Has anyone else noticed that our education system is a little behind? In elementary school, we learn how to write book reports. In middle school, we practice crafting stories and poetry. In high school, we learn composition writing, and in college we are taught rhetoric and thesis based writing.
I guess schools haven’t figured out the importance of being blog savvy in the workplace yet. . .
I’m pretty sure that the Internet isn’t going anywhere, and for the time being our lives are becoming more and digital. Print media is slowly losing traction and being replaced by a surge of writers who operate exclusively in the electronic world — bloggers.
Don’t worry fledgling bloggers. You have just entered Basic Blogging 101. Today, our lesson will cover all the different types of blogs out there so you can decide which digital genre you want to tackle.
Let’s take a closer look at the many faces of blogs.
Personal Blog
This is the most common blog genre. Personal blogs are the ongoing commentary of a single individual. These blogs serve as a way for a person to project internal reflections onto a public platform. These blogs are typically used to create a record detailing the ins and outs of an individual’s daily life and thoughts.
Microblog
This type of blogging is also referred to as “broadcast blogging” because it allows the blogger to instantaneously send out a mass message to a large number of people. Microblogs consist of short pieces of digital content from short sentences, to single images, to video links. Twitter is one of the most popular platforms for microblogging.
Business Blog
Also known as corporate blogs, these blogs represent a company. Typically, the purposes of business blogs range from increasing online presence, engaging customers, and growing the business. Of course, direct sales are always an added bonus.
Additionally, small businesses benefit from the added branding and reputation enhancement that comes along with maintaining a corporate blog. Since most blogging platforms are open source, it’s free for the business owner to start blogging.
What business doesn’t love them some free PR?
Photoblog
In order to capture audiences with shorter attention spans, bloggers are beginning to take advantage of photoblogging. Not everyone likes to read, but almost everyone likes pretty pictures. As a result, photoblogging has become increasingly popular. Who says blogs must have words? Pshh.
Video Blog
Usually shortened to vlog, the function of a video blog is pretty self-explanatory. The primary medium is video as opposed to text. A popular vlogging platform is Youtube. Like other blogging genres, vlogs can either record personal thoughts, make topical commentary, or serve an instructional purpose.
Tumblelog
Tumblelogs combine elements of photoblogs and vlogs. These blogs predominantly use various forms of mixed media as their content. A tumblelogger can post pictures, videos, quotes, links, or chat conversations. Tumblelogs are short-form blogs that quickly share content without a lot of editorializing or commentary.
What’s YOUR Favorite Blog Flavor?
The type of blog you choose to start will depend on what your objectives are. If you just want to simply have a record of your thoughts, a personal blog would probably be best. If you want to sell people something, go for a business blog. If you want to communicate a brief message to a whole lot of people, microblogging is for you.
What kinds of blogs do YOU read?
