What Is A Blog and How Does It Work?

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I’ve been “blogging” for 3 years and I’m often asked the question, “What is a blog and how does it work?”

I remember when I started my first blog, Finsavvy Panda, a place where I documented my journey about personal finance and ways to make extra money, I did not know what a “blog” really was.

The term “blog” or “blogging” kind of caught me off guard because I was so used to calling these blogs, or any random page that I stumbled upon online, a “website” or “site.”

Was I living under a rock?

Maybe.

I don’t know.

I was just someone who was searching online for ways to make extra money or ways to start a small business so I could quit my unfulfilling job one day.

Upon hours, days, and months of endless searching for different or unique ways to make money, I would stumble upon posts with titles like, How To Start A Blog And Make Money For Beginners,  or How To Start A Profitable Blog From Scratch.

You guessed it.

I jumped right in and started my blog immediately and on a whim!

Within months of learning and hard work, I was able to make money blogging and earned my first income in that same year I started my blog.

After a few years of blogging and gaining some experience in the online world, I can now tell you what a blog is, and the difference between a blog and a website.

 

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What Is A Blog?

You can think of a blog as a collection of blog posts in reverse chronological order. That means your most recent blog posts are usually seen before your older ones like the example shown in the below blog roll.

As you build your blog and create blog posts for readers, your newest post will always appear before your previous (older) blog posts in this order.

You can think of your blog as a series of posts or updates for your readers.

Here are a few definitions of what a blog is.

The Dictionary on Google search defines a blog as “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.”

According to Merriam-Webster, a blog is “a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer also : the contents of such a site.”

Wikipedia says “A blog (a truncation of “weblog”) is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page.”

 

What Is A Blog Post?

Now that you have an idea of what a blog is, let’s talk a little bit about “blog posts.”

As mentioned, these blog posts are displayed in reverse chronological from the newest to oldest.

Your blog posts can be anything from a personal diary or log to a written piece of article that is meant to inform, serve, or help your readers.

For example, a more personal diary-like blog post is something like this article titled “Lessons I Learned From A No Spend Challenge.”

When you actually click in to read the article, it’s more of a personal story, or even a diary, about my personal life and thoughts.

On the other hand, you’ll see that this blog post is a timeless written article about bad money habits, and it is meant to inform and help readers become aware of their habits so they can improve on their personal finances.

Both of these are considered blog posts and you can write almost anything you want.

You can blog about your personal life and the things you’ve learned.

You can also blog about things that are more informational and serves the purpose of answering people’s questions such as “how-to” tutorials and reviews.

If you want to start a blog and make money, you’ll want to make sure that your blog posts are either helpful, entertaining, or inspiring.

You can learn how to start a blog and make money for total beginners here.

It is also worth mentioning that these blog posts give your readers the opportunity to engage with your content by allowing them to leave comments in the comment section or sharing your posts on their social media feeds.

 

What Is A Website?

I used to think a “blog” and a “website” were the same.

Not really.

A blog is a type of website, but a website may not necessarily be a blog.

You see, a website consists of only “pages” (not “blog posts”) and these “pages” are static by nature.

These pages include an “About Us”, “Contact Us”, “Shop”, “Careers”, sales and discounts, or pages that lead to the company’s products and services.

If you take a look at my other blog, Finsavvy Panda, it is still considered a type of website since it contains these “static pages” on the top of my menu bar:

• Home
• About Me
• Contact
• My Recommendations

Again, these static pages are just “pages.” They are not blog “posts” like the ones I mentioned in the previous section.

Websites are considered “static” because they do not publish content (AKA blog posts) on a regular basis.

However, some company websites now include a blog section where they regularly publish blog posts to inform and educate their customers.

For example, when you visit websites like Lowe’s, a home improvement and hardware store, they will have a blog section where they post ideas and inspiration to help homeowners.

In fact, many companies today include a blog on their website to connect and engage with consumers.

 

Starting A Blog Or Website

I hope this answers your question of what a blog is and how it works.

In order to make money blogging, you would first need to start and create your blog by setting up your pages, choosing a profitable niche, and creating valuable content for your readers.

You can also visit my blog income reports where I published posts documenting my blogging journey. Just like you now, I was a beginner who knew absolutely nothing about starting a blog!

The amazing thing about starting a blog is that anyone can do it and learn from scratch!