August '06 Tools

According to Technorati (www.technorati.com), the recognized authority on blogs, there are about 75,000 new blogs every day and about 1.2 million daily blog posts.

A blog is a terrific way to keep friends, clients and contacts updated on your ideas and activities as well as current issues, trends and news articles related to your blog topic. If you want readers to return to your blog, there are a few vital ground rules to follow.

1) Why are you writing a blog? This is the first question to ask yourself before you start your blog and the premier thing you should keep in mind every time you write an entry in your blog. It takes discipline to stay on topic but keep in mind that readers are coming to your site because of your stated topic. If your blog is about housing trends, posting an entry about your friend's birthday party or your dog's antics is a disservice to your readers.

2) Think before you write. Once something is posted online, it's available for everyone to see... your boss, your co-workers, your neighbors... your future employer. Think about all the possible eyes who might be reading your blog before you post.

3) You might not be able to take it back. Once something is posted online, it can be picked up by search engines which cache and post old copies of web pages. Even if you've had a change of heart about something you posted and have removed it from your blog, the original cached copy may very likely be available on search engines for years to come.

4) Be careful with information. Don't post information about yourself or others that can violate someone's privacy or put them in danger.

5) Be committed. Before starting your blog - especially if it's related to your business, think about how much time you will be able to devote to it. Whether you've committed to once a week or once a day, keep your commitment to your readers. If something happens to keep you from your pledged blogging dates, at the very least, post a notice informing your readers of the situation and telling them when to expect your next entry.

6) Be polite. Good manners are even more important online. Employing them will earn you respect and make you appear more credible

7) Consider legal liabilities. Don't write about things that may be considered proprietary or confidential and avoid statements that could be defamatory.

8) Give credit where credit is due. If you reference someone else's work, be sure to give them credit and provide a link to their work.

9) Check out the competition. Look at what others who are writing about your topic are saying on their blogs. This can give you ideas for your own blog as well as blogging examples to follow or avoid.

10) Be interesting. Write well informed entries that will spur comments from your readers and encourage discussion.

11) Spell check.

Ready to blog? Blogger and Live Journal are two places that will host your blog and make it very easy to get started with their convenient blog templates.