Many writers do not know the difference between blog and article because they look alike at first glance. They may look alike, but they are thoroughly different from each other. If you want to build your career in content writing but are confused between articles and blogs, then this blog is for you. Whether you are writing for someone else’s or your website, a thorough knowledge of blogs and articles is a must. If a writer knows when to write a blog and when to write an article, they will write better to educate their readers. Let’s dig deep to know the difference between blog and article and get clarity as a content writer. This clarity will help you know when you should opt for a blog and when an article.
What is a Blog?
A blog is a kind of writing that we use to express ourselves, give tips and advice, and put our opinion across on self-published online platforms. It is very much like a personal diary that we maintain to pour our hearts out.
What is an Article?
An article is a kind of writing that we write to inform or educate. The purpose of writing articles is to reach a massive audience with the help of the press or print media and make some change in the world.
Why is there Confusion Between Blogs and Articles?
After reading the definitions of a blog and an article, you would say they are two different forms of writing. Why are people confused between these two forms of writing despite having different purposes and publication platforms? This is because, over the years, blog and article writing has evolved a lot. Earlier, there were just personal blogs that we used to write about our personal things. But now, apart from personal blogs, various types of blogs have developed, like business blogs, niche blogs, and affiliate blogs. We not only self-publish blogs to express ourselves but also to drive traffic for various businesses with the right SEO techniques. It is like a journal for your business that helps readers connect with it. In one word, a blog is a narrative: it allows a business to tell its story in a relatable way.
On the other hand, the medium of publishing articles is no longer confined to print media. Various types of article writing have developed that get published on digital platforms. For example, SEO article writing, online article writing, freelance article writing, and many more. The most important type of article writing is SEO article writing. It is the kind of article that follows the search engine optimization guidelines in its content.
This amalgamation of two forms of writing created confusion among writers and people.
Blog Vs Article: Main Differences Between Blog and Article
The elements that make a blog different from an article are as follows:
| Elements | Blogs | Articles |
Purpose |
We need blogs for two purposes: To appear in search engine result pages and bring new customers to your website. To reinforce your relationship with existing customers and build trust. |
We need articles to educate or inform our readers; we must write articles when we need to offer some formal information. Articles focus on providing evidence for some claims that have been made—by the products or services, for example. |
Writing Style |
Blogs have a casual, friendly, and conversational style of writing.
A blogger adopts a casual tone throughout his blogs. As casual as talking to an old friend. The helpful, friendly, and even funny communicative approach helps bloggers connect with their readers. |
On the contrary, articles have a formal, journalistic, or formal style of writing. To make the articles look professional, writers adopt a formal style of writing. It conveys to the readers that they can trust the writer as he is very serious about the topic. It makes them rely on the information given in the articles. |
Point of View |
Writers write blog posts from a personal point of view based on their opinions and experiences. Personal opinions allow writers to express their thoughts on the topic and help them build a connection with the readers. In blogs, writers use the first person, as in “I” or “me” to mention themselves and “you” to address the readers. |
Articles tend to be more objective, which is why writers write them in the second or third person. The third person is more appropriate for articles because the writer needs to point out facts and information while keeping their point of view aside. In articles, writers use phrases like “a person” instead of words like “you” to address their readers and avoid using personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, etc.). It is the reason writers opt for the passive voice and writes, “The article was written keeping my personal opinion aside.” rather than, “I wrote the article by keeping aside my personal opinion”. |
Facts and Statistics |
In blogs, writers include facts, images, and information related to the topic to support their opinion. It helps the readers understand the topic easily. | In articles, writers do not debate the topic to persuade the readers. Rather, they just put forward facts in well-elaborated content, including a higher degree of data like statistics, reports, documentation, and graphics. |
Dictionis the choice of words that suit your purpose and audience. |
Blogs have informal diction, which is also called colloquial language. It is the language of everyday speech. The characteristics of casual diction include:
|
Articles use formal diction: this is the best writing style for professional text, business documents, and dignified writing. For example, legal documents, political speeches, scholarly publications, most academic fields, articles, etc. The characteristics of this form of writing are as follows:
|
FAQ
What is the Role of SEO in Blogs and Articles?
Search engine optimization plays an important role in writing blogs that allow them to reach many people easily and quickly. Earlier, articles used to get published on non-digital platforms. Even if they get published online, article writers do not care much about SEO keywords. But SEO is not confined to blogs anymore. We can also write articles online, get them ranked in the SERP, and become a trustworthy source of information for the readers.
Do Blogs and Articles Go Through the Same Editing Process?
Earlier, articles used to go through a thorough editing cycle to ensure they had no errors. On the other hand, blogs were usually self-published on digital platforms so they used to go through nominal editing. Blogs do not get the level of proofreading that articles get, but this does not mean that blogs can have errors. Editing has become a crucial step in writing blogs. Moreover, Google prefers content with no grammar or spelling errors, so thorough editing is essential for both articles and blogs.
Does Word Count Matter in Blogs and Articles?
As far as the word count of blogs and articles is concerned, there is no hard-and-fast rule now. Since articles are written in depth to deliver a complete knowledge of the topic, they get longer. The length of blogs entirely depends on the topic the writer is writing on. Sometimes the writer has a lot to say or express, which makes them quite longer than usual blogs. It also depends on the requirements of the clients.
When Should One Write an Article?
The answer to this question depends on the purpose of the writing. The objective of the article is to provide information in full detail. If your website’s purpose is to provide reliable information for your customers and business partners, then articles cannot fail.
For example,
- To write on a topic like “How crisis and quarantine have changed global work trends”, you must follow the article style of writing. An article is most suitable because this topic demands that it educate the readers, and the article is more about information and statistics.
- If someone comes to you to write about “The New Union Budget of India”, then you must write it in an article style. Include some comparisons with the previous budgets, statistical data, and reactions from a wide variety of people. The motive for writing this article can be to tell people what is in the budget: drawbacks, benefits, etc while keeping your personal opinions aside.
When Should One Write a Blog?
Blogs are excellent when you aim to develop a more personal relationship with your readers. If the content of your blog posts is fresh and original, it can create authority status, build SEO ranking, and generate leads.
For example,
- If you have something to write to share your personal opinion or some experience, then blog-style writing would certainly be a perfect choice. For the topic “10 useful tips for working comfortably from home during the pandemic”, the blogging approach would be the best. Write some suggestions that the readers can use in their lives.
- If you want to share your opinion on “The New Union Budget of India”, write it in a blog style, as it is perfect for sharing the author’s views and opinions.
Conclusion
So hopefully, you now have a clearer picture of the differences between blog and article. Now you know what to choose that matches the purpose you want to achieve when it comes to placing the best content on the internet. Both blogging and article writing are extremely important for any business or influencer to create additional awareness for their businesses. After all, CONTENT is KING….. If you learn the difference between the two and use each properly, you can increase traffic and conversions for any business. Always remember not to use both styles in one piece of information because it will make your writing rather awkward and unprofessional. Wisely decide about the direction you wish to follow.
Hello! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Thank You, Alberto!