Stupid Blog Tricks …
Ever insightful, Mark Cahill writes a great post about what can drive up traffic on a blog … and what that says about your readers. The money quote:
Bloggers are columnists – not reporters, and the successful bloggers have tight niches, and those niches tend to be ones which might never be filled in print media. The problem is that as bloggers, we don’t have a copy editor telling us we’ve got to get the opposing viewpoint, or suggesting that we ought to give the subject of our scathing rebuke the chance to respond, in print, in our own column. We more likely don’t have anyone even checking our spelling or grammar.
Even worse, most of us never leave our cubible, like the columnists Alan refers to. Rather than emulating Royko, we emulate Andy Rooney, and are more likely to write about the “what’s up with paperclips?”
I agree with this assessment of bloggers. But blogging also can manifest the form of documentation and diary. For example, my friend Sebastien Wains writes a fabulous and informative blog on his discoveries as a Sysadmin. He likely does not consider it writing as much as his personal journal for the important nuggets he finds each day through his work. I, and I am sure others, find it very valuable and useful.
But do read Mark’s article on some of the really crazy things people will do to pump up the volume on traffic.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/VarioCreativeBlog/~3/112447979/
