Two of the bloggers I read regularly the indescribable Mad Mother and the equally as Mad Cheese Boy have both recently discussed Blog Etiquette. In their own unique way of course. And I had so much to say in their comment section that I thought it best to write my own post. Plus I have some questions I want answered. Maybe you can help.
When I started this blog in November last year I quickly got drawn (sucked) into the world of blogging. I read everything I could click my way through too, pretty soon I had a couple of hundred blogs on my blog roll. Some I commented regularly, some I never did. There was a blog I found Nat the Fat Rat that was a blog of note at the time I started blogging. I read Nat’s blog that first time and I was hooked. I still check it daily for an update.
And due to my ravenous reading and the following that went along with that, pretty soon people would follow the cookie crumbs back here to Suger Coat It. I was okay with that. Even though I was writing for myself, I still hoped to share what I was writing with as many people as I could. And an audience was gathering. Supportive and helpful in answering my questions. I adored them. Though I didn’t always comment back. And some of them dropped away.
Over time I have had periods of hunting down followers, attempting to join in every meme and award post in the world and more. I attempted ill fated giveaways. I begged for facebook friends and followers. I got sick and tired of posting on my own blog. So I ditched the hard sell and went back to writing on my blog. A novel idea really. And it’s been up and up from there. So that’s mine and Suger Coat It’s story.
Now. The pertinent issue of etiquette. Yes I have followed blogs I have never read again. I have unfollowed blogs that no longer interest me. I have joined comps and commented so someone may find my blog. I have weighed up the advantages of joining something like flog ya blog Friday just to increase the people on my list. I have joined in Mclinky’s in the vain hope someone will follow my blog. It’s like Meatloaf said, I would do anything for love… But I won’t do that. Where do you draw the blog whoring line?
And for me, someone interested in increasing the readership of my blog, how do I do that? Tell me, do you know? I read an article on ‘problogger’ the other day that said I should target my articles to my target audience and make sure I am offering something of value. I was like, WHAT, seriously, my blog doesn’t even have a topic and theme or a point. How the heck do you offer value with that.
Maybe you have the answer. I don’t. Maybe you have the set of blogger rules that say how often I should visit or comment or link to or award the blogs I like so that I am a good follower. Or how the hell I can tell or measure if people enjoy my posts and want more or if the opposite is true.
Holy. Jut realised how long this post is. Maybe I should stop there. Hang on.
Here it is, my top three rules to good blogging etiquette.
- Be generous with your support for other bloggers, you never know when the you will count on this yourself. And while discussion is good, mean for the sake of mean is out.
- Be authentic and share yourself, no matter the topic of your blog. And if there comes a day that you don’t know what you are doing it for, you’ve lost it. Start from scratch or ditch and run.
- Follow a blog if you like it. And unfollow if you change your mind after you find out more. But remember that following a blog in the hopes that they’ll follow you never works long term. They never read and comment on your stuff.
What are yours? Tell me. We could compile a rulebook for new bloggers… That way we’ll all be clear on what the rules are. Ha. Wow. It turns out I had a lot to say and not much of it on point. Oh well. Better luck tomorrow.
{image from we heart it. Gosh I love that place}
Suger 
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