Writing comes in many forms and styles, and one of them is the art of blogging.
Blog writing or “blogging” refers to the expression of thoughts and ideas by publishing articles online. Blogging is done with the hopes of reaching thousands of viewers.
Nowadays, blogging is utilised as a medium for businesses to connect with thousands of customers. It certainly has outgrown its potential if you’re going to look back at blogging during the late 90s when blogs were almost like personal diaries for everyone to see.
When it comes to blogging, there is no wrong way to write. But it’s certainly much better to learn about the available options to know which form of writing suits your style best.
What exactly is the difference between feature writing and blog writing?
Blogging
During the 90s, blogging was rapidly evolving. Back then, blogs were seen as mere online journals for everyone to read.
Fast forward to the 2000s when blogs were used as a hub for communication regarding politics, current events, and almost anything that comes to mind. The goal of blogging was to let everyone know what you think of, and it’s certainly played its part when it comes to politics.
For business, blogs that feature advertisements or promotional content were also prominent. The commercialisation of blogging quickly made its way to the mainstream market, turning blogs into certified mediums for advertising.
How to write blogs
Since blogging is seen as a personal expression of ideas, writing should come from the mind and heart.
The trick to writing blogs is to directly communicate with your reader from a one-sided point of view. Write like you’re speaking with someone on a personal level, and treat your blog like a diary with informative content.
Is this the only way blogs should be written? Absolutely not. Blogging is usually seen as an informal way of writing, but it’s certainly not restricted to such rules.
In short, while blogging can be compared to casually conversing, you’re not restricted to such rules of writing. Write the way you should depending on who and what you’re writing for.
Feature writing
Feature writing is basically creative journalism. It allows the writer to utilise hard-news writing techniques while still engaging with the reader in a creative and compelling way.
Unlike news articles, feature articles deal with subjects in greater depth. Instead of giving readers straight-to-the-point information, feature writing encourages them to dive deeper into the topic of discussion.
How to write feature articles
Compared to blogs, feature articles are usually longer and deeper into the subject of discussion. While it’s usually written in a formal tone, a feature article can be tweaked with a little creativity on the side.
Also, research is an essential task in feature writing. Your article is not credible if it doesn’t have facts to support your content. This isn’t to say that blogs don’t require facts as well, but feature articles need more substance and credibility.
Writing a feature article is like writing news; research information, map out content, then deliver to the reader. Of course, there’s a certain level of freedom with feature writing. You have the freedom to tweak the content with a few jabs here and there. Dip in a little bit of creativeness and voila, you have a feature article!
In conclusion
Ultimately, there’s no decisive choice on which is better or more suitable for writing. It all depends on what you’re going for. Blogging is great for covering a wide spectrum with more freedom of control, while feature writing is for informing the reader while keeping them well-entertained.
With that said, here is the summary of conclusions for blogging and feature writing:
Blogging
- Write in a casual or informal tone.
- Mostly personal thoughts or ideas.
- Can be long or short, depending on the objective of the writer.
- Optimise your blog’s SEO.
- In-depth research is optional.
Feature writing
- Facts and research are required.
- Be objective and avoid bias.
- Sentence construction and grammar should be flawless.
- Written in a professional tone.
In the end, blogs are written in many forms such as essays, interviews, or reviews. As long as it comes from a personal standpoint, then it’s a blog. As for feature articles, they have to be factual and informative with no personal fuss. Avoid grammatical errors as much as possible.
Blogs and articles may be different, but the way you’ll write your blogs for you to decide. Feel free to express your ideas and opinions in any way you see fit. Just remember who and what you’re writing for, and you’ll make no mistakes!
For more information about how blogging can benefit your business, contact OOm, a digital marketing agency in Singapore. We offer effective SEO services in Singapore to boost businesses throughout the country. Send us an email at support@oom.com.sg and we’ll get to you right away!
