Great Blog Behavior

Great blog behavior isn’t so hard, if you understand how bloggers think of themselves and their blogs. When you arrive as a visitor, it’s much like arriving at someone’s home. The blogger has invested personal effort into what you see and read there. So respect for the blog and the blogger is in order.

It’s also fair that the blogger should expect respect from readers. Here’s a nice list of behaviors that, with some editing to fit an individual blog’s corporate style, could serve as a guideline for great blog behavior.

Great Blog Behavior

1. Look around the blog and read through some posts and comments before you speak up. Your comments are welcome and more than invited, but every blog has a personality and we want you to feel comfortable with ours before you say something that could be misunderstood. When you do comment, think before you write and as if you are in a discussion with all of the commenters. Folks will recognize that your comment has substance and take you and your comment more seriously.

2. Listen also for the culture. Every blog has traditions and mores just as each person’s home does. Certain types of behavior are acceptable and others are not. Respect the rules of the house.

3. Be generous of spirit and defer to the blogger, who will surely defer to you. It’s his or her house. Don’t point out errors to people you don’t know. Talk about ideas. If you see an error in print send an email, or point out incorrect information softly by saying, “you might be interested to know that they’ve found out . . .”

4. Each blog has it’s own rules about leaving links in comments. A look around might tell you whether it’s okay to do so. Even so, a link without a comment is impolite. It says, “Come to my blog. This discussion isn’t as interesting as mine is.”

5. Come with the beginner’s mind. Give bloggers room to be generous and helpful. Expect things and they will expect you to keep on moving.

6. Know that being clever or teasing often backfires. Feelings get hurt and thoughts get misunderstood. Words in print can be taken in many ways.

7. If you leave a comment that argues a point or asks a question, come back to read the responses. If you don’t return, it appears that you believe you have the last authoritative word on the subject. It’s not good to appear to be a know-it-all.

Great blog behavior brings people together. People who read us learn things, and get to know us. Sometimes they comment and a conversation starts. Next thing you know there’s a relationship happening.

Relationship are how business are built.

Liz Strauss