Blog

Sign Up Now!

6 Major Differences Between Writing Articles and Blog Posts

  • March 10 2015
  • Comments Off on 6 Major Differences Between Writing Articles and Blog Posts
POSTED BY   

Website content is comprised mainly of articles and blogs. The important thing to understand is that the two are not interchangeable. Articles are a more formal version, similar to what you would find in a newspaper or magazine, while blog posts are less formal and more “conversational.” You will hear more personal stories and opinions in a blog than you would in an article. Both formats will get the point across, but the content will be misconstrued if the proper guidelines are not followed for one or the other. In the freelancing world there is much confusion surrounding these two content types, which is why it is important to distinguish between the two.

 

1.  Point of View

 

One distinction that sets articles apart from blogs is the point of view that it is written. For the most part, articles are written in third person rather than first. This gives the person writing the article a more authoritative stance on the subject, which is the point of articles in the first place. Blog posts are almost always written in first person, though, as they are a personal recount of the topic of the blog, whether it is for a company or a personal blog.

 

2.  Fact or Opinion

 

The content that makes up an article is completely factual. Some articles even cite other sources where the information was received, especially if specific statistics or studies were used to prove a point. This helps to back up the information that is trying to be conveyed within the article as well as provides the reader with more sources should more information be desired. A blog post, on the other hand, can be filled with opinion. In fact, that is what most blogs are comprised of especially since they started out as being considered web diaries. They have since grown from that distinction, but are still more opinion than fact.

 

3.  Proper Language or Conversational Language

 

Articles, for the most part, use proper language. They are geared towards the target audience and will use language that appeases that audience. For example, if you are writing a technological article, the jargon will be less familiar to those that are not within that industry, but will pertain to those that are within the industry and interested in the article. Blog posts, on the other hand, are more conversational. They use shorter sentences and sometimes even fragments. The grammar might not be impeccable in a blog post, but they are not trying to be professional, for the most part, so that typically does not play an important role.

 

4.  Short and to the Point or Long Winded

 

Blog posts are typically shorter than articles because they are not trying to get an important topic taught; they are mostly being conversational in nature. Blog posts for a company might talk about a new product or introduce a new use for an existing product, but in general, the tone is lighter. Blog posts can be skimmed and the general idea can still be obtained. Articles are typically more long winded in order to get the point across and need to be read in detail. They may even contain footnotes to further the point that they were trying to make within the article whereas blog posts would just use a hyperlink.

 

5.  Structured or Unstructured

 

Articles, being formal in nature, have a specific format that is followed. Just like you learned in school, they start with an idea (opening thought), back up that thought with the next few sentences and then have a concluding sentence. The same is true throughout the article with the intro gaining the attention of the reader, the body of the article making the point, and the conclusion wrapping it all up. A blog is less formal or unstructured. You might find random thoughts thrown together in a post, short sentences and even shorter paragraphs. Blogs are typically much shorter in length too.

 

6.  Lasting Impression

 

Articles have a much more lasting impression than blog posts. Articles are often referenced well into the future and used to help impart knowledge of a subject. Blog posts are rather time sensitive and have a short “shelf life.” Typically after a week or two, the blog post is forgotten and new content has taken its place. This is usually acceptable for blog posts, however, because the content is usually time sensitive anyways.

 

Blogs and articles are both important to fill the Internet with in order to keep an audience engaged. If you are a freelancer and looking to write for various companies, it is important to know the difference between the two. If someone were to ask for an article, yet you provided a personal opinion or informal writing, it would be considered a blog post and would likely not gain you the customer you desired.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

Cameron Mackey

Cameron is the Content Manager for the Vorongo Blog. He has spent three years in various content marketing roles. When he is not working with Vorongo he enjoys photography and hiking.

Comments are closed.