Since blogging basically has no rules,
it’s time we stop believing it does.
~Barbara Swafford
Before our first post is published, we’ve usually done enough homework to educate ourselves on blogging; from choosing our blogging platform (WordPress, Blogger, or other) to what we’re going to write about.
In the process, we’ve probably learned a little about what blogging is, what to expect and what not to do.
Today’s Lesson
Depending on from where or whom we learn about blogging, often determines how often we blog, the theme we use, how we build our blog, plus much more.
Some bloggers believe the magic bullet is to follow the rules of “abc”, whereas others proclaim it’s “XYZ”.
So, who’s right?
Neither.
What’s happening is bloggers are sharing what works for THEM. Since we’re not THEM, there’s no guarantee what they do will work for us, no matter how hard we try.
Granted, we can learn the basics of blogging and tips from others, however to stand out from the crowd and to feel authentic, we need to be creative, step out of the blogging box and ask ourselves questions such as:
- Do I really need to publish a post every day? Week? Month?
- Does my theme reflect who I am, or am I copying someone else?
- Is guest posting all it’s cracked up to be? Or am I better off showing my writing talents or knowledge in a different venue?
- Is it really necessary to market myself and my blog on Facebook and/or Twitter, or is there a better way to promote my work? Or, do I want to (self-promote)?
- Is commenting on other blogs helping to drive traffic to my blog? If not, does commenting have any benefit?
- Does it matter if what I post might go against what others believe? Do I care?
- Instead of just looking at my blog as a place to share, can I use it as a vehicle to propel me further? If so, how?
- Is the time I spend socializing with my online friends helping me to advance? Or is it just a distraction which keeps me from my fulfilling my dreams?
- Are affiliate links the best way to monetize my blog? What about Google AdSense? Or do I even want to monetize my blog?
How we blog and why we blog is up to us. Let’s remember that and learn to enjoy the journey.
Happy Blogging!
Today’s Assignment
What “rule(s)” of blogging have you found to be false?
Have any “rules” you’ve followed proved to be true or beneficial?
Care to share?
I really don’t pay attention to blogging “rules.” I do what works for me. I think that new bloggers ought to look at and evaluate the so-called “rules,” and then use what fits for them.
I write and post how and when it serves the aim of my blog. However, I have been a bit tied up in reciprocal reading. I’ve let people know that I love their blogs, but it’s impossible to read everyone’s blog every day.
I notice that a number of my favourite blogs now post on a more sporadic basis. I’m grateful for that! I post when I have something to say which is seldom every day.
Synchronicity…I have been reading other blogs today…and was twitching over the fact that I’m not writing.
Again, very timely post, Barbara. Many thanks for sharing your seasoning – including in the good questions.
My blogging style is still evolving. I’m learning to have more fun with it. It seems to me like my blogging goes through cycles. There are times when I’m not enjoying it as much and times when I love it. I’m just getting past a time when I wasn’t loving it so much. I do think blogging’s helped me connect with other writers. At the moment, I’m pre-published so I can’t really speak about how the blogging’s affected my platform. Right now, I just love the community aspect.
At first I thought I had to follow the ‘rules’ and then I realized that there weren’t any …so I made up my own as I went along, Barbara. Now I do what works for me and make sure I’m enjoying the experience!
Barbara, I think you really stand out from the crowd with this post. It is definitely the people who set out to be different who attract my attention, at least at first.
When I set out to blog, the “rules” were mostly about professional blogs, and I was writing a personal blog. The rule I ignored was that you must find a niche. My topics were eclectic, and perhaps did not draw as loyal or focused an audience as those with a narrow niche, but it suited me. My topics were ones intended to be examined more deeply. and a huge group of readers would have generated too many comments and too big a discussion for me to handle.
The blogging rule that I’ve found to be true is that if you don’t promote your blog in some way, you won’t get many readers. Promotion may be done in many ways, but promote you must.
Sometimes I am blogging up to three times a day! Then some days it’s just once. It really depends on where my schedule is. I have been told time and time again to find a “blogging rhythm,” but it’s just not how my brain works. My blog focuses on a variety of topics, and people have complimented me on the fact that I don’t really have a “niche” and they never know what to expect.
Barbara,
1. I post every day.
2. My theme definitely reflects who I am.
3. I have not yet done guest posts.
4. I do Facebook and Twitter.
5. I comment on other blogs.
6. I care about what I post. It doesn’t matter what others think.
7. I see my blog as a vehicle to propel me further by using the
internet to connect with like-minded individuals.
