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The 10 commandments - we have all heard of it, most of us have read it and hopefully all of us try to incorporate it into our lives as well. As I was reading the 10 commandements, I thought there should be commandments for blogging as well. I could relate some of the 10 commandments directly to blogging.

There needs to be rules, expectations and do’s and dont’s in everything we do and blogging is no exception. The 10 commandments of life guides us to lead life as a better human being and hopefully my 10 commandments of blogging will guide me ( and you if you find it useful ) to become a better blogger.

The Ten Commandments Of Blogging

1. Thou Shalt Not Steal

If you want to grow as a blogger and make a name for yourself in the field of blogging, this is a big NO! A lot of times we find bloggers longing for good content and they can’t seem to write one. It’s ok. Go ahead write what you can and slowly you will find your content and writing maturing along with your blog. Do not copy and paste other popular articles, if you are using a post from somebody else as a reference, give them the credit that is due. This is one of the most important thing starting out a blog, do not cheat the system and your readers because you will be cheating yourself.

2. Thou Shalt Not Spam Comments

Ahh, the ever so important comments. Although it’s seen as one of the effective ways of pulling traffic to your blog, leaving irrelevant comments can hurt you as well. Leaving comments on popular blogs can be a sure fire ways to get traffic, but make sure they are relevant to the post. Write something thoughtful, don’t just analyze the heading and whip up something so that you can get the top spot.

Read the article, analyze how you can provide value to the post and other readers who read your comments. If you provide value through your comments, that is exactly how other commenters are going to see you as ” a value adder “ and the chances of them visiting your blog become higher.

3. Thou Shalt Concentrate On Content

” Content is King “ we have heard the phrase thousand times and it still holds true. You might get 50,000 visitors today but after reading your content if it doesn’t provide value or interest to the reader, they are not going to come back. Your main motive is to make first time visitors/readers a repeat visitor. So focus on your content. Good content is the key to a successful blog.

4. Thou Shalt Not Insult

Your blog is your own media. You can use it to promote yourself or anybody else. But again you can use it to insult or bash others as well as you can reach so many people through your blog. Bashing somebody or hurting somebody’s reputation might seem like a fun idea but remember the old saying ” what comes around, goes around.” If you want to point an incident that you unapprove of or something that you want to talk about, don’t point out the person or the blogger through your blog. Just point the incident, do not point fingers. Might sound like fun but if you don’t like it done to you, don’t do it to others.

5. Thou Shalt Recognize Readers

Your readers are what makes you a better blogger. Their loyalty, their suggestions and their insight into your articles helps you grow. They can be one of your greatest asset both in terms of gaining popularity and marketing as well. You provide them with good content, they talk about you and you gain more loyal readers through them.

Acknowledge your readers and visitors, show them they are appreciated. Participate in comments when readers comment so they know when they comment, you will be back to provide your views or answers to their questions. Participate!

6. Thou Shalt Not Lie

Don’t start the foundation of your blog as a lie. If your blog has only 25 visitors a day go ahead and say it so. Saying your blog gets 20,000 visitors a day won’t do you any good because there are ways to find out. Also once somebody finds that you have been lying it will certainly hurt your reputation and the overall growth of your blog. So be honest and let the truth out, it might hurt now but in the long run this might be the key to your sucess. Honesty rules!

7. Thou Shalt Post Frequently

This is one of the things I find myself and other bloggers pondering quite often. Yes, frequency of posting is very critical for the success of your blog but what is the point if the posts don’t provide anything valuable. There are blogs that do not update for 3-4 days and when they do the content is really good and that is exactly what readers want. So go ahead and post but do it in moderation.

For instance, if I post on a Monday night my next post usually is up on Wednesday night, this way that particular post circulates the blogosphere monday night, tuesday all day and night and the whole day on wednesday. This gives more exposure to your posts. I personally think 3-4 posts a week is fine, think about what you are writing before you sit down and start typing. It’s ok to take a break.

8. Thou Shalt Create Interest

If you have an idea but can’t put it in words very well, this might hamper your blog. Try to create interest for your readers. The most effective way of doing ths is by using catchy headlines or titles. Use something that will make the readers atleast scan your post and this in turn might result in a loyal reader. Use headlines that will create interest , that will make others think ” Huh, this is something new, let’s quick read it “. Generate curiosity!

9. Thou Shalt Help Other Bloggers

So, you are a popular and established blogger? If you are, you need to make sure you help other bloggers out as well. Darren Rowse from problogger is a prime example of this. Try and help other bloggers as well. When you were new in the field of blogging there must have been someone who helped you out as well. And if there weren’t anybody, remember you wished it so bad that there was somebody. The blogger who is asking you for help feels exactly the same way, so go ahead and lend a helping hand to other bloggers.

10. Thou Shalt Read Other Blogs

I find many bloggers trying to market their blog but never reading other blogs. If you are not into reading other blogs and are not a reader at all then may be blogging isn’t for you. You need to share the passion with other bloggers. Besides, reading other blogs gives you an idea of what to expect, how to change the way you write. Analyze their articles and the ways they do it and you will learn from them. It’s a process, you will grow as you learn. So, make sure to read other blogs as well, we are all in it together!

These are the 10 commandments of blogging I live by? Do you think these ten commandments are worth following? Share your views.

source: http://worknplay.net/my-10-commandments-of-blogging/