Technology, business and change
What is everybody doing? Do something else
I thought about leaving the body of this article blank and just let the title speak for itself, but I thought it would look like I’m being lazy. I seriously think the title says it all, but let’s elaborate on the subject. Before we go any further, I want to say that this article mostly applies to people building a business with their website or blog and being serious about establishing a personal brand.
Creativity
I talk a lot about creativity and why it is essential in this business if you want to stand out. This is particularity true in completely saturated niches because competition is much more aggressive. What are saturated niches? Well, If you blog about finance, making money online, blogging tips, technology or web 2.0 you know what is a saturated niche. Why in the world would you think about starting a blog in one of these niches just to be like the rest of them? You have to offer a little something that will differentiate your website from the rest!
“If it works for him, it can work for me too”. I’m sorry, but no. The day a website become popular, you can be sure there will be thousand of clones a month after. I’m sorry but it’s too late if you are looking to establish your personal brand. I’m not saying you won’t be able to make a decent website somewhat popular and get some decent money out of it, but you are not going to get invited to events like BlogWorld to give a keynote for sure. You don’t give a damn about giving a keynote in your life and just want to make a decent living? That’s fine, I can understand that. Guess what? You’re not getting away with it, you’ll still have to be creative! One thing I noticed is that I could start a hundred of automated websites and make a couple hundred dollars a month without doing anything. But the thing is: do I want to or more importantly do YOU want to live your life building a hundred of crappy websites every year for a couple hundred dollars? I don’t want to. Maybe you don’t care actually and I guess I admire you for that.
Personal branding
Personal branding is the only thing you have in this world that really matters. You want to be an authority and a top player in your niche so that people think of you when they think of that niche. Just like we think of ShoeMoney, John Chow or ProBlogger when we think about making money online or TechCrunch when thinking about technologies. That’s what personal branding is all about and I think it’s important to build it because even if your website dies tomorrow, you will still be alive and with a well established name out there. How to build that personal brand? Don’t be like everyone else, be creative, original and it’s important to have your very personal way of saying things.
It’s a blog
Too many people are afraid of being “unpopular” because they think out of the box and have a different way of seeing things. You know that fear that someone won’t like you because of what you say? You know that fear of not pleasing the majority? I say you are building a freakin’ blog and it is a personal thing! There are million of blogs out there, so what will set you apart? You and just you! You are the only person responsible for your blog’s success or failure. The reason why a person will come back to your blog instead of your competitor’s blog is just you, your content, your tips and your opinions. You know, it’s a blog.
Saturated niches are OK
I talked about how some niches are saturated and how every blog look the same in these niches. Well, it’s OK to have a blog in a highly competitive niche because if the subject is what you’re passionate about then that’s the best thing for you to do. Just check what every single blog out there is doing and please don’t do that. Your competitors are doing video shows? That’s OK, do a video show too if it’s popular, but do it in a totally different way!
Don’t fear the majority
You don’t have to please the majority. In fact, you can have some highly controversial articles with people simply not agreeing with you at all, but still driving a lot of traffic for that specific reason. You’re a jerk? Be a jerk. You’re a nice guy? Be a nice guy.
Simply be you.
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Amen, I was running a few ideas of this same subject matter in my head. Selling Ice Cubes to Eskimos is like blogging for bloggers.The guru followers think they can read the newest article mix it up in a blender and spit back out and receive the same result. It is Okay to weird or have a personality
Sherri-Anne Myerss last blog post..Review of The Blogrush Widget
Heh, totally. Each time I do pure “my thoughts” post and read comments… I get strong suspicion that readers are greatly confused by the fact they had not read this before.
>You’re a jerk? Be a jerk. You’re a nice guy? Be a nice guy.
You’re lazy boring IT geek like me? Don’t be one.
It’s exception.
Rarsts last blog post..Moving, creating and even pressing Opera buttons
Love the post man… its POV’s like this that make blogging an experience. does anyone suggest where we can look up niches?
eric tans last blog post..HD LCD TV on the Cheap
This game is all about branding. The more trust you build in your brand the more successful you’ll be. I’m absolutely convinced that statement is true now. Which is why I’m a bit different with my blog compared to other blogs out there.
Clog Moneys last blog post..Keeping it calm and future expansion.
I like to think that creativity is an important factor in anything you do (especially for notoriety), but your right, you can just copy what everyone else has done and still make money.
Branding I think is the most important thing when releasing a ‘unique’ site – as if you managed to establish a name for yourself then despite copycat sites showing up, you’ll still remain supreme – look at the amount copying youtube for example, yet it still remains on top!
I’d like my blog to be a bit different than the rest, but in a saturated market it is sometimes difficult…
@Sherri-Anne: haha I like the comparison
It’s not always possible to get the same results just by changing the content and little bit!
@Rarst: haha boring can be OK if you don’t have to be over enthousiastic! Maybe you couldn’t run something such as a motivational blog if your personality is very calm and maybe boring a little bit, but there are certain niches readers don’t expect you to be over enthousiastic. I think your niche is one of them…
Of course I think not being boring helps, so it might be an exception hehe
@eric: Thanks buddy, appreciate the comment!
