Blogging is a creative profession.
It is one profession for which you don’t need specific qualifications, an office or a desk or a fixed time to do it. There are no rules and regulations that bloggers must follow.
However, that does not mean that there are no dos and don’ts. We may not have them set or written on paper but there are certain rules we bloggers follow or must follow. Unsaid though they may be, following these might help you as a blogger.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a stigma in any industry, and it’s no different in blogging. Copying other’s posts and ideas and crediting them as your own is a way to ensure that that you will never be trusted as a blogger. Technology has ensured that finding out has become very easy, so there will be proof of your plagiarism too. Be creative, be original, that’s what blogging is all about.
Being Inspired: Leans towards the same genre as plagiarism. If you are inspired by a topic a fellow blogger wrote on, or read an article in a publication that you wished to share your views on, please do so and see to it that you credit the source, via a backlink in your post or on social media. Else it is plagiarism.
Imagine money will rain down on you: Anyone hoping to start a blog thinks that setting one up will mean money will start raining the moment your blog is up. You’ve set up a blog, not a machine to print money, have you?
Yes, it is possible to monetize a blog and make money via blogging, but it takes lots of hard work and patience to get there.
First start blogging, right and well. Get your blog to the level that it qualifies as a blog that could be monetized. You can’t graduate right after kindergarten, can you?
Ask endless questions: We all started out as newbie bloggers, blank slates eager to learn and grow. However, that does not mean that as a newbie you are licensed to take advantage of the fact. If a fellow blogger is kind enough to help you out don’t abuse that privilege by shooting off questions endlessly. No one is obligated to help you, and if they do, please don’t make them regret that decision. Also, there is always Google.
Let your blog idle or be dormant: Most people start off blogging with a lot of enthusiasm, some posting daily or even multiple times a day. As the novelty of blogging starts wearing off so does the discipline. And your blog becomes dormant, with one post in a few weeks, or horror, a post once in a few months. Don’t let that happen. It’s bad for your blog health. Start slow, so you maintain the pace and set a target that you could achieve easily, for example, 2 posts a week. Regular posting will ensure that you gain regular readers.
Leave irrelevant comments: Bloggers may disagree with me and say that ‘Nice post’ is also a comment. I shall disagree right back.
Nice post. Good one. Liked it, are NOT comments.
My other peeve is, comments that are only about people’s views and experiences on the topic. By all means, do add that, but don’t forget to add a line relevant to the post you read. We all want to know how what we wrote has made you feel.
Badger people to read your posts: We all like having our posts read, which means we must read other’s posts as well. You have to give before you get, you have to read before you’re read. You cannot make people love you and you cannot make people read your posts. Period.
As bloggers, we need to have our own moral compass, one that works and leads us in the right direction. We also need to make sure it’s working fine always.
Hi Mayuri, well said. The discipline as you pointed out is often lacking as people find it difficult to maintain the tempo over a longer period.
Thank you, Lavanya.
Bang on! Very relevant points. As a blogger, one must know what to do and what not to. I am sure your post will be helpful for new bloggers. Sharing it to all the newbies I known. 🙂
Thanks for reading, Deepa.
Hey, Mayuri. I agree with almost all the points you mentioned.
#5 seems quiet relevant. Most people are looking for overnight success. People get this vague idea that starting a blog and publishing articles is going to help them. Honestly I don’t believe that. I have seen a lot of bloggers give up, most of them fail because they lack the commitment to offer a unique experience to the audience. Bloggers need to get the idea that a regular article is not going to add value. Bloggers need to write in depth articles that will offer a complete/ partial solution to the people.
Thank you, Nishant. Glad you agree.
Mayuri this is absolutely something you wrote perfectly and just what I really want to say to every blogger..
Agreed to each and every thing you mentioned….
This is so true that we have to be original and self .. copying will only give you bad picture!!
Thank you, Ruchi.
Thanks Mayuri Mam for this, This article is eye opener for those who think Blogging is just lika a Copy Paste Game. After Sharing This, i believe many of my fellow blogger will get some learning lesson of life.
Thank you for reading, Babit.
