The Golden Rules of Blogging

by Robin Houghton

Do you really need to post every day to make your blog a success? Is it true you should never steal stuff? Can anyone make money from a blog? Blogging hasnt been around for ever, and yet any blogger will tell you there are rules what to do, what not to do, the facts. But where did they come from? And should we be breaking them? Designed for bloggers of all levels of experience, this book takes a hard look at twenty-eight of the blogospheres golden rules and shows you when, why and how to break them. Illustrated with real-life Blogger Stories and examples plus Expert Comments from those whove learned the hard way, The Golden Rules of Blogging (and When to Break Them) will give you a fresh perspective on blogging. Out with the rules? You decide!

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Business

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2015

About the author

I'm the author of 'Blogging for Creatives' (Ilex 2012) and two more blogging books forthcoming in 2015. I'm also a published and award-winning poet with work in The Rialto, the North, Agenda, Poetry News and other good UK poetry publications.) My pamphlet "The Great Vowel Shift' is available from Telltale Press.

I help authors, poets and all kinds of writers to establish and improve their online social web presence, from optimising their social profiles to engaging on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online networks. My services include mentoring and training for groups or individuals.

My free newsletter "Social Media Essentials for Writers" goes out every two weeks - you can sign up for it and read the blog at www.socialmediaforwriters.co.uk

My online experience goes way back - I hand-coded my first website in 1999 and my first HTML email newsletter in 2000. Since then I've worked exclusively in online marketing and communications, advising organisations, small businesses and communications teams in social (media) business communications. I've also written hundreds of articles for professional, business and consumer publications including Hotelkeeper and Caterer, Classical Music, Dine Out and Market Leader. I've been blogging for many years and have guest blogged for Friday Ad, the Marketing Society, Marketing Profs, BritMums and others.

Reviews

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than trying to be prescriptive, The Golden Rules of Blogging is written in the spirit of knowing the rules before you break them. Whether you are breaking or following any given rule, this title can help you think about why you are doing it, and whether it is worth reconsidering. The sections are short, and as such you might wish to do more research before making a final decision, but the rules can get you started thinking about the pros and cons, rather than assuming you have to do something. read more

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually has pretty good advice for bloggers, mostly for beginners, but I can definitely follow one or two (or more) of them in order to be better at what I do. Some of the comments and bloggers' stories sounded to me like advertising and plain promotion, but you can easily overlook them and take up on the advice. A light read, probably will come back to some of the bullets from time to time.

[Word Revel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial thoughts: This book consists of 28 blogging rules to helps bloggers succeed. Each rule is accompanied by an importance rating from low to high, explaining when or why these rules could or might be broken. This is followed by anecdotes from selected bloggers. The organisation was very clear and it's evident that a lot of thought went into presenting these tips. If you're new to blogging or used to blog on a personal diary-type basis but want to start reaching out to an audience, The Golden Rules of Blogging is a helpful starting point.

However, in the introduction Houghton claimed that these rules would be useful to not only new bloggers but seasoned ones as well. I've blogged nearly three years in my niche, so I'd consider myself fairly seasoned. None of those rules were new to me. Some of the rules offered some thoughts behind the importance of them, which I appreciated because at least it helped me evaluate a little about where I stand as blogger. Beyond that, the annex with links to resources pointed me to more in-depth information.

[Rhonda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a very simple structure. For each of the 28 blogging "rules", there are 4 pages covering a description of the rule, its origin, when to break the rule, a comment from a blogger and a comment from an expert. Each rule has a risk factor icon (low, medium, high), which I think was supposed to represent the risk of breaking the "rule", but often the risk factor didn't match the text.

The cover and every second page was printed on pretend recycled/textured brown paper, which just made it harder to read. Why do designers do this?

If you are a blogger yourself or read blogs, you will have probably have your opinion on these rules anyway.

[Bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the insight I gained from this book and certainly learned a lot about blogging from another's perspective, however I definitely feel as though the information it gave was targeted towards those aiming to make money from blogging and promote business, and this has never been the intention for my blog. Due to this, I only gave it three stars because personally I didn't agree with the corporate, 'IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS' tactic it promoted, but I get how it would work for those who intend to use blogging as a source of income.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was written in 2015–which is ancient times when it comes to the internet–I found some of the rules and advice still applicable today. Robin Houghton lays out 28 rules for bloggers, defines them, assigns a risk management scale to breaking them, and includes comments from seasoned bloggers from that time period.

