Blogging - It's all about content . . . yeah right!
August 5th 2009 01:55
Is content really king?
So why is it then that so many bloggers have such rip roaring success when content is either dubious at best or in some instances virtually non-existent?
In the same breath - some absolutely brilliant writers with musings that deserve better are simply overlooked!
Surely it can’t be just about the content.- something else has to be at play.
Afterall - do you buy bottled water for the content or being honest with yourself is it more about image and marketing?
Sure, if your “stuff” is brilliant someone might notice eventually but you've got to plug away and really (I mean really) work on getting your name out there.
Timing too I've discovered has a large bearing on results as far as the blogging world is concerned - and depending on where and when your audience are at any given time of the day will affect your success and standing in the community you've chosen to adopt.
Content no matter how good needs to be packaged.
Don’t be afraid of a little promotion - how you do this is of course up to you.
Whether you Twitter, Facebook or rely on more tradtional methods to employ a following - it's hard to be a big fish when there are so many krill in the ocean.
Who was it that said - "Build it and they will come”
Good luck with that.
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Comment by Pat
Books Are For Losers
Most of Orble is made up of cut-and-pasting news articles with a link and a throwaway opinion. And that's why most Orble blogs are worthless.
edit: Realised after posting this comment that it's just a gripe without any discussion. And yeah, that's kind of because there's nothing you can do about it. Apart from being completely excellent and blowing the internet's mind with great web-log postings!!
Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
It's a good thing I love writing, because it does get discouraging sometimes.
I agree about marketing. I wouldn't have gotten that blog anywhere had I not been pimping it on Twitter and Myspace etc. It pays off with patience and persistence.
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Que sera sera
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Think it was Babe Ruth who said you can never defeat a man who never gives up.
Persistence, quality and consistency are qualities you should be proud of.
Go you!
Comment by Brandon 2
Celebrity Fox
Funny Videos
Downwrite
Mind Orgasms
Global Insult
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
It's a little like the fable of the Emporer's New Clothes too my friend. If you tell enough of the right people then, yes - it has that whole viral effect and everyone feeds off the frenzy for fear of not being a part of what's going on. Whether it's quality is another thing altogether - but I take your point.
Cheers champion
Comment by Elisabeth Fraser
Paper Cover
I'm not even sure I like blogging, though I believe I have an opinion to express and I would like to read posts which encourage me to join in meaningful and fruitful discussions.
Maybe Blog sites are like magazines in the News Agencies. The 'dolly' fashion mags near the sweets and lollies, just in case the pre-teens need a sugar rush.
The 'special interest' mags down the back in brown paper covers, and the 'part' works near the daily newspapers for the ones who can really read.
Possibly blog sites will get better when the 'hacks' who sit at home controlling their sites with no idea of what they're doing and/or don't care - get out of the business!
The only sincere people on blogging sites are the bloggers.
Please understand this is only my personal opinion and doesn't reflect the views of anyone else who posts here.
I could completely wrong, who knows. There might actually be a blog site I could enjoy, somewhere, out there...
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
So apt, so descriptive. I love the comparisons with the Dolly Fashion Mags and sweets et al.
There's one site (the address escapes me at present, perhaps someone might be able to help us out here) that I'm sure you'd love.
It concerns itself with bloggers who have both and interest (and a level of talent) as far as narratives and novelettes are concerned and affords constructive feedback from like-minded members.
Comment by Elisabeth Fraser
Paper Cover
I have joined a couple more, one seems to have promise, though I am a little more cautious now.
I used to work in a News agency and all magazines are displayed according to formula, in much the same way as the items in the Supermarkets we so love.
That was something I didn't know, people 'cut and pasted'. Doesn't that come under plagiarism? Stealing another person's intellectual property?
Merely saying where you got it from, doesn't cover your rear end.
Writers used to put a proper citation in their work, complete with date of copyright and publisher.
Did the world dump the Berne and Rome conventions? I don't think they did, in fact I think there is more work going on with the Rome one concerning Electronic Media - which is us.
Just my opinion, you understand. I think I may have got off topic a little. I got burned by a plagiarist a few years ago and I don't forgive or forget easily.
Lis.
