This blog post is pretty much just me ranting about stuff that I’m tired of reading on other blogs. I invite you to join with me in ranting. It feels good. Trust me.
Now before we get down and dirty here, I have to disclaim. Here is my disclaimer: These are not hard and fast rules. To a certain extent, you can still do the following as long as you do other things to help you stand out in your niche. But I fiercely maintain that you can’t do the things below consistently or on a long term basis and have a successful blog.
And I’m not necessarily exempt; I’m guilty of some of these offenses, too. I regularly analyze my own blogging to see how it can be improved. We all want to know how we can improve, right? So now it’s time for some introspection.
So here are 3 types of blog posts that I see on an all-too-often basis that, well, suck. And while several (though not all) of the examples I give are blogging-related, I’m sure that you can see these in whatever your niche might be.
1. The shallow analogy post
- Example: Running a business is like running a marathon—you have to work hard to succeed.
- Example: Blogging is like planting a tree—you plant it and then give it what it needs and it grows.
Reading shallow analogies is like getting punched in the face—they’re both extremely unpleasant. Just because you can create an analogy relating one thing to another, that doesn’t mean you should.
Use analogies if they truly help explain something better or truly think of something in a different and positive way. Use analogies if you can make the analogy particularly interesting or surprising and get people to rethink things. Otherwise, please don’t use shallow analogies. Because using shallow analogies is like being hungry. It sucks.
2. The predictable post
- Example: On a blog about blogging: Content is king (or Content is NOT king)
- Example: On a personal development blog: You should meditate
- Example: On a travel blog: Take only a carry-on bag
The above are examples of headlines you might see on those niche blogs. Actually, they’re the exact kind of things you’d expect to see. They’re predictable. If you’ve been involved in any of those niches for nearly any amount of time, you’ve already heard those things before.
But the “tired predictables” moniker also applies more directly to content. I’ve gotten pretty good at guessing what will be in a blogging-related blog post just by reading its title. For example, if I see blog post that’s something like 5 Essential Twitter Tips, I’m pretty sure the post will include
- Engage with people
- Reply to @mentions
- Be consistent
- Tweet valuable content
Just don’t write stuff like that! Don’t be predictable! It’ll be more fun for you to write, more interesting for your readers to read, and much better for your blog in the long run.
Now I can envision someone saying in the comments below, “But my target audience is the beginners in my niche. That’s why I sometimes write about this basic stuff.” I have a bit of a problem with that. Unless your blog is well established in your niche or your SEO skills are out of this world, the odds are very, very high that a beginner will have already read your content on a bigger blog. For example, it doesn’t really do me much good to cover the basics here on Blogging Bookshelf because a beginner has probably already read that information over on ProBlogger when he/she Googled it a couple months ago. Just something to think about, and I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on this.
3. The hypocritical conjecture post
- Example: How to Get Tons of Blog Comments (written on a blog that gets zero comments)
- Example: How to Escape the 9-5 (by a blogger that is very much stuck in a 9-5)
- Example: How to make money with affiliate marketing (by someone who barely makes any money doing affiliate marketing)
I think this one is pretty self explanatory. I don’t want to read what you have to say if you have no idea what you’re saying. That’s dishonest on your part, plus you’re wasting my time.
Now having said that, I think it’s fine to write about things you don’t have first hand experience with… as long as you admit that. And as long as there’s a reason to why you’ve got the nerve to talk about it.
But WHY is this stuff so bad??
You might be saying, “Well, I see blogs doing these things and they seem to be doing ok!” Yeah, they might seem that way NOW. But it won’t last. It’s just not sustainable.
I recently updated the Blogging Bookshelf Blog Directory. I added a couple new blogs and got rid of a lot that are no longer active. And by a lot I mean about a quarter of the blogs that were there before, that were going full bore 4 months ago. And you know what? Very, very few (like… VERY few) of those blogs were particularly amazing or even great. There’s a correlation there.
If you’re guilty of consistently using the above-mentioned types of blog posts and have a clear conscience, let me warn you and tell you that your blog is pretty much already dead, so you might as well stop now.
I know this all too well from firsthand experience. I birth these little niche blogs and send them out into the world armed with generic, half-heartedly-constructed blog posts. The poor little guys never had a chance. They gain no traction, and I’m out the $7.49 that I paid for the domain name. It’s dumb, and it doesn’t work. Don’t do it. You won’t achieve whatever your blogging goals are. You’re just wasting your time.
Phew. End rant.
- Do you see these posts too often? Are you tired of them, too?
- What other kinds of blog posts are you sick of?
- Are you guilty of using these types of blog posts? What are you going to do about it?
- If you’re NOT guilty of writing these kinds of posts, what have you done that has helped you keep your blog posts nice and strong?
{ 144 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my, you just said it all. Finally a blogging blogger that hits out! :) A blog post that I am tired of reading is something on the lines of “Power of Social Media”, oh please we breathe Twitter and Facebook, what makes you think we will deny what you have to say about its power. And people writing this should go over to Keith Davis’ blog about Easy Public Speaking, no twitter, no facebook and he manages to get about 100 comments on each post. Also people telling us the “Key to Making money online – Quit your day job!”. You all say the same thing over and over again and I would really want to see you bank statements, how much money are you making online? Convince me by showing that!
+1 for Keith’s blog – he’s one of the good guys. He doesn’t blog frequently, but he’s got a nice community going on over there.
Hmmm… I’ve never heard of his blog before… Must check it out!
Thanks for the heads up about Keith Davis’ blog. I don’t know how I missed it. Check it out now.
You’re not alone, Fred. I’d never heard of it, either!
For sure, Hajra! Those “power of social media” posts suck pretty bad. And yeah, those “Quit your day job” posts… Ugh. I just about throw up in my mouth every time I see them.
Thanks for the tip about Keith Davis’s blog. I actually haven’t heard of that one, so I’ll definitely go check it out.
Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Tristan,
A truthful rant indeed. It may hurt but that’s the truth. I am guilty of number #2 which is predictable but i haven’t touch on number 3. Things that i am unable to achieve, i don’t dare to talk about it. People will know.
I am grateful to your kind intention as we really need to do something different if we need to stand out. Thought you consider that as a rant. If we only write post that is too shallow, too predictable and too hypocritical, sooner or later our traffic will suffer and we will lose all motivation to continue as a result.
Thanks for the rant and a though provoking post buddy.
Lye
Yeah, I think that as soon as you start talking about things that you have no real experience with (“How to make $10,000 a month online!”), that’s when you really start to lose credibility.
I’m glad you liked the post, Lye. I tried to not rant TOO much and not come across as a jerk :)
Thanks for the great comment!
I usually do not care about all of them — I just care how my contents is useful. However, it seems I need more care since the usefulness means do not write the crappy contents.