I liked the layout of the book. The sections and information is standardized, easy to read, and consistent. I also liked that the book was printed using recycled paper. It has a nice feel and weight the seems to go beyond the book itself as if the knowledge it contains is weighty and important.

Most of the rules are good and can be applied to your writing no matter if you’re running your own blog or writing articles on platforms like Medium and Substack. Some of the rules are geared toward self-hosting your blog, and a few are not rules, such as, “Anyone Can Make Money From Blogging (Rule #24). This is not a rule. It can’t be adhered to nor broken. It’s an assumption or an assertion. I have somewhat the same complaint with Rule #22 “Guest Posting Helps with SEO.” This is more like advice than a rule.

But other than these minor flaws, I think the book and the content has held up well and would be valuable to bloggers as well as all online writers. One rule that always holds true is to know the rules before breaking them. But this old axiom shouldn’t preclude trying out new things when there are no rules.

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Do you really need to post every day to make your blog a success? Is it true you should never steal stuff? Can anyone make money from a blog? Blogging hasn’t been around for ever, and yet any blogger will tell you there are rules what to do, what not to do, the facts. But where did they come from? And should we be breaking them? Designed for bloggers of all levels of experience, this book takes a hard look at twenty-eight of the blogospheres golden rules and shows you when, why and how to break them. Illustrated with real-life Blogger Stories and examples plus Expert Comments from those who’ve learned the hard way, The Golden Rules of Blogging (and When to Break Them) will give you a fresh perspective on blogging. Out with the rules? You decide! ‘
This book was great.
I was very excited to get my hands on this book. I will admit I was worried about how much I would learn from it, or if I was maybe too amateur for any of the tips to apply to me. As it turns out, I was worried about nothing.
With explanations, simple tips, expert advice and case studies from actual bloggers, there is something in this book for everyone regardless of your skill level or blog niche.
I really enjoyed learning about where the rules of blogging actually came from, and how and when it is okay to bend or break them. It was also great to hear from actual bloggers about their experiences and what they have learned.
Robin Houghton did a fantastic job with this book. It was full of useful information and it was really easy to understand. I am excited to go and put some of what I have learnt from this book into practice.
The Golden Rules of Blogging by Robin Houghton is a must read for all bloggers.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

[Mitch]

Some notes:

Learn the rules before you break them
Have a target audience
Have a professional mindset
Stats matter
Post something everyday for the algorithm
Keep it short, not thin.
Find a niche
Call to action / ending with a question is important
Don't blog about yourself
Don't be anonymous
Always include atleast one image
80% of engagement is in the headline
Publicize on socials
Comment regularly on other blogs
Keep it scannable, uncluttered, clean
Don't plagiarize; paraphrasing or using an image constantly posted can still be plagiarism
Optimize with keywords
Measure with numbers
Develop blogging buddies
Guest posting helps SEO
Engage your audience
Email lists are important
Make content shareable with high quality posts
Ease up on the hard sell
Know all the rules before you begin

[LadyS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book and was immediately able to apply the concepts. Its not a thorough book but rather a no -frills book for the novice blogger (or for someone contemplating). The golden rules are very practical, and the explanations are succinct. Something notable is that the author is not forceful in the presentation; therefore the reader is free to take the advice or leave it. Lastly, I appreciate that the book provided feedback and advice from successful bloggers.
I have noted the rules that I believe are most applicable to me. "Have fun" is the most important. Although this was not explicitly stated in the book, I got the impression that "having fun" with your blog is paramount and will make the experience worthwhile and creative.

[Anca Zaharia · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte cu 28 de reguli de urmat dacă ești creator de conținut la început de drum, pentru că e foarte bine structurată și e concisă, afli clar și repede ce pași ai de urmat dacă ai un blog sau un site pe care vrei să-l crești făcând ceea ce îți place, fie că asta înseamnă să scrii despre cărți sau grădinărit, gătit sau modă.

