#MMONBI post 2 - Blogging Booboos

Ancient made me laugh when she wrote her blogging tips that I thought I would make a formal Blogging BooBoos post.

We all make mistakes when blogging and sometimes they have interesting results!  Here are some things I've learned during my short blogging career.

#1 Forgetting to give credit where it's due

If you use something from somewhere else, make sure you link back to that post or give credit!  You don't want someone getting a bee in their bonnet about you plaguarising when all you wanted to do was comment on something that they'd written about or wanted to share with other people.   Ironyca wrote a post about someone plaguarising her articles, and I remember after reading that I was totally paranoid about trying to make sure that I would give credit every time I wrote something that was inspired or taken from someone else.  Then I got an email once from Windsoar because I used a picture from her post and I was convinced after that she hated me! (Though I think now maybe I was just being paranoid)

#2 Put in the right details when commenting

If you want someone to visit your blog and you leave comments on theirs, put a linkback to your own blog in it so they can find you and read what you have to say and see who this lovely person who visited was.  I had the wrong details on my gravatar for quite a while... OMG I felt so silly.  All that lost traffic!!!

#3 Writing in anger CAN lead to regret

Sometimes you are so cranky and mad about something you write and then hit publish, not caring what you say because it's your blog, your thoughts - but like real life, you shouldn't do things when you're angry.  Write your piece, save it to draft, and then when you've calmed down, come back and read it and if you feel the same way still, and can cope with any backlash, then hit publish.  Laurence J Peter said, "Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." So yes, you may be more eloquent when angry - passion brings out the best writing in most of us.  Some people are lucky and can get away with it without too much hassle or abuse, but not everyone.   I'm not the only one who is scared of posting when mad - one of my dear friends restrains from posting when angry because she suffers from fuckityfuckityfuck disease...

#4 Keep them keen, keep content clean!

I'm not talking about swear words or filthy language.  I'm talking about what you write about in a post.  When you title your post, make sure you make it clear what you're talking about, so people can search for you and when you're writing, try to stick to that topic.  I have found the best and most memorable posts are a discussion about a single topic rather than talking about lots of different ideas in one post.  Also, it makes it easier for people to search and find your blog if you have a clear title and topic.

#5 OMG I can't find anything on your blog!

A search function on your blog is REALLY useful!  I wish everyone would have one because then I could go to their blog and search for that post that I was sure they wrote some time in February.  If I have to spend 20 minutes going through your archives trying to find that post you wrote about patch 4.2 changes I could go to google and find it somewhere else.

#6 Trying to be something you're not

Be yourself!  Don't try to write like someone else or do what someone else does just because they do well at that doesn't mean that's going to work for you.  But at the same time, just because someone else is writing about something (eg achievements in Mists of Pandaria) doesn't mean you can't write about it too if you want to, because you'll still get hit by those search engines if you post!  Often the temptation is to try to copy those who are doing well because you would like to be successful like them, but sometimes, it is all about being different that really makes you interesting.  I wanted to write about druid things (like Beruthiel, Jasyla and Lissanna), but I found that I much preferred talking about my guild, my adventures, battles and achievements and mistakes because they were funny (because not everyone is an elite raider who executes a perfect raid every time!).  So once you find your armchair and footrest, you'll know!  It will just seem to fit you that much better.

#7 Not replying your comments

Everyone wants to be read.  Everyone wants to be noticed and that includes your readers!  If you treat each and every one of your readers like a valued voice, then they will come back time and time again.  I always feel sad when people don't reply my comments on their blogs, but those who do reply, I keep coming back to their blog to see what else they have to say to me.  It's like a conversation - you need two people to have one.  So be reactive and proactive, readers are like customers - give us good service and we'll come back for more.

I doubt that I've imparted any wisdom onto you, but I hope that next time you blog, you remember some of these little things so you don't feel like you've made a big blogging blunder.

I have learned more from my mistakes than my successes.