Comments on: Understanding The Rules of Great Content

By: trademark registration

trademark registration — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:10:35 +0000

Creating value for your readers is the single most important thing a blogger can do for themselves, and for their audiences. If you’re creating value, then readers are getting practical advice and great benefits out of reading your content. If you follow this advice, your blog will go far.

By: Best of Feeds - 45 links - programming, blogging, humor, blogs, geek, tips « //engtech - internet duct tape

Mon, 21 May 2007 23:06:28 +0000

[...] Understanding The Rules of Great Content (problogger.net, 24 saves) [...]

By: basketer

basketer — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:08:49 +0000

Awesome article. The way you write things make it look so simple and intutive. I am actually wondering why I didn’t do that before. This is .like a golden post for me which I can follow when in need. Thanks!keep them coming.

By: Creating content that keeps your readers coming back for more -- Brandon Wood

Creating content that keeps your readers coming back for more -- Brandon Wood — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:15:16 +0000

[...] Update: Just as I was putting my finishing touches on this post, I saw a similarly-themed article from ProBlogger come through my feed reader titled Understanding the Rules of Great Content. Possibly Related: When will RSS go mainstream? iPhone coming soon? Airlines to begin offering in-flight iPod connectivity Do comments matter in blogging? Why all programmers should learn C [...]

By: Jim Lane

Jim Lane — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:36:07 +0000

Something that might bear on this would be the purpose one started their blog. In my case, I found a lot of co-faculty were totally out of tune with what was going on in martketing today – they were stuck in their pasts and textbooks, so I decided to aggregate information into one place they could find it so they would not have to hunt for it. Consequently, reportage was the main thrust of what I was doing. Over time, I have added some atitude/analysis to those posts, but largely, I blog to provide a service for those who do not have the time, knowledge or energy to do it.

Your post makes a great deal of sense if you are blogging for yourself, but if it is for someone else, then your audience/target market will dictate the way you approach blogging. There is no one rule fitting all situations and, is my case, reportage would be the most appropriate.

By: Ryan Northcott

Ryan Northcott — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:40:45 +0000

I’m so glad I’m not the only one. It’s amazing how many times I have gone into a panic thinking of what I would write next, fretting over the idea that I would have to come up with something fresh, shiny, new, novel, breaking.

I’ve actually not written about certain subjects thinking that someone surely has written about it already, why would they want to hear it from me?

This puts my mind at ease and as Gideon mentioned, sparks some ideas. Thanks for the post.

Cheers,
Ryan

By: Gideon Morkly

Gideon Morkly — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 22:49:19 +0000

Come to think of it, this really is a great post. I myself have been feeling kinda guilty and queasy about just re-wording other people’s posts and putting it on my blogs.(I run a a gadget blog which has been abandoned for a while, but i hope to resume soon). But the 1-9-90 rule has sparked up new ideas in my mind. first of all I’m gonna do a post on it a blog i run with a couple of friends(www.unilagfaces.com), then I’m gonna try out the stuff in the post.
Big ups Tony…Nice one indeed.

By: Sarit

Sarit — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 18:48:10 +0000

Well, this post just summed up almost everything I learnt in a year of blogging. I guess if it makes sense for so many people- you’ve got it all right, Darren.

Of course, I am going to write my own opinion about this post- but that just proves I’ve learnt something :)

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:55:31 +0000

Valeria,

I think its a job we should all be doing to a greater or lesser extent as bloggers. Great point. ;)

Cheers
t

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:54:23 +0000

Greg — great pick up. I knew I picked up that rule from somewhere. ;)

Cheers
tony.

By: Wise Bread

Wise Bread — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 03:27:21 +0000

Jakob Nielsen reported the 1/9/90 rule in an Oct ’06 useit.com article:

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

That inequality is not just for bloggers, but applies to the rest of the Internet AND society! That means what we see in Digg, forums, blogs, email threads, etc etc is basically controlled by the most vocal 10 percent of society.

If someone is a “blogger”, then they’re already in the rarified 10 percent level.

Cheers, Greg

By: Strange Progress

Strange Progress — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:11:50 +0000

I guess one aspect of the “write original content” idiom, in regards to virtually everything already having been written by someone, somewhere, is that while that may be (almost) accurate, it’s not like a lot of it is even properly indexed, or displayed to a large audience.

That is what makes the difference. Write good, compelling content, that is original so far as it is not simply regurgitated stuff people *see* everywhere, and use that to leverage ever increasing traffic – and the two start to work.

Matt

By: Valeria Maltoni

Valeria Maltoni — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:22:44 +0000

Good to find Richie here as well.

Tony this was a succint and usable digest. I heard it defined by a journalist guest speaker at one of our live events that we ought to consider ourselves “filters”. It is our obligation to imprint and infuse the information with our own take, ideas, experience, etc.

You make it very actionable, thank you.

By: john

john — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:20:13 +0000

“…do NOT simply regurgitate what they’re saying in your own words, or, God forbid, simply “quote” them and leave a “for more information, go here” type of link with a one liner on your opinion”

I found this part quite amusing considering that this is EXACTLY what Darren does on his ‘Photolog’ and “Camera Phone’ blogs…

By: Will

Will — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:19:50 +0000

It’s hard to try to write original content for your site, as there are so many things and topics that are already covered. So with that, I try to write content original to myself.

I try to write about personal experience. If I come across something in life, or on the Internet, or on my computer, I try to think of a way I can express what I’ve found with other people. I tend to use alot of applications in my Web Design, so I compile a list of the top ones I use, do some research on the apps, and I have original content.

Maybe I had some trouble in my IT department networking computers. After I’m done I site down and write my process out into an article.

Stuff like that I find is easier to write about and be good, then pulling new content and articles from thin air.

By: Izual

Izual — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:38:18 +0000

Thx needed that. this one will be bookmarked, for times I’m in doubt again, and again.

By: Lyman Reed

Lyman Reed — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:21:46 +0000

Thank you, Tony. I implemented some of the suggestions in this article, and actually wrote something useful, rather than just saying “Hey, go look at this…” Outstanding post.

By: content to be different » Blog Archive » A new documentary movement

content to be different » Blog Archive » A new documentary movement — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:16:40 +0000

[...] Darren at ProBlogger has some interesting thoughts about what he calls ‘great content’. He offers consolation to bloggers who worry about the fact they are not breaking the news, conducting new research or otherwise leading the pack. I think he’s right to say that they needn’t follow these goals of Big Media and his tips for how to spin off other people’s postings are very helpful. [...]

By: Friday Tea Time » TheMadHat

Friday Tea Time » TheMadHat — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:00:10 +0000

[...] * Tony from ProBlogger once again has an excellent guest post (or is he on the team now?) about creating great content. [...]

By: Aaron Chronister - TheMadHat

Aaron Chronister - TheMadHat — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:36:22 +0000

Tony, nice post! Good job entering that elusive 1%.