3foldComm

Blogging is more than putting words on a screen. Follow these Don’ts for blog success. And, if you haven’t yet read Part I of this series, click here.

Don’t push publish before asking yourself, “Would I still be proud of this post in two years (or five years, or ten years).” Ragging on a competitor may be something that feels right in the moment, but may not feel so good later. It’s tough to erase content off the internet. Think twice! This famous blogger got fired from her first job for a negative post.

Don’t be inconsistent in posting. If you post several times each week, your readers will notice if you go missing for several weeks. If you always post on Mondays, try not to ever miss a Monday. WordPress allows authors to schedule posts. If you’re traveling or busy one week, you can pre-set your post to still be delivered.

Don’t steal other’s content without giving credit. If you are inspired by another blog, write a post with your own spin but always link back to the original post.

Don’t be too self aggrandizing or too blatant in pushing a product or message. Make your posts about the reader, not you! Offer advice, counsel and wisdom FIRST, then when the time is appropriate you can push a product or ask the reader to take an action.

The Grey Area

Comments- there are three options for how your blog can handle commenting. You can choose to not moderate comments at all, allowing guests to your blog the full freedom to say anything they’d like; you can let guests leave a comment but choose a feature that allows you to approve the comment before it goes “live” or you can prohibit comments all together.

The choice is ultimately yours and should depend on the purpose of your blog as well as the nature of your post. 3Fold moderates our comments, which help us filter out spammers while still being transparent.

Length- everyone has different opinions on how short is too short, or how long is too long. The answer will be different for every blog and audience. To keep an office crowd engaged, short and concise is usually best. However, just like a good book, strong content will also keep readers engaged.

Pictures- not every blog will cover a topic that requires pictures, however, at 3Fold we believe pictures are what keep audiences engaged. We recommend bloggers either take their own shots or borrow images from Flickr’s Creative Commons. (Remember, always give full credit to the photographer!)