My Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers

Darren Rowse at Problogger.net had a challenge this week

His challenge was to other bloggers to join him in a blogging community project and post on the Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers. I am joining in and volunteering these Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers. Since I am just starting into blogging, I am writing based on what I have seen in other effective blogs. While working on this list, I have come to realize that I have some weak areas that I will need to work on for my blog to be more effective.

The first Habit of Highly Effective Bloggers is posting regularly

The least effective blogs are those that do not have posts on any regular basis. Even bloggers with great content appear to have given up when no post has been made in a month. The blog appears abandoned.

I think regular posting is the most important aspect of a Highly Effective Blogger. There is no need to make 10 posts a day. One post every two weeks is enough, as long as it is at a regular interval.The reader must be able to expect when there is something new to have a reason to return.

Habit Two of Highly Effective Bloggers is the constant creation of original content

Too many blogs simply quote something by someone else and ask what the reader thinks about it. There is no explanation of any point of view by the blogger. Effective bloggers create their own content. Effective Bloggers express their own opinion an a topic. They do not just parrot another source.

Habit Three of Highly Effective Bloggers is that they give to the community

Highly effective bloggers share their knowledge to help other bloggers improve. Darren Rowse , Yaro Stark , and Lorelle VanFlossen are just three that come to mind. These bloggers share their experiences and encourage others as they start to blog. There are many other bloggers that I have come across that follow this principal.

By sharing their knowledge and experience, bloggers become an important resource on the Web. It does not matter what the topic of a blog is, when real experience is shared through a blog, the entire Internet community is educated and improved.

Habit Four of Highly Effective Bloggers an effort to make their posts readable

No one has perfect grammar. No one spells every word right in every post. Everyone makes mistakes now and then.

Yet, highly effective bloggers follow as many grammatical rules as they can. Highly effective blogs do not require a secret decoder ring to decipher shorthand Web-speak (is that a word?). The blog is not written like a license plate of a mobile phone message. It is easy to read as long as you are familiar with English (or whatever spoken language the blog is written in). By following these rules, a blog is open to a larger community.

Habit Five of Highly Effective Bloggers is listing their sources

While original content in a blog is a primary habit, quoting or writing about what someone else says on a subject can be effective. Many blogs are based on recent news articles in media or other blogs. A habit of highly effective bloggers is they give the source due credit whenever possible.

In giving the source to the reader, highly effective blogger allows the reader to form his or her own opinion and to see what the context is. It gives the reader the option to agree or disagree with the bloggers statement about the source. I find that by giving the reader this option, the blogger often gives his or her own views further credibility.

Habit Six of Highly Effective Bloggers is honesty

Highly effective bloggers are honest with their readers. While honesty in a product review is always needed and expected, honesty in other aspects of blogging are just as important. It is important in a product referral to be honest if you have actually used the product. It is also important not to recommend a product that the blogger thinks is bad. No matter what the potential profit a blogger may make from referrals.

Highly effective bloggers are honest in other matters also. They do not copy content and present it as their own. They are honest when they have made a mistake. They do not click on PPC ads on their blog to gain a few extra pennies (a real problem). They treat the work of others as they would like to have their work treated.

The Seventh Habit of Highly Effective Bloggers is community participation

Very important for new bloggers but also important for established bloggers, is reading blogs with related content and subject matter and commenting on them. While some blogs do not accept comments or trackbacks, participating in blogs that do is one way of helping them. Even if you disagree with what is said, a polite comment when asked for is just like lending a hand when someone asks for it. A trackback is also effective.

By participating in other blogs you help reinforce the human contact that makes a blog different than a website. This helps both you and the blog you comment on add this human element to the community.

OK, there are my Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers

• Blog regularly
• Have original content
• Give to the community and add value to the Internet
• Make posts readable
• List sources
• Honesty
• Participate in the community

I am sure that a year from now I will have others to add to this list

I also believe that if I make an effort to follow just these seven habits, I'll see my blog improve.