10 Blogging Rules You Should Never Break

Starting a blog is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and connect with people all over the world. Whether you’re blogging just for fun or you’re blogging to find new customers, there are several rules of blogging that you should never break. Following these rules can help you keep people interested in your content so that your traffic consistently increases.

#1: Always post quality content.

When you start a blog, it’s tempting to cut corners by posting anything off the top of your head. Once your blog has been up and running for a while, you might even consider cutting production costs by outsourcing the content writing to an inexperienced writer. Avoid this temptation at all costs. Since your blog represents your brand, the content you post should always be of the highest quality. If you do need to hire a writer to help with content production, hire someone who has extensive experience writing about your niche.

#2: Always blog with readers in mind.

While generating advertising revenue might be one of the goals for your blog, you should never write posts with just advertisers in mind. Your readers are the people who visit your blog and give you the traffic numbers needed to attract advertisers in the first place. Always give your readers content they can use or enjoy, or else you will find yourself with declining traffic.

#3: Blog consistently, but not too often.

The key to successful blogging is publishing the right number of posts each week. You want to give your readers new content on a regular basis, but you don’t want to overwhelm them with too much information. How often you post depends on the topic of your blog. If you write about a niche such as marketing, once or twice a week is enough to keep your readers interested without them getting overwhelmed. If you write about celebrity gossip, however, posting only once or twice a week means your readers will miss out on the latest developments. Posting once or twice per day is more appropriate for this topic.

#4: Always respond to reader comments.

Done right, your blog can become a true community for your readers. If you want to build a community, you need to interact with readers. This means responding to their comments, even when they are criticizing your work. Keep your comments professional to keep your reputation in good shape.

#5: Avoid copying from other blogs.

Your blog should represent you and your business, so don’t copy the look and feel of other sites. Use a design that reflects your tastes and personality. Don’t copy post ideas from other bloggers, as you should be writing posts based on your interests and what your visitors want to read. Never copy content directly from another blog, as this is a type of plagiarism.