Blogging first started as a way to have an online personal web log, in which a person would journal about their day. From "web log" came the term "blog."  

Like most new innovations on the Internet, many entrepreneurs saw marketing potential in having a blog, and blogging took off from there. Not only can a blog be used for marketing, but also, a blog can be a home business in and of itself. 

Here's an overview of what a blog is, why it's popular, and tips to starting your own blog.  

Many people are confused over what constitutes a blog over a website. Part of the problem is that many businesses use both, integrating them into a single web presence. But there are two features of a blog that set it apart from a traditional website. 

Blogs are updated frequently. Whether it's a mommy blog in which a woman shares adventures in parenting, a food blog sharing new recipes, or a business providing updates to its services, blogs have new content added several times a week. Websites might occasionally have new information, but for the most part, they offer static, rarely changing information. 

Blogs allow for reader engagement. Blogs are often included in social media because of the ability for readers to comment and have a discussion with the blogger and others who read the blog. In the past, websites had guest logs where people could say they'd visited, but a blog allows for conversation and greater interaction than a traditional website does.