10 Blogging Rules You Should Never Break

#6: Make content easy to read.

You should keep your audience in mind when writing content. If you are writing a blog for a general audience, don’t use technical jargon. If you are writing for a professional audience, use terminology they understand. Use bullet points or bold headings to break up long sections of text. Instead of posting in large chunks of texts, start a new paragraph after every three or four sentences. Before hitting “publish,” read your post out loud to make sure there are no errors.

#7: Ask permission to quote other bloggers.

Although you may be able to use one or two sentences of someone else’s work under fair use laws, it’s better to ask for permission before using the words of others. You should also ask for permission before using someone else’s photos or graphics.

#8: Act professionally at all times.

Even when hecklers post negative comments on your blog, you should keep your responses cool and professional. Do not use profanity or other types of unprofessional language. Stay calm as you write your response, as blowing up at a commenter could cost you your reputation.

#9: Do not turn off comments on your posts.

Many blogging platforms give you the option of turning off comments on your posts. Resist the temptation to do this, as it stifles the sense of community you are working so hard to build. You can delete spam comments or comments that contain profanity, but you should leave other comments intact.

#10: Check outbound links regularly to make sure they still work.

Bloggers often link to other websites in their posts. This can provide added value for readers, but if the links are broken, all it does is send people on a wild goose chase. Check outbound links on a regular basis to make sure they are still valid. If they are broken, remove them or replace them with links to working web pages.