8. This online socializing is definitely helping me advance.
9. I don’t need to monetize my blog.
I can’t think of any blogging rules that I find to be false. I think we all have to make logical rules for our own blogs and follow examples and heed advice given by others. Our audience needs to have some expectations if we want to keep them coming back.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Barbara,
The thing I found not true is that you do not need to post everyday to have traffic – in fact my traffic has built since I went to once or twice a week only!
I fully support your conclusion that how and why we blog is up to us. A lot of the advice out there I believe is driven by the “get rich quick by blogging” folks, and maybe that advice works for that, I don’t know because that is not why I am blogging.
There are going to be as many reasons as people, and part of the fun of visiting people’s blogs is to get a sense of them and what they are thinking.
I agree with David that the blogging “rule” I hear the most often that I believe serves bloggers the least is the idea that you MUST publish every day. As Amy mentioned above, she is GRATEFUL that some of her favorite bloggers aren’t publishing so often any more.
It helps to know the reason behind the “rule” and in that case it is to increase traffic and the reason blogs are concerned with that is so they can make more money with advertising. Personally, I would rather have fewer high quality posts than average regular posts.
I love it when bloggers use Twitter so that I can connect with them and let them know if their site is down or their comments aren’t working, but I know some just aren’t into that so hopefully they at least have a contact tab (which doesn’t help if their site is down).
One thing I do strongly recommend is developing relationships with other bloggers – especially if you want to grow your blog or get it to make money. Collaborating can make a huge difference in a very short time while going it alone can take much longer. I’m always encouraging bloggers to connect with me so I can introduce them to others in their niche or location.
David,
It is very interesting that your traffic has built now that you only blog a couple of times per week. I would be curious to know how you get most of your traffic and whether it is recurring. I am wondering if it is difficult to get individuals to visit regularly if you don’t guarantee them daily content.
Hi Barb,
Gosh when I think of rules and blogging in one single thought, the only thing I think I follow is attribution – and not swearing, tho sometimes I’d love to! 🙂
I blog weekly becuz it works for me – I schedule a month or two out because I’m busy but I like the “orderliness” and schedule of “this week’s topic”. I think everyone has to work out what works for them. I will say I’m annoyed at daily ones because I don’t have the time to keep up with them. Seems the ones that do are rather chatty – almost Facebook-like in their content anyway.
Hope you are having a super summer!
Hugs
SuZen
Everyday I read hundreds of posts suggesting what do and what not to do. There are just so many people with such varied ideas that it is hard to read all their ideas let alone implement them. You cannot follow them all you but you cannot ignore them also. It is up to you what you want to follow and what you want to ignore. Well I just follow the rules which feel right and that works for me.
Rules are to break. Jokes apart, blogging should be done right from the heart. Its about what I want to share or tell as a blog writer which even depends on the experience I have had with the topic I am posting on. Usually when I post something, it is not based on any specific rules but is a plane story that i genuinely want to share.
I think each one can adopt its own rules, but also pay attention to what other people do, because you can copy several ideas from other blogs. I try to add a little of both shape and works very well for me.
The best thing about blogging: there are no rules!
🙂
Ah. I love this list of questions. I think you have the right idea of it. Rather than “10 tips for blogging success”, a list of questions like this encourages real thought about the content, delivery, and presentation of someone’s blog. THIS is the kind of advice people need to read, not all these “top tips” websites that give the same formula to everyone. I cannot agree with you enough, Barbara. Well done for bringing this up. You should spread this around!
With switching over to a new WordPress format after not blogging for awhile, I’d forgotten how hard it was to get new traffic as well as attract my old followers from my old blogger site. It’s amazing how fast the techno world changes. Still learning how the new WordPress works and giving myself time with just a couple of new posts on my new site.
I think if you do your due diligence in the technology available, have value in the content you’re writing and your heart’s desire is to contribute in what you put out there, it will find an audience.
Thanks Barbara for still being out there. Exciting to see the changes you’ve made on your site and comforting to be reading your well informed and thoughtful posts.
Blogging for me is to deliver everything in my mind. And it’s very fun. I do not know if my writing is preferred or not. I just hope that my writing is beneficial to others. If the result of my writing can get the money, it is a bonus;)
Happy Blogging…
This post has really opened my eyes. I have spent a lot of time reading the “experts” how to do this blah blah stuff… but I think its time to find my own voice. I definately will be putting this into action. Thanks!
I follow the quote that ‘Rules are meant to be broken.’ I don’t follow rules just because others said so. I need to feel what I am doing is wrong. I don’t understand, if you have rules for everything that you think or do, then there will be no creativity left in this world. Imagine if the inventors where enslaved by rules then we wouldn’t have been where we are now.
Really helpful tips, and it is actually what I had been searching for. I just want to get out of stuck, I feel so stressed because of my blog nowadays. I’ve just started my new blog, and I have heard so much about the importance of fresh content etc. But somehow I have lost my motivation, there are too many things to do with a blog. I unfortunately haven’t done anything like this before, so your useful tips could be very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing them!
