Inc.com’s The Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Blog brings up some really good points. I liked “A weblog is a two-way conversation, not a top-down communication medium” and “Know why you are blogging”:

Sounds like common sense, but stating why you’ve decided to start a weblog can quickly put into perspective what you expect to get from it. “You shouldn’t be doing it just because it’s the latest trend,” Chaney says. You need to determine how the weblog will serve your organization: Will its primary purpose be to build brand awareness? Do you want to establish yourself as an expert in a field to better highlight your company’s expertise? Will it be used to simply alert people to company news and information? Are you more interested in using it as an internal vehicle for updating employees? Knowing what you’re setting out to do with your weblog will help define what you’ll write about — and keep you focused on your primary effort.

I thought I’d add my own top 10 things you need to know before you blog.

• Everyone has an opinion - make yours count with facts, references, and validity.
• Content, content, content, content, links, content, links, content, content, content, content.
• Be prepared for time spent 70% blogging and 30% maintenance and updating, though at first it might be 40% blogging and 60% maintenance until you get the knack.
• Reach out to more than just friends and relatives. Speak to the world, or at least a larger audience.
• Want to be found and noticed - think SEO and keywords.
• Spell check. Spell check. Spell check. Grammar check. Spell check.
• Write in complete sentences.
• Don’t assume.
• Don’t read minds or assume others are reading yours.
• Be gracious and thank those who contribute and help you blog.

Here are a few more resources listing things you should know before you blog.

• How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else)
• C|Net’s guide to workplace blogging
• The Bloggers’ Rights Blog
• Eight things I wish I’d known when I started
• The Overview of Legal Liability Issues FAQ
• The Bloggers’ FAQ on Online Defamation Law
• The Bloggers’ FAQ on Section 230 Protections
• The Bloggers’ FAQ on Intellectual Property
• The Bloggers’ FAQ on Privacy
• Stephen’s Web - How to be Heard
• Adam Kalsey - Articles on How to Blog
• Blogging on the Job
• How Blogging Can Impact Your Job Search
• Why Blogging Matters to Businesses
• Wikibook: Blogging 101

Remember, it is your responsibility to know your blogging rights, what you can and cannot do on your blog. Freedom of Speech is a right and a privilege. As a privilege, there are rules. Claiming you didn’t know after the fact doesn’t work. Know before you blog.

Related Articles

• What to Do When Someone Steals Your Content
• Finding Stolen Content and Copyright Infringements
• The Growing Trends in Content Theft
• 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Blog
• Freedom of Speech - Bloggers Legal Rights

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