3 rules every blogger should break

The end result? A returned draft with several corrections and a one-line response: “Write from the inside and trust that we’ll get it.”

It’s rare to find an article about blogging that offers something other than the same old rules. You know them: Keep pieces short, use bullets, link to other articles, etc.

While it’s comforting—especially when you first start blogging—to find something to model your posts after, it’s critical to understand that a reader will forgive a strong voice for almost anything, and a weak voice for almost nothing.

Do the rules you follow help or hinder your voice? Here are the three biggest blogging rules I’ve broken and the unexpected results I’ve enjoyed:

Rule No. 1: Make posts easy to scan.

Some people insist blog posts must be short and stuffed with typographical tricks like boldfacing and bullets. They assume a typical reader has Attention Deficit Disorder. These people think if you don’t hurry up and get your point across, readers will simply move on.

There is another way.