How to be heard - becoming part of the blogging conversation

This article by Stephen Downes, ‘How to be heard‘, is well worth a read for anyone considering how they can successfully launch a personal blog.

“Writing a blog can be a lonely business. How many blogs have been started to languish with no readers day after day, week after week? Others, seemingly inexplicably, attract thousands of readers, hundreds of links.

What’s the difference between them? After all, when you look at these popular blogs, you see nothing that you couldn’t write yourself, would write yourself (if only you had some readers). Is it really just a matter of being part of the ‘in group’?

The short answer is, partially, yes. People link to people they read, and they read people they know. Popular blogs build up a following over time, establish a level of trust (or at least a reputation for being interesting). Creating a popular blog is, for better or worse, like being popular at a party. It’s pretty easy to be on the outside, a wallflower, wanting but never able to be a part of the conversation.

This guide will help you change that. It won’t turn you into Instapudit or Scripting News. These are special cases; they got to their position by virtue of a push not available to most of us. But it will get you started. It will get you some readers, and make you a part of the conversation….” [read the rest]

I think that the key lies in purpose and smallness… trying to be everything to everyone will get you nowhere but being very specific, focused (together with open and honest to yourself!) will give you far more of a chance to get started.