Was I asked a question relating to what is a blog, then it would be a difficult question to answer.

It would be easier to answer a question relating to what can a blog be used for rather than what a blog actually is, since no two people would give the same answer.

Blog is short for web log, the word 'log' being used in the sense of a diary of a website, in the same way that it is a diary of all that occurs during the voyage of a ship.

However, if you look at blogs online, many are not a diary of events, but a collection of thoughts or frequently a forum of sorts, where readers make their own comments to be replied to by other readers. They can be an internet marketing strategy designed to attract potential customers.

Blogging Is A Form Of Self Publishing

You can tell your friends of your latest discoveries on the web, of cool sites you have come across or even ways of making money that others might be interested in.

Blogging is a way for people to communicate online with the world, giving your political views, music preferences (even with clickable tracks) and basically what you would write in your personally diary that you don't want your parents to see: but don't mind it being read by the rest of the world!

Let's look at a blog from the perspective of its various uses, since many people use blogs for various purposes. First and foremost, if used in the classical way, it should be a log of the changing contents of your website, and whenever the content of your site, even of one page, is updated your blog should reflect this.

Unless you have a devoted group of readers, however, it is unlikely that many will notice this change unless you bring it their attention. You can do this by 'pinging' them.

What a ping does is to bring the new edition of your blog to the attention of people who have subscribed to receive it, in much the same way as people subscribe to receive RSS feeds.

You can also register your blog with sites such as Technorati, a Web2 site that deals specifically with blogs. Whenever a new post is made, or your website changes in any way, you can automatically ping Technorati using a script that you can put on your blog.

A website is no longer a prerequisite for a blog, however, if it ever was. Their blog is the only window to the web that many people have, and it is now possible to run an online internet marketing business using only a blog.

Blogging is the term used for the whole shebang of collecting links, making personal statements and using blogs for any purpose whatsoever.

To most it is a means of communication; of communicating ideas and interests, comments and help to anyone requesting it. A means of communicating and disseminating your favorite music, photographs, images and videos to the world.

You can tell your friends of your latest discoveries on the web, of cool sites you have come across or even ways of making money that others might be interested in. You can sell your products or give them away free! To many, it is one of their favorite and most productive of their internet marketing strategies.

Blogs are ideal for internet marketing, since you don't need a domain. They can be easily installed if you do have a website, but if not you can run a blog using a program such as Blogger or Wordpress directly from the providers domain.

Anybody can start up a blog, and no design skills are needed. However, if you do have your own website, it is better if you can use that since there more plugins and other options available than from the blog providers domain.

The beauty of blogs as internet marketing tools is that they promote immediate responses from readers who feel that they are a part of the communication process, rather than a visitor.

It doesn't matter what kind of internet marketer you are: an amateur trying to make a few bucks for your vacation or a professional relying on it for your income, blogging can make the whole process of making money online easier, and an internet marketing strategy that you would find it difficult to do without.

It is easy to learn, easy to install, needs no design capabilities as a website does, and provides you with one-to-one communication with instant response.

You can set aside a part of your blog for registered visitors only, so that the whole world need not have access to your more sensitive material. Each visitor can have their own password and area on your blog, thus ensuring security and privacy.

What is a blog? It is a means of communicating with the world and receiving a response. A means of expressing your thoughts, delivering your music and selling your products. A hobby or a full time job.

Blogging is what you want it to be -- pure and simple.