It’s very easy to become a little self-absorbed when you first start a blog.
- You want to write things that people like.
- You want followers.
- You want to be discovered.
- You want loads of comments and shares, to prove popularity.
Sure, there are blogs that manage to achieve that kind of fame and notoriety… but it’s not easy.
We all have to start somewhere, and like most of you will have been taught from birth, good manners count for a lot. In life, we have that etiquette to follow. We know about out pleases and thank yous. Respecting others. showing compassion and humility.
It’s the same in the Blogosphere.
Except here you have Blogiquette to learn.
It’s not much different to what you do in real life, but obviously, it’s via the interweb, so you need a few tweaks!
You don’t want to be known as the pompous one who thinks they are better than everyone, so, here are the 7 Rules of Blogiquette I think are important to be a considerate, and polite blogger.
- If someone has taken the time to comment on a post of yours, be sure to acknowledge, and reply back. There’s nothing worse than leaving a comment, and not even getting a smiley face back, if not a response! Equally, if you want comments, make the effort to read and comment on other bloggers posts. Building that rapport is essential.
- This one may be kinda hard at the beginning, but don’t think that following for follows is a good idea. Soon enough you’ll have a thousand blogs clogging up your reader, and possibly your email account, and there is no way you can really read even half that many blogs regularly! Then you are faced with the awful task of (shock horror!) unfollowing because it got too much! (Been there done that, got the tee-shirt and wrote the post!). And just because you follow someone, there is no guarantee they will follow you back. They say that if you have even 10% of your followers liking your post, you’re doing great! I have nearly 5000 WP followers and yet my highest amount of likes has never hit more than 150 on a single post, and that is very rare… and nowhere near my 10%! Follow blogs you find interesting, inspiring, individual. You are more likely to build the rapport that your Blogily needs by following and interacting with blogs like these.
- Sometimes you read a post but don’t comment, because you don’t have anything to add to a discussion. At least ‘like’ the post so the blogger knows you read and appreciated the time and effort they put into the post. I have to do this often, as I simply cannot comment on all the posts I read. My ‘like’ is not an empty one, it is an acknowledgement!
- If you write a post after reading something that inspired you on another post, do the courtesy of crediting that blogger. Link back to their original post, and acknowledge that an idea sprouted from reading something they read. There is nothing more humbling for a blogger than reading a post that was inspired by something they wrote, but if they aren’t referred to, then they’ll never know they did that.
- If someone takes the time to reblog your post, or you find out they ‘pressed’ you, take the time to thank them for the share. It doesn’t take up too much time, in fact, WP will email you if you are reblogged, so there is no excuse for missing them. A simple message of thanks acknowledges the fact that they have appreciated your work enough to repost it!
- Once you get started with blogging, you may write a guest post on another blogger’s space. It is a big thing for a blogger to happily allow someone else to take control of their blog for a post. Write with respect, and make sure you follow the comments on that post so you can answer and thank people for reading you over on another blog! Reblog that post on yours by all means but try to shut the comments on your reblog, so the dialogue happens on your guest post!
- And finally, a biggie. Try not to link drop in comments! It’s probably one of the biggest bug-bears for a lot of bloggers I know. We all want to be able to showcase our posts, but by typing, “Hi! Nice Post! Here’s mine!” followed by a random link, is usually a surefire way to end up either in the spam bin, or getting your comment deleted! You find some bloggers run threads where you can leave links, that is fine. There are times when you read something that resonates, and maybe you wrote something yourself previously that would interest the blogger who wrote it. Comment on their post and maybe ask, if they’d like to read something you wrote that may be of interest to them. Alternatively, send it by their ‘Contact Me’ page, so it goes to their mailbox, rather than in the comments.
And there you have it!
These are the rules I try to live by. Things I have learned as I have established myself on the blogging circuit, and I don’t think I have offended anyone so far!
I’m sure others operate with different thoughts in mind. If you have anything to add, please let me know!
Have a wonderful Monday!
floatinggold
May 08, 2018 @ 23:55:44
Here from https://kedawithani.wordpress.com/ reblog. Very good points you made.
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Ritu
May 09, 2018 @ 05:59:03
Thank you!
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lifebythepages
May 06, 2018 @ 11:25:50
Thanks so much for writing this, especially number 6! I’ve reblogged other bloggers work on my blog, but didn’t close comments. I’ll know for next time now 🙂
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Ritu
May 06, 2018 @ 11:30:40
You are most welcome!!!!
