My guest post today is the amazing Gigi from Kludgy Mom. Gigi has certainly made a name for herself in the blogosphere and has quickly become a sought after freelance writer. She knows just how to utilize the social media stratosphere to her advantage so she’s sharing some advice on how you can find your own blogging/social media groove.
If you’ve ever visited my blog, you’ll know that I like to blog about blogging. A lot. I find the interplay of so many different elements of business, the creative process and social dynamics so very fascinating.
There are some principles of blogging that I try to adhere to – commandments, if you will. Some are to extend courtesy to another blogger; some are to advance the growth of my own blog. Some are just ways to help me sleep at night. They’re practical guides by which I run my blog and my business. They may not all work for you, but it might give you a starting point to think about your own blogging principles.
1. Thou shalt not be afraid to ask: In order to make your way in the blogosphere, you need to NOT be afraid to put yourself out there and ASK for stuff. Ask to guest post. Ask for technical help. Ask for ideas on how to grow your readership. Ask brands if you can send them your media kit. Ask whether Tweetdeck or Hootsuite is better. Ask, ask, ask. Most people are more than willing to accommodate you. I’ve asked some of the largest bloggers for help and advice and they’ve given it willingly and kindly.
2. Thou shalt not schedule posts on guest post days: Guest posting is supposed to be a win-win. If a blogger has willingly given you his or her readership by letting you guest post, you should be repaying in kind by introducing YOUR readers to HER blog. If you have a post on your own blog + a guest post somewhere else, chances are that people are not going to read both.
3. Thou shalt thank people for RTs: It’s not always possible, but if someone retweets one of your blog post…try to tweet them back with a thank you. If a lady at the grocery store said that you had nice hair, would you walk away from her and ignore her? No.
4. Thou shalt think outside the box: Strive to find ways to be different and stand out. Read as much as you can and draw inspiration from others, but always do things with your twist, your voice and your perspective.
5. Thou shalt pay it forward: Blogging is all about being part of a community. Do what you can to pay your good blogging karma forward to someone else. It can be a retweet. It can be allowing a newer blogger to guest post on your site. It can be sending on a PR opportunity that is not a good fit for you. Remember, you were a beginning blogger once, too.
6. Thou shalt edit your posts: I have a motto, “To blog is human, to edit, divine.” Don’t dash a post off and hit submit. Read it. See if you’re repetitive. See if your paragraphs are too long. See if you can approach the post in a more effective way. Try reading it out loud…how does it sound? Your readers will notice and appreciate your attention to detail.
7. Thou shalt produce quality: Each person has a different standard of quality. Make a personal commitment to yourself, your blog and your readership that you will always strive to publish quality posts.
8. Thou shalt stand up for bloggers’ rights: I can’t stress this enough. We are all part of a larger whole. While we all have different goals, motivations and ideas about what constitutes success, remember that everything you do affects the perception of our community as a whole and can work to set precedents. If you fail to disclose a relationship with a brand, it tarnishes the reputation of the blogging community. If you agree to work for a brand for no charge, companies will start to expect all bloggers to work for free. Conversely, if you always strive to operate your blog with a solid ethical compass and with a value for your own hard work, you benefit ALL bloggers.
9. Thou shalt give credit where credit is due: Err on the side of caution. The blogosphere, while huge, is a place that is actually very small and word travels fast. Even an innocent mistake of not crediting another blogger’s work can backfire into an ugly situation. I’ve credited other bloggers for the format of posts I’ve written before even though the content was completely different…just to be safe.
10. Thou shalt not please all people all of the time: For me, this is the hardest commandment to follow. I want everyone to like me. I want everyone to find my content useful, funny, and enjoyable. I want to never make anyone angry. Despite my best intentions, this is an impossible feat. I’m still learning, but a little thick skin never hurts. As long you are not hurtful to an individual, be proud and comfortable of what you are saying.
Do you have any other principles of blogging that you follow?
Thank you for the helpful ideas. I’d like to know more about a “media kit”. I don’t know what that it.
A principle I follow is a version of “names have been changed to protect the innocent”. In other words, I am careful about the information I disclose about others. Another you mentioned I particularly like. It is sooooo easy to Tweet a blog post. I do that quite often. Why not? Only once have I rec’d a thank you. It’s okay. I know everyone is busy and can’t get around to everything….but I do remember the one out of 100 who thanked me. I think I shall feature her soon.
Sandra
Gigi is just brilliant….that’s all I got to say!
A great list! #2 is a pet peeve of mine. I have always made sure I follow this practice, but plenty of bloggers do not. I have been disappointed more than once when I have had guest posters on my site and find they wrote their own post on their blog that day. They merely mentioned the guest post in small type at the bottom. When I guest post, I boldly point my followers in that blogger’s direction with an introduction, and have no post of my own.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve read a lot of advice to bloggers, but I think this post is the most helpful so far! Many thanks, Gigi, for breaking it all down.
Have a great day!
All solid advice and really not that hard to follow if you just put in the effort. I think the most important commandment has GOT to be #1. I have made some great blogging friends by simply asking them a question or them asking me. Being able to learn from each other is really what blogging is all about, isn’t it?
I love these 10 commandments, Moses Gigi. Just full of awesomeness.
So very important.
Can you somehow address what to do about the Friday Follow? Do we just RT and thank, or thank one by one?
I just can’t do a FF b/c I’d be hogging up all the tweetdecks and all and go to twitter jail. SO MANY TO DO!!
How would you do a FF if you follow like 2,000?
Someone’s bound to get their feelings hurt.
You know how I work out FF, especially when I have new people that I don’t know? If I’ve talked with them or if they’ve RTed me that week, then I always FF that person. And I use the FF helper so that I can make sure I’ve gotten everyone I’ve talked to that week.
