Today I thought I’d compile a definitive list of must follow rules for bloggers that all successful blogs follow:
I was going to stop at ten, but 11 has a much nicer ring to it, don’t you think? Plus point number 11 brings them all together nicely.
This post was inspired by a variety of comments, tweets, and blog posts of late that suggested I or other well-known blogging “experts” teach “rules” or “systems” of blogging.
The reality is that there are no rules. While ProBlogger obviously contains a lot of teaching about blogging, I’d never want to suggest that all blogs need to subscribe to a single philosophy of blogging. Rather, this blog is a place where I hope to share what I do, as well as sharing what has and hasn’t work for me (and similarly, to let guest bloggers share their own experiences).
The reason I take this approach is that of the numerous blogs that I’ve been involved with over the last nine years, no two blogs have been identical in terms of what has and hasn’t worked. There are some principles that have worked for me, but transfer those ideas to other blogs, and there are no guarantees of success.
There are also a few strategies that I personally avoid in blogging that I’ve had little or no success with; however, they’ve worked for others.
If anything, the only “rule” of blogging that I’d be brave enough to preach is: find your own way.
Most of the successful blogs that I’ve come across have something unique about them. It might be the personality or voice of the blogger, the topic, the design, the fact that they were first, that they’re funny, that they’re comprehensive and thoughtful, that they post 100 times a day, or that they post once a month… But each of them is unique somehow.
Successful bloggers tend to forge their own path. Many of them are aware of what works for others and learn by observing, but they also take what they learn, experiment with it for themselves, and let it evolve in a way that fits with them and their audience.
Nicely said. I think that its about figuring out 5 activities that work and complete those actions 5,000 times, then it should all click into place!… ;]
Can’t help feeling that this post is cheating a bit. Still, I guess the title worked, as it brought me over to the blog to read it!
Trial and error.
You had me there, for a moment, Darren. I saw the tweet and wondered what on earth the 11 definitive rules of blogging could possibly be…….
I love it :) the only rule I stick to is “if you don’t press publish then it will never happen”.
I like that Sarah. You gotta push that publish button.
Music to an entrepreneur’s ears…do it your way!
As simple as this post “seems”, it’s pretty profound. I know many bloggers, myself included, who feel as though they’re just banging their heads on the walls trying to make things work. But it’s a matter of making things work for the audience. Seems common sense, but can get lost in the ‘business’ of blogging.
This post has a strange angle to it with the not showing any rules. I suppose that suggests a rule in itself, be unique and inventive when writing your posts.
It really is such a personal thing–what you decide to blog about…your voice. I find myself continually refining my content and strategy and I’ve been blogging for 4 years.
The only rules are that there are no rules?
The code I live by – rather than a rule one should subscribe to for ‘success’ is just to create brilliant content to help graphic design businesses thrive rather than survive on my blog.
That can only come from experience, being honest about your successes and failures.
Hehe, loved this Darren. I saw your title in Twitter and was thinking ‘no way’ so when I got here I literally laughed out loud. It’s great to learn from others and try new things to see if they work for you but ultimately, if all we ever do is gain head knowledge, what is the point? So if I were to add a second ‘rule’ to your first great one, it would be ‘take action’ because after all, learning without action is a bit pointless.
The other thing I wish I’d known a year ago is that it can take some time to find what your own ‘way’ is. It feels awesome when you find it but that period of self-discovery can feel pretty daunting. I’ve lost count of how many ‘I found my thing’ posts I wrote last year and the end result was the need to start over with a brand new domain. Had someone told me a year ago about this aspect of the journey, I’m sure I’d have felt a lot less lonely.
All I can see is
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
..
?
That’s the point of the article. There are no definitive rules of blogging. Everyone is different, so things that work for some, don’t work for others. Re-read the article and I think you’ll understand what he was going for.
This is great! When I first looked at the post, I thought that you forgot to put the rules in there, but then I understood the point that you were making. When I first started blogging, I looked for rules to follow, but instead decided to follow what my heart and brain felt, and I feel like that has led me to where I am now. Great post!
oh, fail.
So true. Now if I can only forge that path!
I think this was great. Too many people take the cookie cutter approach. The truth of the matter is that successful blogging is made up of many components. What works today, this minute-may or may not work the next time around. Stay aware of what you are doing, what your goals are and what the results are. Never forget to do what you love and stay mindful that blogging is a two way street…you write…they read.