@Clog: I agree, your MMO blog is not looking like a MMO blog and that sets you apart right now. I think you should always keep that in mind: Be a MMO blog, but don’t look like a MMO blog
Loved the way you made that contest also, it was a very different approach. Btw, Did you get my love on twitter?
@Dan: Yes it can be hard to be different because sometimes you have the impression every little aspect of your niche has been covered before.
I like the idea of thinking something different. Sometimes I feel about blogging about my daily personal experience but is that fair on my part – as my blog is All About Cars…I need to think about something which is different and yet sticks to my theme!!
Riturajs last blog post..Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 GT video
Ben – Thanks for the encouraging post. What I love most about Blogging is that is a place where one CAN express creativity and be one’s self. As for all the people jumping on to other people’s proven success, I have noticed that even with the “Gurus” who are teaching how to get rich and famous by blogging, they to repeat themselves a lot. But heck, they are probably making money on that.
@Rituraj: I know how you feel. Sometimes you just feel like talking about something totally different. But you know what? I think talking about your daily personal experience once in a while is good. I think readers like to feel the person they are reading every day is a REAL person. Just my 2 cents!
@Adele: Absolutely! That’s what’s great about blogging, creativity without not much constraints. Make Money Online blogs and mainly writing the same content over and over again…
Ben,
I totally agree with you about not being afraid to venture into saturated niches. The important part is to give your own personal touch to whatever’s the buzz.
That won’t only get you attention but you might just become the next niche celebrity.
Girishs last blog post..The Rise Of EarningDosh.com – Yet Another New Theme?
All right, so the moral of the story is just be yourself even when doing what everybody is doing, right Ben? Oops….anyway, the thing that is unique about your blog is YOU so use it to your advantage even if you are not doing something else.
Insightful!
Yan
Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..Me, Carl Ocab and Direct Response Templates
@Girish: Exactly, use the personal touch to your advantage and make the blog personal sometimes.
@Blog for beginners: Well I strongly believe the best thing is to be completely unique, but it’s hard in highly competitive niches because there are just so many blogs out there. So if you have to do a little like everyone else, then you better bring your very own personal touch because otherwise it won’t work.
Most MMO blogs have the same kind of content and i am tired visiting them…every other blog is an MMO
ZKs last blog post..Position 2 on Google in 2 days
@ZK: yep, it’s a common thing the see more or less the same content all over the palce
I personally think Personal branding is very important. When I was selecting the name for my new blog, I wanted a name people would think was unique, so they would remember. I am working on a logo that will brand me to those who know me and to those I will meet in the future.
Taras last blog post..My last post
First, in your first line, I think you meant “title” rather than little. LOL
Second, I agree with you on this one, even if I’d like to change the terminology just a little bit; then again, that would be me being creative, wouldn’t it? I was going to say that I think “personal style” is an equal asset to creativity. Not everyone has to speak clinically, and not everyone can dabble in the sesquipedalian or loquaciousness of some of us (yeah, that’s right, look it up LOL). But not everyone has to; if you’re honest and forth coming, and your personality exudes in your words, you’ll also draw a lot of people, and what you write about might even become secondary.
Might, that is.
Mitchs last blog post..The Importance Of Blogrolls
By the way, I tried to go to Tara’s last post, and it’s redirecting to something else; I guess it really was her last post.
Mitchs last blog post..Growth Revisited
Never be afraid to be different, you will be loved…eventually maybe, but it will happen
Dennis Edells last blog post..Guest Post: Article Marketing Experience – Dominique Goh
@Ben: Can’t deny that. If you have the time, please read an interesting article by copyblogger called Priscilla (sorry can’t remember the link) on being unique. Awesome writing skill.
Yan
Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..Me, Carl Ocab and Direct Response Templates
The Kansas City Shuffle! When everybody looks right, you look left :p (Sorry I just watched Lucky Number Sleven today and it fit right in)
Alexs last blog post..Curious elephants
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Hi Ben,
Another great post. We all read our favorite blogs because we like the writers voice. I have added a link to your blog on my site because I truly love these two recent articles you have written. Keep the good stuff coming!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Jeremy Days last blog post..Interview with Yan: Author of Thou Shall Blog
Sorry folks, I know I usually answer every or most comment, but I really let that one go! Sorry folks!
Some replies I feel important to do:
@Mitch: Thanks for that comment! YOu’re right when you are talking about that creativity suff. It’s important to be you, but bring a little unique touch with that and it’s the way to go!
@Dennis: Yeah, it can take time but eventually it should happen!
@Yan: Man, I just read the post and it is truly a great article. Thanks for sharing that one! http://www.copyblogger.com/priscilla/
@Jeremy: Mate, I truly appreciate that you put a link on your blog! I’m glad you like the blog and I’ll try to keep bringing more…
@Jeremy: Man, you are everywhere. How many hours a day do you spend on commenting? (sounds familiar?)
@Ben: Oh I just love the article…Brian Clark is simply the guru of “copywriting”…If only we could be half as good….
Yan
Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..12 Lessons in My First 12 Days as a Professional Blogger
Nice article. Being creative doesn't have to be something spectacular. We just need to come up with new fresh ideas and who knows, there are someone out there sharing the same idea as ours. Going through the flow doesn't always work.
You're right.