ArtsyJolieGirl.com is a Year old and to celebrate I am sharing my Top 10 Commandments of the Blogosphere!

1) “Thou art the creator and source of thou blog post ideas, photo’s and quotes.” If you are not ensure to add the web-link/credit of the source of a photo you’re using, reference the quote you’re copying and do your best to add an original twist to your blog posts.

2) “Thou shalt not maketh your blog a copycat of what is out there in the blogosphere.” Continue to cultivate your writer’s voice whilst challenging yourself to write and present ideas in a compelling and unique angle.

3) “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”

4) “Remember the blogger’s Sabbath day, or week or month.” It is good to take time out of blogging once you have a consistent, daily stream of readers (regardless of amount). Take for example the time I took June 2015 away from blogging. I left a static blog post highlighting my one month sabbatical and directed folks to The Artsy Jolie Girl Official Facebook Page. Upon my return in July 2015 my daily readership increased despite going M.I.A. Remember a consistent readership must first be cultivated before you attempt this. The way to create that is by following these commandments and keeping a consistent blogging schedule even if it is only once a week you upload a new post. One blog post a week is 52 articles in a year! That is a great amount of digital footprint already!

5) “Honour thy blogging intentions and desires don’t succumb to changing thy tone or topics to what is popular or currently trending.” Stay true to your passions! Unless you specifically blog about a topic bound by current affairs such as economics or a politics etc.

6) “Thou shalt create compelling content.” From adding a photo to creating a catchy title never forget how essential these basics are to driving traffic to your blog.

7) “Thou shalt include large and high quality photos and or videos onto thy blog.”

8) “Thou shalt develop a social media presence to attract more readers to your blog.” Choose a social media platform you feel most comfortable with e.g. Facebook, instagram or tumblr. Where possible list your website address, create a relevant hashtag for followers to engage with or share old blog posts on the social media site of your choice.

9) “Thou shalt not tell lies or distort facts on their blog.” Likewise don’t believe everything you read online. People of the digital world are not always who they portray themselves to be. Enjoy making connections online but exercise caution too!

10) “Thou shalt not covet other bloggers or other social media users who have fancier web design or more followers etc.” Just focus on developing the best blog content you can and don’t shy away from chances to learn more to help you master media. Here are some great videos I have used to learn more about the digital side of writing and promoting: