Blogging Best Practices

Blogging began as an online journal in 1998 and has since exploded into a popular social media communication platform where users (or authors) focus on every topic imaginable. There are several notable basic best practices for building and managing a successful blog. Here are some that I found worth noting.

Respond to comments.  

As the blog administrator, you have the option to moderate comments by approving and responding comments posted by others. Responding to comments is a great opportunity to engage in two-way communication and be a part of an online community with your readers.

Cite sources.

Don’t violate copyright laws. Be honest and provide a link back to the original source if you use information on another blog or website.

Create interesting content. 

Don’t bore your readers with dry content. In order to effectively grab your reader’s attention, “content must be compelling, informative and relevant” (Cohen 2009).

Fine a Voice. Give your blog a personality and voice that speaks to your target audience. It’s okay to write in a casual and informal tone since most blog readers find formal tones to be too serious and authoritative. The best blogs are written in a tone that is natural, casual, and almost conversational.

Sources:

Cohen, Jeffrey. 2009. “10 Business Blogging Best Practices.” Social Media B2B:   Exploring the Impact of Social Media on B2B Companies. http://socialmediab2b.com/2009/06/business-blogging-best-practices/ (accessed February 15, 2013)

Gunelius, Susan. “5 Tips to Write Blog Posts. About.com. http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingtips/tp/TipsWriteBlogPosts.htm (accessed February 15, 2013)