There are two basic types of blog and variations of these, as well.  The Traditional or Journal style blog is patterned after the original weblogs  of the 1990′s and are basically journal entries that record the blogger’s thoughts, opinions and feelings about whatever they want to discuss on a given day in their blogs.  It can be written in a conversational tone or some other style, but this style emphasizes the personal viewpoints and sentiments of the blogger.

The Traditional/Journal style blog is the most “forgiving” of all blog formats because you can write exactly the way you talk and you can write about anything you want.  Even so, from the assorted blogs I have read, it seems that people naturally like to select a more definite field of specific topics to ruminate about.  There is, therefore, a tendency for bloggers to, move the blog “art-form” in the direction of the “specialized blog” ( which we will examine in the next post.)  People who prefer to ramble in desultory fashion, however, can keep their blogs very general and write about whatever is their obsession of the moment.

It is rather amazing to think that a blogger can start a monologue about whatever interests him or her and can discover, often to their great surprise, that they have quite a following; an audience who really appreciates them and waits to read about the blogger’s next experience, as eagerly as  some fans wait to see the next installment of their favorite “soap opera.”  This effect is a little like someone walking into a public square and erupting in a Mozart Aria or a familiar Beatle’s tune, attracting a large crowd of appreciative listeners delighted to be entertained.  That is the best way I can describe what  happens when you launch a new blog.  It apparently doesn’t matter whether you are reviewing the fundamentals of knitting or what you did on your recent vacation or holiday.  Whatever you are talking about will attract people who are interested in what you have to say, and in some cases, how you say it.  The same dynamics that work in the marketplace of the entertainment world, also apply to web sites to some degree.  Since the Internet is still, largely free and unregulated, anyone can access this medium and create a blog that is sought after.  So, choose whatever sort of blog style is is best suited to your purpose.  Choose what is comfortable for you.

If you are not accustomed to expressing yourself in the written word and are still perfecting your writing skills, choose the journal style and keep it informal.  As your writing skills improve and you feel more at ease with this kind of expression, you can always turn your blog into a more specialized blog with one or two topics.

If your writing skills are already good  you can choose a more specialized blog which can be presented in a more formal writing style.  In this case, the clearer and more precisely you can write, the more credibility you will have and your blogposts will be imbued with authority and panache.  We will discuss the specialized blog in more detail in the next post.

Whichever blog type you choose, go for it—-enjoy it—have fun with it—master it.  Everyone who wants one, can have a blog.  It is easy to get started and to set up.  Make sure it is what you want to do , because, while it is enjoyable ( if you like to write and inform people) it can be a little like a job in the sense that you are making a long term commitment to the public you are writing for; to the audience who makes your blog popular and ultimately helps your blog become a success.

Good Luck With This,

–Wil