Written on March 24th, 2008 at 12:03 am by Darren Rowse
The Greatest Blogging Skill
The following guest post was submitted by Easton Ellsworth from Visionary Blogging.
What is the greatest blogging skill?
It’s not the ability to produce excellent blog content.
It’s not the ability to build a strong blog community.
It’s not the ability to monetize every page view, click and pixel.
It’s not even the ability to improve your content or your community or your monetization or anything else.
The greatest blogging skill is:
Meta-improvement.
Meta-improvement is the improvement of improvement.
It’s not just self-improvement. It’s self-self-improvement-improvement.
In other words: Becoming a better blogger faster and faster.
Why Meta-Improvement?
Picture 3 runners in a race. All start at the same speed.
Runner #1 never changes speed. Flat line. No improvement.
Runner #2 speeds up at a constant rate. Upward slope. Improvement.
Runner #3 speeds up at a constantly increasing rate. Upward curve. Meta-improvement.
Guess who wins?
3 Keys to Blogger Meta-Improvement
Self-Awareness. (See Metacognition.) Consider your personal efforts to improve your blogging skills. What’s your routine? Do you madly surf the intertubes for tasty blogging tips on how to boost any skill about which you’re momentarily feeling insecure? Or is there more of a method to your madness? Begin now to think about how you think about how to improve.
Focus. This meta stuff can be overwhelming. Take it one step at a time. Each week or month, consider your blogging skills one by one: content creation, design, community building, monetization, email ninja-ness, etc. Pick the one that you need to improve most urgently in order to meet your blogging goals. And keep that sucker in your sights until it’s licked.
Relentlessness. Never give up trying to become a faster improver. Lather, rinse, repeat. How quickly do you apply the blogging wisdom that you discover? How easily do you let your skills relapse?
The Blogger Meta-Improvement Motto
“I will do my best to improve more today than I improved yesterday.”
Meta-improvement is hard. It’s much harder than improvement alone. But it’s also worth the struggle. Your struggle is its oxygen.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Dive beneath the surface and you’ll find a never-ending series of layers: meta-meta-improvement, meta-meta-meta-improvement, etc.
Your mind can probably only wrap itself around that first submarine layer. But take the dive; it’s well worth it.
May this help you begin to see yourself in a new way and become a better blogger - faster.
Photo: Upward spiral by gerriet
65 Responses to “The Greatest Blogging Skill”
Steve
March 24th, 2008 12:40 am
Meta improvement and thus keyword management is essential cornerstones of a healthy and vibrant blog. All too often I see blogs and quite frankly web site content that does not adhere to a Keyword Strategy throughout a given page of a web site. Theme based and laser focused writing/blogging is essential to a long tail road to victory!
Adam
March 24th, 2008 12:55 am
I really enjoyed this post, insightful, positive and encouraging.
I strive to improve each day in everything I do, though not always a success the effort and will remain.
I think the following quote is very relevant to blogging or any web based endeavor: “Sometimes you are ahead, sometime you are behind, the race is long and in the end it is only with yourself”. I think of this quote in terms of perseverance not pure competition.
I have been working on my blog for 5 months now and am starting to see some minor traffic, would love to see more, but am happy with what i have achieved thus far, and looking forward to the next level!
OldSailor
March 24th, 2008 12:56 am
As I understand, Meta improvement is like Six Sigma quality improvement tool which helps to achieve perfection by continuously eliminating defects.
chris
March 24th, 2008 1:24 am
Excellent and informative article. I especially like the runner example to explain meta improvement to the blogging uneducated.
Meredith Hamilton
March 24th, 2008 1:35 am
I would add that this equally applies to other aspects of life as well. Great post!
Franca Richard
March 24th, 2008 2:01 am
Sure it is the greatest skill, I agree with ya, and I will go to improve my blog now!
Sudheer
March 24th, 2008 2:14 am
I recall Stephen Covey’s seventh habit of highly effective people. Sharpen the saw.
With warm regards,
Sudheer
Matt L
March 24th, 2008 2:32 am
Going to fast could lead to falling over yourself.
Make sure there is a stone in front of you before you take that step… don’t fall into the water.
Mark - Creative Journey Cafe
March 24th, 2008 3:42 am
Interesting. As a new blogger I’m trying to post great content.
Admittedly the idea of meta-improvement is exhausting me already!
I definitely see myself making improvements with every post - even if they aren’t perfect, I learn from the imperfection.
Tony Robbins calls it “CANI: Constant and Never-ending Improvement”.
I can’t help wondering if consistancy is the most critical factor. Improvement, for sure, but I’m not sure it feels natural to pressure oneself to constantly improve, improve, improve. Strikes me as a little hyper and unnatural?
