Keep regular

We don’t mean a high fibre diet… hmmm.

Here’s the first bit of ‘non rocket science’ – good blogs build followers. It might be a few, it might be a few thousand, but if they have gone to the effort of visiting your blog to read your opinions, it is only polite to offer readers regular, fresh content.

Poorly constructed, irregular blogs, or those which begin by publishing a lot of articles but then tail off, are a kick in the teeth to your followers. They can also make a website look uncared for; if you visit a blog and find it has not been updated in two months, you are hardly going to think the firm is at the cutting edge of its sector.

It is better not to have a blog at all than to have an old, dated one. This is really key.

Keep calm

No matter how popular your blog and how long you spend crafting eloquent and insightful posts, some people won’t like it. Or all of its posts. That’s just life. Get over it.

This may be because they disagree with you – and you should develop a thick skin when it comes to criticisms. Healthy debate is part one of the biggest benefits of the Internet and if your blog is filled with intelligent arguments then it is even more valuable a resource. Go on – do it justice.

Some individuals may leave sarcastic or just plain nasty comments. Well, that’s their problem and waste of time. Not yours.

It is vital not to be unpleasant back at these agitators. Remember, a blog represents you or your business and, however you might respond, it is vital to stay calm and measured when representing your firm. You owe it to yourself.

Keep polite

Now, you may think your parents taught you this when you were five, but the world of blogging can be an exasperating place and it is vital for a corporate blogger to keep his or her head. Remain level.

Importantly, it is not just on your own blog that you have to stay polite. You may disagree with a post elsewhere and leave a comment. Remember, it is essential to do so in a polite way, even if that blogger responds aggressively.

Your readers (perhaps clients and prospective customers) could see any of these posts, even many years later. You would not get angry in your office or at a conference (we hope!), because this would look unprofessional, or worse. The internet is like a big conference and go talk to someone else if another blogger loses his/her cool.

Keep open-minded

Your purpose may be to speak to the anonymous world, to share helpful thoughts, to build relationships with potential customers. Particularly for the latter it can also be a great place to discuss industry developments and learn from your peers’ opinions.

However, by engaging with us and sharing their thoughts, we can all add to our “bucket” of understanding.

The purpose of the web is not simply to inform, it is also to debate and learn. Be open-minded to the possibility that those commenting on your pages may have valuable insights.

Keep your integrity

Followers of your blog are unlikely to want a sales pitch repeated over and over again. That is not the point of blogging, you have to offer visitors something of value if you hope to keep them.

Of course, you can post about developments within your areas of interest/business, challenges you/it have/has recently faced and developments, but you should not blog with an overtly intra-focused or commercial message.

Aggressive marketing is hugely unpopular with the average consumer. It is likely to cause actual harm to your brand by making you look cynical and sales-obsessed

Keep comments

Comments are an important addition to any blog post. Debate and discussion is what such pages are for, so enable comments and welcome discourse. Why not leave your comments below?

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Filed under: Blogging