What More Is There To Say About Blogging?
14 Comments Published September 11th, 2007 in blogging, blogsThis is a great question that I see coming up from time to time. Matt Keegan recently wrote an article asking if we’ve reached the end of the blogosphere. He talks about large number of “me too” articles, paid posts, memes, etc, that seem to be taking the place of original content on many blogs. Sure, there are blogs where fresh, original, and timely content can be found on a regular basis, but on many others this simply isn’t the case.
I’ve mentioned this in passing several times at least, but I keep coming back to the idea that meta-blogging is dead. If you’re not familiar with this term, think of it as blogging about blogging. What more can be said about blogging?
Before anybody gets freaked out, I’ll admit that there are some interesting things that can still be written about. Of course, there are. Is there enough for a blogger to write about something new every day or so? The answer is “no.”
I started out about a year ago with lots of articles about blogging. I was excited and passionate about the subject. After blogging for only a few months, all the possibilities were still fresh for me. Now, though, I can see that most of the basic topics have already been covered exhaustively.
I still see new bloggers cropping up here and there to talk about blogging or how to make money on the internet. Sure, there are a few things that might not have been talked about much. There are going to be new developments that occur and will provide fodder for more discussion and analysis. Things have changed, though.
Blogging isn’t new any more. The number of blogs out there is in the upper tens of millions and I wouldn’t be surprised if this number is approaching 100 million already. It’s incredibly easy to start a blog. It’s less easy to keep maintaining one, though, so many of these blogs are dead or abandoned.
The point is that all the basics of how to start, develop, and monetize a blog have been written about in depth. There’s really not that much more to say. The references are out there and are well known.
Why do people start blogging about blogging or blogging about blogging for money, then? Don’t they know that this has been done to death already? Maybe.
It’s possible that they have a very specific audience in mind and hope to capture that traffic. It could be that these topics haven’t been covered as completely or at all in Mandarin or Tagalog or Telagu. If you are fluent in one of these languages or another and feel that you have an as yet uninformed audience, go for it. You might be on to something.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to break into the ranks of those who have already been in this area for a while, maybe even years, then you should reconsider. It takes a lot to develop a following and to keep writing new and interesting content. You’ll be hard pressed to stick with it.
If you’re just getting into blogging, my best advice is to make it about you. When it comes down to it, that’s all you’ve got. Sure, you have some specialized knowledge that may or may not be common. The most unique thing you have, though, is your own unique voice. Make sure you make use of that and give your readers a clear sense of who you are. Forget about blogging about blogging and start blogging about you.
Thanks for the mention, Ray. Yes, I’ve pretty much given up on some blogs as I find that the information shared is regurgitated or just not all that interesting.
I think some people have lost focus of what blogging is all about and have shifted over to the gang mentality. When you blog from your box, you talk about what makes you comfortable while avoiding the controversial and/or cutting edge topics.
Let’s due our part to add pizzazz to the blogosphere!
Thanks to both of you for this insight. I’m a regular reader of Matt’s blog and usually find the pizzazz I need there, though I haven’t really put anything of value on my own blog in quite a while, for the very reason you talk about here. I’ll probably focus more on the other blogs I’m getting started that do come more from ME than the sphere itself.
Last paragraph just made my day, Ray. Is so long I keep telling that yet outhere are people saying stuff from “ok, but have to censor myself or I may loose readers” to “no way, half of ideas have not been talked enough..”.
You got it. The blogs that keep me coming back are the ones where it is clear the writer is focusing on his or her own experiences or perceptions, as opposed to just trying to seem like an expert or advice-giver.
You are absolutely correct! There are too much bloggers running out of ideas and many posts across the blogosphere have seem to be inspired by others with too little personalization.
You can still blog about blogging if you have a personal blog. You can’t blog about yourself if you stick yourself into a niche.
Is it ok to change niche? I think so. I think all bloggers should consider doing it – going back to a personal blog, even if the personal post is once a month or so.
Cheers!
Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org/
And thanks for writing the original post, Matt. Maybe bloggers just need to get back to the basics…
Hey Tom, I’m glad to hear that you’re thinking about this, too. Sure, it can bring in more traffic to just post the “me, too” stuff, but if you really want to add something you have to work a little harder and dig a little deeper. Good luck with your blogs!
Hi, Valentin. Maybe there is too much self-censorship going on. There must be a balance somewhere…
That’s so true, Pam. Someone relating his or her own experience makes the message and information it contains so much more compelling. I would rather read about how someone has actually done something than just a step by step on how to do it without any idea of whether this person had any success with it.
Hi, Shantanu. Yes, there are many copy cats out there and much of that information is of little value. There are a million niches to be explored, though, and I hope new bloggers consider that when they start. Thanks for your comment!
Hey, Snoskred. That’s also true. Blogs that have a little more variety to their content might have a better chance of becoming successful than those that are too narrow. Then, again, what exactly is a successful blog? Sounds like a great idea for another post…
A very good conclusion in fact, but I think not only a new blogger but also those who’re in the industry for a specific time should rely on ‘being myself’. I’ll just add a little more, “if you’ve written extensive on a single particular thing and you’ve nothing more to add, just find a new line to write on even if you don’t know anything about it, research and give your subjective knowledge your voice”.
Regards,
One problem with original content is that if you’re not blogging somehow about current events, eventually the topics are going to get recycled. For instance one of the reasons I blog about personal finance is that I found all the media that I typically read was the same month in and month out. How many more articles on the 401k can you write about? I think one of the keys to making blogs succesful is the personal touch. Bloggers may be writing about similar topics but they themselves add a personal element to it that isn’t available in standard media.
I for one will be happy when there are fewer blogs about blogging. I think the superstars such as Problogger will and should stick around, but hopefully only the quality sticks around.