That’s the thing, Dana. These kinds of posts that I mentioned AREN’T useful. You’re right, as long as your content is useful to your audience, you should be OK.
Thanks!
Reading this post is like [insert shallow analogy here]. I love analogies, Tristan. I’m probably guilty of not developing them as much as I should though. They can be very effective when weaved into a great story to illustrate your point, but I agree that too many times we don’t put in the effort that’s required to make them effective.
I don’t know if I agree with you on the second point. Well, not entirely at least. If my blog is going to be a reference point for my readers who consider me an authority on my blog’s topic, then I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable just hoping they read about the basics or overdone topics elsewhere. Then again, if you can’t put a unique spin on the topic that adds value then it’s a great candidate for a link post.
Thanks for the food for thought.
I think the key here is for the analogy not to be shallow. Analogies are great, but when the analogy becomes a cliche, it lacks its impact.
I’m definitely a fan of analogies; I think they’re great. Like you said, as long as you put in the required effort to pull real value out of an analogy, it’s a great way to go.
As far as my second point, goes… Yeah, I’m not sure how I feel about it either :D It just occurred to me as I was writing this post. But I think it makes sense. I think too many blogs cover the basics in too much detail. Like in the how-to-blog niche, I keep seeing posts like “How to start a blog.” I mean… Really? 99% of the people who read blogs like that already have blogs themselves!
I dunno. Like you said, it’s food for thought, and I wanted to see what other people’s thoughts on the subject were.
Thanks Brad!
Harsh man. Maybe you have to get a few shallow analogies out from under you before you learn how to dig deep. Think of a little tiny baby: You wouldn`t be disappointed if they didn`t know how to walk before they could. That said, nobody should write THREE SHALLOW ANALOGIES! Write one. Learn. Maybe write one more, just to make sure you know what shallow is. Then blow their minds with a deep analogy. But not too deep. Because then they`ll complain about how your post doesn`t make sense and it won`t make no adsense neither. Unless you`re so deep that you don`t care.
Sometimes someone writing something trite is a miracle because they thought of it themselves as though they were the first. Us readers have no way of knowing though and it`s boring regardless :)
Sorry. Drank a little too much wine while writing my own blog post at 12:30 in the am.
Thanks for the post! (Your CommentLuv didn`t even pick up my most recent entry below — guess it`s too soon. But it`s about a family making lots of money!)
Nah, this post wasn’t nearly as harsh as it could have been :)
Everyone makes mistakes. And everyone writes a dud post every once in a while, including me. That’s fine, it happens. But a lot of bloggers consistently do these things and it’s just no good! Your blog won’t go anywhere if you keep doing that kind of stuff.
Thanks for commenting, Alex!
Tristan
As guidelines I think your principles work for most people. There’s always exceptions to the rules of course – bottom line, if you’re breaking one of the ‘guidelines’ but creating a post that’s stamped with your own personality and your own take on things, then that’s cool in my book.
The biggest guideline you could give out to people though – which you obliquely do, but don’t explicitly state – is not to write crap.
There are thousands upon thousands of crappy blogs out there in the old blogosphere – posting quality posts will always be an effective blog strategy that will get you noticed, build an audience, get you comments etc. The reason is that most people just want to take the easy route – writing quality posts takes time, requires thought, etc etc.
So if you wanna stand out – write the best stuff that you possibly can! (Like Tristan)
Paul
P.s. INFOGRAPHICS book?
Sorry – me again.
I posted earlier before the coffee started working. Now my brain cells seem to be producing some thoughts…
I’ve thought of a valid exception to the ‘shallow topic’ guideline – and that’s where you cover a topic that’s seemingly been done to death but cover it either from a unique angle or at such a depth that you add to that topic.
Example: blog commenting. How many articles have you seen on blog commenting, getting traffic, building relationships, yada yada yada. I just outlined not one, but TWO posts on aspects of Blog Commenting that I’ve not really seen written about…and I believe would add to the body of info on blog commenting. (Damn that coffee – now I have to find time to write them!)
Thoughts?
Paul, I don’t think your “exceptions” really are exceptions because they don’t match what I’m talking about here. Sure, blog commenting might have been covered a ton before, but I don’t say that you shouldn’t talk about blog commenting. I say don’t be predictable about it. And if you write about it from a different angle, that’s not predictable. That’s great. So your “valid exception” isn’t because it’s it doesn’t fit into the category of being predictable :D
Exactly, Paul. It all comes down to not writing crap. And you’re right, it’s not easy to not write crap. It takes a lot of time, effort, and practice. And even then some people won’t be able to do it!
One thing I hate seeing is people posting crap content every day. People only want to read a blog every day if it’s GOOD! Even a lot of crap still just equals, well, crap. Quantity doesn’t cover any tracks here.
Thanks for the great comment, Paul!
Well said, After Reading this post I just googled for some basic terms (accurately with quotes) and found these results :-
“How to make money blogging” – 3,140,000 search results.
“How to get more twitter followers” – 768,000 search results.
“How to get more views on youtube” – 723,000 search results.
“How to get more subscribers” – 515,000 search results.
“How to increase Google Page Rank” – 504,000 search results.
“How to Increase Blog Traffic” – 258,000 search results.
“Blogging basics for beginners” – 97,000 search results.
“How to get more likes on facebook” – 38,600 search results.
“How to get more diggs” – 17,400 search results.
If you are amazed with the stats I found above – you will be more amazed to see the results below:
“How stumbleupon toolbar works” – 0 result.
“What is the technology behind facebook” – 0 results.
“How Youtube player works” – 1 result.
“About digg technology” – 1 result.
“Is twitter traffic worth” – 6 results
“How squidoo makes money” – 9 result.
I mean the stats above clearly states that there are many meaning full topics in Social Media that are still unexplored. But still we are going for the same old titles that already exists on millions of blogs.
Jay, what search engine are you using? I recorded a tutorial for the StumbleUpon toolbar and when I searched Google just now for “how stumbleupon toolbar works” the video showed up on page one – it better had :)
I used Google – here is the link of the screenshot of my research – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/33/blogshelf1.gif/ (Just copy and paste in the the Address bar of your Web browser)
I think the problem is that he put “how stumbleupon toolbar works” in quotes. Not sure why he did that, as no one searching for that phrase would put it in quotes…
Tristan this link will help you – http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=136861
No, that’s not what I was talking about. I know how to use quotes when searching, but no one would ever type in “how stumbleupon toolbar works” in quotes. They’d type it in without quotes.
I enjoyed this. I don’t blog about technology or social media, but everytime I seach online about blogging, that is all that comes up. I’ve been wondering to myself “How can there be that many people out there writing about the same thing?!” It’s mind boggling. I’ve read what seems like the same posts written by a dozen different people, so I’ve stopped reading them.
