interchangeably as a verb or as a noun. A blog is a type of website which content is published online, usually in reverse chronological order (newest first).

Primary meaning is very much determined by the topic(s) the blog focuses on and the type of content it provides, as well as why the writer(s) continue(s) to add content to it.

What is a blog for?

Typically, this is where a writer or writers share interesting or useful information on a specific topic. What makes a blog good is directly determined by the quality and frequency of new content, as this attracts and maintains an audience that uses it to learn new things.

Ultimately, a blog’s audience defines its meaning.

They are used for countless different purposes by their writers, such as creating awareness, generating leads, gaining credibility in a field, and even creating an income stream through product sales and affiliate marketing.

What is a blog post?

Simply put, it’s new content, sometimes called an entry. “Blogging” is just another way to describe the act of blogging. All of these terms are used interchangeably, and sometimes incorrectly, but ultimately they mean the same thing.

2. What is the difference between a blog and a website?

Technically speaking, there is no difference. Blogs are a type of website like any other and consist of a series of web pages (i.e. blog posts) that visitors can access and read online.

In reality, blogs have many more pages because they are regularly updated with new content. “Normal” websites tend to be static in nature and the information they present does not change very often.

Blogs are dynamic and can change very frequently: the biggest blogs in the world can change from hour to hour!

Sometimes people are confused because a blog can be part of a static website. Often businesses will have one as part of their website, in and among other pages. But the function of the blog is exactly the same: it attracts people to read their content, thus stimulating potential interest in its products or services.

So, some websites are purely a blog (i.e. there are no other static pages); others contain a blog.

It makes no difference anyway, and the reasons for success all depend on the same thing: publishing brilliant content and optimizing it for Google search to attract and maintain an audience.

3. What is a blog for?

Basically, it’s a very easy way to document and share information online with other people. So while blogging topics vary widely, this “raison d’être” does not change. They are started by people for personal use or businesses that want to grow.

They are personal

Personal blogs can be created for any reason. This can include expressing your passion for a hobby or interest, offering practical advice, sharing ideas in the form of an online journal or diary (i.e. feelings, thoughts, even trauma), to show your support for others or something completely different. There is no good or bad reason.

For business

A business blog, on the other hand, has only one goal: to increase the number of visitors to your website (by ranking in Google search) and to generate leads and/or affiliate revenue.

Increasing the visibility of your business by attracting potential customers to useful online material is called content marketing. Content marketing does not explicitly promote your business, but aims to stimulate interest in its products or services, thereby generating leads.

The most successful blogs are those that understand their real purpose, which is to build trust by being credible, helpful, and authentic. It takes work and finding the right subject can be tricky.

However, if you present specific knowledge and expertise that people find useful and you manage to optimize your content to appear in Google search (which is often the real challenge!), the number of visitors to your website and lead generation will increase, and so will your brand.

4. What is blogging and what is a blogger?

The term "blogger" was popularized after a company, called Pyra Labs in the United States, developed the first online publishing tool, "Blogger", in 1999. Early in its history, it was picked up and acquired by Google (2003). This led to the widespread use and popularization of the platform, thus giving meaning to the word blogger.

Simply put, blogging is the act of creating content and sharing it online for others to access. It can be about your life, your business, or just an interest. Most important, a certain set of skills during an extended period of time is needed to be effective.

There are three basic requirements to be good at blogging, in other words, to blog well:

First, you need to choose the right topic for you. That is to say, you will have lots of content ideas and you will be able to speak with passion (and precision) about the subject. No passion, no reason to blog. If you don’t feel enthusiastic about your topic, you’ll give up long before you start.

Second, you need some writing skills and a lot of diligence. Poorly written and inaccurate content will hardly bring visitors back.

Third, you need perseverance, so many people overlook this. It takes time, perseverance and determination to be truly effective. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it never will be.

Bloggers come from all walks of life and from all over the world. They talk about almost anything and are eager to interact with others to share their knowledge and insights to build an audience. These are often people who value or prefer digital engagement over face-to-face contact, at least in some aspect of their lives.

Being a blogger allows you to help and connect with people in places that would otherwise be inaccessible. This also applies to businesses. For example, you can provide useful information to potential customers that would otherwise be out of reach.

5. Why is it so popular?

Currently, there are over 600 million blogs among 1.7 billion websites worldwide. This means that over 33% of websites in the world are blogs! This is obviously a staggering number, but why is it so?

There is no single reason; it’s more of a culmination of factors that have made blogging so popular.

We live in the information age. Ever since Google rose to prominence (in the mid to late 90s) and made it easy to access any web page from anywhere in the world, our demand for instant information has skyrocketed.

