HOWTO: 149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog with Credibility! a SxSW ‘09 panel by Merlin Mann and John Gruber, has been on my repeat play-list for the past few weeks.
Merlin Mann and John Gruber are wildly successful web authors. They are both amongst my favorite writers; this is their first recorded panel together and it is insanely funny. Despite the tongue-in-cheek title, not only is it full of great advice about how to blog well, but when you replace the word ‘blog’ with any creative endeavor – like ‘photography’ or ‘3D animation’ – the advice translates across disciplines and gives insight about creativity, ownership and how to make something you can be proud of.
The first time I listened to the end of this one-hour recording, I forwarded it to my creative friends, because I knew they would get so much from it. But I was afraid they wouldn’t get the many (hilarious) Web 2.0 in-jokes and be turned off by the heavy blogging overtones.
So this short summary is for my friends; the makers of things.
Note: Quotes in this post are thanks to Jordan Cole’s full transcription.
1. Find Your Obsession and Your Voice
The core of the panel can be summed up in one simple phrase: find your obsession and your voice. Mann says:
Warning: The post below assumes you want to get better at blogging. If you’re blogging just for fun (hell, I am), this rant is not for you. It also contains snarky arrogance, so don’t read it if you’re not prepared to admit how wrong you are and how right I am about everything. Namaste.
Forget about sure-fire tips to wild blogging success, there are really only two secrets to be a successful blogger and I’ve found them:
1. Write well.
2. Or be a cute and nubile girl who blogs lots of photos of herself.
To everyone else who says you don’t need to write well to be a good blogger: that’s bloody stupid (cute and nubile girl photo-bloggers excluded). Blogging is a written medium and it is read. To say you don’t need to write well to create good reading is like saying you don’t have to cook well to make a good meal. To be good at your art invariably demands that you be good at your craft.
And this is art. Not Art with a capital ‘A’ that involves a lot of what-the-fuck moments, feigned understanding and pompous exclusion. But art because when it’s done well, it involves creativity, thought, and hopefully adds to the world of the person who’s reading it. Not unconsidered word vomit.
Web 2.0 Doesn’t Kill Good Writing
But Alvin, this is blogging! It’s not stodgy old literature or dusty cobwebbed print journalism. It’s Web 2.0 now, gramps, so suck it up and deal.
There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed; like shoving little old grannies off the stairs, stealing candy from a baby, and scamming people of their money.
Unfortunately, the get-rich-quick scam has probably been around since the day the first coin was minted. The sad thing is that, with the times being what they are, there are going to be a lot more of these guys peddling their schemes and more people desperate to hear them out.
Just flip open the papers today and see how many ads promise you buckets full of cash for no money down.
Cue words of wisdom from Seth Godin:
If someone offers to sell you the secret system, don’t buy it. If you need to invest in a system before you use it, walk away. If you are promised big returns with no risk and little effort, you know the person is lying to you. Every time.
The Internets is for Large Free Bags of Cash
Now, I’m an Internet guy, so here’s a rule of thumb when you hear about these get-rich-quick on the Internet courses: most of what they say is available online for free, if you’re willing to do a little work.
Yea, that’s it in a nutshell. Oh, and one more: it’s always going to be a lot more work than they say it’ll be.
Sorry, I can’t resist. One more: watch out for the guy who’s making it rich only by telling you how to make it rich.
As a coronary to my 9 Keys to Building a Blog You Can Be Proud Of post, I thought I’d write this tongue-in-cheek contrast (this blog post itself is worth $37, so read up!).
9 Keys to Build a Rock-Solid Turnkey Blog That Will Make a Trillion Dollars For You While You Sleep – Even If You Have One Hand Tied Behind Your Back & No Fucking Clue
1. It’s All About the Money
Keep your eyes on the prize, honey.
It’s not building a blog you can be proud of, it’s not writing because you enjoy writing, it’s not posting intelligent, carefully crafted articles that make people think. It’s especially not about sharing your passion with other people in an authentic voice that doesn’t make you cringe.
It’s making a trillion dollars while the authentic people hug trees and snort wheatgrass.
2. Get Rich or Blog Trying
While hippy tree-huggers are talking about following your bliss, I’m talking about following the cold hard cash. If it’s something you’re passionate about but it won’t make the bucks, drop it like it’s hot. A hot dead dog, that is. While we hold the cash, because it’s cold and you can hold cold stuff like that.
3. It’s Not Copying – It’s Inspired
There are millions of people out there saying the same thing over and over again – so you’re lucky you won’t have to make up anything new. Just copy, copy, copy, paste and change a couple of words – it’s not unoriginal, it’s inspired.