I write a blog on a fairly niche subject, and I’ve had success I’m happy with in the eight months since I started my blog. I don’t get a lot of comments, but I can tell from my analytics that people are reading it. But I’ll be sure to try not to fall into these three catagories!
jessica
Why would you put quotes around those search terms? If someone wants to know how the StumbleUpon toolbar works, they’re not going to put that in quotes.
Looks like I sparked something here ;-)
Tristan, I’m going to comment on this post because I feel that I’m involved in this in some way. There were parts in your long comment on my PB post that are echoed here as well. In a way, I can tell this has been brewing up in you for some time, and perhaps my post was the final straw? No worries if so, no offence has been taken by me. Life’s too short for that.
Anyway, I agree with Point 3; I would never write about anything that I don’t know about. I’ve done a lot of ‘community posts’ recently with the Value 101 series, and the 20 awesome commenters post, which has helped to boost traffic considerably. I’ve enjoyed doing them, and others have enjoyed reading them. And no prior knowledge was needed by me to create them!
Tristan, you’re the only blogger right now who I’ve disagreed with more than once. I don’t have a problem with this; in fact, I look forward to them. I’m learning more from you and our debates than I would from most bloggers who agree and add nothing else. I actually felt inspired when I read your long comment, so thank you. I’ll continue to be around Blogging Bookshelf for a while to come, and I hope you stop by Unlock The Door from time to time :-)
P.S. I don’t usually comment on ‘rant posts’, but this is an exception as explained above.
P.P.S. Can I get onto your Blogging Directory? Pretty please? :-)
Rest assured Stu, this post was written a couple days before our exchange in the ProBlogger comments. And nope, I wasn’t thinking of you when I wrote this post.
That’s funny that I’m the only blogger you’ve disagreed with more than once :D I actually really enjoy disagreeing with people. I don’t do it just for the sake of disagreeing with someone or for the sake of stirring the pot. That’s dumb, and it’s easy to see through that kind of thing. I’m just very passionate and confident that I’m usually right :) I enjoy the challenge of trying to convince people to see things my way, and I get a kick out of people trying to do the same to me (whether they successfully convince me or not). Maybe I should have been a lawyer…
Oh, and yes, I just added you to the blog directory.
We’re both big boys. I don’t think either of us is apt to get super offended at a blog post. Like you said, it keeps things interesting and you learn more stuff this way.
Thanks for the great comment, Stuart, and I’m glad we’re still friends :)
Hi Tristan,
“How to make money with affiliate marketing?” this line really make me frustrated and I have seen many, many and many times and don’t want to see it again. What actually blogger do about this line they start promoting few new affiliate sites that’s really a crap and I hate it.
Yeah, those affiliate marketing posts really, really bug me, especially when I know the person can’t be making very much money through affiliate marketing in the first place!
Oh well. Just more of the dreck we have to trudge through as we navigate the blogosphere…
In retrospection, I sure have written some of those in the past, on my defense I was new in blogging and all. Now I think I found a way to be more original, and that is, writing about something personal, be it personal life or personal business life. No one can really copy your experiences can he, so you’ll have a much easier time to be original. I have a decent business experience so I think it’s good to share it with others and get feedback or new ideas (and suggest them myself, hopefully). It’s also a lot easier to write, since it’s something you already know and you just have to put it in a written form.
On a side note, I saw you switched your RSS to a summary of the post, boooh. I really liked to read the post from Google Reader and switch on the post’s page to comment :(
Yeah, we’ve all written these types of posts at some point (usually when we first start out), because that’s what we see everyone else doing. We think we have to do it, too!
I think being personal is a GREAT (maybe even the best?) way to be original. Like you said, your experiences are unique to you; no one else has them.
And regarding switching from full to summary mode for the RSS subscription… Yeah, it’s something I wanted to try to see if I get more traffic that way. I don’t know if it will be a permanent solution. Sorry it bugs you, though! Just hang in there! It might not be permanent. We’ll see…
I was taught that the whole point in writing (blog being a form of it) is to have a fresh angle on what you write. If you can’t be originate, why bother?
Ideally, yes, that’s the point. But I think that too many people are blogging just to make a quick buck (which never actually ends up coming!). They write just to get that content out there on the web so that they can get people to come to their blog and see their affiliate ads or click on their AdSense ads or whatever. Lame.
Like you said, if you can’t be original, why bother?
Wow! I am a new man. I have realised that I go down the analogy path too often. When you think you are helping others by comparing the issue to something that’s been done a million times it can be a right pain in the A@@.
To be an expert just requires expert knowledge not fluff and bull.
I will take this and run.
Cheers
Greg
Greg, I love this: “To be an expert just requires expert knowledge not fluff and bull.”
You nailed it, man.
I’m glad you liked the post, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
I loved it Tristan! Thanks it has helped me to get clear. To the point and honest, we all need that in our lives right!:)
The Best
Greg
How bout a meditation post on a blog thats on a business blog?
Or how to make money with affiliate marketing by a travel blogger. Cuz you know they do and Id read that shit in a heart beat.
In other words, some of these might be kind of interesting if written by crossing the subject of the blog with outside the blog-subject topic. hmmm…now you got me thinkin…. :-)
Hahaha, I see what you did there….good on ya mate
Dino, I think that kind of thing is great, because it’s not something that the blogger’s audience has seen a million (maybe even bazillion or bajillion?) times already. My biggest pet peeve is just seeing the same crap rehashed on blogs that all write about the same thing.
Oh wow, Tristan, I want you to know my most recent blog post is not a shallow analogy, it’s just a catchy title. Ok, now I can address the rest of your post. :)
Hmmm… I’ve never thought about your argument regarding posts for beginners having probably already been read on bigger blogs before the reader even steps foot on your own blog turf. I’ll buy that.
I know I’ve certainly been guilty of some of these, but not consistently. I would echo others here and submit that if you can blog about a common topic from an uncommon angle, then that does make for interesting reading.
As far as the hypocritical conjuncture posts, I think it’s so important to be honest and be yourself. You’ll get a lot more love if you admit the mistakes you’ve made as well as tell about the successes you’ve had and the products that helped you get there.
Thanks for making me think on a Monday morning!
Peggy
Peggy, you said: “I’ve never thought about your argument regarding posts for beginners having probably already been read on bigger blogs before the reader even steps foot on your own blog turf.”
To be honest, I’d never really thought about that either until I was writing this post. But I think it makes sense, and I think it’s accurate. I mean, I don’t know how many “How to start a blog” posts I’ve seen on “blogging tips” blogs in the past year or so, but I just can’t understand why people write posts like that. There’s no way you’re going to get on the first page of Google with a post like that, and if someone has found your blog, the chances are pretty high that they already have a blog and just want to know how to grow it.
