Good Etiquette for the Modern Blogger – Day 3…

Welcome to Day 3….

Thanks again for all of your continued support of this week!! There is some great discussion occuring in the comments sections so just be sure you read the comments as well 🙂

It really looks like there’s a need for us to officially address the “no reply” blogger issue & also address some other blogger basics. I’m not a blogger pro by any stretch of the imagination – but I will try & cover some of the basics that I have learnt on Sunday when I wrap up & do a summary of the week, since they seem to be so requested. So if you have any specific Blogger questions of “how-tos” be sure to let me know in the comments section & I’ll do my best to cover them on Sunday 🙂

Today we will hear from Jennie over at Clover & Violet. Surprise surprise, Jennie is another one of my Flickr swap buddies – are you noticing the trend yet LOL… If you love handbags (what woman doesn’t) then you will love Jennie’s work. Plenty of eye-candy over at her blog for sure for sure!! Welcome Jennie & thanks for sharing with us today!!

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Hello!  I’m Jennie and I blog over at Our Blissful Lives {by Clover & Violet}.  I have a one-year-old who keeps me very busy, but if I get a break I try to tear myself away from all the beautiful blogs and Flickr photos online to actually do some quilting of my own.  My mom and I own Clover & Violet {the shop} where we sell our original quilted bag patterns.

I’ve been blogging for about three and a half years, the last two with the Clover & Violet blog {the first were a personal blog that I keep private}.  I started blogging to keep friends and family updated with our lives, and then, when my mom and I began our shop venture, a blog seemed like a natural part of the online experience.  I have come to find blogging a great motivation to keep sewing, quilting, and exploring new things to share with our readers.  It is also a great opportunity to get to know some friends you may not have otherwise encountered.  Here are a few things I’ve learned about blogging:

1. Keep it positive.  The easiest way to avoid negative comments on your blog is to only blog about positive things {I have yet to encounter a negative comment}.  If you have a bad day, or a bad experience, rant to your sister, mom, best friend, boyfriend or husband, but not to your blog readers.  I read an article by Karen Tessandore in Artful Blogging (Fall 2010) about being positive in blogging, and it has shaped my view of the blogging world.  Now, when I’m tempted to write about something not-so-pleasant, I instead try to find something more positive to write about, and usually it cheers me up too!

2. Ask permission.  By now you have probably heard about the need to ask permission before reposting anything someone else has posted because it belongs to them.  But, as a blogger {especially if you have a public blog that you’re hoping to attract people to} you should also always ask permission before posting photos of anyone you know in real life {especially if those photos contain children}, or posting links to your friends and families personal blogs.  Just as you have been given the choice of how much information you want to share, your friends and family should be given the same.

3. Be original, generous, and quick.  With the wealth of information readily available on the Internet, it has become more difficult to come up with ideas that you can’t find anywhere else.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had an idea and put it on the back burner, only to see it somewhere else later.  Read this post and you’ll see what I mean.  So, when you have an idea, get it out there as quickly as you can.  But, also remember to be generous too, if you see someone else doing something very similar to what you’ve done.
One other tip I have to new bloggers is to make use of Flickr for your photos.  By  having all your photos linked to the originals on Flickr you can more easily control the sharing of said photos.  That way, when someone clicks on your photo they will be redirected to Flickr instead of a larger image of the photo that is easily taken.  And, if you’re looking for some print inspiration for your virtual blog, I’d like to recommend Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey, it is beautiful to look at and full of tips, ideas, and inspiration.

I hope all these few tips help you on your way to creating a beautiful, imaginative blog that is a great addition to the blogging community.  It can take a while to truly find your blogging voice, but keep going until you do!   Happy blogging!