Don’t focus overmuch on any one area of blogging. Comments are nice, topics are important, relationships are the meat & potatoes, stats help you understand trends, SEO helps get you read, advertising can help if you if your goal is to make money…you get the idea. You get the idea…blogging is made up of many components…yep! Do what works for you to achieve your personal goals.
Nice one – I thought you’d made a mistake at first! Ha but you’re right because there really isn’t one, single formula that applies to all bloggers. I think it’s about finding your own path – and you can only do that by taking the blogging journey yourself.
Very inspiring way to start out the day. Thank you!
Well said! Of course, now we need a blog telling people how to find their own way… ;D
Love it! I get so tired of posts that promise secrets of success and those with lists corresponding to numbers used as gimmick to attract your attention. And, of course, with the year 2011, many opted for 11 rather than the usual 10.
you never fail to encourage me. i used to think that I’m not good at blogging because I may be doing several ‘wrong things’. with your advice, I feel more free to do what I want. This inspires me to be more unique. Thanks!
Love this! I started proper blooging a few weeks ago, after doing the diary style blogging when my LO was born. I feel so much that it is MY blog, and it is MY thoughts on it. I hate reading people worrying if they are doing it right, if they have had a more experience blogger telling them off for doing too many photos etc.
There is no rule book, others would lead you to believe there is and they have been disappointed over some people not following their rules – well sod off and read someone else’s blog then ;o)
The main thing for me and the reason I have started blogging more than about my child’s first step is that I love writing, I love the feeling of getting it all out, and if I hae an hour then reading others. I like being part of a community that I choose via Twitter, but I do not feel that I have to impress them, or keep up or do it in a certain way!
Am I going to get expelled now *gulp*
Yes..unique content will make a blog successful..Darren, you are my favorite blogger..
Couldn’t agree more. I believe it’s important to have own style in blogging.
Of course we can observe from people and learn from them, but being different will make us stand out from the others.
Learning about our own readers is also equallly important. I’ve noticed readers from the western countries love commenting and giving feedbacks, but this doesn’t apply well to Asian readers. So suit your own community.
There is another one: you must write! ;)
Nice list. But I must say, number 8 didn’t work for me on any of my blogs ;-)
Seriously now: one new inspiring method would be to write such posts that look broken in people’s feed reader – makes them come over to the original post to see what those 11 points would be – and end up leaving a comment. Like me. Now. At first glance I thought the RSS had excluded some info there.
Its about doing your own thing and making it yours. People will follow you base on been real..this is my road map..
“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”
I don’t agree with #8 – or at least it doesn’t work for me. Apart from that – a useful check list.
Awesome post Darren!
I often get caught up in following rules and meeting my own self imposed criteria that I delay or end up never posting my posts. I notice that when I don’t follow my “rules” and just type and post, I often get the best results.
LOL – the title got me. But there are some definitive rules, e.g. –
1. read
2. write
3. publish
4. repeat
Personally, I have the hardest time with #4…and occasionally #3!
I really thought I missed something. I saw this tweet and thought, darn iPhone is acting up! So I got on my desktop and checked and still nothing showing on the list. It took me reading the comments to get it. It’s Monday morning and I’m a little slow. :-) Love this though. Thanks!
Everybody has a different skill set:
Some are good at writing long posts. Others, short ones.
Some are great at podcasts, others video; still others: writing.
Some bloggers are morning people, some are night people.
Some are extroverts, some are introverted.
Some are geniuses at SEO, while others create stunning content.
Some are poignant, others are funny!
The more you blog, the more you discover what you’re uniquely and especially good at. Emphasize your strengths!
{ twitter = @danenow }
Love it! Like others, I was wondering, Okay what *rules* is he going to share, and then I thought for a second there was an error!
You are right though. As I have learned aboput blogging over the past 9 months I have seen so many techniques and tips. Many I tried, and they work. Many I tried and they didn’t. And as I have gotten more *experience* I can see tips and techniques that I know won’t work for me and my blog. I think a lot os just trial and error.
Thanks Darren!
Bernice
Don’t live your life in default mode
Maybe ‘luck’ is the only thing that really works.
This is refreshing. Besides the fabulous list, I also like your statement, “Successful bloggers tend to forge their own path.” Personally, I’m going for voice above all else.