Bah. Few things frustrate me more than the same old rehashed blog content.
Thanks for the great comment, Peggy! I’m glad you liked the post, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Love the term “shallow analogy”, Tristan (some of these drive me crazy). Completely agree, although I have definitely been guilty just because I am targeting a specific client base and this is the stuff they want to know about (in my niche it’s posts about tax deductions, home office expenses etc). I do however google anything I plan to write about and if I find a great post or article on it, for the most part I will just link to it instead.
Ronika, I think it’s fine to talk about that sort of thing if your audience hasn’t been bombarded over the head with it a trillion times already. So in your case, I don’t think there’s much of a problem. But like when a basketball blogger writes about something like what the rules of basketball are… Come on. That’s just crappy content, plain and simple. If anyone is looking at a basketball blog, I’m pretty sure they’re going to know what the rules of basketball are.
Tristan – what about the blog posts titled “What I learned about blogging from my…..” or “What so-and-so can teach us about blogging”
:)
Yes! Exactly. Very, very rarely do people get those kinds of posts right. It can happen, but not very often.
Thanks Ileane!
Hey Tristan,
Love this post. So this struck a chord with me, “How to make money with affiliate marketing (by someone who barely makes any money doing affiliate marketing)”
Haha, I don’t want to be one of those people so I post the results to my online experiments. And you’re right: we all are guilty of using generic analogies… now I’ll be thinking twice before hitting ‘publish’… damnit :)
Yes! My goal is always to get people to think twice before doing something blogging related. Mission accomplished :)
Thanks for the great comment, Moon!
content is king, yeah, that one keep popping up every now and then. with so many blogs out there writing the same old lines over and over, it becomes very boring, and those silly old tips that we wrote in 2006 still makes the headlines on most blogs.
Strange really but most people that fail to make money online starts a MMO blog, but i wonder what they will contribute with no practical experience to share… i mean 20 ways to make money online, 1) add content 2) bookmark your article 3) blah blah blah, and one day, “quits”
“Those silly old tips that we wrote in 2006 still makes the headlines on most blogs.”
Yes! That’s a perfect way of putting it, Uttoran. So true. And yeah, people writing about making money online while never having made money online… There’s got to be a special place in blogger hell reserved for those people :D
Phew! I am glad that rant is over ;)
I am guilty too. I look back at some of my early posts and I have to laugh. There is a lot of content…good content out there. It is usually content that took some time to go the extra mile to pull it together.
Now to sneak in a little rant, I hate finding bad rehash as Guest Posts on what has been considered A List blogs. It is as if the blogger got tired of the site and turned over for a few amateurs to plague the big following he has created.
Sheila, YES! Those “A-list” blogs are not “A-list” because they’ve got the best content. They’re A-list because they’ve been around for ages. It really is a shame that they’ve let the quality slide. When I become a famous A-list blogger, I will not make that mistake :D
Thanks Sheila!
Wow! I’ve been guilty of the first two, hopefully not the third. I also have started my share of blogs and then stop because I thought by starting blogging on a subject new to me, like getting a new iPhone, would make a great blog and then I could teach other people what I have learned. But, like you stated, there are already many iPhone “experts” who were well established in showing people how to use their iPhone and reporting iPhone news. I was unable to establish a following because I wasn’t reporting anything new.
I am still a floundering blogger. That’s okay though. I’m not trying to make it my profession anymore, now it’s just something I enjoy doing. I suppose my blogging goal at this point is to find my voice and write content that is significant in someway to someone else. I’m not looking for thousands of followers, just a few, maybe like me, who are trying to find their blogging voice and a few readers who find what I write interesting. For those who don’t like what I write or are bored there is always the back button.
With that said, my pet peeve is people who promote the same five blog posts over and over again on Twitter. It’s old, write something new or stop promoting yourself till you do. (Are blog comments promotion? I better write something new!)
Ellen, I think you nailed it with this: “I was unable to establish a following because I wasn’t reporting anything new.” SO true!
That’s great that you’ve set more realistic goals for yourself and your blog. That way you won’t get frustrated and quit because of your “lack of results” or something like that. And if it DOES happen that your blog gets mega popular, then you can spend the time worrying about how to make money from it or whatever.
And yes, I think blog comments are promotion… But they’re mutually beneficial, so no worries :D Comment away!
Thanks Ellen!
Good post. I’ve been doing a lot of research on marketing online and blogging and selling online and have run across many “experts” that want me to buy product from them but give me no reasons why they’re experts. It gets really frustrating. Same with the above mentioned blog posts, why should I listen to all these people who don’t prove to me they are worth listening to?
I have made some posts about marketing and SEO but I made it very clear I’m still learning.
Great points, Lori! Yeah, it’s the worst when people try to con you out of your money by saying that they’re an expert, but then they don’t back up their “expertise”! Sketchy. Super sketchy. That’s no way to build a brand or a business.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Tristan,
Amen on all these. Seems like everyone is sick and tired of reading the same stuff, Danny Brown talks about the blandness of social media, Gini Dietrich rants about Tim Ferriss and his 4hours to get rich quick and have a 6 pack, and now you are letting it rip. Great one and I couldn’t agree more.
I’m also sick of reading Top 10, To 5, Top anything tips to do anything. I will admit I’m guilty i wrote a top 10 tip to succeed abroad months ago and all I can say I haven’t been blogging for a year so I will call it a beginner’s blunder.
One thing I look for in any new blog is personal experience. That doesn’t mean you need to have landed a spacecraft or won a Nobel peace prize but please don’t give advice abt stuff you don’t know abt.
If you are a new blogger, blog about other stuff that you have lived rather than blogging which you know jack about.
My 2 cents.
I think I’m OK with the Top 10-or-whatever posts. Maybe it’s because they’re super easy to skim and I can see in about 3 seconds if there’s anything worth reading there :D I think there can be value in these kinds of posts as long as they really are 10 really good tips. Otherwise they’re just lame.
I agree with you 100% about writing from personal experiences. Like you said, they don’t have to be earth-shattering. The great thing about personal experiences is that they’re different! They’re not rehashed garbage!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a great comment, John. I really appreciate it, man.
A predictable post would not be predictable if it was not written so often. And perhaps it is not a bad thing. People do to church to hear the same messages over and over. My mother says the same things to me every time we visit. The nightly news is still about wars and scandals and fear and…well, pretty much the same thing as it was when I was a teenager. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a predictable blog post, as long as it is well written, useful and engaging.
The problem with a predictable blog post is just that–that it’s predictable. While there might be nothing inherently wrong with what you’re saying, people simply won’t want to read it. If you’ve seen something a million times in blog form it’s just not interesting.