According to me as long as it is not illegal or doesn’t hurt someone it is alright for me. Rules don’t mean much if a person doesn’t believe in them. I a person doesn’t want to follow them he will find ways to break them no matter what. Similarly if a person thinks it is wrong to do something he wont do that even if it is not written anywhere. So it actually depends on what the person thinks.
‘Be yourself’ is the only rule! Doesn’t matter what all those successful pro bloggers think and advise, all that you have to do is to take it the way you want (and you are capable of).
Rules are only ‘guidelines’ and ‘best practices’ in this context. If you can follow them, you may probably make more profit, user base, traffic, brand building blah blah. But you may have your own terms that you consider good.
As for me, I just go with what I feel is right for me 🙂
I believe its not necessarily to post everyday unless you can actually post good unique content. I saw sites that barely update their content once per month but with good SEO, they do well.
Google Adsense works only large traffic, on small traffic sites related affiliate links are the best.
I am investigating the value of adding a blog to our website so found it very timely to come across this post. It seems to me that maintaining a blog is a very time consuming process and that for business purposes, you must have goals for new client acquisition in order for blogging to “pay.” Now, if I were to blog about my passion, that’s a different matter entirely. I am really thinking about this now… Thanks!
Hi Barbara,
I totally love the way you look at things and the way it manifests itself in your articles. You always seem to come up with a unique thought, which could have something to do with your huge following! There are no rules (which is the point of blogging) and that definitely needed to be pointed out. Because I believe we have forgotten that fact since we hear constantly about the rules. Rules take away the spontaneity of the whole concept. Let’s keep it alive and flowing.
I do blogging because I do like blogging. I provide content according to my interests and don’t care about what is more popular or more people are interested. In this way I get visitors I have more thing in common and that makes my life easier.
Hi Barbara,
I think sometimes it’s easy to fall into “copy cat” mode because we get told, “Don’t re-invent the wheel.” So when we come across a successful blogger it’s easy to want to do exactly what he or she is doing. But I think you’re totally right that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another because every blogger is unique. If they weren’t then the web would be a pretty boring place with nothing but identical blogs on different domains.
I think you just have to find your passion and then blog about what makes you happy. The rest will fall into place on its own.
Good day Barbara!
Thanks for putting these questions out there. I appreciate how they make me think. I believe that people shouldn’t blog every day unless they have something to say. I would publish every hour if I had that much to share. Instead, I find that I am posting about once a week.
Does your theme reflect you? I think so. I also think that guest blogging is fun so why not?
As for commenting on other blogs? I say sure. It’s all part of blogging. People who like to read, I think, like to write.
Hope all is well!
Julie
Hello my blogging friends,
I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know I appreciate you taking time to comment. Due to other commitments, I haven’t had time to answer each comment but I plan to do that soon.
Thank you!
Happy Blogging! 8)
I think ones success is not the same as yours, that’s why we have different stories otherwise it would be boring. I do believe that the theme you uses reflects who you are, but I’d rather think about the reader’s experience. Since they are the reason why I share tutorials and freebies.
Hi Barbara ..
1) No not necessary – but you need to establish followers, readers and subscribers .. so to start with you need to do weekly posts.
2) That’s important .. don’t start til you’re ready with what you want to blog about = it shows in your posts and comments (on your blog, and over at others’ blogs)
3) Guest posting can help – also it’s an honour to be asked.
4) No .. you could do it locally .. if you have other work to promote ..
5) Yes – you get to appreciate what works; see how others do it; see the camaraderie that can develop …. there’s no point in having a blog if it’s not a two-way process with others .. and thus you need to be commenting on their blog too ..
6) I prefer not to be controversial
7) Your blog is an asset base .. however you like to use it .. book, ebook etc etc promotion for your business etc
8) Depends on your goal and when you’re ready to follow your dreams
9) I don’t want to monetise my blog … monetising the blog is pretty difficult to be successful at it ..
Too right – it’s our own blogging journey – we just need others along the way to cheers us on …
Happy Blogging to you too Barbara .. cheers Hilary
Hi Barbara .. not sure why eight came up with a face/smiley – can’t normally do those!! Cheers H
I prefer post articles rather than go blogwalking…. I know it’s important to build backlinks, but I don’t have enough time to do both activities…. So I use backlink building service to cover this…. thx 4 share anyway…..
