Successful Blog

What Is a Blog?

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The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

 

 

social media conversation

A blog, or weblog, is a certain type of website that includes regular entries of text, graphics, or video, commonly organized by date in reverse chronological order. To blog means to add content to such a site. Blogs are considered non-traditional publication media or participatory journalism, because of the user-generated nature of the content. Bloggers often write blogs that are read by other bloggers who comment on their blogs.

Blogs are different from traditional websites in that the software allows for content to be added and updated easily and frequently by someone with the experience it might take to send an email.

Blogs are, by definition, on the Internet. They help form the weblike and socially networked structure of information through comments, blogrolls, linkbacks, and backlinks. The linking of one blog to another to cite articles or recommend a good blogger has become both part of the human culture bloggers share and part of the algorithm used by search engines to determine quality content in this user-generated content venue.

Originally blogs were thought of as online journals in that the entries or blog posts added to form a growing collection. The subjects blogs cover — personal thoughts, business advice, political commentary, news, science, education, crafts — are as varied as the people who write them. Wikipedia says this about the types of blogs:

There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written.:

  • Personal blogs
    The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read by anyone but them. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. …
  • Corporate blogs
    A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs, either used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called corporate blogs.
  • By genre
    Some blogs focus on a particular subject … Two common types of genre blogs are art blogs and music blogs. A blog feaurting [sic] discussions especially about home and family is not uncommonly called a mom blog. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.
  • By media type
    A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see typecasting (blogging).

As blogging software becomes more versatile and complex, possibly only certain truth one can rely on is that every blog is a website, but not every website is a blog.

Here’s how some folks define a blog …

@Crubalo : “It’s a platform for sharing info, knowledge and experiences with others. ”
@auburnelle : “Using Common Craft: http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs .” [see link]
@gassho : “bright liquid oogling goo … crowdsourcing this ain’t :).”
@AdamKingStudio “An open, yet personal platform for sharing, informing, and interacting.”
@donovantalk : “One thing a blog can be is a series of (300-400 word) mini-editorials. It can also be a rolling river of links and posts.”
@DaveMurr : “B – Begining a community, L – Letting the conversation happen, O – leaving the welcome sign On, G – Giving more than you take.”
@carole_hicks: “An online diary. Random thoughts. A place to pour out your heart and reveal yourself. A place to promote others.”
@MindofZ: “There are so many kinds. A blog is someone showing the world who they are. Or a part of themselves anyway.”
@TimboReid “Online sharing = A Blog.”
@DavePollard “blog (1): diary/journal chronicling its author’s stories, thoughts, or learnings, available for others to ‘subscribe’ to. blog (2): social s/w tool that enables blogging but can also be used to ‘publish’ e-newsletters, or as online learning tool etc.”

How do you define a blog?

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
gender It

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?
What Is Online Social Media Conversation?

What Is a Blog?

Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Is Your Promise Irresistibly Attractive to Your Customers?

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relationships button

As business moves on line, less and less of what is offered is “one size fits all.” Customers like you and me have developed a taste for what helps us express our individuality. The more a business or a blog seems to “look and feel” like me, the more likely I am to stick around and explore.

What does that mean to an online business now?

Build a Promise on Values

We are a fascinating species. When we don’t know where to go, we’ll go where everyone else goes. But give me a valuable reason to come to you, and you’ve made a customer –- a reader -– possibly a friend forever.

It’s likely that our customers will look a lot like ourselves. People gravitate to people who think as they do. In fact, we think people who think as we do are smart, and those who don’t are difficult uninformed or unable to “keep up.” Naturally our best customers will share our values too.

What we value is what we’ll fight for, what we’ll put our head, heart, and time on the line for.

Build a promise core on values to attract customers who love your business as much as you do.

