Seth Godin Tells Us What Makes a Good Blog – Maybe…
I disagree. Of course, I’m not important, and Seth is – but it’s my blog, so here are my reasons:
Controversy: Frankly, I don’t believe a blog has to be controversial. Breeding controversy is like those ads that offend everyone, but get talked about. Congratulations, the company is known, but not liked.
Likewise, ads (and blogs) that imply urgency beg the question – what happens if I don’t act now? For a blog, just look in the archives for the article. So much for urgency.
As for pithiness, I believe it’s needed, but it shouldn’t be. Look at how-to books (especially computer books) – the larger ones sell as well (or better) than the smaller ones. And how about novels – the most popular ones often come in the hundreds of pages.
But on blogs, we’re expected to be pithy to the point of being cryptic – even the Google item I recently mentioned shows that shorter entries are preferred (and, we can expect, rewarded). Perhaps for a personal item short is good, but if you’re teaching, you take the words you need to develop the topic – no less.
For business, timeliness is also a problem. I think topical and timely is a great way to get noticed. But business blogs also need to be timeless – write articles that stand the test of time, and get you visitors. Otherwise, your work becomes a ‘loss-leader’ – you risk spending your best efforts to get people to the store, with nothing substantial for them when they get there.
But I do agree with him on candor. I think the appearance of a hidden agenda can kill readership quickly. And business blogs need to be especially careful – after all, a blog is a chance to develop a rapport (and let’s be honest, possible work, sales, or P.R.), and any hint of deception will be as annoying as a friend talking behind your back – possibly worse.
But whether you agree or disagree on these points, talking about them does one thing: it helps solidify what you want in your blog – so take the time to decide what you’ll focus on.