I really try to be as updated I can be, but because I have an online business, I don’t always have time to publish a post. But that’s because WordPress is great. I write 7 posts at a Sunday, put them in the system and then let a article publish a day. So can I work on my online business and my users think I’m an active blogger!:D
According to me everyone should have the right to decide which rules they want to follow and which they want to ignore. It is a persons personal choice about what they want to believe in. I think if people are given the freedom they will always do the thing which is right. People are basically very responsible and no one wants to hurt anyone intentionally.
Rule are made to be broken i suppose, but still i must say that sticking with a plan is much better then just being organized, it helps you in tracking your activities. so thanks for sharing.
Life is too short to make it more complicated by making rules for everything. Rules should be made to guide you in the time of crisis or when you are facing ethical dilemma. Most people know what is right and what is wrong. They are able to do the right thing without being told. Rules are fine until they don’t suffocate you or take away your freedom.
Vered said it best: the best rules about blogging is that there are no rules. I personally view many of the “rules” advocated to be pieces of advice and suggestions, and not hardcore rules that you shouldn’t be caught dead not doing them. With all these blogging rules, a lot may forget that blogging started out as a means to express one’s opinions and ideas. Try the rules out, find which ones work for you, and stick with them.
I don’t think about rules, is it right or wrong. I have a own style and platform. I just make my content in my own style and try to make different from others. Your post really helpful for blogger. Thanks for the nice post.
Great points Barbara! Although there some points that we need to consider for our blog. I think it is how someone run his/her business or hobby.
I would like to say that what we want from our blog defines the rules we follow for our blog. There are people who just want to blog or i should love to bolg they don’t give a damn about money so they don’t need to follow any rules and opposite to it there are technology blogs like mine or others niche blog. Those people also love to blog or have other reasons of blogging but they use ads on there blog since it’s win-win situation means they will get some bucks to share there knoweldge. Now these type of blogs have to follow some rules like SEO, Social impact, Quality content etc. Some people will say that they don’t follow these rules but the truth is they do it unknowingly for an example if we are writing for a topic and use that topic main keyword 5-10 times in their article. In a way they are following keyword density and if the keyword of that topic have low competition then their article have more chances to rank better and get more traffic.
do blogging have rules- Depends on what you think/want/accept
Do everyone follow rules- unknowingly/ by not giving a damn
hmm it’s a long comment but i want to make it clear that if there are rules then why they exist. Since it has become so long comment i would like to add Barbara “nice article”. How to technology blog
it’s an another rule of anchor text for SEO
This post has really enlightened me a lot. I have spent a lot of time reading the “experts” how to do this blah blah stuff… but I think its time to find my own voice. I definately will be putting this into action. Thanks a lot
I subscribe at what Barbara McDowell Whitt said :). The difference is that i don t post every day because i don t have time.
Hi Barbara,
I do agree with you – The questions you have listed in the post should be answered before you start with blogging. Having a strategy is great for producing a good blog and content. I’ve found that once you become serious about blogging a schedule and strategy (and sticking with it) is very important. Though as you’ve said – Blogging is what we make of it. Not everybody does it professionally, and not everybody should have to do it professionally.
It’s like in a real life. There’re some rules and some people who dont follow these rules. So it depends on people. I can talk about what I like, but I remember that nobody is obliged to discuss it with me. If I don’t like what is happening on some blogs – I remember, that I can create a similar blog – it is democracy! ))
We’ve gotten so used to making rules for every little thing we come across, that the rules have begun to rule our work now. We have started believing that if something is simple to do, we’re doing it the wrong way! This whole idea baffles me. What makes the art of writing so beautiful is the fact that you can still produce quality results and gain maximum benefits, without having to conform to any set of rules, made by some person you don’t even know. It is important to let your ideas and creativity flow through your work. There is absolutely no need to restrict it to any specific framework. So long as your content stays relevant to your niche and you are giving your readers what they want, there is nothing else to bother about.
At first, I told myself that blogging is a tiring thing to do since you have to post at least everyday to gather readers. But then when I started reading blogs and find it fascinating, I started creating my own blog site and share post almost everyday.
I do the commenting stuff on other blogs, but other than that, I just go with the flow. I stick to my idea of creating nice and interesting posts in order for my readers to stick reading my blog and even recommend it to others. I like it better that way. 🙂
I’ve always been a ‘follow the rules’ kind of blogger. I prefer to set aside blocks of hours daily devoted to writing contents and marketing. I’m not dreadfully good at breaking rules – which is probably why I so wish to take the plunge and break a few. After reading this, I am pleased to know that its ok to break rules and enjoy your freedom as a blogger. Barbara thanks for the article. Cheers John!
Good questions to ask yourself. I think there is no need to publish every day, Some top bloggers blog every second day, but more you blog more traffic you will get. Aim for 3 articles a week. Just follow your own rules.
“Does it matter if what I post might go against what others believe? Do I care?”