Your post is precise and to the point, Mayuri. I agree completely on the monetisation and reading part. Patience is imperative and reciprocation, well, has its own rules. I wish people focussed on building up in their work and blogger relations than badgering anyone for anything.
Thank you, Varsha.
Good clear post.. finally someone who just puts it out there about inspired and plagiarism .
One other point I would add is -pay extra attention to grammar and spelling, if you spot a typo edit it..read, re-read before publishing ..
And ofcourse have fun while blogging..it is afterall “your” space
Covered the grammar and typo in a post I linked to this one, Aarti. Thanks for reading.
That was indeed a list that was a very good eye-opener for all bloggers especially the beginners. It takes time and patience to succeed in anything in life and as you say there is no short-cut. Same with blogging.
Glad you found it useful. Thanks for reading.
A good post Mayuri. Makes sense 🙂
Thanks, Z.
awesome information about blogging thanks to sharing
Thank you.
Nice Post.
LOL, I hate when get this in the comment box. Bang on Mayuri, love the points and how you talk about each and everything we go through in learning and blogging. GOOGLE knows it all, I remember googling everything before shooting my doubts to veterans. We still google a lot of things.
I read yours now you read mine; come on! That’s not Blogging its plain simple barter. Blogging is much more pious than that.
Plagiarism, a BIG NO! You may like an idea or heading or subheading. Use that but do give credit. I have seen people copying the look, feel, topics, style and everything in the blogosphere. It may help you temporarily but what about the long run?
Yes, most people want it all quick, without thinking of the big picture. Thanks for reading, Dipika.
You nailed it Mayuri, a helpful post for the newbies like me. Agree with all the points mentioned above. However I don’t understand reciprocation in reading. There are few writers / articles you don’t feel connected to but just for the sake of commenting something, or to return the favor, sounds mere barter. Just my thought…
Glad you thought it was helpful, Vartika. Thanks for reading.
True. Plagiarism of any kind is the most hated thing that a blogger could do.
Thanks for reading, Saurabh.
I would call these as the rules of ‘Good Governance” for the creative field of blogging. I hope the message is all clear for those who are new entrants in the field. It includes me too! And the message is clear to me 🙂
Thanks for reading, Anagha.
Thank you so much for posting this article. Its been an enhancing experience the past year in blogging and I have learnt so many do’s and dont’s . Hope to memorize all these pointers in future too while I continue blogging.
Thanks for reading, Sudha.
Good one!! There I said it.
On a serious note you seem to have covered all relevant points well. But I guess most of us do receive comments sometimes that have nothing to do with the actual post but more about the readers personal views and experiences. At least it shows they have really read it!
Thank you, Radhika. I would still prefer comments, or at least a line, about the post:)
Definitely a good list of tips for new bloggers like me Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Sachin.
Great points Mayuri. Another peet peeve of mine is follow/unfollow game, just for the sake of increasing the number of followers. Sharing your post on twitter.
Thanks for reading, Jheelam. Shall keep the unfollow and follow peeve when I do a post on Social Media etiquette.
Also never steal images.
Another one is ‘always use reader friendly fonts’.
I once chanced upon a blog which had this ornamental font for the entire post and was impossible to read.
I have already covered stealing under Plagiarism. Shall keep fonts in mind for the next post:) Thanks for reading.
Hey Mayuri, I am completely agree with your thoughts.
But I think if we set the routine of all our blogging tasks then it will be more productive. Won’t be ??
I couldn’t help nodding along as I read this post of yours. Newbie, as well as some veteran bloggers would do good to read these pointers.
Also, your point about asking endless questions – nobody really talks about it, but it sometimes gets crazy out of control. I personally have experienced it a lot. There is nothing wrong in asking for help. In-fact I encourage it. But whenever I try to help, I feel like some folks expect me to fulfill the role of Google. And it’s equal parts aggravating and overwhelming!
These tips are really helpful. thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading.
As usual a stellar one from you Mayuri. I loved each point as it’s so relevant. I agree with you on the comments thing. Sometimes people make it only about themselves adding atleast a line about the post you read helps