I think improvement comes in slower, steadier chunks.
But perhaps you guys can enlighten me further.
Thanks!
The Masked Millionaire
March 24th, 2008 4:07 am
Very insightful post.
There is always room for improvement and when it comes to blogging you certainly need to stay on top of the improvement curve.
I remind myself when writing to never be in a hurry. When I rush I tend to make mistakes.
When I take my time I tend to make course corrections for the better.
The Masked Millionaire
http://www.TheMaskedMillionaire.com
Niklas Kunkel
March 24th, 2008 5:02 am
It’s a never-ending motive to keep you blogging even when everything seems like its going downhill. Stop worrying about what’s going wrong with your blog and instead just work to improve your knowledge in one category at a time.
A blog is much like a diary. If you go back to your earlier posts and re-read them again you’ll find a few seconds of nostalgic thoughts. Maybe you didn’t know anything back then. Maybe you were overly excited. Maybe you were just really happy. It’s these kind of things that make your content genuine and not the same as every other blog on the internet.
Scott Fillmer
March 24th, 2008 5:54 am
Thanks for the article, reminds me to go take a look at my blog again and see what can be improved upon. There is always a certain amount of tweaking to find what works best, but I agree, your suggestions are a meta-must :)
Deepa
March 24th, 2008 6:45 am
I love the title you have given. By terming it the greatest skill - it says it all. About staying one step ahead always.
Silky
March 24th, 2008 7:10 am
I’m still struggling with myself as to whether this is a spoof post on ProBlogger… but my calendar tells me it’s not April Fools Day for another week.
So just in case it is genuine - I suspect anyone who embarks on a *meta-improvement* scheme is one day doomed to fail. As, just like runner number 3’s constantly increasing speed, there’s a point beyond which it is impossible to progress.
Ben
March 24th, 2008 7:17 am
Silky, I’m with you on this one. Meta-meta-meta…
Otto
March 24th, 2008 8:29 am
Meta improvement…so true. Thank you…
king kong
March 24th, 2008 9:10 am
i hope to be the best improver! :)
CtTaxed
March 24th, 2008 9:50 am
Is this a joke?
This is pretty lame.
Not just improvement, but META META IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!
Miguel Pineiro
March 24th, 2008 10:02 am
Excellent post! I’m always striving to improve day after day- meta style!
Joseph
March 24th, 2008 10:31 am
That is in fact the best blogging skill.
Blue Sunshine
March 24th, 2008 12:13 pm
If anything, this is one of the most overlooked skills when it comes to blogging. Most people are focusing their time in other areas and seem to neglect this one. Good tips!
Blue Sunshine,
http://www.miscgarbage.com
Paul
March 24th, 2008 12:29 pm
Meta improvement, that is something new for me. But I guess that is why this blog is so special, you always learn something here.
Jaseem Umer
March 24th, 2008 1:26 pm
Good tip, but I am afraid if there is anyone with this type of improvement. Please don’t scare the readers hard tips like this.
Yura
March 24th, 2008 2:39 pm
Darren, in your runner example, it is not relative speed that counts, but absolute speed. If one starts at 1mph and meta-improves, it still matters nothing (at least in short distance).
Not to mention, whatever the speeds, the finish can change the winner. But surely you didn’t consider running that thoroughly, did you?
I think you should’ve chosen a more relevant example for your case.
Your point of improvement is still valid, though.
With experience, runners tend to understand and estimate their running skills, the terrain and other runners more adequately and easier. They train not only their running, but training skills as well. (Not that you’d put this technical example in your post, of course, but FYI.)
Nez
March 24th, 2008 3:38 pm
Interesting, but the use of the race metaphor doesn’t “jive”.
For a short 100m dash, sure, someone who runs at a constantly increasing rate will win. But for a 1000m, or a marathon, I don’t think so — that person will keel over dead.
For me, creative great content is still king (or queen).
All the other stuff will, indeed, help, there’s no doubt, but you can get all the visitors/traffic to your site, and if the content is lacking, will they return?
Young Online Millionaire
March 24th, 2008 5:18 pm
Very encouraging post. Thank you for this. There are just some times when we have to push that extra inch and perfect our blogs. There is always room for improvement. Laziness is a blogger’s worst enemy!
shy guy
March 24th, 2008 8:20 pm
improve and improve ..
It is a learning process to become successfull blogger…
Learning process won’t stop untill die..
Sibirskiy Tiger
March 24th, 2008 8:45 pm
Growth is the key, but don’t forget balance too
VernLai.com
March 25th, 2008 1:17 am
Definitely insightful, some people may even use the term “cheem” to describe this post.
