Blogging, although not new, is taking off like a rocket – especially here on eBay.  It is a great place to find products, learn how to eBay, get expert assistance and advice, and to network with other buyers and sellers.  The blogs are a great place to be able to exchange ideas and learn from the knowledgeable PowerSellers who have so much experience to share.  In the process of blogging, you make new friends, find new business or business opportunities and make those all important information and business connections and contacts along the way.

I have noticed that there aren’t a lot of sources for learning the ins and outs of blogging generally, or any guidance to help people approach blogging with confidence and purpose.  With confidence and purpose you will be able to use blogging time wisely (in terms of balancing time and getting a return for the time spent).  From this guide you will learn what you are doing from the start and you will understand the expected and correct behaviors to make it pay off personally and professionally.  This guide is designed specifically to assist with blogging and with eBay in mind!

First, what is Blogging?  Blogging is when an individual chooses to share thoughts, ask a question, make a statement or share interests or information with an established community electronically.  They share this information by “posting” (writing the information in a Blog Post).  The “postings” appear in a public forum.  It may be read by anyone of any age (more about this later).  As a matter of practice, postings tend to be written and shared within established communities of interest.  Since I blog in the eBay community Blog, this information Guide is particularly geared to that community.  eBay blogs are designed and used by eBay community members who buy and sell on eBay or have any interest in the eBay business model -- all bloggers in this community hold eBay accounts. 

Is it worth my time to blog?  Absolutely!  Just as in the real world, the more you communicate with others, the more opportunity you have to learn and grow by exchanging and absorbing information.  The stronger the network you form in any society, the greater will be the information and support resource you may draw from as a member of that community.  This is particularly important as you grow a business or look for bargains on eBay, because you can tap into the resources and experience of those who have gone before you.  You can also share the lessons you have learned with those who follow behind you.  However, I do warn you -- blogging and reading posts can become addictive!  Although blogging does feed your business to come extent, the primary focus of running a business on eBay is listing.  As a buyer, the addiction to blogs may keep you from spending money -- but it is far more likely to draw you into being a seller at some point.  As a seller, be mindful that listing is a primary activity for a seller (or should be) and blogging is important when you want to take a break.  Balance is key!

Are there other advantages to blogging?  Yes!  Blogging not only helps you to network and learn, it is a great source for passing on things you have learned to others also.  If you have uncovered a great deal, a super seller, just returned from a dream vacation, gotten the bargain of a lifetime, found a bad scam artist operating in the community, have specialist or high demand merchandise or a special sale ongoing, it is a great place to pass the news.  If you know how to do something that will save others time or help them to avoid problems – pass it on by blogging about it!  I bet you wonder what the advantage might be to you to share such information with others?  It’s simple!  When you make the effort to pass on valuable information and people read it, they frequently want to know more about YOU and (by extension) what you sell.  Human beings are curious creatures.  They are attracted by much more than bling!  Often, your readers will visit your sales and/or store if you peak their interest – So, blogging definitely leads to more business.  It is, therefore, a worthy investment of your time.  I would not have believed it until I saw it in practice personally for months!  So, in its own way, blogging is a great way to advertise without seeming to advertise.  It is so much fun, the advertising is painless too.  In fact, I would liken blogging to that 25% coupon for an expensive item already half off in your favorite Bricks and Mortar store.  It draws people in the door, they may buy the coupon item but they are likely to buy much more -- and it is all good from there.  There is more information about using blogs as an advertising tool later in this guide.

