In this fast-paced and ever-changing digital marketing era, one of the most important things that you need to focus on is CONTENT.
In content marketing, every piece of content varies from others in the tone of writing, voice, structure, length, style, and more. If you are in the field of marketing, you need to understand the role each has to play so that you can deliver high-quality content, improve your SEO strategies, and drive more conversions.
In case you want to drive more traffic to your website, blog posts and articles are extremely important. Good and informative content guarantees sustainability and longevity and helps your website rank better.
A lot of people tend to use blog posts and articles interchangeably. However, they are essentially two different beasts. So, let’s deep dive into the difference between the two.
Blog Post Vs. Article
Have you ever found yourself browsing through the various articles and thinking if this is an article or a blog post? Well, you are at the right place. In this brief guide, you will learn what a blog post and article are, how they are different from each other, when to use a blog post and article, and why a business needs them. So, let’s get started.
What is a blog post?
Blog posts are short pieces of text with one main idea. Typically, blog posts are written in a more informal way, and they're best for engaging your audience with a quick read. If you have a lot to say but don't have time to write a long article, a blog post is a perfect solution.
Blog posts can explore quick topics, while articles explore more in-depth ideas, like reviewing a new book or introducing an unfamiliar topic.
As per a recent survey, blog posts continue to be the most popular form of content among content marketers. 9 out of 10 produce blog posts to achieve their overall marketing goals. (SEMrush, 2021)
Why write blog posts?
Blog posts are a great tool for sharing information that you feel can add value to your readers. They are also an excellent way to share new information with people who are interested to know your opinion and perspective. Blog posts are a perfect way to communicate with your audience. They can inform, educate, or entertain your audience by conveying information in an informal manner.
Blogging is used by many different business types, from bloggers who want to make money off of their content to businesses who want to engage with potential customers on a more personal level.
As mentioned earlier, blog posts are informal and conversational. This means they can be written in the first person without sounding too formal. That’s why blogging is often seen as an easy way to become more approachable or even “human” to potential customers.
When you start writing a blog post, you need to keep in mind that it should be something interesting, engaging, and informative enough so that readers keep coming back for more. It can be about any topic, and there are no limits on what you can post about, but it should always be relevant to your audience.
The more readers enjoy reading your blog posts, the greater chance they'll spend time on your site and ultimately buy products from it! Isn’t it an amazing way to improve your online presence and drive more sales?
What is an article?
An article is simply a formal piece of writing that could have one or more points to make. It has a beginning, middle, and end. Articles are often longer than blog posts and include more in-depth thought or summaries. In addition, they might include outside opinions or quotes to back up their point or be used for educational purposes.
Why write articles?
Articles are a great way of sharing information with your audience in a formal manner. They offer facts and points of view from many different perspectives and offer a detailed view of an event or happening in general. Articles are a valuable form of content for your website, blog, or social media posts.
Articles help you spread your expertise to a broader audience and establish your credibility in the field. This makes readers trust you and listen to what you have to say. It is because articles are often written as opinion pieces or news stories. A successful article will contain interesting information, be well-written, and have the ability to engage readers.
When writing an article, it's important to be clear and concise. Make sure to provide only the most important information on the topic you're covering. Before publishing an article, ensure it is well-organized and easy to read by proofreading it first.
Apart from that, from a business point of view, articles also boost your SEO efforts and help you to rank your website higher.
Difference between a blog post and an article
Writing style and opinion
The first and the most important difference between a blog post and an article is the writing style. In blog posts, you need to use a casual or informal tone that is easy to understand by the audience. A blog post also includes the opinion of a writer.
For articles, you need to use a formal and sophisticated tone and do not contain the writer's opinion as it is addressed publicly.
Length
A blog post is generally short and usually ranges between 300-1000 words. On the other hand, an article is usually longer and ranges between 1500-5000 words.
Publication
Blog posts are usually published on websites or any online platform. But an article can be published in a newspaper, magazine, or online.
