Is this the best we can do?

I started saying this a few weeks back…and I continue to do so without significant fear of contradiction: When it comes to “blogging about blogging”, I contend that 90% of all blog posts are a waste of space. There are certainly thought leaders and gifted communicators in the internet marketing arena. But, outside those few, most blog posts are not only rehashes, but don’t even ATTEMPT to add additional value…i.e., they meet the technical definition of “worthless”.

And yet…aren’t we getting exactly what we deserve here? How many years have the internet marketing gurus feasted on the profits of the sheep who they promised to help make millions…and yet, you can only stretch that goatskin just so far before it snaps back and takes off half your face.

People who are tring to “make money online” by simply pursuing a “make money online” philosophy are wasting their time chasing these folks around. It’s time to get a life, develop some outside interests, and stop talking exclusively about making money online and blogging about blogging. There are plenty of great business ideas out there. Go meet some people and scare up some ideas together. Find ways to apply what you’ve learned by offering ACTUAL VALUE to people in a product or a service (not teaching them how to make money!). Find something that isn’t being done now…or isn’t being done well. Quit chasing “keyword niches” and look instead for a market “itch” you can scratch.

I try to avoid writing things that other people are talking about unless I can add substantially to the conversation.

Then again some people might look on my blog as a blog about blogging or make money online, but I feel I am snuggling into my own niche.

I can’t see the point of a Digg front page that doesn’t gain quality links.

Greg, I highly suggest reading different types of blogs besides the top ones in the industry (any industry, really). For example, I find that reading the Redneck Mommy blog, Search Engine Land, The Future of Work Weblog, Media Bistro’s feed and any number of media, search marketing, online marketing, e-mail marketing, mommy-related, e-commerce, analytics, self-employed and everything-in-between..blogs…helps me craft posts on MY blog that add value because they provide much needed perspective.

The precise reason why I spend more time reading Marketing Pilgrim and SeoBook’s Blogs are precisely because of consistent quality. I do read and enjoy some posts from Shoemoney and JohnChow, but their off-topic, rambling inane posts keep my visits short. However, to be fair it should be noted that both those blogs started out as personal blogs that evolved to cover marketing and perhaps this gives both gentlemen some license.

I expect (and feel I generally get) higher value from this blog. Seobook tends to go off into cynical, bitter almost melancholy rants from time to time. However to be fair to Aaron at SeoBook, I see that cynicism and bitterness is rife throughout the SEO/SEM industry and this shows up in the posts. I understand in part where it comes from, but I feel that diminishes value as well. I expect a frivolous post now and then because blogs are inherently personal and to be blunt, I’m not paying you for the information. It’s the emo teen angst that comes across sometimes that leaves me scratching my head.

I am grateful for all the marketing blogs out there and just learned which blogs to prioritize.

I think we need to take into account who the audience is for these blogs.

If the bloggers in question are writing for their peers, then, yah sure you betcha, if all they do is regurgitate the same topics that have already been covered everywhere else without adding any new spin or insight, they’re wasting my time.

But some write for people outside the business — prospective customers, maybe. And the needs and interests of that audience will be somewhat different from those of our peers.

Now I’m pretty active on a couple of SEO/marketing related forums, and I can tell you, no matter how many times some of these topics have been covered already, somebody’s bound to show up tomorrow and ask the exact same question.

We *could* blow them off or insult them for not knowing this stuff already. Roll our eyes behind their backs and make snide comments among ourselves about “clueless newbies.” And I know in some fora, that’s exactly what would happen. That’s the culture of those communities, which is their right. I choose to not spend much time in places like that, which is *my* right.

In the communities where I spend most of my time, though, we usually try to answer their question (or at least point them directly to a recent thread that discusses the topic) with a measure of respect. We try to keep in mind we all have to start somewhere, and the best way to learn is often by asking questions. Maybe it’s my background in teaching and corporate training, but I’m just not comfortable with the idea of putting down or making fun of people who are trying to learn.

If a blog’s audience is the less experienced, those who want to learn, prospects and customers, then don’t begrudge the blogger going over frequently discussed topics again. It’s a poor assumption that readers of that blog will have already heard this stuff a thousand times over, because from what I’ve seen in forum questions, they haven’t. No matter how many places it’s already been published.

Or if they have, it hasn’t sunk in. Which isn’t necessarily surprising, and doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stupid or incapable of learning. Sometimes you can read about a concept a thousand times, and it’s not until that thousand-and-first time that something clicks and it all starts to make sense.

I admire the patience and good humor of bloggers who are willing to spend time to go over the basics again and again, and rehash all the “latest” news one more time if that is what will best serve their audience. Of course, I’m probably not going to read their blogs myself (because they’re not writing for me), but I can’t fault them for writing to their audience.

I started a new blog recently (a blog about blogging) and I decided I was going to write posts that were new and different from what I read on other blogs about blogging. Before you know it the emails and the comments start showing up asking questions about how to start a blog and all the basic stuff that has been covered a million times on other blogs. It got me thinking.

I hope to build a large community at my site and become a one stop blog on blogging. Unfortunately that means I will have to rehash topics that have been discussed a million times. I could just skip those beginning topics and direct readers to sites that have already covered the topics but if I am getting so many emails, comments, and questions about things that I think have been explained to death, then there is obviously a need for the answers to these questions (even if someone has already answered them before.)

It is great to have a new almost never before thought of niche, but their are so many people out there that are just starting out that don’t now why they should have a hosted WordPress blog instead of a Blogspot blog. There are so many people that just need help starting their first blog or learning how to not make the stupid mistakes we all made when we started.

It always amazes me how many long time bloggers spend so much time talking over new bloggers heads. I don’t make much money online, but their are tons of new bloggers that want to learn how to make even the small amount that I do make. I understand your feelings about what you think are rehashed topics, just remember most people do not read as many feeds and blogs as we do each day and if you write about the topics that other bloggers cover your readers won’t have to leave your blog to go find the topics they are interested in. I want my readers to find other interesting blogs but I also want to provide them with a one stop blog for all their blogging questions.

First time reader here Greg. Found you by way of Ad Age Power 150.

If I feel that you’re trying to write to be popular I will not read your stuff very often. A clue is if your entire blog roll is to A-listers.

I think the key to quality material is to be authentic. Write from your gut.

I like Diane’s comment about audience. It all starts from there.

I’ve thinned Google Reader from about 90-100 blogs to about 15, and I could probably cut that in half, if I weren’t so lazy. I think when a rehash blog starts to get a little traction, it feeds the fire that they should rehash even more. Build a niche people!

I recently started to write an internet marketing blog with a startup/silicon valley twist. The problem I have is all the marketing blogs repeat stories (without much of their own twist). It is not easy to find material to write about outside of your own daily experiences and issues. Good post Greg.

Greg I understand why it can be frustrating to see similar posts on different blogs, but why would you expect otherwise?

Pick up a newspaper in your city and then pick up a competing paper. Won’t both share many of the same stories? Won’t both even reprint the exact same AP or Reuters newswire items?

Every month at the newsstand I can look at magazines writing about the same general topic and every month I notice that all seem to feature the exact same topic every month.

I’m subscribed to a lot of blogs myself and many will post the same news item or posts on rehashed topics, but that doesn’t mean many of them aren’t valuable. If I’m interested in a topic I’ll gladly read many different posts on that same topic. I might only gain one of two new things from each post, but you can’t expect that each post is going to be entirely original.

The only way not to ever see something rehashed is to limit each topic to one blog. As soon as you have two blogs on the same topic you’re going to get repeated information. And you’re free to choose to read both, neither, or the one you consistently like more.