Here’s your Kukral blog tip o’ the day. You can’t fake or quick-hit your way into being a “big time blog”. There is no quick road other than to provide high-quality content consistently over time, while building respect and trust.
Here’s what you shouldn’t do, and I’m sorry to have to do this because I recently added this blog to my blogroll because I noticed it was everything I mentioned above. Yet now, it’s going down a path that won’t work for me.
Sorry Mark at 45n5.com, but you are losing me. Here’s why.
#1 Reason Your Blog Is Almost Off My Blogroll: Blog Attacks With No Merit
You attacked a respected industry person without merit. Now don’t get me wrong, attacking respected industry people is something I have done as well, and it works. However, you can ONLY do it when you’re right and can back up your case. What you’re claiming to Sam is crapola, and a very transparent attempt to get yourself some controversial traffic.
The problem is, again, controversial traffic is great, if you can back up your points, and you’re only concerned about short-term hits. If you want long-term readers, this is not the way to go.
#2 Reason Your Blog Is Almost Off My Blogroll: Don’t Try To Fool Your Readers
You’re gaming your stats to try and fool me and your readers. So, all of a sudden your blog is ranked #1 in Alexa, you charge $10k for a Reviewme review, and you have 368k feed subscribers? We all know how to game those stats and that’s what you did. Your sitemeter stats show you have 73 visits a day.
I ask why? What do you gain by trying to fool readers into believing something that isn’t true? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that deception is successful marketing and branding, it’s not.
Advice: Decide What You Want Your Blog To Be & Stick With It
Then live with the consequences of your choice. I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to hyper-grow your readership though some of the oldest blog tricks in the book. Believe me, I know, because I’ve used them all, and they work, however, excessive over-use of them will define what your blog and you become.
Know what I’ve learned since having been blogging since 2001? Long term, that strategy won’t work, assuming you want to build a long-term brand and trust level in your community. Chose wisely is all I’m saying.
I’m hoping to keep you on my blogroll because until today your blog was winning with me. What’s it gonna be?
“Don’t Try To Fool Your Readers”
if you were honestly fooled that my site is the number one site on the interent according to Alexa I apologize, however you are probably the one and only.
It’s meant to be a joke. Sorta poking fun at the people who take those stat things too seriously. Most people have complimented me on them.
As for being on your blogroll I’d be honored to stay there but can understand if we don’t see eye to eye and you remove it.
I’ll follow up with more thoughts when I post my next blogpost shortly.
Thanks for the mention,
Mark
http://www.45n5.com
Youch! There should be a sign on a few posts saying “Controversy Ahead” :o)
In all fairness, and from a complete out-siders viewpoint, I can see where Mark is coming from and the reason he questions the latest suggestive banners. However I have read Marks blog a number of times, along with yours Jim, and have found 90% of the posts I find informative and useful. There are a number of blog entries on every blog I have read, where I disagree with the author, or sometimes even question the reasoning behind the post, but I value your thoughts and experience in the industry and such continue reading, simply omitting the one, in my mind, rogue post.
Not wanting to get involved in the ‘disagreement’, one thing that worries me is that does a single controversial post, which people may or may not agree with, warrant a complete blog becoming labeled as a fake way of obtaining traffic? If so, then god help me ;o)
I am usually all for these Diggs and Bumpzees etc, but far too often I have found, and experienced, that these can be just as controversial themselves. I.E. bump me and I’ll bump you. More of a ‘who you know’ and not necessarily ‘what you know’.
Obviously, from looking at my blog, I can safely say that there is no dodgy bumping going on…. so to speak, and I know no-one ;o)
Jim,
Your blog does some crazy things in Firefox. Part of the sidebar is comketely out o place.
I made the response on my blog now. You can find it here:
Title:
My Blog Attacks Have No Merit – Pause – NOT
Link
http://www.45n5.com/permalink/my-blog-attacks-have-no-merit-pause-not.html
You’re right Vlad, eek. I need to work on that.
@45n5, party on! :)
Interesting.. You’d be surprised how many newbies would believe those Alex and FeedBurner stats though. To me, it comes across as misleading because he doesn’t have a disclaimer on his site. Even if it’s meant to be a joke at least own up to it before you retort on your own blog.
I rcently removed Marks blog from my reading list & blogroll – Marks blog went downhill when he started the “controversy gets links” campaign. Argumentative reactions gets a blogger nowhere, pretty quick.
“Even if it’s meant to be a joke at least own up to it before you retort on your own blog.”
In the first comment above I owned up to it – “It’s meant to be a joke.”
“controversy gets links campaign.” wow, we may not agree on things but I assure you there is no campaign underway.