Thanks Gerry!
The hypocritical conjecture post. You know, I did that often when I first started blogging. I got a lot of flack for it too. But the thing was; I was ten. I’m glad I did too, because I learned from trying to teach others.
Hahaha. I think that if you’re 10 you get some free passes for sure! That’s good, though, that you learned from it and kept going. Major props for that. My ten-year-old self would probably have just cried or something :D
Nah, I’ve seen your climbing shots; you wouldn’t have cried. You’d stick your fingers in their eyes like you do while rock climbing a 5 grade crack (with your fingertips) and tell them who’s boss. Well, maybe not in such a violent way. lol
Hahahah. It’s true that my 25-year-old self would do that, but I’m not so sure about my 10-year-old self! :D
There are a lot of shows and posts that only touch on theory and don’t get deep into the practical examples. They really bore you when you get a couple of paragraphs in and you realize there’s not going to be anything new.
Exactly, Steve. Going into the theory of something is fine IF it’s something that warrants a theory! Theoretical physics? Fine. Blogging? Not so much.
Thanks Steve!
Tristan,
The one post that I see more often is the old “How To Make Money Online”. I think Internet marketers & entrepreneurs should stop writing versions of this topic.
I think that real internet marketers and real entrepreneurs should keep writing this kind of thing, but everyone who ISN’T making money online should definitely stop!
Thanks Marlon!
Great rant and comments to follow as well. I was just laughing to myself about a facebook invite I had received about how to be successful with twitter, from someone with less than 500 followers.
Let’s hope that the offending bloggers have content with more creativity than these attention grabbing titles do.
Yeah, isn’t that crazy?? How can anyone claim to be a social media expert if they’re following 1000 people and have 200 followers?? It’s sad and I’m even a bit embarrassed for them.
Thanks for commenting!
I’ve gotten to the point I skim posts, and if they are saying the same thing that about 50 other posts have said in the past, I move on. No comments, no share – just moving right along. I know that posts like that can be great if someone has a newbie audience, but they’re just not right for me.
I do the same thing, Kristi. I’ve also been severely limiting the number of blogs I read, just because I realized that it really was more of a timesuck than anything else.
I dunno, I think that a lot of bloggers who do write stuff for beginners severely overestimate the number of beginners that will actually end up reading their blog…
Thanks as always for the great comment, Kristi!
Stu, rants are good man, and healthy too. As for me, the one that eats me alive more than any other is #3. Especially the ‘escape 9 to 5′ person that ain’t escaped a dang thing yet. Besides, what are we escaping anyway? Seriously? But I digress.
My newest rule is this: If I’m on your blog, and you come up with a ‘how to’ post, and it’s clear you’ve never really done that whatsoever, I’m now off your blog. :-)
Have a great one bud.
Marcus
That’s a great rule, Marcus! And I think I’m going to steal it and use it for myself :)
Yeah, the escape the 9 to 5 thing really frosts my cookies, too. Ugh. Stop blogging about it and just go and do it already! Criminy…
As far as ranting goes… I try not to make a habit out of it, but it does feel good every once in a while!
Thanks as always for the comment, Marcus. You’re a stud.
Phew…I just looked through my 60 post titles and I think I’m safe! I’ve only been blogging since February, and I try to read as many blogs as possible. I have seen many of the “How I made a gajillion dollars from blogging” posts, but I just move on, like Kristi does. Who knows–maybe that blogger’s next post will be amazingly insightful.
What works for me is that I always try to add a lot of personal stories to my posts, or discuss a topic I haven’t seen before.
I’m a huge fan of the personal stories, Marianne. I need to work more into my writing. The great thing about them is that they’re ALWAYS unique, because no one else has the same experiences as you.
Thanks Marianne!
Tristan!
I love this rant. Yes, I agree with what you’ve said here, but more than that I love that you’ve stepped up to make a statement about this mind-numbing chatter in the blogosphere. I appreciate that your fostering a healthy debate in this area. We need more of THESE kinds of posts. Thanks for encouraging all of us to raise the bar.
No problem, Marlee. I’m glad you liked the post! I’m just sick of seeing all that crap written and seeing people wasting their time writing about all that crap. Bah.
I’m always ranting about something, so don’t be surprise if more of the rants make it to the blog :)
I do remind these things but it didn’t work for me. I dont know what is really wrong… I am frustrated….. :(
Just keep trying, Maria. Follow the advice here and keep working hard!
Yeah trying…
Haha. This is definitely cool. I guess I am using a few of those “common things” which can be seen in almost all of the blogs out there in the blogosphere. But at least now I know then it seems like I’m gonna have to opt in for yet another option – change my blogging style. LOL
if you have to change your blogging style, do it! It’ll do nothing but improve the quality of your blog and benefit you in the long run. And your readership will stick around once they arrive.
Good luck!
Hey Tristan, the main elements I get from this post are to be unique (meaning be yourself; not the hypocritical conjecture posts) and write great content overall.
However, I must say that although there are hundreds of thousands of posts on the same topic (as identified by a commenter above with stats from google), people are, and always will, look for this content. There will always be new people using social media for instance and will need to know how to use it effectively.
It also depends on your blog’s audience. For instance, my audience is two fold – small business owners who have offline businesses and learning some DIY tactics to get more exposure online and the second audience is newbie bloggers. So some of the posts I write are very simple and basic as they are for those who know nothing to very little about social media or blogging. In that sense, yes it may sound like other blogs – “blogging 101″, “how to use twitter”, etc. types of posts – but I provide my experience and my own take on things. It never fails though that those who are faithful to my blog end up finding great value in my posts. Could they have found it elsewhere in the web-o-shere? You bet! But the point is they look to me to provide that value.
Hey, I appreciate your take on this because I can look at a post’s title and practically guess every element in it too, which gives me an idea…I should have someone read my posts’ titles and tell me how predictable I am (hopefully on the low end of the scale!) :-)
~Kesha
Kesha, you said: “However, I must say that although there are hundreds of thousands of posts on the same topic (as identified by a commenter above with stats from google), people are, and always will, look for this content. There will always be new people using social media for instance and will need to know how to use it effectively.”
First off, the commenter’s stats that you refer to are a bit bogus. Refer to my replies to his comment for my take on that.
And second, I’m not questioning whether people will need to use new media effectively. Of course people are always going to want (and need!) to know how to use social media, for example. But one thing you said is the crucial difference between crappy blogs that use these posts way too often and a blog like yours: “I provide my experience and my own take on things.”
That right there is the difference, and that is what separates crap blogs from good blogs. Crap bloggers don’t provide their own experiences.