OK, you ask – what do I write about?  What do you have an interest in?  What do you collect?  What is your main time expenditure in life?  What do you sell and why do you sell it?  What tips and tricks have you learned in your time on eBay so far?  What would you like to know more about?  What do you not understand?  What has really made you mad?  The list of what to write about is endless.  However, when I first set up my blog to post, I made a conscious decision to use it to educate others.  It takes a LOT of time to figure out what works and what does not on eBay and otherwise.  I knew that my mistakes could save others the trouble of making the same mistakes and I benefited by sharing because, as a community we would be wiser and stronger.  So, I knew that what I know would be valuable to those who took the time to read it.  I also knew, being curious human beings, they might want to know more about someone who was willing to share information. They would appreciate it and be curious to know more about the author and what she sold.  I learned because others shared information with me so openly.  I was so lucky that eBayers frequently emailed to help me when I made an error or they could see that I could use some advice.  I think that was one of the most endearing qualities of eBay early on.  I determined that, since my time was so limited for blogging, I would focus all my blog posts on teaching what I knew in sharing warnings, tips and tricks.  Long before “Wicki-commerce” became a buzzword, I instinctively understood that the more we know as a community, the stronger we are as a community.  As a member of a strong community, the possibilities are endless and the more we all gain.  Therefore, if I share information with you – we are all better for it.  So when you see posts from Pepper120851, you will generally see information that will later be available on eBay guides.  However, there are sellers I enjoy on the blogs because they have a way of making new people feel included quickly into the community.  It is that bonding type of blogging that is also so valuable to the community.  Blogging is a way of sharing with others and it also creates the very sense of community we all value so much.  Some of bloggers love to talk about their everyday lives, making a living on eBay and what they sell and how they sell it, while others routinely provide blog posts that ask thought provoking questions community members just can't resist commenting on.  Others pass on timely warnings about wolves and jackels among us.  The sky is the limit but one of the critical parts of blogging effectively is to do it with purpose and to balance your time with assuring that you have listings out there selling and your store (if you have one) has plenty going on.

Now You Know What to Do, Lets Look at Blogger Etiquette:

1.  If you are writing to teach or inform, write your Blog Posts using academic language.  If you are sharing your life, keep it folksy and inviting.  Either way, keep it simple so anyone can understand it.  Try to avoid huge uncommon words, street slang or chat abbreviations.  Not everyone understands them, (some folks are new to the computer and you want the widest possible readership appeal to develop connections and a following).  Remember, the whole idea of a blog is connection not confusion. 

2.  Be careful when using sarcasm in your humorous posts.  Without the ability to see the look on someone’s face, sarcasm is easily confused as criticism in the written form. So, when your comments are intended to be humorous, use “Emoticons” to show that the content is intended as humor. Example: If you tilt your head to the left you can see two versions of a smiling face in the following character combinations :-) and ; - ) both denoting humor or amusement.

3.  Use Blog Posts to share information in segments that stand alone.  Don’t use them to chat back and forth.  Use Instant Messaging to “chat” with others (AOL Instant Messenger is FREE and you can chat with anyone on any Internet Service Provider with it).  The more messages that are posted, the slower the server works – so chat slows down the flow of essential community learning and information normally available on a Blog. 

4.  Never assume your postings are private or that they can be read by only you or selected others.  Posts are VERY public and you are held responsible for their content.   Excellent rules of content for the eBay Blogging community are:  Never post something that would upset you to see reposted on Youtube.com, the front page of the evening newspaper or on CNN or Fox News.  eBay is a family oriented site so NEVER write something in the blogs that you could not read aloud to your own family.  There are sites on the web that are designed for adult content and eBay is certainly not one of them.

5.  NEVER give your passwords to ANYONE for ANY REASON.  There are plenty of scammers with a great story to con you.  eBay and Craiglist are magnets for them.  Always remember that what seems too good to be true certainly is!  Being scammed is a horrible thing to recover from, and the joy in being online is never the same again.  So, be on your guard!  No matter how tempting it is, do NOT share account information or passwords with anyone - EVER.

6.  Select your blog post title carefully.  The subject line of your post is a "hook" that catches the potential reader's attention.  So, make it interesting but keep it honest as to the content, too. As an example, a Blog Post to pass a security message could be titled "Security Message" or it could be the more eye catching "YIKES!  I've Been Scammed -- Warning!"  You get the idea here that both titles make it clear the message is a security related post, but the second title is likely to draw more readers in and portray the urgency and get the attention such messages should.

7.  Only Capitalize words to emphasize or highlight.  This is an important point. Capitalizing an entire blog post is considered SHOUTING! (See number 4 and 5, above for excellent examples of how to use capitalization to emphasize the point you are making).

