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Do you write articles, blog posts, or both?
Many writers and their clients don’t know how to answer this question. That’s because the line between an article and a blog post has become blurry over the past decade.
Some online publications started as blogs and some publish blog posts and articles side by side. No wonder there’s such confusion.
If writers and publishers don’t fully understand the difference between the two, imagine the confusion in the mind of the average consumer.
As writers, we need to understand which type of piece we are being asked to write.
I first explored the difference between articles and blog posts four years ago. Since I first wrote about the topic, the line between the two types of writing has become even more blurry.
In this post, I’ll take another look at the differences between an article and a blog post. I’ll also share my opinion on what that difference means for writers and what writers should do about it.
What Writers Are Saying Now
Are articles and blog posts different? Are those differences important? If so, how do they impact writers?
I wanted to find out the answers to those questions, so I took a look at some recent posts on the topic:
- On Social Media Today, from Betsy Kent, The Difference Between Articles and Blogs. This post lists some of the differences between a post and an article. It also discusses when to use each type of content.
- On Make A Living Writing, from Carol Tice, Writing an Article vs. Writing a Blog Post: What’s the Difference? Carol discusses how blogs and articles have started to become similar. She also believes that article writers receive better pay.
- On HubSpot Blogs, from Emmy Snider, Confessions of a Former Journalist: What I Learned From Becoming a Corporate Blogger. This post looks at the topic from a different angle. It chronicles the experiences of a journalist turned corporate blogger.
- On Huffington Post, from Mark Chesnut, How to Deal with Travel Writers, Part 1: Bloggers vs. Journalists. This interesting piece, written from a client’s perspective, compares travel bloggers to travel journalists. Even if travel isn’t your niche, this is worth a read.
While I’m not sure I agree 100% with every point made in the pieces above, if you’re a writer it’s important to be familiar with what others think about the differences between blog posts and articles. Those thoughts may be echoed by your clients.
My Opinion Now
So, what does a freelance writer need to know? Here’s a list of some important points to remember:
- Many types of writing are needed. The web is all about finding and sharing good information to those who need it. Articles and content are just two types of the many kinds of content out there. Blog posts and articles inform readers and provide necessary balance.
- Blog posts sometimes require research. A common misperception is that an article requires research while a blog post can be written quickly from the blogger’s own knowledge. While this is sometimes true, most often good blog posts need to be researched. The more technical the topic, the more research will be required.
- Length makes no difference. Another misperception is that blog posts are always short, while articles are always long. Again, length is not what determines whether a piece is a blog post or an article. I’ve seen some very long blog posts and some very short articles and vice versa.
- Should you correct a client’s misperception? If your client uses the wrong term, should you correct them? This is a tricky one. I’d say if they use the wrong term, ask for clarification until you are sure you know what they want. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of the terminology, since even writers get this wrong.
My take on the topic is still that the main difference between an article and a blog post is whether the writer is objective or includes their opinion in the piece.
What You Should Always Do
Regardless of what type of writing you do, some common principles apply:
- Write for the target audience. Whether you write blog posts or articles, find out who you reader is and address your writing to them. If you get this wrong, most of the rest doesn’t matter.
- Get a clear, complete scope of work. Do this not only so you can meet the client’s expectation in a timely fashion, but also so that you can charge a fair fee for your work.
- Aim for a high quality piece. Poor research and bad writing helps no one. It doesn’t help your client and it doesn’t help your portfolio. Put your best effort into everything you write.
- Charge based on the scope of work, not the type of piece. This is important. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s “just” a blog post, or it’s “just” a short article. Quote a price based on the time you expect to spend.
- Don’t undercharge. This is a huge problem among writers. It’s so easy to underestimate the amount of effort a writing project takes or give in to a prospect who demands a lower prices. Don’t do it.
- Beware writing anything for free. Will getting published on a single high profile site help you succeed? Most likely it won’t. Getting many different pieces published on a huge number of high profile sites will probably make a difference. But what will you live on while you create all these free articles and posts?
Your Turn
I know I’ve touched on a lot of different topics. That’s because I believe there are a lot of misunderstandings about blog posts and articles. This can cause problems for writers and their clients.
Do you have an opinion on the difference between articles and blog posts? What misperceptions have you faced?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
P.S. In case you’re wondering, this piece was a blog post and not an article. 🙂
I suspect the line between blog posts and articles will continue to blur as time goes on. Great points here though, and very good to be aware of!
Thanks Robyn. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Thanks for taking the time to publish this blog.
But, I still did not get the distinct clarity I was hoping for. So, I turned to online dictionaries for further insight.
I will be glad if the publisher of this article review what a few online dictionaries wrote on the definition of blog and article and add that to this publication. I believe it will help make things clearer for me or others who distinct clarity.
Here are my questions:
Could it be that what an article is to a news paper is what a blog is to a website?
In other words, if we never had the internet or websites, will there be blog posts?
One dictionary says a blog “.. is written in an informal or conversational style and often updated”
Another definition implied that an article is a publication that is written in a formal style and don’t get changed often or easily.
Some definitions seem to imply that articles must be formal and blogs does not have to be. In other words, if an online writing is formal, it is an article. Otherwise, it is a blog.
If someone is writing an organization’s terms and conditions, privacy policy. Will these be classed as articles or blogs or something else?
What if someone is writing about their new pet cat? article or blog?
What about if the writing is about My trip to Las Vegas? article or blog?
Hi Ola,
Sorry you did not understand the distinction clearly.
I’ll answer your direct questions as best I can. As far as the dictionary definitions, I won’t address those directly since it’s impossible to know which dictionaries they came from. I don’t think the distinction has solely to do with the ability to update a piece, though.
Could it be that what an article is to a newspaper is what a blog is to a website? No. A blog post is based on the author’s opinion, although it may contain some facts. An article should be solely based on facts. Instead of comparing a blog post to an article in a newspaper, compare it instead to the editorial page.
If someone is writing an organization’s terms and conditions, privacy policy. Will these be classed as articles or blogs or something else? Something else–this falls into the category of business copywriting.
What if someone is writing about their new pet cat? article or blog? Most likely blog post.
What about if the writing is about My trip to Las Vegas? article or blog? Most likely blog post.
To further clarify the distinction, I’ll take the last example and give it more of an article slant. Instead of someone writing about My trip to Las Vegas, suppose they were writing a factual piece about the History of Las Vegas. That would most likely be an article.
I hope this helps.