This is a piece of inspiration that will definitely push me to think and act beyond what I’m currently doing with my blog.
Thanks for the contributions.
Vern
http://www.VernLai.com
Easton Ellsworth
March 25th, 2008 1:31 am
Good morning everyone. I’m warding off my youngest kid (fishing Easter candy from my pants pockets) while telling the oldest I’ll get him his bread with butter on it in a minute.
And I’m reeling with pleasant shock that Darren was so kind as feature me here. I haven’t read any of your comments just yet. After breakfast, I promise! Good to meet you all.
By the way, any work-at-home dads here? I bet I change more diapers than you do. :P
suresh
March 25th, 2008 1:51 am
Explained like a wonderful teacher.
Focus on goals and a good concentration will definitely make the reaching of goal easier.
Nice post. Congrats.
Jeremy Steele
March 25th, 2008 2:17 am
Good advice - but at the same time don’t work too hard or else your blogging spirit will disappear after a few months.
Sangesh
March 25th, 2008 2:43 am
Meta-improvement… this will also be my motto for my blogging as well, and a new word to my vocabulary too.
Easton Ellsworth
March 25th, 2008 3:10 am
@Steve, Sibirskiy: Amen. I totally agree.
@Adam: Right, exactly - this is not about comparison with the next runner. This is about comparison with your own capacity and your effort relative to that capacity.
@OldSailor: I’ll check that tool out, thanks.
@Chris: I am prone to coming up with weird examples so it feels good to hear you say that it made sense.
@Meredith, Franca, Scott, Otto, king kong, Miguel, Joseph, Blue Sunshine, Young Online Millionaire, shy guy, suresh: Thank you, sincerely. Best blogging wishes.
@Sudheer: Exactly. And, improve your ability to sharpen that saw! (There’s that dizzying hall of mirrors effect again …)
@Matt: Spoken like Gandalf, I love it.
@Mark: Don’t worry - one thing at a time, you’ll get it. I’ll have to learn more about Tony Robbins’ perspective on this. You’re right, to - it’s best to not see meta-improvement as a very time-consuming thing - it’s more like an attitude mingled with regular, brief introspective review and planning. Taking it to the extreme, you would worry so much about improving that you would actually waste time.
@The Masked Millionaire: Slowly but surely wins the race … and I think “surely” denotes continuous effort and stretchign and reaching … so that you’re really not going slowly by race’s end.
@Niklas - Boy, do I know that “jaded” feeling. Yep, it certainly helps to refresh yourself on the good things you started out with.
@Deepa: Exactly. Greatest as in the summit - the little point on top that consummates the whole and allows the climber to meet heaven, as it were.
@Silky: It’s genuine. While you can’t actually improve everything eternally (there are limits and bounds), I still think the meta-improvement thrust is valuable because it leads to maximum growth and acceleration. So you do hit some barriers on some things, but there are others that you actually can keep improving (knowledge, for one; friendships, for another) your whole life.
@Ben: I know, it’s dizzying. It’s like wondering how long eternity is and how you would feel if you found yourself alive at the end of it. But I think it’s worth the shot to ponder.
@CtTaxed: I understand that it can be confusing. I’ll try to clarify the idea in my own research down the road.
@Paul, Jaseem: It’s scary for sure. But I know it’s worth it to ponder this, even it overwhelms at first.
@Yura: The potential effect of meta-improvement, like that of compound interest, increases over time. So while it won’t do much good in a sprint, it will work wonders over the course of a marathon. Most bloggers here are marathoners - after the long dollar rather than the short penny. Also, you’re right that sometimes the absolute matters more than the meta comparison - for instance, a grown man will always outrun an infant, even if the infant speeds up a bit and the man slows down. But in terms of personal growth - not compared to others’ growth - the relative matters much more. The quest for never-ending improvement doesn’t eliminate the need for benchmarks and milestones - on the contrary, it makes them more meaningful. I do need to expand the scenario and offer several more illustrative examples. Thank you for highlighting that weakness in my argument.
@Nez: I’m sure there’s a better example. I’ll keep searching. Maybe I need to frame it so the example isn’t featuring people against each other - since meta-improvement is all about the self emerging from ever-widening husks, rather than competing against others. I agree with you that the ability to create marvelous content is superb - but I think that meta-improvement reigns over it because it’s the difference between making the same great content always and actually making content that gets better and better over time. Great content without improvement and the effort to meta-improve will remain where it is.
@VernLai: Thanks - my goal for this post is met in you.