And if your audience is newbies and that is working for you, great. But from what I’ve seen in the blogosphere, the vast majority of people who write those “for beginners” articles are really writing just shooting themselves in the foot because 1) the people who need those posts will never find them on that blog because there are a billion other blogs ranked ahead of it in the search engines, and 2) the more experienced people are bored with that kind of content and don’t give it any attention.
As a result, they end up having no audience at all. That’s why the crappy blogs fail.
Anyway, really interesting stuff here, Kesha! Thanks for the great comment!
As someone else said above, I’m always astounded by the number of people saying the same things in almost exactly the same way. I’ve gotten to the point that I only read a post with a predictable title from someone I trust. If it’s someone I’m not as familiar with, I’ll just skip it.
I like Kesha’s idea of having someone guess the content of my post from the title.
For now, I have to go rewrite a few posts… :)
It really is mind-boggling, isn’t it? Don’t those people realize that no one wants to read that stuff?? Answer: No, they don’t realize it until after they see that no one is coming to their blog :D
Thanks Amy!
#4 – Posts on telling people to stop posting the same shit.
Just kidding…or am I?
I guess 7 years in the biz makes you want to vomit your chicken noodle soup on the screen when see tired nonsense skipping over and over like a worn out record, like a worn out record, like a worn out record…
I will keep publishing posts about telling people not to publish the same shit as long as the posts keep getting 100+ comments, like this one did.
And I’m NOT kidding :)
I imagine lots of people, like me, are beginners who’s not blogging for money, at least not directly. So it’s a little boring when all you see is feeds, twitter, facebook and google ads tips.
I would like to see more posts about good design and functionality, but not so obvious and superficial as most posts I find. Something with good taste, that really teaches you how to make your blog more visually appealing. How to mix well your content, so it creates a balance and harmony between your posts.
Posts that cover other aspects of blogging than money and traffic, but creativity, creating the right atmosphere and how to reach through your content and visual, the right visitors to your blog. Those who will come back often and give you something back.
It’s my fist time here (from your comment on Problogger), but I liked the way you speak and that kept me reading. This is something I admire. How to tell a story and make it interesting. I think it’s so important in blogging! Much more than lists, that I just read and go. That, makes me stay and trust what you’re saying.
But, that’s just my opinion and I’m only one… I understand that as a business you have to reach the more public you can.
Great blog you have! :)
Flavia, I’ve found that the best way to get the kind of information you’re looking for is simply to look at blogs that you admire. What’s their layout like, and why is it like that? What exactly is it that you like about those blogs that is so visually appealing?
That kind of thing is hard to put into blog post form because it really is so different for everyone.
And thanks for the kind words about my blog! I do try to keep the posts interesting by telling stories and stuff like that. Not only is that more interesting for people to read, but it’s more interesting for me to write! I don’t want to write the same old boring stuff, you know? If I’m going to put effort into this blog, I might as well make sure that effort is worth it.
Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the great comment! Be sure to stop by again soon :)
Surprising insight always sticks more than predictable prose.
The beauty is when somebody not only puts old wine in a new bottle, but actually makes an old song sound new, and somehow either dig a little deeper, or lift a little more.
Exactly, JD. Dig deep! Don’t just skim the superficial, common-knowledge fluff. That adds no value to your blog, your readers, or the blogosphere. It’s just noise that people have learned to tune out.
Thanks!
Holy jeez, that pic of that –what is he, a used blog salesman?– reminds me SO much of an ex-boyfriend I had in high school. I was so into him, too. Man, what was I thinking!?
‘Kay, anyway.
The same tired ol’ stuff. It’s kinda funny you mention it, because I was just thinking about that earlier today. There are only so many ways to re-hash the same things for beginners. The beginner bloggers can find that stuff on the best blogging sites, and all the great ones are networked to each other, so it’s not hard to find all the info you need.
The best stuff comes later, after you’ve mastered the basics and seen improvement. But then, if I start repeating all that here, then I’d be just as cliched as the blogs that blog about how they’re so *not* the beginning blogs.
Delena
Hahaha. I bought that used blog salesman photo on iStockPhoto! That’s hilarious! Man, how crazy would it be if that actually was your old boyfriend?
And like you said, the best stuff comes later. THEN it starts getting interesting, and then you’ll find the good stuff that can really make a difference.
I think we can sum up this whole “blogging about blogging” world like this: it sucks. Most of the blogs in it suck and most of the bloggers in it have no idea what they’re talking about. Sigh. Such is life, eh?
Thanks for the great comment, Delena!
Very True said. These are really a very common seen in this field. I personnally hate no. 3 type i.e. Hypocritical conjecture post.
You have explain well and make us aware of TRUTH. This is call Eye Opening post.
One should take this as FEEDBACK positively and need to change it order to survive in this fight.
Thanks a lot for this.
Thanks, BS! Yeah, the hypocritical conjecture post is just awful. Awful awful awful.
Those post types don’t bother me all that much, I get to slide right past them in my reader since I have no interest in reading them. I’ve written a few rants in my day, but this one was done perfectly and not so much as a rant. I would have gone off, haha.
Really? Oh man… They bug the crap out of me!
And yeah, I tried to keep the tone of this “rant” down a bit. I’m pretty good at offending people, and sometimes I like to practice being not so good at it :D
Thanks John!
I really hate it when I see #3, blogs lose their credibility that way. I like it when I stumble upon something fresh and new. My favorite kinds of posts to read are those that teach me something I never knew but with a humorous tone. And thanks for giving the tip on Keith Davis’ blog.
Yeah, #3 is the worst. That kind of thing is so easy to see through. It’s sad and it’s frustrating.
Thanks Lena!
Anything that is not original and has been rehashed a million times is really a waste of time. I like your rant, by the way! :-)
Thanks Ana :D
I tried to keep the tone of the rant down a bit. I’m pretty good at offending people, and sometimes I like to practice not offending people!
Yikes Tristan, I love analogies and hopefully I do a good job to go in-depth. The latest post I wrote is an analogy and if you get the chance, I would love your critique on it. I have only been blogging for two months and am still learning the ropes. I know you are super busy but if you get the chance to drop by my blog to take a peep at this post, I would so appreciate it.
Hi Diana, I really am super busy right now (trying to finish up my first product, plus planning a trip to the Grand Canyon in a couple days!) but I’ll try to check your blog out later in the week. If I forget, please shoot me an email and remind me!
Another way to look at those kind of blogs (dull and generic) is with gratitude. These are the blogs which make the A listers what they are. If everyone would do an excellent job, then there would be no more opportunity for those who like doing an excellent job all the time.
The fact that there is a solid amount of blogs/businesses that suck cannot be changed. This is a constant of life. That’s where opportunity comes from – the status quo is whatever it is and people have a chance to break it and be innovative for a while and that will be the new status quo, etc.