8.  The more well written, relevant and informational your post, the more it will serve a greater purpose for you.  By greater purpose I mean: informing the community, enticing folks to want to know more about the author (YOU) and thus to draw potential customers to your sales (thus, to increase your business and presence within the community).

9.  Attribution:  Attribution is the act of referring (giving credit) to the author of a specific post or quoting someone else's post.  Attribution is important because it gives your comments credibility and shares the wealth with the author who gave you the idea.  Cite all quotes, references and sources in your posts.  Respect copyright and license agreements. (Always assure you give proper attribution if you are blogging about a specific post on someone else's blog, a news site or from another source).  When possible and appropriate, you should ALWAYS include the link to the original material in your post.  It gives the information more credibility (when others can see it for themselves).  Attribution provides proper credit to the author who originally shared the information that got your attention.  Live (Clickable) links to the source information seems to be most helpful to the reader and the original author in drawing people. 

10.  Please don’t forward (or otherwise publish) postings or other writings without the original author's expressed permission.  If it is important information that you want to pass on -- the writer will often be flattered and give you the permission to use the material.  After all, authors most want a readership!  I received several requests to repost material I have put into the FREE Guides on eBay and have gladly granted each request with the simple request that I get proper attitribution for my loaning of the article.  That is an easy request to fulfil for an author and we all benefit from it.

11.  Communicate in blogs with Ebay ID or first name and last initial only. With your full name and general location, you can be found through people finders on the web.  So, unless you want the possibility of unsolicited contact, spam email or even crazed fans -- never use your full name! 

12.  Be respectful and courteous. Don’t insult or put others down. It doesn’t look good when you do it, and it cannot possibly help your sales to have community members believe you to be mean, petty or childish.  There is nothing that would make them decide you would be any different as a seller than you are as a blogger.  When I see bloggers behaving badly, I am always stunned that the perpetrator doesn't seem to understand the knock on effect of behaving badly on a blog!  Simply put -- it alienates hundreds if not thousands of potential customers!!  No seller ever has too  many customers to be turning them off wholesale!  People avoid a bully in person and online -- bet on it!  No matter how strong or powerful you might feel belittling or harrassing someone, it reflects poorly on YOU -- especially when you do it in a public forum such as a blog.  That behavior definitely has wider ranging repercussions than you realize (people do not like to deal with meanies and bullies).  It is also important to remember that profanity, threatening, or sexual harassment of any kind is just plain uncalled for and unnecessary anywhere, including blogs.

13.  When you make personal references to another blogger in a positive way, without reference to a specific post – that is good and usually appreciated greatly.  When you want to mention a "friend" or other fellow blogger in your post, it is helpful to provide their eBay name so others can find their sales (that human curiosity thing at work again).  If you also provide a link to their store or home page, or make a mention of something you saw there, you would probably be the most popular blogger on eBay, over time with sellers. 

14.  Acronyms may be used to abbreviate when necessary, however – go easy.  Posts filled with acronyms and/or jargon can be a very bad idea.  To some, they are confusing and to many they are annoying when trying to read an article.  Those who do not understand the acronyms you use, feel excluded or alienated (not good for sales).  We must also remember that many computer users are working hard to catch on.  So, wide use of too many acronyms or too much jargon, just makes the process of learning how to be online far more difficult than it should be.  Some common acronyms that most people do understand are:
IMHO= in my humble/honest opinion
FYI = for your information
BTW = by the way

15.  Comments:  It’s a Jungle Out There!  The comments sections in other people’s posts are fraught with opportunities for poor blogging etiquette.  Some bloggers provide disclaimers to assert their right to remove comments that are abusive or generally repetitive, spam or unhelpful.  However, most bloggers provide no such guidelines and simply expect that we are adults and will behave appropriately.  Other bloggers have detailed and specific demands for an expected commenter’s behavior.  I am not sure such “be nice or don’t comment here” instructions would be useful.  In fact, if I had to bet, I would bet that a request for polite behavior in a blog might invite quite the opposite.  I have been endlessly amazed at the many instances of downright rude, childish behavior I find in comments to some people’s posts.  I have been equally shocked at the blogger’s reaction to it (being crushed, unduly upset and leaving the blogs "forever," for instance).  This gives me an opening to share the following hints on properly posting comments on someone else’s blog:

-  Don't think the computer is the perfect cover for behaving badly.  Use the same social manners and approach as you would if you were personally speaking to a stranger.  Don’t use the anonymity of the computer as an excuse to behave poorly.  It diminishes who you are and it DOES reflect on YOUR community presence.  More concisely put – YES, it can and will affect sales if you are mean, vindictive and nasty in posts or comments.