Nothing wrong with a little controversy. In fact, providing it is done respectfully, the debate it can spark can have a very positive effect.
blogging should comes from the heart.
Its about what I want to share or tell as a blog writer which even depends on the experience I have had with the topic I am posting on.
Usually when I post something, it is not based on any specific rules but is a plane story that i genuinely want to share.
thanks
Well, I will read any blog, regardless of any rules, if what’s written is interesting and inspiring, and covers the topic that I’m interested in (like web design, or creating music).
To be honest, I never pay much attention to the “rules”. My approach is more to gather ideas, try everything at least once, measure the impact and then move forward. Do what works for you, with your audience. It’s that simple!
I am also like Gray.I really don’t give so much attention in blogging.But i also follow some rules.Most importantly i always like to share about my new experience in blogging.
Hello Barbara, I would have loved your post better if you answered those questions too. haha! 🙂 Yes, these invisible “rules” seem to be a hurdle every time we write posts. However, I find it easier to write about something I’m expert of and yes “what works for me” kind of thing.
🙂
I believe, what is most important for a blogger is to find his comfort zone. Something which he can be good at and can help others out with. I think it’s safe to say that blogging is one place where all of us should bring out that little rebel hidden within us. Just because there are “rules” doesn’t mean they have to be followed. It is alright to have like a few guiding principles, something that helps you form a road-map. But I don’t think rules need to dictate the kind of work you do.
i totally agree with you. i have been blogging and i never have encountered and follow any rules. i just been posting what i think is helpful and informative to my readers.
I don’t like rules they kind of kill my creative spirit. I like freedom. I don’t like deadlines. I love writing but only when I feel like and about what I feel like. So for me all these rules just don’t matter. They make me dizzy. This is one of the reason why I do mostly freelancing work. I do guest posts and blog commenting also but only if the site or the article intrigues me. I do it because I want to and not because I have to.
While starting with a new post a blogger is anyway confused and his brain is so muddled with myriad thoughts, add to that long list of the dos and don’ts of blogging. It can be traumatic! I’ve always felt this aversion for pre-set rules. So I don’t follow any. The way I see it, all you need to have is one single big idea. Something which will be the very foundation of your post. Once you have that clear in your head, everything else will somehow find its right place. I believe that you just can’t let the beliefs of others influence your ideas and creativity; unless it is something you completely understand and identify with.
Nice post. I never try to follow a schedule what u said. In order to continue blogging i think we need creative mind not that of Hitler’s.
I think it also helps to simply figure out what works best for you. Try the strategy of abc first; if that doesn’t work try the xyz strategy. What works for one person may not be the right choice for someone else.
Hi Barbara. Lovely design you got here!
I really like your message about blogging your own way rather than
trying to copy other people’s rules. You do a great job of demonstrating this through your original blogging style. Cheers!
Love the post! Here is my experience with blogging:
When I first started I always tried to follow so called rules of blogging. I copied other people’s styles. It’s wasn’t working that great. Nowadays I’m being natural, I don’t believe in any rules. I think if you really love to blog about something this is going to be great because you’ll put some work and effort in this blog without knowing any rules and eventually you’ll get the work done in a right way. Keep it simple and you’ll benefit.
Interesting post that throws up some points that I think all bloggers should consider. I think particularly when it comes to how often to post, there’s no point feeling like you have to post. That way you’re more likely to write something for the sake of it, rather than a great quality post. It’s important to blog regularly and to keep the momentum going, but I definitely favour quality over quantity.
Although there may not be any “rules” to blogging per se, there definitely are guidelines that should be administered for a blog to be successful. Luckily you’ve listed them all out!
I think it should be the individuals decision what he wants to do and follow. No one should be made to do anything he doesn’t want to. It should depend on the person about how he wants to continue with things. It really doesn’t matter if you post everyday or every week. All that matters is that they write excellent and engaging articles. The only thing the one should keep in mind is that the writer should not make false promises to the reader that is if they say they will post article everyday then they should honor that promise.
I do believe that blogging has no definite rules. Because some say you can do this and that but really some say you dont or shouldnt. So I say there are no definite rules to follow and there should not be any person to follow.
Thank you! I wish more people would realize that what works for one blogger won’t work for another. I finally was able to grasp this concept and have been working on several of my own sites, trying out different things for myself. No two people are alike and no two blogs should be either.
I just do what i think i do best..don’t think rules are applicable to blogging, because it’s too personal. Now, if you want to make a more mainstream blog, that’s another question, but that’s not what personal blogs are for.Just my opinion though 🙂
Blogging should be fun, no pressure. If it has it will reflect on you post and that will hurt your blog and your readers, which is really bad. I created my set of rules according to my readers, as they are the reason why I do tutorials and such.
