There are rules to everything and having a good blog is no different. There are rules to follow for a great blog.
For some reason, people think blogging is easy to do. It isn’t. Blogging has never been easy and earning a living as a blogger requires more than people think. The rules to blogging are not always clear but they do exist.
The Unspoken Rules of Blogging
When it comes to writing a great blog, there are rules. These rules aren’t easy to find and many successful bloggers have stumbled upon them by mistake. As these mistakes happen, many of them are shared so others learn from them. Following the rules will make the life of a blogger easier.
A List of Blog Dos
- Give Respect- The point of a blog is to speak to someone. The person that reads the blog may not be the intended audience and may want to express a different opinion. As a blogger, it may be annoying but it will happen. Instead of blasting the commenter, remember to respect them. It is okay to disagree but it is never okay to be disrespectful.
- Keep Content Simple- A blog can be whatever the creator wants but the content should be simple. The content should be simple to read, digest and understand. One thing to remember: a blog is for the audience, not the webmaster/blogger.
- Add Media- Very few people want to read a blog without pictures, videos or something. It is best to add pictures or videos through the post to break up long blocks of content. When a blog has different aspects of media, it’s a relief to the reader and makes the page look better.
- Break It Up- Nobody wants to read a solid block of content. It is painful to see and most people lose focus after so long. Break the content of the blog up with paragraphs, sub-ideas, lists or something.
A List of Blog Don’ts
Some things are worth repeating. Yes, it is that serious. When rules are broken, the results can be disastrous.
- Do NOT Break the TOS- When starting a blog on any platform, READ the Terms of Service. There is no way to get around them. The TOS tells every blogger what they can do with their blog and not get into serious trouble.
- Do NOT Post Sketchy Content- When blogging, blog for quality. When bloggers do not have time to produce a quality piece, they should not blog. If writing is the issue, buying affordable content isn’t hard to do and completely reasonable.
- Do NOT Attack- By all means, post a difference of opinion or a grievance. However, do NOT slander or make questionable comments because once it’s posted, it can’t be erased. It is out there forever and can be used as evidence in a lawsuit.
- Do NOT Post Irresponsibly- Due diligence is required. It is very important to ensure accuracy and relevant information is included. When it’s not, a blog will become discredited and the audience will leave.
It may seem like anything goes when it comes to writing online. Although blog writing rules are simple, breaking them has caused many aspiring blog writers more than their dreams.