Nov
07
My 10 Commandments of Blogging
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The 10 commandments - we have all heard of it, most of us have read it and hopefully all of us try to incorporate it into our lives as well. As I was reading the 10 commandements, I thought there should be commandments for blogging as well. I could relate some of the 10 commandments directly to blogging.
There needs to be rules, expectations and do’s and dont’s in everything we do and blogging is no exception. The 10 commandments of life guides us to lead life as a better human being and hopefully my 10 commandments of blogging will guide me ( and you if you find it useful ) to become a better blogger.
The Ten Commandments Of Blogging
1. Thou Shalt Not Steal
If you want to grow as a blogger and make a name for yourself in the field of blogging, this is a big NO! A lot of times we find bloggers longing for good content and they can’t seem to write one. It’s ok. Go ahead write what you can and slowly you will find your content and writing maturing along with your blog. Do not copy and paste other popular articles, if you are using a post from somebody else as a reference, give them the credit that is due. This is one of the most important thing starting out a blog, do not cheat the system and your readers because you will be cheating yourself.
2. Thou Shalt Not Spam Comments
Ahh, the ever so important comments. Although it’s seen as one of the effective ways of pulling traffic to your blog, leaving irrelevant comments can hurt you as well. Leaving comments on popular blogs can be a sure fire ways to get traffic, but make sure they are relevant to the post. Write something thoughtful, don’t just analyze the heading and whip up something so that you can get the top spot.
Read the article, analyze how you can provide value to the post and other readers who read your comments. If you provide value through your comments, that is exactly how other commenters are going to see you as ” a value adder “ and the chances of them visiting your blog become higher.
3. Thou Shalt Concentrate On Content
” Content is King “ we have heard the phrase thousand times and it still holds true. You might get 50,000 visitors today but after reading your content if it doesn’t provide value or interest to the reader, they are not going to come back. Your main motive is to make first time visitors/readers a repeat visitor. So focus on your content. Good content is the key to a successful blog.
4. Thou Shalt Not Insult
Your blog is your own media. You can use it to promote yourself or anybody else. But again you can use it to insult or bash others as well as you can reach so many people through your blog. Bashing somebody or hurting somebody’s reputation might seem like a fun idea but remember the old saying ” what comes around, goes around.” If you want to point an incident that you unapprove of or something that you want to talk about, don’t point out the person or the blogger through your blog. Just point the incident, do not point fingers. Might sound like fun but if you don’t like it done to you, don’t do it to others.
5. Thou Shalt Recognize Readers
Your readers are what makes you a better blogger. Their loyalty, their suggestions and their insight into your articles helps you grow. They can be one of your greatest asset both in terms of gaining popularity and marketing as well. You provide them with good content, they talk about you and you gain more loyal readers through them.
Acknowledge your readers and visitors, show them they are appreciated. Participate in comments when readers comment so they know when they comment, you will be back to provide your views or answers to their questions. Participate!
6. Thou Shalt Not Lie
Don’t start the foundation of your blog as a lie. If your blog has only 25 visitors a day go ahead and say it so. Saying your blog gets 20,000 visitors a day won’t do you any good because there are ways to find out. Also once somebody finds that you have been lying it will certainly hurt your reputation and the overall growth of your blog. So be honest and let the truth out, it might hurt now but in the long run this might be the key to your sucess. Honesty rules!
7. Thou Shalt Post Frequently
This is one of the things I find myself and other bloggers pondering quite often. Yes, frequency of posting is very critical for the success of your blog but what is the point if the posts don’t provide anything valuable. There are blogs that do not update for 3-4 days and when they do the content is really good and that is exactly what readers want. So go ahead and post but do it in moderation.
For instance, if I post on a Monday night my next post usually is up on Wednesday night, this way that particular post circulates the blogosphere monday night, tuesday all day and night and the whole day on wednesday. This gives more exposure to your posts. I personally think 3-4 posts a week is fine, think about what you are writing before you sit down and start typing. It’s ok to take a break.
8. Thou Shalt Create Interest
If you have an idea but can’t put it in words very well, this might hamper your blog. Try to create interest for your readers. The most effective way of doing ths is by using catchy headlines or titles. Use something that will make the readers atleast scan your post and this in turn might result in a loyal reader. Use headlines that will create interest , that will make others think ” Huh, this is something new, let’s quick read it “. Generate curiosity!
9. Thou Shalt Help Other Bloggers
So, you are a popular and established blogger? If you are, you need to make sure you help other bloggers out as well. Darren Rowse from problogger is a prime example of this. Try and help other bloggers as well. When you were new in the field of blogging there must have been someone who helped you out as well. And if there weren’t anybody, remember you wished it so bad that there was somebody. The blogger who is asking you for help feels exactly the same way, so go ahead and lend a helping hand to other bloggers.