-  As a blogger, always remember that if the comment or post is uncalled for, rude, crude, abusive or provocative it is probably a kid.  Chalk it up and DON’T react to it as if it has real meaning in your life (it shouldn't).  Getting a reaction from you to their horrible comments is their goal.  The more intimidated or upset you are, the more they enjoy it.  When you react, you hand over your power to them.  They win and you loose -- YOU handed them the power by reacting.  NEVER give someone that kind of power over your emotions (especially faceless strangers in cyberspace who are probably unsupervised 13 year olds!).   I do realize that adults can get out of line from time to time too, BUT the same axiom applies – NEVER hand over your power  -- especially to those who clearly don’t deserve to have any power over anyone -- especially when they can't get proper control of themselves.  When you react or stoop to their level, you give them the power and the satisfaction of ruining your day.  WHY?  Ignore it and move on.

16.  Do I need to let people comment to my blog? Generally, if you are commenting on other people's blogs frequently, it is respectful to allow comments on your own blog.  Some very public figures in the blog world don't allow comments (because it takes far too long to read and manage them).  Some celebrities do allow comments and hire a group of people to manage comments much like a fan club.  Allowing comments can get out of hand if they all require follow up commentary (remember we must balance our time).  So, you be the judge of the time available and the value you spend managing it.  I always encourage comments because others often teach me more about the subject I am teaching in my post!

17.  Appropriate commenting:  What constitutes an appropriate comment clearly depends on the blog and the poster.  An obvious overall guideline is to take your cue from the blog author and other "guests."  If the blog is educational in nature, welcome comments would include whether or not the information was useful to you, an additional tip or trick you could add or, if there is something in the blog that is incorrect or unclear, tell the author (nicely) so he or she is able to correct or clarify the information.  YES, you can disagree without being disagreeable – you will be more respected in the cyber community if you remember this always.  If the posts are amusing, adding your two cents to the fun just makes it more fun.  You should not be the one to do the “Debbie Downer” routine in a happy blog.  If the poster is sharing his or her everyday life, you can share yours too.  Commenting on the quality of life (or lack of quality) shown in a blog is wholly inappropriate – keep it to yourself.  If the blog contains strong language and adult themes generally, you can join in along the same tones in the right place (remember about the public forum to which you are contributing).  Hopefully, this is not what is being posted on eBay’s blogs because they are available to all age groups, as discussed earlier in this guide.

18.  Intruding on Private Blogs?  If the blog seems designed for a small audience of pals or for a small audience of family and friends, you may comment to the post, but keep it in the same subject line and tone as the previous postings (i.e., "The baby cried all night last night and I am so tired!” your comment might be “I had that problem when my children were babies, and this too shall pass, I promise.”  It would be wholly inappropriate to criticize parenting skills or to disagree harshly with the other blogger’s viewpoints in a personal or family oriented blog.  Generally, if the blog is personal, and you are intruding, keep your comments friendly and supportive (make a friend and potential customer).  They aren't asking for your critical viewpoint in that type of Blog.

19.  Dying for a GREAT Debate??  Some bloggers post to find those willing to enter into a debate by putting out a provocative post.  So, there are places for sharp, insightful commentary and debate.  Most usually these opportunities are found in political blogs where a group maintains a fast and fierce dialogue about current events related to politics and religion.  That is the perfect place to give voice to your beliefs, and vehement disagreement with another poster (stated with respect, of course).  Such discourse is welcome in most blogs including eBay, especially if you have a new, and/or uniquely informed viewpoint. There are many blog sites out there that are full of lively and vibrant, (but courteous and respectful) disagreement and debate.  Most of these types of blogs are available by subject matter, too (the War, Party Politics, the meaning of life, etc.).