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justagirlcalledbee
Feb 22, 2018 @ 20:50:16
This is really helpful…. I’m a newbee to blogging!! Exactly what I needed to read thank you ☺️
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Ritu
Feb 22, 2018 @ 21:06:20
Glad to help!
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Andrew Green
Feb 20, 2018 @ 15:08:30
Thank you … I found this really helpful. I’m new to this and have learned the limits to how many blogs you can realistically follow the hard way.
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Ritu
Feb 20, 2018 @ 15:43:05
Glad it helped you!
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kalifornicationx.wordpress.com
Feb 04, 2018 @ 08:49:43
There’s probably a great deal more rules that could be learned here, but I think you nailed it.
Also 7. Credit to kedawithani.
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Ritu
Feb 04, 2018 @ 08:53:49
Thanks for taking the time to read, and appreciate!
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kalifornicationx.wordpress.com
Feb 04, 2018 @ 08:54:36
You’re welcome, miss.
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-Eugenia
Feb 03, 2018 @ 14:31:09
Reblogged this on BrewNSpew and commented:
Sharing post on blog etiquette by Ritu.
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-Eugenia
Feb 03, 2018 @ 14:29:21
Reblogged on BrewNSpew.
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WaltPage
Feb 02, 2018 @ 21:26:35
Reblogged this on Walt's Writings and commented:
Excellent post on Blogging Etiquette!
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Ritu
Feb 02, 2018 @ 21:45:35
Thanks!
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WaltPage
Feb 02, 2018 @ 21:45:56
My pleasure ☺
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agoodlittlegirl
Feb 02, 2018 @ 16:49:29
Reblogged this on A GOOD LITTLE GIRL and commented:
CAN’T TAKE THE CREDIT. THIS IS A MINDFUL REBLOG ON BLOGGING.
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agoodlittlegirl
Feb 02, 2018 @ 16:47:50
I still consider myself a newbie to blogging, but commons sense, courtesy, and respect has me following your advise to the best of my ability. Yet, as I said, being new, I sometimes mess up.
I’m going to re-blog this. It’s important.
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Ritu
Feb 02, 2018 @ 16:58:05
I’m glad to be of some assistance 😊
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agoodlittlegirl
Feb 02, 2018 @ 17:01:04
Though we are provided tabs for “comments, follows, likes, etc., I fear that by chance, I will miss responding to those kind enough to read my blogs.
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Ritu
Feb 02, 2018 @ 17:13:11
I know it is daunting but as long as you do what you can no-one can ask for more 😊
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agoodlittlegirl
Feb 02, 2018 @ 17:08:53
Also, when I re-blog, I try to find some way to give credit to the original author, as I don’t want to offend someone by thinking I’m trying to pass off their work for my own. I’m not sure how to approach this. Example: On the re-blog or your post, I wrote in caps, “CAN’T TAKE CREDIT. THIS IS A MINDFUL REBLOG ON BLOGGING.
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Ritu
Feb 02, 2018 @ 17:13:40
That is always a great thing to do. Thank you 😊
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TheDreamGirlWrites
Jan 25, 2018 @ 06:54:13
Woow!! This is a post to live by 🙂
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Ritu
Jan 25, 2018 @ 07:27:55
Glad you enjoyed it, and that it resonated with you!
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TheDreamGirlWrites
Jan 25, 2018 @ 06:52:58
Reblogged this on The Dreamgirl Writes.
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Sheka318
Jan 22, 2018 @ 15:39:35
I love this. Thanks for sharing. I wish for the day to receive 150 likes, comments, or reads. Ill refer back to this as I am still new to blogging. Thanks a lot for the insight. I love your blog BTW
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Ritu
Jan 22, 2018 @ 17:55:36
Thank you so much Sheka!
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crystalwilliamsud
Jan 20, 2018 @ 12:56:07
Thanks this is really good advice. I am trying to get the hang of blogging
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Ritu
Jan 20, 2018 @ 13:25:42
Thanks
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Radhika Acharya
Jan 19, 2018 @ 04:23:59
Nice tips dear. Although I have been following them before its a good reminder.
And you call 150 likes at an average per post as small?!!!!!! 🙂 🙂
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 06:50:10
Lol !Thanks Radhika!
by 150 likes, and being small, it;’s in comparison to how many ‘followers’ I supposedly have. It’s over 6000 now, including other Social Media… so that is a small amount considering how many ‘don’t like’ it! 🙂
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Radhika Acharya
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:03:24
Haha. But just a small doubt – does the lack of likes mean people have ” not liked” the post? Please say that’s not the case …puhlees. If that’s so then I might as well shut down my wee little blog!!
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:43:38
It certainly doesn’t mean that at all!!! Some will comment rather than like. Some will share. Some will just read and appreciate!
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Radhika Acharya
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:44:56
Whew!! Just what I wanted to hear!! You are a darling Ritu. 🙂
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:45:21
Aw bless you xxx
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Vashti Q
Jan 18, 2018 @ 23:01:09
Very good tips, Ritu! A couple of things that bother me is when the blogger’s name is nowhere to be found on the post or blog and when the posts are not dated. Sometimes I run across posts on Twitter or Facebook that intrigue me, but when I click to read the post there’s no date. I don’t know if the post was written today or two years ago. Please date each post. 😀 xx
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 23:17:59
Good advice!
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Radhika Acharya
Jan 19, 2018 @ 04:24:54
But doesn’t the bloggers name come up by default against a post? I thought it does.
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 06:50:36
Some people don’t register a name, or something that they can be referred by…
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Radhika Acharya
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:04:31
Oh I see!! Thanks for the clarification. I have a lot to learn it seems!! 🙂
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 17:44:34
All in good time 😊
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Habiba Bien
Jan 18, 2018 @ 20:33:34
Reblogged this on Byba Peaches and commented:
Great Blogiquette tips. I concur with all except for the last one. Not entirely at least. It’s interesting reading each others’ posts just to ‘nudge’ a fellow blogger on that topic. Like a way of ‘conversing’/socializing through blog related posts. I get how it can get annoying though.
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Habiba Bien
Jan 18, 2018 @ 20:26:33
Thankfully, I am not that bad as per your posts. However, the ‘here’s mine’ bit.. I find it interesting reading each others’ posts just to nudge a fellow blogger on that topic. Like a way of ‘conversing’ through blog related posts. I get how it can get annoying though. Great tips… very straight up.
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 20:48:32
Thank you for your comments! It’s okay if it’s once in a while, however if everyone did it constantly your comments would just be full of links! It gets more frustrating if you have a larger following and lots of people link drop. However at the start, when you have a smaller community to manage… then yes it is hugely beneficial to get to know new bloggers 😊
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Simon
Jan 18, 2018 @ 19:42:13
There’s some good advice in there I wish I had when I started. ☺️
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 20:20:39
Hope it helps many newbies along the way!
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Simon
Jan 18, 2018 @ 21:55:03
I’m sure it will ☺️
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mistybooks
Jan 18, 2018 @ 14:46:46
Something that’s always puzzled me on Twitter. If someone retweets you tweet is it good manners to go and retweet that post again? It seems wrong somehow (although I do do it sometimes 😳)
All good points here.
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:08:11
Lol! Twitter etiquette (or Twetiquette!) I have no understanding of! If someone tweets a post of mine, I will retweet their tweet. If they retweet one of mine, I like it!
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Ivy
Jan 18, 2018 @ 14:46:44
This is really important to know great for new bloggers and great to just refresh on.
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:06:55
Thanks Ivy! My aim is to help!
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balroop2013
Jan 18, 2018 @ 14:39:30
May I add one? Avoid pop ups to compel signing up! 🙂
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:06:41
Oooooh yes! that is a bug bear of mine too! I get them, but they are soooo annoying!
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Jennifer
Jan 18, 2018 @ 14:23:48
Yes. Blogiquette. I love that word and I try my best to live up to every rule.
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:05:15
I have a bit of a thing for making words up! Glad someone else tries to use their sense of Blogiquette!
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Jennifer
Jan 19, 2018 @ 11:32:41
I think Blogiquette should be added to the dictionary.
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Ritu
Jan 19, 2018 @ 11:51:23
Me too!
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thebigmoneysaver
Jan 18, 2018 @ 13:44:37
All excellent points, Ritu! Thank you for this post.
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:03:26
Thank you my dear1 Glad it was of use to you!
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Losing the Plot
Jan 18, 2018 @ 12:55:12
Excellent advice, and it’s allerted me to something I ought to go and fix. 🙏
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:02:12
Glad to help !
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TheDMDiaries
Jan 18, 2018 @ 12:41:07
Thanks for sharing these! I’ll definitely be more cognizant of my blogiquette moving forward❣️
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Ritu
Jan 18, 2018 @ 16:00:42
Glad to be of assistance!!
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