What Kind of Blogs Are Out There?

Businesses have customized their blogs to maintain the brand established in their existing websites by pulling in colors, typography, and imaging from those sites and incorporating those elements into their blog design. We see this in Bits (New York Times Business Technology blog), Vector Tuts (Adobe Illustrator), STC Notebook (Society of Technical Communication), etc. This kind of incorporation gives the blog a legitimacy. A professional blog contains information that is relevant to industry where as a personal blog is focused on the sharing of the bloggers personal life.

Portfolio blogs are a tool used by many professionals to show off their work. These blogs generally contain many pages which are used to separate their categories of sample pieces, as well as information about the blogger and contact information. On top of all of this, the portfolio allows the professionals to blog about what they know, to show off their expertise! Many of their blog posts act as tutorials for other professionals.

Tutorial blogs are another category in the blogging world. Tutorial blogs give up-to-date tips and tricks within certain areas of industry. Some of the great tutorial blogs I find useful:

• Vector Tuts
• Web Designer Wall
• Brochures Printing Online
• Website 101
• PSD Tuts
  

When it comes to hiring the right person to create or develop a professional blog, please keep in mind that there are several freelance designers out there. Each of these designers have various levels of capabilities and pricing.

• Have an idea of what you need
• Talk with the designer about your goals and objectives
• Discuss what the site needs to contain
• Get a quote
• Check the designer's references (there are many fly-by-night types out there)

To get an idea of what you can get with your dollar, check this page out!