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Blogging is a great way to share your views with people. However, what are the rules? What is acceptable and what isn’t? What violations should we avoid and what can we do to effectively broadcast our views?

The truth is there really aren’t any rules. What we can say, however, is what we personally observe as effective. On that note, here are our “9 Must-Do’s of Professional Blogging” *Mouths swishing noise for added effect*

1. Include Links

Try to include links to interesting/relevant content. It helps new readers to your blog keep up with the progress of your content! It makes it easier for people to navigate around your blog and at the same time, URL’s are extremely useful for  SEO (Search-Engine Optimization).

2. Give Credit

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If you get some of your resources from another person/location, give credit accordingly; it is just common etiquette.

If someone has helped you out in your blogging career, say thank you. Let people know that you appreciate them.  (On that note, I’d like to thank Sunil (@gupshupblog) for allowing me the honor of blogging on Tech18)

3. Be Transparent

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Blog from your own perspective; your views are what people are reading for. Your honest thoughts can be the best of contents. As my friend, Jason Viglione (@jayvig) puts it, “Build relationships. It starts with trust. Trust starts with the transparency.”

4. Make it Easy for Readers to Share Your Posts

Okay. So you have wrote a great post. It is attracting lots of readers. But when it comes to sharing the post, we are forced to realize a cruel fact; that there is no “retweet button”!

Making it easier to share your posts on different platforms is definitely a plus. Many a time, whenever I come across an interesting post, and when my RT senses are tingling, I get turned off by the fact that the only way I can share the content, is by doing so manually.

If your blog doesn’t have those features yet, it’s time to get them. Really.

5. Ask Questions

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could hear from your audience? Engaging your audience can help you identify them and understand what they think about your content. In the long run, it can also help build up a loyal fan base!

But how would you accomplish that lofty goal? Here is what I do, at the end of every blog post, I ask my audience a question related to the post. I’ve had cases where these engagements end up sparking off more interesting topics!

Communication is a two way street. Both sides need to have a voice. Ask a question. Spark off that conversation. And listen to what your readers have to say.

6. Research

There are two sides to this; research for content and research for inspiration.

People need to know that the content they get from you, is reliable and of quality! Do your research. Make sure that the info on your blog is as true as the Sun. =D

On the other hand, do your research beforehand. Read from other blogs and talk to people. I’ve found that my greatest arsenal against the writer’s block, are often gotten through plain, solid research.

7. Illustrate Your Content

Employ the use of pictures and videos to help illustrate your point. Let’s face it; a sea of words can be extremely depressing and boring. With the help of relevant, preferably colourful pictures, and captivating videos, you can capture your audience’s attention and relay your message more effectively! And that, my friend, is a “WIN”.

8. Check for Errors

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Read and re-read your posts for spelling and grammatical errors. It may just be me, but the grammar/spelling-nazi in me will never condone such atrocities.

Tech tip: For an easier time, I use Microsoft Word’s grammar and spelling check.

9. Have a Catchy Title

They say that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I ask, “then what can we judge it by?”

The fact remains that people will always judge a book by its cover; especially today when there are so many to choose from! There are many factors that contribute to whether or not a post is read; and amongst them, ranking at the top, is the title.

A good title effectively tells the potential reader what the post is about. It also provokes the potential reader and forces him/her to raise an eyebrow uncontrollably due to an intrigue so intense that it can trigger the said response.

Tech Tip: I have also noticed that good titles that have a quantifying factor, like “9 Must-Do’s of Professional Blogging” often attract more attention. =D

10. Point Forms!

This point is proposed by @whiztechy. It is important that your posts are easy to read. Having point forms to simplify the layout can be a great idea!

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Well, there you go. I hope you find this useful in your quest for blogging greatness! I will be posting on “9+ Don’ts of Professional Blogging”! Be sure to check back then~ =D

Do you have anything to add to the list? If so, please post a comment! we will add it to the list under your name~ (we would love to hear from you!) 🙂