Thanks so much for the encouragement your site offers to bloggers. Being fairly new to the process, blogging still seems quite overwhelming and time consuming. I’m grateful for the articles on your site. I’ll try and take your advice to heart and enjoy the process.
I’m new to blogging and find it quiet addictive, I’ve written a few and have a few more ideas to do but its finding the time. I comment on varies blogs. I read and learn what others do and form my own rules
If we move towards the specifications, there are no such rules that are need to be kept in mind while blogging. However, we must surely possess some personal basic principles while we blog and follow those everytime we write blogs or posts. Consistency pays well for me.
Hi Barbara
I read what you said about you closing comments and for people to visit blogs they have never been to in order to comment there. that is very noble of you and so I hereby offer my blog http://www.theSarayiahpost.com which is my views on Life, Love and Relationships to Help Others…
My latest article is about the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Hope you are very well Barbara and I think you have one of the best blogs out there!
Love
Isaac Sarayiah
I am a perfectionist, so I can start a site and never finish it, changing every detail, trying to get it ideal. That’s why I create rules, deadlines or tasks I need to accomplish each day. But I follow just those rules that I have established by myself.
I really don’t pay attention more about what people wall say about my article when i am on my table to write a content cause i think there are some peoples who will criticize my work but there are more folks who will like my work, all depends on my attitude, if i worry about critics then i am no longer a “Blogger”
What stands out in this post and what I stand by is that there are no definite rules to be a great blogger. You have to share, experiment, find out what works for you and then move ahead in that direction. You can’t do what someone else did and expect that it will work for you as well as it did for them. Being creative is key. Understand how you want to express yourself and the rest will just follow.
Very well said. It really is up to us. We can set some rules and we opt not to and just go with the flow, as long as we don’t forget our readers and leave them hanging. Most definitely, we cannot please everybody. The thing that we have to stick to is on how to be true and consistent in our views. It’s actually one way of improving our credibility to our readers.
Barbara, this is interesting. The most successful bloggers in my experience has been the ones that write about their passion. That to me is lesson #1. Interesting article though…
There is no definite set of rules when it comes to blogging. What works for others may or may not work for you. Just like you create the blog, you have to create the rules. You have to decide what you want to write, how often you want to write, what you want to do to promote your blog. It is all up to you. The only thing you need to remember is that there are no shortcuts to make your blog successful.
Few best rules of the blogging which every blogger should follow are to provide original & fresh content to readers and keep it away from spamming.
http://www.squidoo.com/kashmir-ladakh-tour
Writing from the heart and writing with conviction works for all. Your mind is one place that is never going to run out of ideas. So, writing what’s on your mind is going to give you original content. Keep it simple. Don’t use too many fanciful words that your readers don’t understand. Keep in mind your niche when you blog and use appropriate terminology. Other than this, the blogging scene is like an open ground. Pick your corner.
Nice effort Barbara. You have nice points. The reason why I blog is really two-fold. Firstly I simply learn a lot about the topic I am writing about. You really have to go deeper if you want to blog about something. Secondly, whatever I personally have learned I want to share it with someone else who might have the same problem.
Yeah Barbara, definitely we have to make logical rules for our own blogs and follow examples and useful advice given by others.
I find a good rule in the blogging world is to always give out relevant and useful information out wherever possible.
It’s best to Share!
If you are looking to build up a following for your blog, then I think the most important rule (although I don’t really like that word) is to cultivate a ‘personality’ which your readers can relate to. All my research has pointed to the fact that although content is important, it is the person behind the posts which will make people return again and again – and leave comments!
I love the fact that you’re challenging the idea of what it means to run a successful and popular blog. You need to ‘break’ rules in order to stay fresh and innovative. Solid advice.
“Is the time I spend socializing with my online friends helping me to advance? Or is it just a distraction which keeps me from my fulfilling my dreams?”
This is the best questionfrom the article.
Thank you for your hints. It helped me a lot and improved my mood 🙂 I will certainly use your advice.
Blogging has no rules. But the big thing is that in order to build a great blogging site there is only one greate rule… GREAT CONTENT. Everything else you can change it!
Absolutely right. Don’t think too much about blogging. Make blogging simple and at the same time, think once whether this blog is useful or gives you some satisfaction. Self satisfaction is more important than any other else in blogging.
You are right. I’m reading between the lines and I totally agree: there is no real recipe that works for all sites. Find your own digital voice and try to be unique. In my 10 years of IM that’s what I’ve learned…
I just want to get out of stuck, I feel so stressed because of my blog nowadays. I’ve just started my new blog, and I have heard so much about the importance of fresh content etc. But somehow I have lost my motivation, there are too many things to do with a blog.
