What is a Blog?

“Blog” Defined

In our initial discussions regarding creating a band website, our web designer strongly suggested we incorporate a blog. I was opposed to the idea, because in my mind “blog” was synonymous with personal diary, journal, or inane musings. She explained that businesses now routinely author blogs as a component of a good marketing plan. The personal aspect was the initial use of the term “weblog” from which “blog” was derived. As the term was shortened, its definition has broadened significantly to include business use. However, there still seems to be a lack of clarity regarding the definition of a blog. If you scour the web for definitions, you will find many variations. Here are a few:

Blog /bläg/ n.
• A blog (a portmanteau of the term web log) is a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often are themed on a single subject. Source
• Blogs are websites with dated items of content in reverse chronological order, self-published by bloggers. Items – sometimes called posts – may have keyword tags associated with them, are usually available as feeds, and often allow commenting. Source
• A blog can be part of your website or hosted on an external website. In the context of SEO, a blog is a series of articles that provide original and updated copy for your website and should be a key component of your SEO strategy. Source
• (Blogs) Also known as ‘weblogs’, these sites allow people to write about their interests, passions and every day lives and publish them for the rest of the world to read. Businesses also make use of blogs to give readers an insight into life behind the scenes. Source

My favorite explanation of “What’s a blog?” comes from Blogger’s website: “…Your blog is whatever you want it to be.”

Our “Eclectic Blog” Definition

Based upon our experience, a blog has 4 components:

1. Content – Posts are generally limited to a few categories with an overall theme. The overall theme for our Eclectic Blog is everything we’ve learned and what we’re doing as a band. The categories we use to support our theme are: Albums, Band 101, Business 101, Lyrics, Music Influences, Social Media, and Videos.
2. Frequency – Blog posts are published with a regular and consistent frequency. The most common frequency is daily. If you desire to blog, you should commit to posting at least every other week or at the barest minimum monthly. We publish a blog post weekly on Tuesdays.
3. Format – Blogs are searchable, posted in reverse chronological order, archived, and allow comments or moderated discussions. Providing a standard blog format is most easily accomplished by using one of the many blogging platforms commercially available (e.g., WordPress, Blogger) that incorporate standard blog functionality.
4. Distribution – Most blogs are syndicated to subscribers using RSS, which is a popular content distribution tool, which allows readers to receive notice of new posts without visiting your website. Most bloggers also Facebook Share and Tweet links to their blog.

What has your experience been with blogs? What is your favorite blog to read?