One thing that stops some people from blogging is being unsure about proper blogging etiquette. Here are a few guidelines:
Be transparent. Speak in an authentic voice, about real situations. Just don’t divulge any information that was given to you in confidence.
Reference others. Most bloggers love to be mentioned, even quoted directly, in other blogs. It’s free publicity and expands their audience. Just don’t borrow their work wholesale, and always link to their blog or website.
Respond to comments. If someone made the effort to read and comment on your blog, don’t ignore them. Post an answer, even if it’s only to thank them for their kind/provocative/interesting observation.
Be polite. Disagreement makes for more interesting reading, so it’s good to approve comments from others who have a different point of view (provided they’re on-topic and not vulgar, of course – go ahead and delete those). Respond factually and politely.
Own up to mistakes. There may come a time when you post something that’s inaccurate. We’re all human; it happens. Don’t take the cowardly way out and hit the delete button. It’ll cost you credibility in the long run. Instead, correct the mistake in another blog post or the comment field, and move on.
Divulge conflicts of interest. If there’s some personal relationship that may affect a reader’s interpretation of your blog post, don’t hide it. Maintain full disclosure and mention it in the blog post.
Blogging etiquette really isn’t all that different from any other type of communication. So don’t be shy. Dive in and start blogging!