It helps to know the reason behind the “rule” and in that case it is to increase traffic and the reason blogs are concerned with that is so they can make more money with advertising. Personally, I would rather have fewer high quality posts than average regular posts.
I can’t say I agree with all the rule breaking thing. Now as we know Panda is out it is more focused on rich and fresh content with regularity and Social site presence. However, that is not even guaranteed to work for some. I am not saying blogger should market, write, etc etc. Just if you want to put it little commercial you need to do it.
I think the rules are put in place by people who aren’t executing them. I don’t have a set day per week to put up a post. I do want to be more consistent but don’t believe that I should sacrifice quality or that someone is waiting with bated breath for my next post. I am working to become a blogger of substance so quality must outpace quantity at this point
I find blogging to be somewhat therapeutic, it is nice sometimes to just get some of the stuff out that is floating around in your head.
I personally feel that Google SERP has become more like Facebook reach. What Google is telling us is that if we want to gain search traffic we need to be spending money with them. One the one hand you need page authority to beat your competition and on the other hand trying to beat your competition is considered black hat. If you are a bigh brand like Nike you will rank high for “shoes” but if you are a blog that posts about shoes and you call yourself “shoeblog(dot)com” you will loose because your are not going to rank for the key word “shoe” and nothing you posts about shoes will be found. Google has taken the internet away from the common man and made itself into the ultimate ad provider where products and big money campaigns come before information.
Agree to disagree.
Another great post Barbara.
There is almost zero user loyalty on the internet.
I find it that if I don’t produce content my target audience will simply go somewhere else to read.
Of course, having a consistent blogging formula forces you to write often. These formulas are also intertwined with tech and psychological studies backed with analytics and data.
I say blog and blog often.
Hi Barbara.
I’m really love your 9 ourselves question. I love blogging the purpose is want to share my experiences with others, just that.
Thanks so much for your post.
well IMHO blog ruling is always depend on what is the purpose of your blog. if this is a personal blog like yours well of course you don’t have to follow google guidelines since you’re not that promoting it on search engine.
Make blogging simple and at the same time, think once whether this blog is useful or gives you some satisfaction.
Blogging is the best way to make revenue this time. You have clearly mentioned that there is no rule for blogging. In fact it is true and that is why a lot of bloggers can modify their blog at their own way. One of the most important thing is its content must be unique and title of every must also be unique since a lot of search plays a role of to gather the information from daily updates and spread into their own search engine for the users. Anyway your article is so valuable.
I feel that the purpose and goal of the blog is what is important. I run a business so my rules may be different than others.
Hi Barbara,
I totally agree with your points. It always depends on us the way we want to do blog, what and how we write. I think the most thing you should define is why you want to write? share knowledge, build network, express feeling or earn money.
Thank you!
I think blogging is that thing which it has no rules. That is why is so fun. You could do it the way you want. Just do it with fun. That is what I think.
Any blog site worth its salt, or PR will not accept a low quality blog. So, don’t bother wasting your time creating one. You’ll either not get any takers, or if you do they won’t be worth your while (needless to say neither will these be seen as ‘quality’ sites by Google)
any way Thanks for sharing such an informative post.
Good post! This one reminds me of my early blogging days where I was really concerned with those things like most people. Long story short, I learned that doing it your way and not minding what other people would say is important but learning from experience is also critical.
Many thanks for the post. At the end, it boils down to who has useful content. Content is the king.
I find that experimenting is the best way. I used to post every when ever I felt like but it didn’t seem to build much traffic. I started getting more engagement when I posted regularly.
Which is a “rule” I guess but it worked for me.
It’s awesome though that you’re challenging the status quo 🙂 Thanks for the posts Babara !
oh i love this post and gotta Thank you, i have been a victim of competition (thinking it will wash me away) with little or no advertising budget but with this great post, i am fired up to get out there and shoot for the stars or beyond…Lol.Thanks for this post
I read a lot of tips from great bloggers and apply it when i’m blogging. I guess it’s not a rule, it’s just a tips to create a high quality blogs.
Now this post seems to reciprocate my thought process. I have always found it difficult to follow rules blindly, be it blogging, studying or work. I love exploring things in my own way, though I agree it is not always successful but yes it justifies my efforts. I feel we all should think and work according to our plans and not the other way round.
I agree for sure that bloggin’ have no rules because you are in control and is you who are telling the story. I have been off and on with it but now I just start back doing it and this time I just follow my heart. Thanks for sharing! It opens me up a lil more.