10. Thou Shalt Read Other Blogs
I find many bloggers trying to market their blog but never reading other blogs. If you are not into reading other blogs and are not a reader at all then may be blogging isn’t for you. You need to share the passion with other bloggers. Besides, reading other blogs gives you an idea of what to expect, how to change the way you write. Analyze their articles and the ways they do it and you will learn from them. It’s a process, you will grow as you learn. So, make sure to read other blogs as well, we are all in it together!
These are the 10 commandments of blogging I live by? Do you think these ten commandments are worth following? Share your views.
Very creative list! I, surprisingly, agree with all of your points. Just follow the golden rule - do unto others as you would do to yourself. Comment, read, Stumble, Digg, etc. to others posts and it’ll come back to you.
Nice job!
Wow there are ethical bloggers out there!
Be of the blogsphere, not a part of it.
I really appreciate this post. I’m working on starting up my own site and blog and have been trying to learn as much as possible and start to get people interested as well by investing in who i hope to be my returning visitors. its all a growing process… or as i say “My site is like a piece of Art, experimenting with what i can and can’t do to make it as good as it can be”
Thank you, Emily
I agree with most of what you’re saying. But i find other articles out in the blog world and use the idea but write my own content. I also credit back if I copy any part of the article.
I post once a day, sometimes twice. And read many other blogs.
Interesting post. Interesting framing of your blog philosophy as shalls and shants.
I only have two commandments for my blogs.
1. People Lie (or can be mistaken).
2. Test. Trust Your Own Results.
As an example of how these have served me, it’s fairly common knowledge that you have to update your blog and interact with your readers to have a successful blog. But no one ever gets areound to what successful is when they say this.
If I were to use income as a benchmark, well, my most successful blog gets updated every couple months (as frequently as once a month, often every two months and frequently only every three months. Also I’ve never once interacted in any way whatsoever with a single reader at that blog to include the fact that there are no comments or trackbacks. Yet is consistently earns more than any other of my blogs.
I would say it all depends on the blog, the blogs purpose and your purpose for the blog. There are many good reasons to have a high level of interaction with readers, and there are many good reasons not to. It’s always better to consider these possibilities, maybe do a little testing and know what’s best for you and your blog in a given case than to go with a feeling.
Excellent read! This post has a lot a valuable, sensible information in it. Very useful and extremely helpful.
great post, just blogged it:
http://webmash.blogspot.com/2007/11/10-commandments-of-blogging.html
Thank You Money Moose, Jordan, Emily and Branding Blog for agreeing with my points. I rarely find people agreeing with me
@Dane - You are right, people will lie and make mistakes. But again I think they will learn from their mistake and if they don’t then there will be a time they will get caught. Also, I personally like to interact with my readers.
@Recycle Cindy - thank you for the kinds words Cindy
David - Glad you liked it
#3 is my #1. Content is definitely king of the blogging jungle. #5 is also important. Interaction with your readers makes you more tangible. In turn, people like you=people like your blog=steady traffic.
good read.
@K. - You are right! Content certainly is the king and I find interacting with readers as important as the content itself.
Also while listing the points I didn’t put them in numbers according to their importance. Personally, I think all points are equally important.
This was a great post, and every word of it true. You should submit this to Associated Content if you haven’t already.
@Mommy Cracked- Wow!
Thankx for the kind word, that was very nice of you. I have a long way to go before I can reach that level, I think
Thanx for the compliment though
I have to agree with Dane Morgan, I have those 2 rules too, + ‘Thou Shalt Engage In Discussions’, to me that’s what blogging is all about
@Jon - I agree Jon. That’s one of my main priorities- engage in discussion and answer to acknowledge your readers questions and views
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Very good post, some interesting and ethical things in there. Personally I’m a great fan of trying to do at least one good deed every day, so for me #9 was very good to see
Thanks for the posting this article on http://www.bloggin-ads.com , Mike
Elisor - I think helping other bloggers out will help you in turn as well. I have always tried to help new bloggers if they need, if its something I can help them with. This actually helps you generate loyalty from them and in turn helps you drive traffic and you gain information and suggestion and learn from them as well.
As I always say ” Its a Process and we are all in it together
I just stumbled on this site, very nice post and I agree with these. I recently started my blog and I’d have to say that reading more blogs really does help you in the long run.
Good job - keep ‘em coming
Mayhem
Glad you liked it. Personally, I think the best way to learn is by seeing how others have been doing it. Watch and Learn
@Ritu - I agree, that was my point. Unless you’re some sort of prodigy when it comes to bloggin - and that can apply to other things in life - you have to watch and learn and then get your hands dirty.
i felt very happy,iam thankful for your information.
this helped me a lot
thank you very much for your information
true, i guess