Blogging Etiquette

This article is about the Do’s and Don’ts of blogging and the different rules for a business blog, church blog and your personal blog. When you are putting information out for the world to see, you need to think about blogging etiquette and what is appropriate to do and not do.

Here is a small list of four things to remember when you are blogging:
1. Do keep your professional blog separate from your personal blog
The amount of blogs on the internet increases everyday. The access to these blogs is world wide and can reach large masses of people very quickly. The price of one incorrect comment or slander of one person can quickly cause major damage. For example, a family blog, is one thing compared to a church blog, or professional blog. You would not want your bachelor weekend photos to get mixed up with your church retreat pictures or your content on your new product line with your personal recipes. Just like every professional is guided by a personal belief to do better in the world, you do want your professional blog, to look professional even if it is personal because it is representing you.
2. Do update your blog more often than not
Especially if you are investing in a professional blog, you need to update your blog often. People look for those “last updated” notes when they are looking at your blog. If you update it often it shows you care for one thing, and that you are still in business for another. Having a professional blog is like having an open sign on your door. Just when you notice when a store changes their window display, when you change a photo and update your blog, you are enticing people to look in and check out what is new.
3. Don’t copy someone else’s blog, be original
Think about the reason you went to someone’s blog in the first place- because it was original and brought you in. It was creative and different than all the other blogs out there and you were drawn to it. If you copy someone else’s blog that was once original and you steal their flame not only will you look silly, but the person who created the original blog will probably change their blog and make it look ten times better than your now-old copied version anyhow, and no one appreciates a tacky knock-off.
4. Don’t be inconsiderate about your posts
Whether family or professional, this is going “live” so to speak. All your posts about someone or something are going to be available for everyone to see. Unless your goal is to have a hideous tabloid blog, you need to be careful about what you say. Don’t post it unless you know for certain that it is in fact true! Posting a horrible statement that was just a vicious rumor about someone or some business is not only discrediting to you- your blog and that person, it is just circling the gossip mill and not helping anyone. As the saying goes- if a person has a bad experience somewhere they will tell ten people, if they have a good experience somewhere they may tell one or two.
Starting a professional blog or a family blog is challenging and rewarding. Good luck and happy blogging.