What is a blog?

A blog (short for Web log) is a website where new content appears as 'posts,' which are displayed in reverse chronological order.  Many blog authors use these sites as a form of online diary where posts are made on a regular (even daily) basis.  In general, posts are short, consisting of a few sentences to several paragraphs, and many contain images and links to other content on the Web.

Although most personal blogs receive only marginal attention, some organizational blogs focusing on larger issues (e.g., politics, music, sports, local news, etc.) attract millions of visitors on a daily basis.  You probably even visit some of these sites regularly without even realizing they fall in the penumbra of blogs.

Advantages of blogs:

• out-of-the-box websites
• easy to add images, links, etc.
• software creates permanent links to individual posts while organizing content
• allow users to 'subscribe' in order to receive new content
• growing visibility and use
• GROWING IMPACT

A good article that describes how blogging (and the use of other social media tools) can reduce email traffic can be found on Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media.

Examples from IFPRI

IFPRI Blogroll

Tips to Improve your Blogging

One can create blogs for different purposes, and the following tips might not make sense for all possible applications (e.g. closed blog for personal reflection, or archiving for mailing lists), but those blog authors, who want to reach old and new audiences and engage with their readers might want consider them. At the end of this post you can find a list of all the posts I took the ideas from and a couple of blogs that are good starting points to read more.

Writing in the blogosphere is definitely more casual than writing scholarly papers, but also here the number one rule is to give credit to the ideas, quotes and pointers you got from other people. The main way to do that is to link to the original, but you can also name people and thank them in your post. Other tips include:

• Link to relevant content: It not only gives credit to other’s work but also helps your readers to delve deeper if they want to.
• Make it easy for people to find what they are interested in: Tag your posts, use categories and add a search box to your blog
• Be open and embrace critique: If you are not sure about something, say so. Readers are much more likely to engage if they feel that you are interested in real conversation and in learning from and with them and do not just want to broadcast your ideas. That includes dealing with critical comments in the same way you deal with praise. Never delete comments unless they are clearly spam.
• Ask questions: Questions in your post engage your readers. It helps them to respond with comments or on their own blogs.
• Watch your language: What you are writing is on the internet for anyone to see, and the internet is a web of connections. So talking badly about colleagues, the own organization or even competitors will come back to haunt you.
• Only post material when you have the proper permissions: Publications, photos, videos and other materials may be copyrighted. Sharing them on a public website is in those cases not allowed without permission from the person or organization holding the copyright.
• Search for related blogs in your area and comment: Commenting on others work shows them that you care about their ideas and work and makes them aware that you exist. There is so much going on on the web, that you have to go where your potential readers are to show them you exist.

This draws from Tips from a New Blogger, 9 Lessons for Would-be Bloggers, My Blogging Advice to Connect with your Readers, and Weblog Ethics. Good starting points for further reading are ProBlogger, and Beth’s Blog.

Update: other posts worth looking at are Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Blog’s Usability, Write like a Blogger, 10 Blogging Tips 

Choosing a Blogging Platform

ProBlogger: Choosing a Blogging Platform

PC World: Blogging Platforms

Sachi Studio: Comparison...

Andy Wibbels: Blogging Cheatsheets

These posts do not necessarily reflect the latest capabilities of each of the platforms as they update their services frequently. Note, for example, that Wordpress upgraded their platform and now offers 3GB of storage space for free.