Friday, March 23, 2012

Blogging 102

I've been told by various people and sources the same thing about blogging:

  • I need to provide useful information to the readers of the blog.
  • I need to sound like (or be) and expert on the subject or subjects upon which I blog.
  • I need to blog frequently enough to attract an audience.

Seriously?  Is this right?  I'm thinking only in part.  Sure, I want to provide useful information to my readers.  But how do I know what you will find useful?  Sometimes I strike a nerve, but I'm guessing I miss the mark as often as I hit it or perhaps I don't hit the mark very often at all.  I really don't know since I almost never heard from my readers.

And in regards to being or sounding like an expert, please.  Who is going to believe that I, a struggling writer with only a few successes to his credit is an expert on writing, publishing, and technology?  Sure I can give you my opinion, and what I learn as I go, but an expert?  More importantly, I notice that the people who I consider experts on writing, for example, don't give advice.  They write books.

And lastly, regarding the frequency with which I blog, I've been writing Mondays and Fridays, for almost two years now.  The audience I've attracted (assuming I've done that) I think is more from my asking people to follow the blog on Facebook than anything else.  And I've connected the blog to GoodReads and Twitter and that doesn't seem to have helped.  Although, as an aside, the number of Twitter followers is growing but I don't think that has anything to do with the blog, per se.

The bottom line here is I doubt the three points stated at the top of this post are completely correct and accurate.  It sounds to me to be poor advice but the only advice people have to give because they really don't know what works.

And in this world of mis-information that we live in I think a healthy dose of skepticism is in order.  What do you think?

P.S.  I also been told to end blog posts with a question for readers and voice an opinion.  In the words of Rocket J. Squirrel.  "The trick never works."

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