There is just a premise that we’re all equal when in fact others are hard working, and others aren’t. So those bloggers that cannot do what you do may end up being your clients so, hey, not bad. :-)
No amount of advice and incentive will make all people do an excellent job – some have to dig graves and do the dirty work of life, right?
I find myself guilty of all that you mentioned but I don’t see it as a handicap in any way. That’s because blogging without purpose works so well for me – I didn’t start it for the money but the money came my way – so doing everything right and professional has a “business” aspect that I don’t particularly enjoy. But that’s just me.
Hahaha, that’s true, Constantin. I guess we should all be more grateful for all of those crappy blog posts. They help the good blogs really stand out, eh?
Man… I can’t really say anything else about your awesome comment except AMEN! You nailed it, man. Thanks for the great comment!
God it’s so true.
There are so many tired “make money” blogs that just churn out the same stuff, most clearly written by people who don’t actually make money online!
There are very few people who have anything new to say, talk about market saturation!
Market saturation is right! Like you said, there’s too much noise and not enough originality. Just lots and lots and lots of crap!
I liked your topics.
Shallow analogy, though, is something that I will sometimes give a “pass” on. At least often when someone tries to use an analogy they are at least attempting to approach a stale topic from a new perspective. So in my mind it is a little better than the other too. Like a stepping stone, hopefully it is a step in the growth of a blogger.
The predictable post (unless done from some really ingenious angle) are often horrid. As I know you do…I comment far to often and have seen those exact same posts at least 100-200 times. I think you hit the nail on the head with the problem… Writing those posts for “newbies” are fine, but like you said…that makes sense only on the “a-list” blogger sites. For rest of us…it is likely to be repetitive garbage.
Hypocrisy sucks… nuff said.
True, I think that the shallow analogy is the least of these 3 evils. Full points for effort, but zero for execution…
You know, I never really thought about the whole don’t-write-for-newbies-thing-because-they’ll-never-find-your-blog thing until I was writing this post, but I do think that’s the main problem that a ton of blogs have. The more experienced readers don’t want to read that stuff, and the less experienced readers will never find that stuff. Nobody wins, and the blogger ends up losing.
Thanks Steve!
Hi Tristan,
I’ve seen a lot of the blog posts that you are writing about. And, I’m not sure if they are necessarily bad, but they’re not good. The reason that they are not something we should do, is because too many people are writing like this, and we don’t want to be doing what everybody else is doing. The reason I don’t think it’s necessary a bad thing is that if you add your own experience and examples, it brings quality to the blog post and it turns it into a different direction altogether.
You’re right, the types of posts I mention here aren’t inherently bad. But like you said, they’re just not good. And why would someone read lame blog posts when they could read good blog posts? And again, like you said, the reason we shouldn’t do this is that everyone is already doing it. The blogging “market” is saturated with these kinds of posts.
Adding your own experiences and examples is a fantastic way to create unique content. No one else has had the same experiences as you, and therefore it will be new to whoever reads it.
Thanks for the great comment, Jens!
Here is a shallow analogy for you. Why is blogging like farting in an elevator – they both STINK!
You know what else stinks? Your comment.
Its funny cause its true. I love every single example you used especially the content is king one. Its way too overused.
Thanks Edwin! Glad you liked the post man, and thanks for commenting.
Hey Tristan. This question might sound stupid but my dad’s motto was always “The only stuPid question was the one unasked” so here it goes.. I was reading your article about he Killer Blog Post Ideas and i thought “this guy should really write a guest post on my blog! So, what do ya say?
Hey Jake!
I’m going to have to say no because 1) I have no idea what your blog is, and 2) I’m super busy right now trying as I’m getting ready to launch my first product. Thanks for the offer, though!
Hi Tristan
Guilty as charged. I’ve been guilty of many of the faults you picked up on, and probably still am guilty of some. I think one of the problems is when you’re new to blogging.
Blank screen in front of you, and your mind going blank by the second.
It’s difficult to actually find a starting point, without sounding wet, and you want to impress and captivate right from the word go.
I can only hope that my articles have improved over the months, and keep on improving.
I agree, blog hopping is great, for the reasons above, and to break the feelings of isolation many new marketers experience. I’m in regular conact with a small tribe, but continually try to expand my blog buddies. The mutual help we have shared is well worthwhile.
I do think your No. 3 is a little unfair though.
Even if someone hasn’t ditched the 9 to 5 yet, he/she may be assinilating the knowledge to do so – know the theory, and want to share it. There’s always someone out there who needs that help and information.
If everyone waited till they’d made their first $100,000 before sharing how to make your first $1000, nobody would write – anything!
This is their chance to leave the day job.
Great post though, and I loved the title (well it sucked me in). I even took notes!!
Regards
Alan
@Tristan,
Really agree with your 3 points about stopping blogging.
I always see hypocritical conjecture posts in “make money online” niche. Many bloggers are writing tutorials on how to make money online but they are not making any money that will even support themselves. They’re all hypocrites.
To me people that leave comments that are meaningless is pretty naff and not signing your name is worse.
You assume that everyone who would read a blog on make money online already knows who all the top blogs are. The majority of my traffic for over a year was through forums that were specifically targeted to newbie marketers who didnt know anything.
Just because it isn’t fresh to you doesn’t mean it isn’t new to someone else. Some of my readers have never heard of Pro blogger or Copy Blogger, or Mashable, or any of the other authority blogs until they read about them on MY blog. it all depends on what keywords you are targeting, and where you turn for traffic.
If you assume your readers know as much as you do, you have no reason to be in business.
I do agree with the rest of your points though.
“If you assume your readers know as much as you do, you have no reason to be in business.”
My audience is mostly advanced bloggers, so yes, I do have reason to believe that they are aware of what the top blogs in the category are.
Your audience is newbie marketers, not bloggers, so it makes sense in your case that your readers don’t know about Copyblogger or ProBlogger.
Thanks James!
Probably the only one of your rants that I kind of disagree with is the first one. What you call “shallow analogy” posts are what I actually deem as pretty creative most of the time. Heck, I’ve written a few of those myself, so I’d be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t like them.
Here’s the thing; we all go through life doing other things. One day, if we’re the thinking type, we realize how one thing is like something else, and mentally start putting things together. I’ve done that type of thing most of my life; I tend to be the watcher and chronicler of things and thus I pay attention. So I often look at things I like to do and suddenly some of that ties in with blogging or writing or whatever else I might decide I want to talk about on that day.
Is that shallow? I figure it always depends on the reader to make that decision overall. Then again, I’m writing something almost every day on the blog I’m highlighting here, and I also write 3 other blogs. I’m not expecting to hit a home run with every post I write. But if I make one good connection, one person who fully gets it and possibly learns something from it or starts thinking about something because of how I’ve put it together, well, I don’t consider that shallow at all.