Wow! As a blogger myself, I don’t know what I was expecting to see… but you summed it up perfectly!
I am so sick of reading peoples lists. Bloggers seem to think that there is a magic formula to success but as a newbie to blogging I am quickly finding there is none.
You have just stolen my words. It is so true. Everywhere I go I see loads of “rules”,”formulae”,etc. Blog is kind of “soul” to me, you can’t encage it in rules. Let it grow, evolve, and mend it with its own mistakes.
Regards
Thanks for reinforcing some of my own thoughts. You do what works for you. Just off the top of my head and starting to take blogging seriously, this is what I could think of.
1) Learn from your mistakes and don’t beat yourself up. Learning WordPress and other software takes time.
2) Creativity-Do whatever works for you.
3) Have a presence on Twitter,You Tube, and Facebook. I’m still working on more content with You Tube and Facebook, though I cant stand Facebook there is an audience that cant be ignored. I didn’t realize how much I love Twitter.
4) Provide Value with Good/Interesting Content
5) Have a sense of humor
6) Leave comments on other blogs (Thanks Darren)
7) Persistence, Today Everyday
8) Know your audience ( I wish I had a large audience, but still working on and in progress)
9) Network in person with others in the blogsphere (I’m working on this too)
10) Write an Ebook (Nearly all the top blogers have something like this to offer. This is on my long term goal list).
11) Have good plug-ins (I love Google analytics)
Anyone else would like to add to the list?
Precisely, “Individuality” is the DNA of a Blogger. :)
Thanks for reinforcing some of my own thoughts. You do what works for you. Just off the top of my head and starting to take blogging seriously. These are some key items that I feel are important to me.
1) Learn from your mistakes and don’t beat yourself up. Learning WordPress and other software takes time.
2) Creativity-Do whatever works for you.
3) Have a presence on Twitter,You Tube, and Facebook. I’m still working on more content with You Tube and Facebook, though I cant stand Facebook there is an audience that cant be ignored. I didn’t realize how much I love Twitter.
4) Provide Value with Good/Interesting Content
5) Have a sense of humor
6) Leave comments on other blogs (Thanks Darren)
7) Persistence, Today Everyday
8) Know your audience ( I wish I had a large audience, but still working on and in progress)
9) Network in person with others in the blogsphere (I’m working on this too)
10) Write an Ebook (Nearly all the top bloggers have something like this to offer. This is on my long term goal list).
11) Have good plug-ins (I love Google analytics)
Anyone else would like to add to the list?
Sorry I hit the post button twice. My bad.
Love it. If being a successful blogger was to just follow 11 rules we’d all be famous. I’m glad you posted this but still feel tricked too. :p
Sneaky! I think that the most important thing is that bloggers be willing to LOOK and LEARN–then do that some more!
In other words, be ready to try new things, then see what happens. Because, as you have said, no two “successful” blogs made it big in the same way.
The idea that there are no rules feels good to me!
I’ve been focusing on my blog a lot lately and trying to figure out what works for me. This post reminds me that it is like everything in life…you need to explore and experiment and discover what works for you .
When you post a unique article with an appropriate title, you’re going to be first on search pages = visitors = success
As someone who is fairly new to the blogging community, I realize that these are definitely word of truth….No matter how much I try to be a DOOCE or a Meechy Monroe, I need to strive to be the best I AM Curly Locks blogger possible….Just do it…Once again a great post Darren.
Peace and Love,
I AM Curly Locks
Phew. Came in preparing to be depressed and leave a comment saying I’d broken all of them in the last week. But don’t think I have – not even one :)
Nice post. I am a new blogger. I want to blog the way I want and hope to reach others who have similar interests. I don’t think there is a technique to reach everyone on the web-sphere.
I fully agree with Nixon Press’s eleven points. I consider those points as the basics or all blogs.
I’m new to blogging and like the idea of not having to follow any specific rules; that instead I get to “find my own way”.
I’m so glad that you defended the idea of “there are no rules.” While my bog may not be the cup of tea everyone is looking for, I can say that I have subscribed to your idea of “find your own way.”
I really enjoy reading all of the insight you provide, even if our topics are miles apart!
Andee
:) I think that the main rule of blogging is to LEARN from succesul bloggers and implement this knowledge in your own writing and make your steps by following what you’ve learned. I learn A LOT from your books and ProBlogger and I already gain succes and my income is rising. Thanks to you Darren!