We live in the Golden Age of Blogging. So many marketing departments, so many product stories to tell. Blogs have replaced press kits as the humanizing touch behind the corporate façade. Of course most blogs, whether personal or professional, are short-lived. Writers lose interest, sales departments migrate to Facebook or Twitter; analysts have a hard time quantifying results. But when a blog succeeds, developing an audience, it can become required reading in its field. Debates follow, as space allows, in the comment section.
But how much should you really say? When is insider insight too much? Here are ten rules to follow when your user name doesn’t really mean you’re anonymous.
1. Blogmasters have the power of delete. Don’t waste your time disagreeing with someone who you know in advance will simply make your well-reasoned reply disappear.
2. Never write anything online you wouldn’t want your boss or your clients to read. Or your next boss for that matter – since it’s standard operating procedure these days for companies to Google prospective employees. Remember – you’re always bound by client confidentiality, even online.
3. Don’t feed the rumor mill. If you work for a publicly traded company, or your blogger buddy does, it’s best not to speculate too much on anything that could have an impact on share price.
4. Opposing points of view are the foundation of legitimate debate. Big difference between disagreement and abusive bombast though. Just because you can’t see the person on the other side of your computer screen doesn’t mean he or she isn’t there. Insults hurt. More importantly, they can damage your own credibility and reputation.
5. Cite your sources if your argument relies on little known facts. Hint: other blogs are not a source.
6. Stay on topic. When a blogger spends three hours and five hundred words writing eloquently about widgets, he or she doesn’t care about the great movie you and your wife saw last night. And neither do other readers.
7. Never plagiarize. Searching the blogosphere for the perfect words to mirror your own thoughts just isn’t done. Etiquette and your high school English teacher say the same thing here: don’t. Always give credit where credit is due.
8. And while we’re on the topic of your high school English teacher, try to use correct spelling and grammar, and proper punctuation. We realize that most blog comments are written in haste – we save our best writing for our own blogs, of course! Mistakes happen, typos crop up. Still, the Internet is a public space and your writing ability is one of the things you’re judged by.
9. Don’t spam. Most blog comment boxes have a line under the space for name and email where you can link to your own blog or website. That should be sufficient for all but the most hardened self-promoter.
10. If you find yourself in disagreement with the blogs you read more often than you find common ground, it’s time to start your own blog.
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