There is a movement to “Blog with Integrity” which is an essential standard blogger should follow.
Honest In Blogging
* Be Honest – If you aren’t earning a million dollars yet, don’t tell people that you are. It’s okay to admit that you’re learning to and struggling.
Blog with Integrity: If you had a food blog, and didn’t try a recipe, don’t say you did. The best way to ensure that your audience trusts you is to be trustworthy and honest about everything you say.
* Don’t Plagiarize – Some people still don’t understand what plagiarism is. If you aren’t sure and don’t assume that you know, please read more about what piracy is.
It’s just not okay to use other people’s work without asking, crediting, and paying for the privilege. That includes photographs, artwork, blog posts, articles on the news, and so forth.
Blog with Integrity – When you write something, or have it printed, run it through a plagiarism checker like Copyscape or Grammarly.
More information about plagiarism link
What is Plagiarism – http://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism
Examples of Plagiarism – https://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/plagiarism/
Plagiarism Online Resources – http://www.copyscape.com/resources.php
Copyscape link – http://www.copyscape.com/
Grammarly link – http://www.grammarly.com/
* Don’t Spam Anyone – Many blogs are often sent automatically to email subscribers. Be sure to use a double opt-in form for newsletter subscribers and explain that they will receive blog updates, and then ensure blogs themselves can’t be considered spam.
Monitor the comments on your blog for spam to help protect your visitors from those who would harm them.
* Disclose Financial Relationships – If you have been paid to provide a review, or you will receive income if your readers click through to buy something from a specific study, it is essential that you disclose it openly.
There is nothing wrong with earning money on your blog, and there is no reason to hide it. Disclose everything and be transparent.
* Be Willing to Admit Mistakes – It happens. You try out a product or service and love it, but maybe you didn’t dig deep enough and did not realize they had terrible customer service or were unscrupulous in other ways.
It’s okay to come out and say so later and admit that you made a mistake. The more open you are about your imperfections, the more people will trust you.
* Be Respectful – Even if you are calling out another blogger or business owner about something you disagree with, it is essential to do so in a professional, respectful manner.
There is never a reason to be nasty or rude to anyone. If someone makes a comment you do not like on your blog, remember – people are watching to see how you will react. Keep it respectful even when others don’t.
* Allow Contrary Comments and Feedback – Receiving criticism is hard. It can hurt very badly and for some of us, even make us cry.
But, it’s crucial to allow disagreements and contrary opinions on your comment streams. Delete spam, but let other people have their views; it won’t take away from yours.
* Take Responsibility – If you’ve recommended a product that turned out to be a dud, and the owners of the product will not stand up and do what’s right, it’s up to you to do something to make it better.
Take responsibility for your words, too. If you said something wrong, or that taken wrong, step back and admit your part in any problems.
Whether your blog is written by you only, ghost wrote, or you have rewritten PLR on the blog, it’s your responsibility to fact check, check for plagiarism and ensure the truth of all the content you distribute.
Even if you don’t want to sign the pledge, there is something to be said about blog with integrity.
Pledge to Blog with Integrity
Blog with Integrity: The main point being that you will feel right about your business, you’ll be proud to tell people what you do, and you’ll feel right about every penny you earn and every piece of content that you put out into the world.
If you enjoyed today’s article, “Blog with Integrity.” If these tools helped you in any way, please share the tools with others.
On Forums, on your Blog, with your email list – anywhere and everywhere you can post it. If You want more content Tweet Me.
…Are you ready to do something BIGGER and MORE Powerful? Connect and Hangout with me on Facebook. I would love to stay in touch!
Please leave your questions and comments below. I would love to get your Feedback!