Music Blogging for dummies

I've been blogging for a while, I have been lucky enough to see my work published on various sites and I know how important it is to have clear and compelling content. I thought I'd put together some key tips for new bloggers to follow and hopefully lead to a happy and successful blogging career.

Don't plagerise - this might seem like an obvious one but remember, the Internet is a clever and unforgiving place. The music blog network is a close knit one, stab a blogger in the back and ye shall feel their wrath. Sure, by all means get inspiration for subject (artists and bands) but don't be that blogger that was 'too tired' to be creative.

On the note BE CREATIVE. Don't regurgitate a press release. Tell a story and keep your audience wanting more. In that same vein, don't write 50 words and expect to blow someone's mind.

Don't over-complicate - at the end of the day, you are trying to say "hey! listen to this amazing new band". You don't need to invent the words newest and most intricate vocabulary, it's likely to turn people off. It's about getting the balance of conversational, friendly and informative.

Try to use the piece to promote a record release or an up-coming tour. There's nothing more infuriating than reading about a band and not knowing when their debut single drops. Remember, only a small proportion of your audience will navigate from your page to find that artist. Spoon feeding is necessary. In other words, do the ground work.

As well as promoting the music, promote your blog. This is perhaps the most obvious one. Get yourself on Twitter and tweet a link to your newest piece mentioning the artist and/or record label. You never know where it may lead. You may hear nothing back, it may be retweeted by the artist, better still you might get followed by the artist and/or record label. You may then get hints and tip offs of new music, and then the cycle starts all over again.