Now, if you mean posts like “blogging is like eating mashed potatoes…” well, I might have a change of thought on the issue. :-)
I have come across all the posts that have been mentioned up there in your article while browsing through many blogs, and yep! the remarks that you have posted indeed hold true for almost all the cases. And, yes you’ve said it right, it always feels good to have this ranting!
This is priceless. I have a personal development blog but I do occasionally write about blogging. I was considering writing a post similar to yours.
The one that get’s me the most is blogs that almost entirely rely on guest submissions. It’s always the same theme. The top five or ten ways to do something. I usually skim through these types because they are unoriginal.
I look for blogs that have original or at least somewhat original content and that write way outside of the box.
Great post. Enjoy lot coz it written on very perfect topic.
I personnaly hates such types of post especially No 1 and No. 3.
God only what going on in their MIND while they writting such type stuffs. The worst part of this is they never stop in this continue going long and long with their bluffing ideas and thoughts.
After reading it we feel that this is just PURELY WASTE of TIME nothing else but sometimes I used such post for refreshment which make me LOL and make me fall on floor seroiusly.
Thanks for sharing this coz this would be negative feedback to those who do this.
Have a nice day.
I do hope that all of those people out there with these types of blogs get a chance to read this post. You couldn’t be more right! Regurgitating material used over and over again isn’t going to make anyone noticeable and those are the blogs that die off due to lack of interest. You have sited every reason that bloggers need to be consistently unique. If bloggers can’t do that, they don’t need to be blogging. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction!
Everyone made some great points here! I like Dino Dogan’s take on “going outside the niche”. I’ve seen more diversified blogs doing well, which shows it’s better to switch things up.
With regards to providing living proof, I think it depends. I don’t look for proof in the immediate blog’s performance but I do look for compelling reasons. That’s where the analogies come in.
Cliches have their place but you need to support them or else your articles will seem like BS. Of course, managing expectations is key. I make it a point to let people know I have executed on advice for my clients but tend to get lazy with my own sites. It happens.. I’ve seen brilliant people with sites that are under-performing or under-used but does that really negate the value of their message?
You certainly raise some critical questions here! I believe that everyone will eventually say the same things but how they make their messages relate to themselves and their audiences makes their content unique. Perhaps it is a matter of differentiation through authenticity, compelling stories, and engaging your audiences (i.e. game mechanics or Seth Godin’s “Free Prize Inside” approach)?
Sorry about the keyword stuffing (I got a bit carried away LOL). I love this article so much I think I will build upon the thoughts shared here by everyone on my next blog entry at Y3B; otherwise, I may bore some of you with a diatribe here. Haha
Nice to see Paul Wolfe, Dino Dogan, and some other familiar faces, BTW – it definitely adds to your credibility, Tristan! One thing I will note is that there is a vast difference between full-time writers or bloggers, and those that use blogs as a more personal, raw medium or a supplement to other efforts. Of course, one should worry about author erosion since search engines put everything out there (unless you stick to “NoFollow” platforms, for whatever reason). 8)
Wow, you seem to have surely touched a nerve here. I would, however, LOVE to give you a guest post on Blog Monetization you HAVE never seen/read before. See it as a challenge that could provide people with a great reason to comment.
Interested? Get in touch!
Hi Tristan.
I agree with you. Nowadays, we could see so many blog posts in a same way of writing. it’s getting bored. Not much improvement. I don’t know. I admit that I sometimes too, do that. Repeating same sentences on one and another article. Need to find a fresh idea I guess.
I’d like to add a shallow analogy here – this issue is like learning to ride a bike. Those posts which you so rightly rant about (I merrily click in the other direction from these days too) are training wheels. They’re not meant to actually take a blogger or their blog anywhere.
I’ve made the mistake of publishing most of the posts you list one way or another, and I’m sure a few other inglorious errors too, thankfully not for some time. Anyway my blog’s in an overhaul as I type so even the sticky residue of ‘How to get more Twitter Followers’ will be wiped away from the glistening surfaces of my domain for ever.
Thanks, you made me smile.
You have made some very interesting points in the article. I agree with most of them and it may seem that I myself am guilty of one of the these by reading my blog but I’m a bit different than a lot of bloggers even though I write about some of the similar things. Anything I write, I write from personal experience or very detailed research (reading forums, blog posts, etc). It is just that I am not out to make a fortune online. I just do a lot of experimenting, testing money opportunities, etc and tell people about what I have learned.
I have the knowledge to make a lot of money online but I don’t need to put some of it to use because it is not my goal to make thousands of dollars online – just enough to satisfy my personal needs which I am doing and I am usually short on time. I just share my knowledge and personal experience with others (mostly newbies) in hopes that it helps them. If I mention something that I know about but don’t have personal experience from, I recommend a website, expert, or even Google for them to get the helpful information they need.
In any case, it was a great article that made me think about my own blog and what I can do better to improve it.
Totally guilty of some of those blog posts whilst at the same time agreeing that it’s all wrong. One reason is that people really do want to read posts with those titles which just encourages more bloggers to churn out the same boring stuff that they themselves have mostly copied from another blog.
Laugh Out Loud. Snicker. Snort. Whew.
That was funny, Tristan. Somehow, you managed to make me feel a tad bit guilty, as well. As a writer, my main tool is the analogy. My posts are littered with metaphor.
As a failed affiliate marketer, I own that deficiency and my readers know that http://www.morphodesigns.com/archives/2011/keep-your-ize-on-the-prize/ was my soul-baring confession of same. :) (You’ll note that I, too, experimented with microniches. With the same sorry results.) Still, I feel sullied with the stigma of hypocrite. Waaah!
The one area where I feel I haven’t trod on your toes is predictability. That’s because my other writer’s tool is irony.
Cheers,
Mitch
Haha I genuinely enjoyed this very much.
That’s why it’s so important to actually write about something you give a shit about.. Instead of trying to make money.
Blog is a platform where one really wants to see the desired insight for what he/she has been looking for. As per this post, it is quite true that people should have at lest such blog posts which one wants to see often.
First, I am pretty sure I had a class with you once or twice, and I happened upon your blog today. How cool is that?
Also, “Reading shallow analogies is like getting punched in the face—they’re both extremely unpleasant.” That was just too funny. I laughed out loud, so thanks for that!
Whoa, really? Crazy. Small world, eh? Thanks for commenting, Holly!
Well, I have to admit I started my blog as an experiment and it is still tough going – the good thing is that I really care about what I am writing about but I am still not getting any readership – it’s kind of a struggle and I have to find my style of writing – it’s a lot of time to invest to make it work!
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