Digital publishing has long since taken over traditional methods (like newspapers). Widespread adoption by news outlets, along with the rise of the digital consumer who constantly thirsts for real-world information, means that pervasive online information is as normal as making a cup of coffee.

Quenching our insatiable thirst for information presents almost no barriers. In other words, anyone who can use a computer at a basic level can start a blog.

I’ve always said that if you can order goods online with, say, Amazon or eBay, you can learn to use WordPress. No coding is required and any expertise you need to succeed is readily available online. It doesn’t cost much either and these days the hosting is even managed by WordPress. This means that all the technical work is done for you.

The world keeps changing and our work habits seem to evolve on a monthly basis. More and more people are leaving traditional work to turn to flexible and/or mobile work. Earning passive income from blogging stable enough to support a family and a modern lifestyle is only growing in popularity.

Blogging is huge!

6. How to make money with a blog?

Beyond generating leads for a business, it’s important to understand how a blog makes money, if that’s part of the reason you’re considering starting one. Although there are bloggers who simply do it as a hobby, a large percentage of blogs are monetized.

Before you can make money blogging for real, you need to build an audience and rank your posts in Google search.

Many successful bloggers make enough money to eventually quit their job and do it full time. Some even go so far as to build bigger and more successful online businesses.

Others choose another path. They love the passive income and freedom that blogging brings to their lives, and are completely focused on creating more interesting content for their readers.

How does a blog generate money?

There are several different ways – you can:

  • Display advertisements on your blog, either privately or via Google AdSense;
  • Drive affiliate sales by recommending products to receive commissions;
  • Sell your own digital content, such as courses or e-books;
  • Offer membership subscriptions for exclusive content;
  • Add an online store that sells products relevant to your audience;
  • Generate leads for your business through content marketing;
  • Cash in and sell the entire blog (uncommon but definitely possible, especially in niche markets).

The main way a particular blog makes money may be different from another, and some may use more than one method. However, it is rare to see all the possible methods used in one single blog, and generally, the type of content published lends itself to a particular mode of monetization.

Hope this helped you understand how to monetize a blog on a basic level. In truth, it’s not something I would recommend focusing on to begin with. If you only blog for money, you may miss out or, worse, never find your audience.

Ultimately, your readers are there for your knowledge, not your desire to make money blogging.

7. What are the main types of blogs?

There are millions of blogs covering just about every topic you can think of.

These different genres of blogs can have a certain type of content, feature a certain way of blogging, and are created by certain types of bloggers. In other words, not everything is as random as it seems.

If you’re considering starting a blog, I think it’s important that you understand, however vaguely, the different forms it could take and the implications its content can have. Although there is no formal categorization, your blog will most fall under one or more of the following:

  • Personal – the personal blog is not aimed at a specific audience or topic, but is more like “days in the life of” type material which could be about hobbies, events, opinions, current affairs, love life, etc. Basically, it is an online journal.
  • Company – corporate blog is a blog on a company’s website, which usually provides useful information to potential customers to generate leads.
  • Freelance – the freelance blog is similar to the business blog, but focuses more on thought leadership in certain skills or expertise.
  • Niche – niche blog is a major category with topics such as fitness, diet, cooking, DIY, money saving, entertainment, books, sports, music, mom, dad, etc. Affiliate links to buy recommended services or products are common on these types of blogs.
  • Opinion – Another great category that often focuses on recommending products (or not!) that can be purchased through affiliate links.
  • Testing – Testing blog differs from review blog because it tends to be much more evidence-based, where very specific niche products are put through actual testing (sometimes over long periods of time).
  • Generalist – the generalist blog brings together all those unique blogs that really do not correspond to anything else and are most likely proud of it. It could be raising awareness, coping with trauma/death, or supporting another cause or belief. Generalist blogs can address different subjects, different themes.

9. What is the real reason you are here?

Many businesses, including freelancers, don’t have a blog. Their website is there simply as professional validation when someone is referred to them (through networking and more traditional business development activities).

There is nothing wrong with that in itself. It’s understandable when there’s so much to do and so little time. Blogs can be a powerful thing, however. Every business should take this into account.

Business websites with a blog generate an average of 67% more leads than those without. It could be the difference between success and failure. While not that extreme, the statistics are undeniable and compelling.

Blogging greatly increases your chances of success.

Of course, the same goes for any other activity like a hobby, passion project, or other personal interest. Attracting more traffic to a website generates much more interest regardless of the blog topic. It really is that simple.

So, the question is not whether starting a blog is really a good idea. Hopefully the answer to this question is more obvious now.

The real question you ask yourself is: how to start a blog and succeed in this business?

©1two, all rights reserved 2004 - 2024.