In this Blogging series, so far we have covered blogging basics in Smart Introduction to Blogging, we’ve discussed some really good reasons to start blogging in Reasons To Start Blogging Now, now to further the discussion, we’ll talk about the 5 main types of blogs in hopes of inspiring you to discover the type of blog that best suits you and your needs.
So you have decided to give blogging a chance. Congrats you won’t be sorry, but before you begin, there are a few questions that need to be answered. For example, what are you going to blog about? Do you have a niche to explore? How will you generate content? These questions and many like them are troubling many new bloggers and some old ones as well. The answers to these questions become much more clearer once your determine the type of blog that you want to focus on. In my experience there are 5 main types of blogs that all others fall under. Read an overview check out the example of each type and decide which is best suited for you particular need.
Type 1: The Personal Blog
The Personal Blog is the most common and most popular of the blogs listed. The content is centered around a person’s experiences. Personal Blogs are very popular because most people like reading about other lives. Their similarities, their difference all add to the appeal. Others enjoy personal blogs because the content topics vary. Many enjoy maintaining a personal type of blog whether anyone reads it or not. Writing can be a great release and is widely known as one of the greatest forms of self-expression.
Again the topics in a personal blog vary. You can write about everything from hobbies, to life events, to tech or geek. The most important thing to remember with a personal blog is that all the content, no matter what the topic is, must include your personal ideas, thoughts and know how. It is a personal account of the chronicles of your life and the things and people that affects your world.
Type 2: The Informative Blog
Also known as the “How to / Tutorial” Blog. This type of blog contains intricate details of how something is made or works. The content is usually list based detailed accounts of how things are done. For example, many design inspired blogs written by designers feature tutorials that make up the majority of their content. The most important aspect to note about this type of blog is that it is very time consuming to produce. It is not unheard of for some designers to take weeks to put one article together. On the flip side these articles usually get lots of traffic and comments because of their high level of relevancy and master craftsmanship.
Being an author of an informative blog you better have a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge on your specific topic to have any success. Visitors of your site will regard as an expert, asking you questions about the particular field. The biggest advantage of writing a how to or tutorial blog is that you get a chance to highlight your field of expertise.
Type 3: The Lifestyle/Fashion Blog
Fueled by the multi-million dollar health and beauty/fashion industries, the content featured on this type of blog is all about looking and feeling good. No matter what the economic environment is people will always want to look good, motivated by an insatiable thirst for the hottest trends, Fashion and Lifestyle Blogs are a way for trend setters to keep up with and follow the latest and greatest in fashion trends and lifestyles. Lifestyle topics range from what you need to do to feel good, what the healthiest things to eat are, to being natural, natural beauty activities to promote wellness, etc… Nowadays, people always check out recommendations from bloggers or the fashion and lifestyle themed sites before they even leave the house to go on a shopping spree.
This type of blog offers the greatest opportunities to earn extra income. Because the fashion and lifestyle industries are in such high demand, the barrier for entry is very high. New product developers often look to purchase ad space on these blogs to promote and advertise new products and events among its target market. The thing to consider when looking to earn extra money from renting ad space is the amount of money to be earned is tied directly to the traffic your blog generates. Natasha Eubanks, founder and CEO of the popular black celebrity blog Young Black and Fabulous — more commonly known as TheYBF.com, earns about 1.5 million a year but her blog has about 5.6 million visitors per day! For more about Natasha Eubanks and Young Black and Fabulous check out the video as she describes how she got started, going from $0 to #1.2 million in just 3 years.
Type 4: The Cultural/Travel Blog
Traveling is so exciting but it can be expensive. What better way to live or re-live travel experiences than through a blog. The content featured on this type of blog is perfect for those who love to chronicle their journeys. Whether its overseas or just around the way, the possibilities are endless! For local travel, check out foursquare, a mobile based micro-blog, use to chronicle our day to day small trips. For an overview of how it works have a look at how foursquare is changing the marketing game. Overall, the genre is gaining popularity, so much so that many websites now offer free or cheap travel blog formats where travelers can upload their photos and map their trips, as well as meet other travelers. Many travel blog websites also publish articles and guides focusing on travel related issues.
You have a few options in making this blog very interesting. For Example, you can share photos of your travels through a picture blog, or perhaps video on location with a video blog, or even do reviews on the different hot spots you’ve found along the way, recommending great places to visit.
Type 5: Collaborative Blog
The collaborative blog is a type of web log that has multiple authors. This type of blog is not very popular, although it has shown promise in the corporate blogging world. The idea is for a group of authors to aggregate information and resources on a particular topic or concept. The blog maintains a level of cohesion, while offering many perspectives on the same topic.
The important point to make on this type of blog is that it requires a lot of planning between the editor of the site and all its writers. Having different sets of writers, means different sets of opinions, styles of writing and dedication levels. Additionally, the editor, or the one publishing the posts, must schedule the articles properly and makes sure that there is no content duplication. Planning is essential to the success of this blog type. Content must be planned in advance. Rules or guides must be set in place so that even though your site has multiple writers, the site still has the same tone, look and mood, which can be very difficult to achieve.
Convinced you need to be blogging? Which type of blog best suits your needs? Go to WordPress.com and start blogging for free. For a more customized experience with your own domain name and custom graphics Contact Us we can help you get your blog setup and off the ground.
Sound Off…
Seeing the 5 types of blogs, what type of blog do you think are most popular? What types of blogs interest you?
For more about blogging.. check out these recent post:
Reasons to Start Blogging Now!!
Very informative! I was not very knowledgeable on the blog subject beforehand but now you’ve got me thinking….hmmm….I better head over to the “Smart Introduction to Blogging” post now…more to learn! 🙂
I’m a fan of a Type 1/Type 2 hybrid. I think if you want to build a strong community around your blog you need to put a personal spin on things to keep it interesting. Of course, some people want straight facts, from an objective source. But I find blogs that have some color commentary and subjective but reasonable views to be more successful and easier to read.
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