SEO Keywords
The main aim of blog posts is to create authority and generate leads, so it is important to use SEO keywords and include internal and external links. On the other hand, the objective of an article is to provide detailed information, so SEO keywords are not important.
How to write a blog post?
Approximately, 7 million blog posts are published per day. And 77% of internet users read blogs regularly. Let’s get into how to write a blog post.
Writing a blog post can seem like a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. From the topic of your blog post, how you want it to be formatted, and what tone should be used, you need to consider various things. But don’t let this discourage you! Here’s a list of 5 easy steps that will help guide you through the process of writing a blog post.
Get ready to write an effective blog post that will not only help readers but also drive results for your business by giving them advice or information they need.
Step 1. Brainstorm
The first step is to brainstorm a topic and use a blog idea generator. The topic of the blog post will come from what you want to speak about. The best topics are timely, engaging, and topical. Not sure how to start? Try using a keyword planner or bookmarking sites like Quora and Reddit to find popular questions related to your industry.
Step 2. Research
Research is the most important step in the process of writing a blog post. The key to a successful blog post is doing your research. To write an effective blog post, you need to know enough about the topic that you are writing about to take on its challenges and offer solutions or insights. If you are writing about a specific industry, make sure you know all the latest information about it.
Step 3. Outline
Outlining your blog is a great way to plan and organize the information you want to share. The outline will help keep you on track while writing your post and will also give you a clear idea of the topics and content you’ll need for your blog post.
Here are some things to consider when outlining:
- What is the main point or objective of your blog post?
- What supporting ideas or points do you want to address?
- How will you organize these topics in your blog post?
- How many paragraphs should each section have?
- Is there anything you’d like to include that doesn’t fit into any of these sections (like pictures)?
Step 4. Write Your Blog Post
The fourth step is to start your blog. The key to a successful blog post is not only good content but also formatting that encourages readers to read it.
Blog posts should be well-organized and easy to read. This will encourage readers to continue reading and give you more opportunities for engagement. Keep in mind: Less is more! Your article doesn't need several paragraphs explaining why your topic is relevant; sometimes, one sentence will do. You want to make sure your blog post is concise and gets straight to the point.
Step 5. Edit Your Blog Post
Once you have written your blog, it is important to edit it. This step is the most critical in the process of writing a blog post.
It’s important that you read through your article and fix any grammar or spelling mistakes in order to make your content look polished and well-written. It’s also important to make sure there are no contradictions in your article. For example, if you say “never use a single word when ten will do” and then proceed to list ten words, readers will notice this inconsistency and question your credibility as a writer.
Once you have fixed any errors or inconsistencies, then your blog post is ready for its final step: publishing! Want to speed up your blog post writing process? Try Writesonic’s Article Writer 3.0
How to write an article?
Want to write an article that people will actually read? Here are three steps that can help you write articles that people would love to read.
Know your audience
The first step in writing an article people will read is to know your audience. You need to know what they want, what they need, and what they'll care about. Understand who your audience is, as it will help you decide what information is relevant and important.
If you're selling products, like clothing, you might want to publish articles on fashion trends or new brands that are coming into the marketplace. You want your articles to be interesting but also relevant--so knowing your audience beforehand will get the ball rolling.
Hook the reader
The next step is to hook your reader with an engaging introduction. You can do this by starting off with a question, anecdote, stat, quote, or quote. This will make the reader feel invested in reading your article because they'll be curious about what you're trying to say. You can also hook the reader with humor or use powerful words that are sure to grab their attention.
Include a call to action
A call to action is a great way to get people to read your article. A call to action entices readers by asking them to do something, like sharing the article on their Facebook page. You want people to take some sort of action, so they’ll read your article.
So, the key to writing for the web is to know your audience, hook them early on with your content, and then include a call to action that will help them act on the information you just shared.
Conclusion
Well, now you might have a clear idea regarding the difference between a blog post and an article. Want to generate high-quality articles? Check out Writesonic!
Writesonic can help you to simplify the tasks by taking 50% or more of this workload off your plate. Writesonic is an AI-powered tool that can generate content in seconds. Want to try it for free? Head on to our website.