Dacă ai experiență în acest domeniu și faci asta constant, sunt șanse mari să nu ai nevoie de cartea lui #RobinHoughton decât ca reminder pentru unele reguli pe care poate că ai început să le încalci fără să o gândești prea mult într-un context care să ia în calcul atât avantajele, cât și dezavantajele.

Dacă, în schimb, te afli la primii pași în alcătuirea unei comunități în jurul unui blog... https://bit.ly/3cL0sfp

[Bdani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided me with a lot of valuable insight as I am researching how to become a blogger and, more importantly, what kind of blogger I want to be. Regardless if you are in the planning stages of creating a blog or a seasoned blogging pro, this book will offer you important tips and many concepts on which to reflect. The writing style was engaging and easy to read, allowing me to finish the book in one sitting.

[L.J. Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great place to start with tips and tricks for getting your "blog" on. It's finally pushed me out of my analysis paralysis that I was suffering. Now I'm off to Strat planning and writing on my own site.

Let's get this party started!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful guide to blogging, outlining the 28 'golden rules', how you can break them with a danger rating (low, medium, high), followed by two testimonials of successful bloggers. An accessible, informative guide.

[Francesca Dalida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an aspiring blogger so I can’t really tell anyone if his “rules” will yield good results. However, I do like the clear and concise manner the author used to discuss the so-called golden rules of blogging as well as their limitations. For good, clear writing, I will give it 4⭐️

[Jonathan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published in 2015. Some of the blogs, web systems referenced are either long gone or are under different names or titles. Still, I got a lot from this book. Knowledge and inspiration. It was well worth the read!

[Debbie Belair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives you the basics of blogging. It's a quick read and a gem of a book for your shelf.
It shows you how to optimize searches with keywords.

[Book Tasting · Rating 4 out of 5]

very useful

[Radu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is just on point

[Piyush Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a must read book if you are interested in blogging or want to advance in that. Multiple blogging rules are listed in the book along with expert advises, examples and when to deviate from the rules. This book was given to me by my spouse and it really proved to be a treat.

[Axtynora Vallenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, this book was an easy read. Rules were straightforward, comprehensible language, visually appealing text, the whole package. As far as other things, I feel like this book really hit home base for me. It got to the basics, introduced other views and opinions on each tip, and even included a bit of an emotional ride in one or two of the rules. Even though I feel like I definitely could start blogging after reading this, I would still find another book that would be a little more stretched, as far as explaining the very basics of it all, with a guide to the technical side as well. But with that being said, I feel like this book is for the general basics of a beginning blogger who's either looking to produce a professional blog, or just a well known one. Not necessarily for a blog that's just for fun, I guess. Although, there are still tips in there for that particular aim. For people who fit the latter, I mean, this book isn't for that but it still touches that part depending on your personal goal.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of this is geared towards professional bloggers so wasn't all that relevant to me. It was interesting to read these golden rules and to see how some of them are already outmoded. Things change fast in the virtual world. What was particularly interesting to me was seeing how people who have been PR marketing type people have guided the progression of blogging. Seems the most successful bloggers have been PR types!

[Alexandra Daw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully designed little book. Short and easy to read, it presents 28 rules of blogging with expert commentary for and against following the rules. There are cute little thermometers which indicate the risk (low to high) of not following each rule. A handy diagnostic tool for performing a checkup on the health of your blog.

[Aspasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these rules will be instinctive if you already have writing skills and know the rules of grammar and know basic design principles. Some rules will be common sense and others will be new-to-you.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice, quick read. Mentions 28 rules, but each rules has exceptions, and it lists them along with the risk associated with breaking them. Only about four pages devoted to each rule, so it doesn't take long to read.

[Kati Polodna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little book about blogging's common conceptions and when to challenge them.

[Pernille Glad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dejlig letlæst bog, med regler, modsigelser, udtalelser for bloggere og fra eksperter. Giver fin inspiration.

[Meg Walck · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll be featuring my review on my blog, www.walckthisway.com. Overall, waste of time.

[Meg Walck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read my thoughts on my blog: http://www.walckthisway.com/2015/12/t...

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book had lots of good advice on running your own blog. Much of it is common sense, but you will still find some good resources from top bloggers.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd recommend this book to blogging beginners. A quick read with blogging rules and when to break them.