Comment by Kristin Wolgemuth
Poetry Lighthouse
What's in a word
Time to Get Up Club
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
thats pretty much what blogging is
maybe a few reviews and personal diary entries, but the way you are successful is by linking in and out to your blog
no, only if you present it as your own, if you put it in quotes and acknowledge, or link to, the original article you fulfilling your responsibility under copyright . . . and you are blogging, thats what blogging is
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Elisabeth Fraser
Paper Cover
Blogging is communication - fast, sometimes efficient communication.
There is absolutely no reason why you cannot relate to your readers meaningfully and honestly.
We write to be read. Write to be read and be remembered.
Write for yourself, for you - for the writer it is where we exist.
Ms Bell, are you stating that you are not a creative writer? Just a 'snatcher' of prurient items from the Internet? Surely not!
James - the hours spent searching other persons original content to glean a few small morsels! When you could be creating your own brilliant blogs! I'm sure you would find it easier and more satisfying to build on your own ability.
Thank you all for the chance to discuss, agree and disagree with you. It is truly a meeting of minds and thoughts.
Elisabeth.
Comment by Wilson Pon
Health 2 Know
Adventure Toes
Techno Stuffs
boxing sound
Business Rope
Fun Places 2 Travel
Frankly, I agreed with your thought, as no matter how good the contents were, it's useless if no one want to read or listen to it! Hence, packaging still ruling the world!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Sure, sometimes I cut and paste a trailer video because I want that in my content. I also use Total Randomness pretty much for this reason - somewhere to keep my email forwards that I receive. This way I can keep them, share them and others can either get a laugh or learn about a 12yr old fathering a child.
That article went nuts and I had no idea why.
But persistance is the key to blogging success IMO.
I will keep chipping at the old block and slutting myself out there until succesful or everyone else moves on. I wlll also save all my google ads money to pay for a hit man to wipe out all my comeptition. Watch your back people
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
i think you might be a creative reader
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
The "timing" thing I worked out a while ago too. It really is best to set a time for publishing when you know most people are likely to read it. Other than that, most of it is all chance.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Sadly a lot of times it's about how the content is advertised... personally I've only just reached a level of having over 20 visitors every day and I've been blogging for two years. There are a lot of popular blogs that are just headlines and links-though not too many in my niche-and it's a shame for those of us who do real work on our blogging.
~Dianna
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Two requirements - posting frequency and networking.
To keep my blog in the top twenty list I had to post about 3 times a day and network - leave comments EVERYWHERE as it encourages them to visit you in return. Or it used to. My content was all over the place, personal stories, poetry, literary analysis, spell and spirituality. The worst posts had everyone visit, the best never got noticed.
Once I got busy and didnt have time to post or visit other blogs, I dropped out of the top twenty list.
Comment by Anonymous
That may be what blogging is for some people, but others take more pride in their content than their karma points.
Comment by Anonymous
Fish on Film
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
If you write for a specific demographic, post frequently, tag your photos, use correct spelling and grammar, and have a pleasant layout, you'll get readers. Yes, packaging counts, but it's not everything; content is still the most important factor. As to whether a blogger's content is 'dubious', that is subjective - what is dubious to one person is exactly what another person will be wanting to read.
Anyone who 'writes for themselves' should not complain about a lack of popularity. If you want popularity, write for a specific audience. Learn from the popular writers and ditch the sour grapes! Blogging is not meant to be a competition.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
haha good one Journeywoman
it never ceases to amaze me how certain anti-social "anonymous" people are still so irate over the ability of others to attract karma posts
i am also amazed that people think quoting sources, linking to references, and discussing or analysing the words of others is somehow shameful, it is the very essence of being academic, and its what the vast majority of blogging is based on: compare, contrast and collate
Comment by Pat
Books Are For Losers
"lol, check out this news story,
<cut-and-paste>
read more here at www.link.com, lmao post up some comments abuot what you think of this news story, thank you for reading my blog, orble 4ever!!!!!"
In my humble opinion, the prevalence of that kind of tripe makes the vast bulk of Orble worthless.
:^)
Comment by Fremen
Tennis
The Grudging Geek
Progressively Worse
I work way harder than her on it, so I can understand the points of view of a lot of people in these comments, and the post itself.
I think if I keep doing what I'm doing, I might be able to get a readership, and maybe if I'm popular enough, I can get some freebies form companies to review so that I can be a step ahead of others. I've read about that kind of stuff for prominent bloggers.