Me too, I go thro my mention column to remind me on who said ‘nice’ things … and then thank them
Wonderful! I have broken a few of these and now wish a hadn’t.
I love that first one. All you have to do is ask and SOMEONE always come through with an answer or a point in the right direction.
This was great, Gigi!! I always learn something new when I read something of yours.
Always great to see you anywhere in the blogosphere, Gigi. Thanks for hosting Gigi’s words today, Theta Mom. It’s sage advice that I (and any blogger should) try to live and write by.
This is wonderful – such great advice! Thanks for this!
I have two principals to add:
1. Don’t feel like you have to post something everyday just to post something. Those are generally the worst posts.
2. Have fun! It’s supposed to be fun, right?
Excellent commandments, Gigi!
Amen to the last one! Be true and honest to yourself – you can never hope to please everyone. True in life as it is in blogging.
Amen! And Gigi, everyone does like you!! : )
Sound advice, Gigi.
As a relatively new blogger, I’m just like a sponge – mopping up all the bits of info I can get!
No. 1 and No. 10 are my favorites!
Well done.
Great advice! I mean, commandments.
Good stuff here, and the title of the post alone grabbed my attention. I’ve been blogging for just over a year now and have learned some stuff just by watching others and have also learned some the hard way. I really appreciate veteran bloggers who are willing to share from their experience.
Just learned another lesson the hard way–don’t hit enter too quickly. There might be an opportunity to enter your Twitter ID, if you only take time to look for it. Sigh.
Gigi continues to be both wise and generous.
And this is why I am so very very happy to call her my friend.
Amen, sister.
(I thought I should say that given the sanctity of the advice…)
This is wonderful. And you do pay it forward. You’ve been one of the most supportive bloggers I’ve “met” and I appreciate the example you set very much.
Keep the good advice coming, lady, because I’m still just one big stumbling mistake.
Great tips for a newbie like me, thanks! I will definitely be putting myself out there a bit more from now on, and asking people for help and advice.
What Gigi said.
Because she’s wicked smart and she knows. And she does it all so well.
This is a GREAT list, Gigi, how much more awesomeness can you come up with? I had never thought of #2 in that way before but I like that perspective and am going to put it to use.
There are some really great tips in this post! Thanks for sharing!
Great list, very thoughtful. I really try to treat other bloggers as I’d like to be treated. Makes sense. Just because we’re online, the rules don’t go out the window.
Thank you!!!!!
Gigi,
This list is so true, all of these elements are necessary for a good blog! Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
This is excellent. I was blogging pretty much to myself for a year and a half, but now that I’m actually out in the world, these are fabulous edicts.
Jenny
I love her list! I also feel that you need to treat others as you want to be treated. Play nice. Return favors. You get back what you put in.
Gigi – so agree with all of this. Thing is I think sometimes it depends on the amount of time the blogger puts into blogging. Some like you – are so very dedicated. Others, well…
Love this Guest post from Gigi and LOVE how you, Heather, introduce us to so many great blogs and sites – or, more importantly, their writers! THANK YOU!!
Jenxx
These are great [as is Gigi’s usual]. I think these are FABULOUS rules/commandments to follow. Especially the one about paying it forward and giving credit where credit is due.
Yes I completely agree with number 5. Whether you are building a brand, growing a business, or just blogging for the fun of it I believe it is all about community. Great list!
I’m crazy about making sure I give credit. I have PTSD from being in grad school & even thinking about plagiarizing got you kicked out!
Great commandments, Gigi…and I think we can all benefit from reminding ourselves of these things even when we’ve been blogging for a while.
You have always been such a great supporter of others, helpful when needed, and an awesome cheerleader to boot! Which is why I think it’s great that things have taken off for you. That’s karma there, girl.
Terrific post, Gigi.
Such a great list, Gigi! I really love “thou shalt pay it forward.” We all get so wrapped up in our own blog priorities that it’s easy to forget to do. But it really is one of the keys to building relationships with other bloggers. They will always remember someone who helped them out, answered a question, etc.
Excellent tips Gigi! There’s so much to remember, but so worth it to be a part of this wonderful community.
Mortified! How many of these have I broken in my social media infancy?
Great tips and reminders for every blogger
Thou shalt be authentic. Don’t pretend to be something you are not.
Great list Gigi! I had not thought too much about the guest posting issue.
Bernice
Learning to turn work OFF
Love this list!
Echoing everyone else–this is a great post, Gigi! My biggest hurdle is for sure #10. I have several posts started that I can’t seem to finish because I worry about offending . . . I know it’ll hold me back if I don’t let that go already. Sigh.
LOVE the 2nd commandement. I’ve never seen anyone actually spell that out before, but I have to really like a blogger in order to click over for their guest post and really really like them to click over after reading a post. Great as always Gigi.
I agree with it all.
I personally have unknowingly written a post almost identical to another blogger’s. Had no idea. She starts tweeting that I’m stealing blog ideas…it was ugly. Now I’m all paranoid…anyway, yeah, credit where credit is due is a good one!
Thank you for all the helpful tips and advice! I’m just getting my blog off the ground so this was a very pertinent post for me!
I’m a Gigi follower after finding her through SITS.
Great tips. The one I’m bad about is editing… I do re-read my posts and spell check etc, but I almost never fail to miss something. I should start a contest… first person to find the error…
These are good commandments! If social media had been around in the time of King James, there would be a lot more posts in this language.
Morning to you BOTH
Now Gigi, Heather will tell you that its quite fab down on FL right now, so getting the guest room all lovely for you and plan on reaching blogging Nirvana with you in my house 😉