  • Define one or two core values for your business. Call them your value service niche. Make it your place to stand. Saving time with a smile could be one. Worrying your work into art could work. Play to your strengths and passions. Do what you value better than anyone else.
  • Find out everything about the customers who value that too. Fall in love with every one of them. Figure out how to crawl into their skin and see what they think, feel, and experience. Know their dreams and their wishes. Find their needs and desires. Learn to predict what they’re not saying.
  • Define your your work through your customers’ world view. Design everything they see to look like them. Choose your words to sounds like they do. State what you stand for in promise of a few words.
  • Write that promise everywhere your customers look.
  • Deliver on it every time they meet you.
  • Use that promise to test every decision, every product and service your business offers.

Core values define what you and your customers put above everything else. When they’re aligned and out loud, they are our voice and an irresistibly attractive message.

What core values do you share with your most loyal customers?

You’re only a stranger once.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

The Mic Is On: We're Talking about Internet Heroes

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

With Guest Host Joe Hauckes
and his Alien Friend

Which Internet People Have Changed Your Life?

The best part of being part of the social web is the people. Let’s celebrate them with a few words of how great they are. Bring a link a story or just a comment to tell us who on the Internet has made a difference to you.

Who’s your hero?

  • Is it someone famous?
  • Is it someone who helped when no one was looking?
  • Is it someone on Twitter?
  • Is it more than one?

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring example links.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Tips for Web Workers

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Meryl Evans at Web Worker Daily has assembled a collection of tips on the Minimum Specs for a Successful Web Worker Machine. I am honored to have one of my own tips included!

Web working is not for everybody. Those who do it tend to have traits and personalities that fit the web working life. For others, it means making sacrifices they don’t want to make. “I don’t really understand why people would like to work at home. It’s like reducing to the minimum (almost nothing) the barrier between professional and private life,” comments Chris on Georgina’s recent post, “How To Ask the Boss If You Can Work Remotely.”

In interviewing people in web working careers, one fact is clear: Many of us share similar specs beyond motivation and organization. I asked some web working colleagues what it takes to make a successful web worker. Do you have the right components to become a fine-tuned web worker machine?

Read the article “Minimum Specs for a Successful Web Worker Machine” for the rest of the suggestions.

Blog Potomac & 140Conf: If You Had 10 Min to Talk What Point Would You Make?

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Just as my blog decided I could work again, I left town for a road show. I had the pleasure of speaking at Blog Potomac in DC. Then I drove north with my son to the 140 Characters Conference in NYC. The week was filled with opportunities to talk at length with dynamic and interesting folks.

liz-strauss-225x300-2-via-mahdi-gharavi

Words and phrases that kept coming up — beyond the names of applications — culture, cultural, news, tools, relationships, crowdsourcing, barriers and boundaries, branding, the importance of story, unplugging and taking time off …

Blog Potomac

The first conference was Blog Potomac in Falls Church, VA.
Liveblogging BlogPotomac in Falls Church, VA, and this photo were provided by Mahdi Gharavi.

And here are The Ten Best Ideas from BlogPotomac

140 Characters Conference

A few days later I was in NYC for the 140 Characters Conference.
Becky McCray (@BeckyMccray) did a great recap called Overheard at the 140 Character Conference

As Jeff Pulver says, the panel on News Gathering Stands Out. What follows is my own ten minutes.

Short Format Conferences

Truly remarkable conversations and questions happened at two conferences that held to a short-speaking format … Blog Potomac rules were speaker had 10 minutes to present and 30 minutes for Q&A. 140 Characters offered speaking times of 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes. Most Q&A was in the hallways. The between-session questions at both events fell seemed to fall into two categories:

  • How are you using social media tools to gather information, implement ideas, and build relationships?
  • What’s next after Twitter?

The most tweeted phrases from my talks included …

  • If you want to use social media well, Don’t lead with the tools, lead with relationships.
  • Good companies have always been doing this.
  • Was there ever a conference as this about the telephone – are we getting to precious about our tools?
  • Twitter is the world’s lagest networking room. Get a friend to introduce you
  • Was there ever a conference as this about the telephone – are we getting to precious about our tools?
  • Blogs let me go deep – Twitter lets me go wide

If you had 10 minutes to talk on social media, what point would YOU make?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.