The Great A-Lister Myth
Who’s your favourite blogger? Your favourite actor or actress? Your favourite author? Comedian, musician, artist, sports star and any other medium where A-lister seems to be a well-used description?
Now ask yourself – are these people really A-listers?
So a blogger has 20,000 or 50,000 subscribers. Does that make him or her an immediate A-list blogger? Or does it just make them an A-list blogger to those 20,000+ subscribers?
Say that blogger’s content is about marketing. Or PR. Or Internet news. Or some other kind of media-related information.
Is it going to be relevant to someone who wants to read about Murray Mints? Probably not. So, to that reader, the blogger who writes about Murray Mints becomes an A-lister, because the content is meaningful for them.
Take it to other mediums. Let’s look at movies. People like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are hailed as A-listers because their movies are generally accepted to be big at the box office. But does that make them more of an A-lister than someone like Danny Boyle, whose indie movies have generally kicked the blockbuster fare into a cocked hat when it comes to substance?
The point is, A-lists and those on them are relevant to the audience. Your blog can be full of amazing content but if it means squat to me, you’re not an A-lister (at least, not to me). My A-listers are the people I learn from, or who make a difference in my day with their blogs. You can see some of these folks here. But even that’s relevant to me, and may offer little to you.
There’s nothing wrong with tagging folks A-listers. Just don’t hold them up as some sort of Holy Grail when they’re only really A-listers for their audiences.
If you want real, everyday A-listers, take a look in the mirror. You’re an A-lister and you probably don’t even know it. You work to feed your family and keep a roof over your head. You go to movies you have no interest in seeing because your kid wants to. You offer unconditional love and security to your partner when he or she needs it. That’s real A-list work right there.
What defines your A-list?
20 Responses to “The Great A-Lister Myth”
Hi Danny,
Interesting point about the content being what makes a person an A-lister, however I fall under the belief that it is the level of fame that makes a person an A-lister. Perez Hilton is an A-list blogger to me, not because I enjoy or even care about what he writes, but because he is so well known. That being the case, that does not mean that I believe, enjoy, or praise every thing an A-lister says or does.
B through Z-list people are the ones who really create the A, A+ work : )
Cheers,
Rich
P.S. I'll take Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire any day over those Indian Jones 4 and Star Wars I, II, & III debacles!
It is absolutely true that big audiences and big traffic are only one of many ways to make a way for yourself online. niche marketers and non-a-listers have been proving this quietly for years.
You're always going to hear about the big names; it's just natural, but definitely don't assume it's the only way to succeed
If you want to be an a-lister, go get it, but certainly take the time to answer the question of why that is your goal. Are you assuming a huge audience is necessary to do well in business? It's not.Thank you, everyone is an “A” lister to someone. And gosh darn it, people like me.
I think I know where you got the inspiration for this post. This is such an important point to make — “A-Lister” is so relative. Too many of us get stuck at titles and names, or the fact that other people have titles and names we don't, and we start fixating on what's inevitably unimportant. Your A List is your own to create and change, and you, in turn, have the power to become an A-Lister in your own right.
Be good. Stop worrying about whether others are good.
What defines my A-List? Intent. You can just tell who the good people are, and to me, goodness is what counts.
Nice post, Danny.
I'm with you on this one: “My A-listers are the people I learn from, or who make a difference in my day with their blogs.”
The true A-listers are those who share their experiences not to brag about how great they are, but rather to educate and help others. You can be one of the best in your industry, but if you aren't encouraging others to follow suit by sharing best practices (or lessons learned from failures), how are you helping to advance your profession? I commend the pros who have mastered this through blogging, but anyone who does any type of mentoring is also an A-lister in my book!
Not sure who used it first, but “micro-celebrity” seems to be the coin of the day. With so many people have so many tools to reach so many people in so many different ways, there's some way for everyone to reach some one and make some difference. That gives every one an opportunity to be on someone's A-list sometime.
What I like to say is, 'Do You.' That's all you can expect honestly; to focus on you and do work that you're proud of. The accolades and names that get dropped are all misnomers when you're looking at the heart of the person and who/what they represent for you and the rest of the community.
I know who I look up to, who I know does honest and great work, and who I can trust and connect with on more than a 'celebrity status' kind of way. Call it what you want, but those are the people that rank high in my book.
Would that be celebrity over A-lister, though, Rich, or do the two criss-cross each other?
And can't argue with you on your PS
Thing with a lot of online places is that strong SEO can pull in the eyeballs, and have nothing to back it up. Yet the destination can still be seen as an A-list spot, from the amount of traffic arriving through organic search.
I'm wondering now whether this was a subconscious post (if I'm right in what you're referring to). But you're right – stop worrying about others and go with the flow that works for you.
And no-one ever went wrong with using intent as a defining point – cheers Teresa!
Can't recall who said it, but it ties in perfectly with your comment: “Make people better than you.” That's A-list right there, empowering others to take up a mantel which you might have started. In that respect, I think egos and A-lists (the faux ones) are very close bedfellows.
That's the sweet spot right there, Sonny. Names drop off tongues and eventually disappear – the real legacy is in the doing. Cheers fella!
No doubt. What the heck does it mean to have a draw and then fail to do anything with it; success for it's own sake is completely empty. You gotta be on a mission! It's the mission that counts.
I think celebrity is a concept that can exist in any industry from entertainment to communications, to the medical and legal professions. Celebrity is the measure of fame one has and the A-list idea ranks the “celebrities.”
I'm with most people in that a person's drive to help others and working to truly enrich his/her profession with constructive and innovative ideas are the true leaders.
Eh, really just depends on how people perceive you.
I'm sure I'm an A-lister to some and Z-lister to others. It's really just a matter of perspective.
Execution separates what's real from what's not though.
You’re an A-lister. Myth over.
People that devote there own personal time to help others ,, thats an A-Lister to me ,, whether it be charitys , or fundraisers or special causes ..
Someone that says ” I'll help you ” thats an A -Lister too me ..