Getting bloggers to write about your business of service is an excellent form of promotion. It usually doesn’t cost anything. And as word of mouth marketing, a blogger’s recommendation to her or her readers is an excellent endorsement that they can, and do, trust. But HOW?

Everyone wants some blogger love and in my experience they usually go about it all wrong. I could go into my own points but honestly they are inferior to Boing Boing blogger Cory Doctorow’s 17 Tips for Getting Bloggers to Write About You.

What makes a site blogger-unfriendly? I’ve been keeping a list for the past couple of months. These are simple design and deployment mistakes that kept me from picking up a link and reposting it where millions might find it. Here’s the list, a kind of anti-checklist for anyone who’s spending money and time trying to get a message out:

From the to-dos to the “things that stink” (Yes, I’m looking at you all-Flash site), Doctorow’s list is about as simple and up-front as any list of its kind. Know and follow these rules and you’ll increase your chances ten-fold.

And If I may do a little self-promoting: What exactly do you do when you DO get a blogger to rite about you but what he or she has to say is less than positive or just a huge negative? Check out How to Handle Blog Criticism, which includes the Big 3 No-Nos that, unfortunately,. Far too many companies and brands still try.