20.  Keep your comments applicable to the posted subject.  Always make your comments applicable and unique. If three people have already posted what you wanted to say, refrain from the repetition.  Along the same vein, even if you have something REALLY great to tell everyone, don't tell them on a comment forum unless it is applicable to the ongoing discussion.  In other words, no one wants to hear commentary on the war in Iraq when the thread of the discussion is child care (or vice versa).   Wait until you see a post about the issue you want to discuss (or post it yourself), then add your thoughts.

21.  Celebrating the Blogosphere:  The most important and “way cool” part of the blogosphere is that it is OK to spam (send out unsolicited solicitations or advertising) as long as you're not “spammy.”  Most people on the blogosphere are very interested in learning about new products, services, new software, web sites, new ideas, new tricks of the trade and new people. So, you can introduce yourself and your products in a post or comment, as long as you are courteous, relevant and interactive.  When you advertise by commenting on blogs belonging to others, you really should have your own blog going, to allow feedback and reciprocation.  However, to avoid being “spammy” only advertise your product or services on a personal blog related to what you are selling.  For instance, "Does anyone sell Custom Blog Banners?” to which you may post your interest in providing that service.  It is wholly inappropriate to reply to that post with advertisements for penis enlargement devices or pills, diet pills or other drugs, porn, lower mortgage rates, credit enhancement programs, or multi-level marketing schemes.  We all get far too much of that (unless we have great spam blockers).

22.  To Be Trusted and Beloved in the Blog Community is to Sell More.  So, here are some important “Blog Manners” that will help you remain a popular and beloved member of eBay Blogs.

    *  Everyone enjoys front board exposure, so please post one at a time.  If you have more than one statement to make, you can do it in one post or two posts with some delay in between.

    *  Don’t post what you are selling on any post unless it solicits that information or is related to what you sell.

    *  Common decency and the golden rule apply 24/7 – treat others as you would like to be treated.  If you can’t say something nice on other people’s posts, keep it to yourself.  If you want to rant, do your own post and rant away – that way, the comments you get will be in keeping with the tone you set and you will be appealing to the right audience.

     *  Always Be Hospitable.  Don’t be rude or selective about whom you allow to post comments.  It makes you look childish, petty and mean.  As discussed above, that DOES have an affect on your sales and ability to purchase from some sellers.  And by the way, if I see a mean and nasty blogger, I block them from my sales.  They have already shown me the kind of folks they are with that behavior, and there isn’t enough money printed for me to deal with that.  So, I assure that I never have to deal with them by simply blocking them from all my sales.  I am dead certain that I am not the only one who takes cues on potential bad customers from blogs. 

      *  PLEASE don’t post sob stories as solicitations or beg for money.  It is wholly inappropriate and will probably not help you at all (most people are not fools).  If you need help, go on the web and seek out local social services for assistance.  As a blogger, don’t respond to begging by making donations.  People continue to do what works – so please don’t help beggers continue to beg.  This is a common scam that just encourages crooks to take hard earned money from tender hearted but naive bloggers.  Responding to begging also sets a bad example for new folks too.  It sets them up for later vicitimization if they believe that such solicitations are real and they are actually helping. 

     *  You may have been blog buddies for months, but, unless you have met this person and looked them in the eye – you do not know who they are, where they are and what their intent is.  Scam artists are socially talented and patient -- the more they can suck you in, the bigger the score potential if they can scam you.  So, beware.  Friends formed online do not ask for money any more than real friends should.  It is easy to develop a bond over a keyboard but that bond is often in your imagination!  Scam artists count on your belief and naievity.  Be careful of your expectations and/or vulnerabilities until you actually know the person is who they say they are and worthy of your friendship. 

Thanks for purchasing this Blog Guide.  I offer many free guides on eBay and each is designed to help you be more successful in your sales or purchases on eBay.  Do stop by and consider learning to be an important investment in your business -- and nothing is better than a free education!

Kind Regards,
Joyce (Pepper120851)  The Write Place