My blogging style is still evolving. I’m learning to have more fun with it. It seems to me like my blogging goes through cycles. There are times when I’m not enjoying it as much and times when I love it. I’m just getting past a time when I wasn’t loving it so much. I do think blogging’s helped me connect with other writers. At the moment, I’m pre-published so I can’t really speak about how the blogging’s affected my platform. Right now, I just love the community aspect.At first I thought I had to follow the ‘rules’ and then I realized that there weren’t any …so I made up my own as I went along, Barbara. Now I do what works for me and make sure I’m enjoying the experience!
While there are no set “blogging rules” we all know that unless you have something important to say, sooner or later, you will be talking to yourself. No rules? Rule #1 – have something to say that is worth saying…
Blogging does indeed have it set of rules if you are looking for success, though I do feel, if you are happy with your developments with your blog then its not a necessity!
Hai Barbara!
I have questioned myself before writing my first post and i had followed all the rules whichever suits me better. I post regularly, I maintain communication with neighbouring bloggers etc….
I have found that followers are easy to get. i was always told that it was hard to get meaningful numbers of followers, but I think the problem lies in the number. if you realize that anyone, anywhere has read and liked your blog, that person is way more likely to recommend it to others. It’s only those that – for some reason – want to get a lot of followers in a short space of time that find it hard.
I think that it’s important to blog on a consistent basis, but that should also match the times when you have interesting material to blog about. The moment you start gaining followers, they do expect to have information given to them. if you stop for any reason, people will start to forget about you. However, if you have a number of posts in a row that don’t day anything new, you will also start to lose people.We use blogging as a sales tool, too, so we look at our followers as potential clients.
I dont like rules. I rather like to write when I am ready to write. I really dont want to force me into anything. There are already enough tasks and dates. I dont want to have these tasks with my hobbys. I just start to write if I feel to do so.
Well if you have an avatar with some pic from a pretty girl you might drive a lot of traffic without much work, anyone shares that oppinion?
I think each one can adopt its own rules, but also pay attention to what other people do, because you can copy several ideas from other blogs. I try to add a little of both shape and works very well for me.
If the content you write is engaging I think it doesn´t matter if you don´t post very often. regards Manon
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I think each one can adopt its own rules, but also pay attention to what other people do, because you can copy several ideas from other blogs. I try to add a little of both shape and works very well for me.
At first it can seem like blogging is an open playing field with no rules. But there are standards and manners that everyne should follow. Very based post.
When we are begginers to blogging, is a very good idea to follow others rules.. cuz we don’t have ours, we don’t know how is good to do it. We follow them till we know what is good for us, what works, like mike says on first comm.
Ho Barbara
Nice Post well i think Blogging is very hard task and if you take interest it’s easy. Blog writing every one follow his own rules but we have no compromise quality work and hard work and no shot cut this area.
Yes no rules specially if its just personal or just blogging… but for someone who make a living in blogging they have rules, specially now that google is more vigilant on the contents of blogs… but its just me… just do your thing.. 🙂
you deifinitelt shou NOT blog every day unless you really have somethinig interestign to say, don’t water it down. Quality over quantity
I think each one can adopt its own rules, but also pay attention to what other people do, because you can copy several ideas from other blogs. I try to add a little of both shape and works very well for me.
You must do it if Simon says! 😀
I get your point here, no one’s right really, we all have our point of view, therefore there’s no need to take criticism seriously!
Well, I’ve not followed any rules as such, except the fact that what I am publishing is worth reading or not and whether or not it is available somewhere else!
Im impressed. I dont believe Ive met anyone who knows as a lot about this subject as you do. Youre truly nicely informed and really intelligent. You wrote something that folks could recognize and created the subject intriguing for everybody. Truly, excellent blog youve got here.
I’m so down to developing my own unique style. Everyone is so nice and respectful all the time – makes me think some people are kind of fake. Anyways. My goal is to be 100% myself.
I agree with David that the blogging “rule” I hear the most often that I believe serves bloggers the least is the idea that you MUST publish every day. As Amy mentioned above, she is GRATEFUL that some of her favorite bloggers aren’t publishing so often any more.
Blogging does have rules. You just got to learn what to do and your blog WILL be successful
I do not live by rules so I sure won;t blog by them 🙂 I think there are some guidelines you should pay attention to to be succesfull, but besides some basics there are no real written rules. Just write about the things you like and love and you’ll be safe…
hi Barbara Swafford ,
I like your post but i don’t want to bound myself in any kind of rules while blogging and i write a post at any time and at any topic this thing give me enough freedom and pleasure.
anyways thanks for sharing.
I’ve always blogged as I thought is expected, posting every month on topics I thought my audience who find relevant, I now know this is not the case
I fully support your conclusion that how and why we blog is up to us. A lot of the advice out there I believe is driven by the “get rich quick by blogging” folks, and maybe that advice works for that, I don’t know because that is not why I am blogging.