I can’t help but notice the scores of personal development bloggers out there. I read about 25 right now. Another one or two pop up each month.
Some are excellent writers; with well informed opinions, good writing style and frankly, some compelling personal experiences to back it up.
Others….well, let’s just say their sites look like the backside of a VW Bus on a Berkley street corner…..e.g. covered in ads with half-a-bumper. Barely running. Little substance. Written by kids acting as if they were Norman Vincent Peale, Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra all wrapped into one.
Spewing out tips on “how to attract abundance,” “how to live courageously” and “how to be an oustanding person”….without giving so much as a hint at why I should devote one ounce of weight to their self-proclaimed guru status.
In this day and age, anyone can write about <nearly> anything and can claim to be an expert with no credentials.
What I love about blogging is they enable you to have a dialog with a REAL PERSON. You can learn and interact with this REAL PERSON. The writing is less authoritative and more editorial. It has a sharp tinge of personality. Blogs nowadays are losing that personal touch. Their trying to be mini-e-zines with catchy titles.
I’ve noticed far too many blogs in my little niche of personal development totally slacking on the PERSONAL part of their stories. There are tons of “top 10 lists” or quick references to other blogs (no doubt to drive traffic) but little in the way of helping readers actually get a glimpse into the author’s personality, life and personal growth challenges and success.
Frankly, I don’t look to a 2o-something y/o with a wordpress account to tell me how to live my life “courageously.” At least, not without first knowing what this 20-something has done to warrant my dedicated following.
Net-Net…I am more than a little jaded with the state of many blogs right now. If you are a personal development blogger, tell me about how you are evolving and improving your own life. Tell me about your own personal goals. Hold yourself accountable for the progress you are making (or not making against them). Tell me about lessons you are learning, both mistakes and the good things. That’s what blogs are meant to be, an open dialogue.
Stop trying to act like you are a guru.
If I want to read a top ten list I’ll watch Letterman.
If this is too much to ask….no worries, I’ll just stop reading your blog.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
My thoughts exactly – with any type of blog.
Yes, I would have to agree that the “top 10″ lists and the “anything for a catchy title” mentality are running too rampant.
I come up with catchy titles myself as it is part of a good link building strategy. However, the major tips for writing good headlines are so well-known anymore that I have personally stopped reading almost any blog post whose title has a number in it, or promises me the “secret” to something.
Again, to be fair, I use some of those techniques myself, but I use them sparingly, and I back up the title with good content.
As far as there being too many gurus, I think it was Darren Rowse who said that if your blogging niche seems crowded, just wait it out. In a year, only the people who bring true value to the niche and who write in it because of passion – rather than just profits – will even still be around.
Ravi, I’m loving the new layout. It is looks really crisp!
Hey Ravi,
You agree and disagree with you on some levels. I almost feel like you were talking to me in that post (not at all offended) since you mentioned “How to become an outstanding person” (my exact title), and top ten lists, etc.
For me, blogging is an absolutely great way to express myself and document what I’m saying. Not everyone is born a problogger, with the marketing/technical skills to have a blog that doesn’t look like “the back of a VW bus”.
I haven’t noticed anyone specifically acting like a personal development guru, but it’s great that everyone can chip in, give their 2 cents about what they’ve learned. I don’t care if the person is a teenager, as long as they have great content, I’m going to read it.
I too notice a lot of people in this niche, but that doesn’t bother me or drive me to post about it. I just make a mental note, and consider the fact that I’m not the FIRST. Even if I was, I wouldn’t be territorial.
I think the last person I heard complaining about all the PD bloggers was The Probabalist. I believe he mentioned he was running an experiment to see how many of these newbie PD bloggers would be left after a few months. I thought it wasn’t the nicest thing to say, since each blogger gets a chance to grow from their writing. Long-story short, he’s one of the people that walked away and stopped blogging.
I think it’s one of those times where worrying about oneself, instead of ranting about others, is the best move to make.
No offense to your Ravi, you know your my buddy.
I also wanted to address top ten lists and how tos. They still remain a great way to attract an audience, despite how many people are using them. It’s just easier to read and skim such posts, and this is exactly how some people approach reading. Why not cater to such people?
Hey Alex, people can express themselves any way they choose. That is what’s so great about the net and blogging.
At the same time, I am incredibly frustrated with how so many blogs are lacking any personal touch. If someone is going to tell me how to live an awesome life…get fit…or improve myself in some way…that is all well and good, but I would at least expect to know a little bit about their own experiences, goals, struggles and successes.
Everyone is claiming to be an expert but few are willing to be real about where they are at in their own lives. I am not expecting anyone to be perfect, just honest.
This is my issue.
When bloggers write as if they are a top-notch expert, with nothing to back it up….that is where I tune out.
Catchy headlines and top 10 lists are fine….just don’t lose the personal aspect of the blog.
btw…funny that you thought I was alluding to you with this post b/c I most definitely WAS NOT.
Ravi, I KNOW you weren’t talking about me… I thought it was funny you through one of my titles in there, that’s all.
Best advice I can give you is, don’t read the people you don’t want. If they keep popping back up in front of you, then maybe there is a reason. Otherwise, do not bother to stress it.