The document provides tips and rules for blogging, including blog for your target audience, self-host your blog for full control, maintain a professional mindset, post content daily, keep blog posts short but not thin, don't blog anonymously, include images, avoid light text on dark backgrounds, write killer headlines, promote your blog on social media, engage your audience, and consider ways to make money blogging such as monetizing, consulting, or speaking opportunities. Resources for WordPress, content writing, promotion, security, and blogging etiquette are also recommended.

1. Blogging-
Rules
Inspired by Book – “The Golden rules of Blogging –Robin
Houghton”
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Rules-Blogging-Robin-
Houghton/dp/1440339570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472961
238&sr=8-1&keywords=robin+houghton+golden

2. Blog for your target audience
– You may have a business blog which
should be targeting ideas, people
and readers.
– BLOG FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
– The moment when an experience
compels you to write and share and
makes you say that Yes this is what I
would like to share and blog about is
the exact moment you have become
blogger.
– Becoming blogger is easy as you may
decide to write for yourself, when
you want and based on utmost
desire to record and share
experience and ideas.

3. Always self host
– Professional bloggers prefer to self
host
– When you are self-hosted you are
really own your website and have full
control.
– You are better prepared to convert
your website to earning platform
– You can prepare a long-term online
presence, that’s what is
recommended
– why do people prefer to take service
of WordPress and Tumbler
– Security
– Design
– Cost, no need to pay for services of
web site development
– Convenience – I need not learn
technology

4. Have a professional mind-set
– If you are thinking of blogging do it
professionally and with al your heart.
Aim high in terms of quality of content
and professional look of the blog.
Visitors are likely to comeback to site
which is professionally kept.
– Accolade of “professional” is seen as a
standard aim for, and “amateur” tag
one should avoid.
– Professional doesn’t have to mean
corporate or impersonal
– Blog should have passion and
personality. These are important
elements to be kept while
maintaining a blog.
– If you are hobby blogger an
enthusiast blogger an I am doing this
for the love blogger, by all means be
as amateurish as you wish, and do
with it just what you want.

5. Post something everyday
– Some of the popular blogs have
content posted more frequently
– If the blog entries are made more
frequently then search engines present
such blogs on first pages
– Search engines always help to provide
visibility to blogs which are more
current and relevant than blogs which
are updated only once in month
– Some of the best blogs in the world
post new content almost every day
and at time several times in a day.
– Its recommended to post blog more
frequently but something which you
can manage and gives you ongoing
fodder to maintain the enthusiasm
– Don’t discount the importance of
morning routine: creative people can
struggle to get things done. Getting
up early to blog helps.

6. Short or Long Blogs
– Search engines punishes blogs which
are thin in their content, at-least
keep size of your blog to be 200-300
words.
– However the difference is also
between the short content and thin
content.
– Keep you blog short not thin with
original and concise and present your
views which offers value to readers.
– You may decide to keep lots of phots
and imaginary but keep blog
interesting and words.
– It actually also depends on the area
of blog . Book blogger may not do
justice through a short blog. Similarly
some blogs on technical topics as
well.
– If you intend to blog frequently then
a short blog suits.

7. Don’t be anonymous
– Readers do not appreciate the blogs
where the writer hides his face and
name.
– If you have blog for business
purposes then its another reason to
build trust online, be authentic and
open
– Bloggers who are truly anonymous
are the ones who are generally
indulged in activities which are
illegal – spamming, scamming, and
the dark web.
– Blogger may be anonymous at times
if that would affect their families, life
and jobs.
– You must have valid reason to be
anonymous.

8. Always include an image
– Every blog must contain at-least one
image.
– Blog with images are much more
appreciated as these do not seem
dry. Illustrate or make a point more
succinctly than mere words, they can
entertain, or they can set the mood.
– Popularity of websites like Flickr,
Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest are
good proof.
– Appropriateness to have an image is
also important consideration
– However a clichéd, Stock image can
deter readers
– If you are taking your own photos
then make sure they are properly
cropped and composition is good.
– Use free photo editing tools available
try them out and have fun.

9. Avoid light text on a dark
background
– Light coloured text on dark
background is difficult to read and
not soothing to eyes.
– White on dark goes in specific topics
like when its about horror, cars,
gaming, photography, technology or
web design.
– White on black is very much kicking
but you need to have very good
reason for opting for it.

10. Killer headlines are essentials
– The title of Blog is really important,
many writers spend considerable
time in finalising one.
– If you do not pay attention to this
rule you may find the visitor numbers
dwindle and suffer.
– This rule may not be so important in
case your purpose of writing is not to
garner viewership or business is the
motivation behind it.
– The goal of good headline is to draw
the reader into your post
– First three words and last three
words of the headlines must stand
out

11. Publicise your blog posts on
social media
– In case you want to attract many
viewers to read your post its
important that you Promote,
promote, promote.
– Do it on as many different platforms
as possible.
– - Make use of the tools which help to
automate this process
– - Idea is simple - spray and pray
– DO share and like another people’s
update and blogs generously.
– I think here rule of Karma also comes
into play
– You reap what you saw
– Do not over promote to make other
feel irritated
– Remember unless your blog is instant
and wide appeal its unlikely to be
shared much at all.

12. Engage your Audience
– This is surely a twenty-first century
marketing buzz word or mantra
– When readers are actually engaged they are
surely to comeback and share your blog
with other in their own network
– Everything in life seem to be reinforce the
incentive and reward loop
– Content is king
– Content which inspires
– Content that connects with emotions- make
them cry, laugh or shock them in
amazement
– Content that tells stories tat takes people on
– Acknowledging great comments, thanking
people who have subscribed, inviting
readers to guest post is great way of starting
an engagement
– Try holding odd polls or competition
– Its an art to produce great blog posts,
bloggers who continue to share their
passion in original ways and creating
valuable blogs that engage readers.

13. Making money blogging
– People are making money specially
the early movers as they sized the
opportunity when the blogosphere
was relatively small and there are
fortunes to be made.
– One may not get direct financial
advantage from writing a blog but
this may ring consulting work,
speaking engagements, writing jobs,
and the business partnerships might
all come the way of a successful
blogger.
– What remains an essential element
to make money while blogging is
– Willingness to work hard and be in
situation you lack essentials for well
being
– Requires year of determination, self
belief and the ability to convert luck
and opportunity to their advantage.

14. Resources recommended
– General advice
– WordPress
https://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-
org/
– http://www.copyblogger.com/#
– http://problogger.com/podcast/
– How to write a great blog content from
Problogger
– http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-
great-blog-content/
– http://mashable.com/2013/07/19/blog-design-
tips/#hoKEWs42naqC
– http://www.incomediary.com/make-your-blog-stand-out-
from-the-crowd
– https://blog.kissmetrics.com/how-typography-affects-
conversions/
– Promotion
– http://kikolani.com/blog-post-promotion-tips.html
– Security
– http://websynthesis.com/advanced-wordpress-security
– Etiquette
– http://www.tots100.co.uk/2013/09/17/top-tips-for-
blogger-etiquette/