There’s an interesting thing happening online at the minute – people are beginning to see through crap and filter out inane. Long-term fans and advocates of bloggers and social media “leaders” are looking at them and realizing that maybe they don’t have much to offer after all.
What’s even more interesting is not that this is happening, but that it’s being made clear on why it’s happening by the very people who might have otherwise been quiet and submissive until now.
Big name bloggers are seeing comments left on their blog’s, decrying the blatant self-promotion angle that’s taken over what used to be informative reading. Readers are questioning the value of a blog if there’s nothing but other writers on it, and not the blog’s owner.
Of course, does this really matter? After all, if a blog has subsciber numbers in the high thousands, who cares if you lose a reader here or there?
It’s a fair point. But the bigger question to ask might be this: if the sheep (and I say that out of respect and not as a generalization – sheep being loyal but quiet readers) are beginning to question you, and call you out, what do you think the more vocal and free-thinking web users are saying about you?
And how do you think this affects your business opportunities? To come back to the self-promoting blogger angle, the constant referencing to in-house products and offers changes in perception. Instead of seeming successful, the blogger (and their relevant companies) come across as not having had much uptake, and now that the sheep are thinking for themselves, we better try and make some money while we still can.
Of course, this is just an observation. Besides, sheep are good – the numbers must mean you’re doing something right. Right?
Maybe. Maybe not. But while your flock is questioning your leadership, they’re also looking to other bloggers who actually are providing A-list content all the time.
Folks like Nancy Davis, who’s writing some of the most personal and human relationship posts on the web today. Or Marcus Sheridan, who’s writing the kind of content marketing stuff that Junta42 used to be known for. Or Geoff Livingston, where every single post makes your brain razzle with the solid and real business content that Forbes should have, but don’t. Or Jk Allen, who uses his inimitable hustling style to give you some of the best entrepreneur information you’ll ever read.
And guess what? These guys, and others like them, have businesses. The kind that your business looks to win. So while you might be happy with the “loyal” silent readers boosting your traffic and AdAge rank, will they pay the bills when a business is looking at a blog and reaching out to the author for projects based on the content?
The mundane A-lister is dead. Long live the new real.
image: infamecless
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About Danny
[...] Their excuses are numerous and we all know them (time, effort, don’t know what to write, etc…) but their biggest excuse lies with those who should be leading the way. Danny Brown recently threw a big rock in the social media pond by stating that people are beginning to see through crap and filter out inane. [...]
[...] and people unsure about how to use Facebook for marketing should do as much research as possible. Be weary of Social Media “Experts“. It may be worth spending money on a solid course, but check results that others have got [...]
[...] I don’t see things changing any time soon, so for now, the best advice I can offer is the same steps that I am trying to adhere to myself: unceremoniously unsubscribe your attention from anyone who is working harder on selling you than teaching you. Take that time and start writing about something you care about. Pour yourself into it, even when no one is reading. If and when people do start reading the crap you put on the page, don’t ever take that for granted. [...]
[...] especially bummed not to be able to participate in the discussion around Danny Brown’s post When Sheep Tell the Shepard to Flock Off. I read it and really thought it was spot on. I shared it (a couple of times), but when I saw it [...]
[...] trying to monetize their blog might find that the very readers they worked so hard to woo might stage a rebellion. Or worse yet, they may stop listening all [...]
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[...] few weeks ago, Danny Brown blogged about the fact that readers were rebelling against bad posts from Superstar bloggers who were letting subpar guest bloggers take over. Dichotomy: We make [...]
[...] blogs are filled with the same type of content. Could this be contributing to the problem Danny Brown wrote about: readers complaining about the decline of good content on popular [...]
[...] I don’t see things changing any time soon, so for now, the best advice I can offer is the same steps that I am trying to adhere to myself: unceremoniously unsubscribe your attention from anyone who is working harder on selling you than teaching you. Take that time and start writing about something you care about. Pour yourself into it, even when no one is reading. If and when people do start reading the crap you put on the page, don’t ever take that for granted. [...]
[...] When Sheep Tell the Shepherd to Flock Off (dannybrown.me) [...]