Figmentations

While I don’t yet have any wares to hawk on my blog or website, though over the past few months, I have found myself monitoring the industry experts (at least some of the ones I’ve found so far) to learn how to drive traffic to my sites. Right now, that is mostly because I like to think that what I’m writing is being read by someone, if not now, then someday….but that’s not a new thought. Here’s what I wanted to share with you….

It seems that another clever and cost effective method to drive traffice to your site is the old-fashioned way (if that’s an appropirate adjective to use to describe a new-ish medium) — and, it’s the whole heart and soul behind blogging to begin with — i.e., posting original content and letting word-of-mouth work it’s wonders. Take a look at the article highlighting the “re-creation” of Central Park’s “The Gates” exhibit from the point of view of a cat. Simple, yet effective. This respectful, and not-intended-to-be-mocking, depiction, generated so much traffic that the site had to shut down that section of their site.

That leads me to my main point here…so please bear with me….

As I’ve mentioned in my previous post…that if it weren’t for other bloggers writing blogs and my monitoring the feeds I’ve set up, then I wonder that I’d have as much to blog about myself. So, following the inspiration I’m getting from Jason Kottke’s full-time blogging pursuits, I’m going to make a vow to myself….and I ask my fellow blogging brethren to join me….

As of today, Saturday, February 26, 2005, I, Helen Hoefele, promise to make at least one post per week to be about original content…e.g., some place or person that I’ve physically visited, experienced, or participated in live…and that this one weekly post will not be based on a Headlines News blurb or another blogger’s blog posts. That is not to say that I won’t add my two cents on those other sources of the more or less mainstream media, since I do want to continue to participate in the word-of-mouth aspects of those pieces, but I also want to make sure I contribute to the creation of new content as well.

Signed, HH.

Note: Jason, forgive me for piggy-backing on your good name in the hope that those tracking postings about you will pick up the above pledge for more new and original content, but I’m hoping that people will agree that this is a worthy, not financially driven, cause…though I’m sure that will be debate-able by some.

Update 3/3/05: Well, I guess I stand somewhat corrected….according to the experts at Red Couch, it’s good to blog about what you find in other people’s blogs.

Here’s the crux of the tip. If you read 50 blogs for two weeks and you don’t have something to write on your blog to start it off you probably aren’t gonna be a good blogger.

So, get reading and blog about what you find!

Update 3/5/05: Clarification to Correction: Well, I went to one of the experts, Robert Scoble, and through comments to his post on “Corporate Blog Tip #2″, below is my question and his response:

In response to your last two paragraphs, I agree, in my experience, reading other people’s blogs always gives me things to blog about. (Though sometimes I’m not sure if my response should be in a comment to their post or in a post on my blog.)

Anyway, on a separate but related note, I’ve been starting to feel the need to contribute more original thoughts and experiences in my posts, and not just those things blogged about by others. (This is what I kind of feel that Jason Kottke does.)

So my question to you would be, how much of ones blog would you suggest should be about things that are not blogged about by other bloggers?
Posted by: Helen Hoefele March 3, 2005 07:17 PM

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That’s an interesting question. Depends on what role you want to play in the blogosphere.
If you want to play a connector role and build a community around something you’re doing, then quite a bit should be links to other people’s blogs. That’s why I started my linkblog. So that people new to the tech blogosphere would have a place to start.

But, you can be a quite successful blogger just by putting great information out there and using blog tools to just publish.

Linking to other people will help you get discovered, though.
Posted by: Robert Scoble March 3, 2005 07:53 PM