@Jeremy Steele: Right. It is unwise to try to run for too long at a speed that could utterly exhaust you. But stay diligent and look around you as you go, trying always to get faster.
@Sangesh: Sweet! A neologism and a new start!
Another way of putting my idea here: When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and evaluated, the rate of improvement increases. Bloggers who regularly stop and think about where they are going and how fast are more likely to increase their success.
Maybe the running example isn’t the best since we all know that there’s a limit to how fast the human body can run and most people’s top running speed is actually somewhat hard to increase by leaps and bounds (pardon the pun). I’ll come up with something better if I can. Any thoughts of yours are invited as well.
In the end, I think the value of this principle lies in the effort - in really thinking about and sweating to achieve better results, and to reach them more quickly each day. We get strongest by pushing on that boulder hard every day; whether or not it moves is beyond us.
Rob
March 25th, 2008 5:56 am
Really good post here. This is a problem i have to deal with. I tend to get better at something but then just stop when iIget to a certain point when I really need to keep trying more. Thanks for the post.
Tim
March 25th, 2008 6:16 am
Great post. Very good insight into what it takes to truly be a great… anything. The biggest reason there are so few truly great bloggers, or superstars anywhere, is because of the lack of wanting to continually improve on what they do. Blogging is definitely an art, but it can be taught, learned, and improved upon. We must take it upon ourselves to want to improve and then get to work on it! Great stuff.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
March 25th, 2008 8:12 am
Thanks that was great! That helps to think about focusing on the most important things first. I am just trying to launch a blog in the next week and it is very overwhelming dealing with the details and technical aspects at times. I need a minion! Until then, it seems I can write an article on just about anything about health in a matter of minutes or hours but then fiddling around with wordpress and other things seem to really slow me down. Progress not perfection!
I will be better tomorrow…only because you said so…
Easton Ellsworth
March 25th, 2008 9:07 am
@Rob, Tim, Dr. Nicole: it’s all about the struggle to improve and being aware of that struggle. Sometimes we get so caught up in a flood of advice that we fail to take just what we need and apply it in a timely manner. It’s the “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” syndrome.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
March 25th, 2008 9:55 am
Thanks Easton! I was so overwhelmed by details and minutia over the past month that I got more accomplished in two hours today after reading this article than I have in all that time combined it seems. Whenever I am doing something with my blog I feel like I should be doing something else more important, mainly because I feel like I should be paying someone to be doing half the stupid stuff I am doing. LOL
Someday…right?
Regardless it feels good to get something, anything done!
Tim
March 25th, 2008 10:19 am
Improving improvement…Sorry I find that to be laughable as a post. Some people here will understand that but it seems the rest will just say what a groundbreaking post…
This blog and many others like it are becoming like the wizard of oz hidden behind the curtain…saying a lot but not meaning much.
Stu
March 25th, 2008 10:19 am
Easton,
Thanks for this post (and Darren for putting it here), have now fed your blog to my reader ..
Very impressed that you took the (would have been a fair bit) time to answer everyone’s comments. Nice work, kudos.
I imagine you _could_ write about a number of characteristics which would vie for the greatest blogging skill. I really enjoyed your post, so I’m not being negative ..
For a blog’s longevity, I’d say Endurance/Stamina/Determination/Never-Say-Die would be it.
For a blog’s readership, then probably your meta-improvement would be it. Although you could also say that “Exterior Popularity” would also be a very important factor.
You know now I think about it, for both of them combined, longevity + readership + good writing (chucked this one in for posterities sake, heh) I’d back “Meta-Improvement”.
Again, kudos.
Lex G
March 25th, 2008 10:56 am
Nice concept … keeps the focus on improving yourself. However, the more you improve the more you need to focus on improving even more …
Because of this there is a danger of slowing yourself down again ;)
Then again,
if only realistic factors such as time, technology and your own creativity would expand synchronous to your own meta-improvement, then in theory it should be achievable …
Michelle
March 25th, 2008 12:21 pm
Def a great article!!! Everything revolves around improving and bettering yourself.. and becoming a great blogger is not exception. Hard work, determination and Common Sense are key factors too to keep in mind! ;)
Michelle
from
http://FaceySpacey.com
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You
March 25th, 2008 1:30 pm
I really liked this :) I am often trying to think of different ways of improving my site. I feel my writing is improving from headlines to content - which is great. I have many new ideas and as I implement them I am experience a growth that didn’t come from remaining stagnant
excellent point D :)
sikantis
March 25th, 2008 1:48 pm
Meta-Improvement happens always with each posting. Writing about it like here is great!
Easton Ellsworth
March 25th, 2008 3:42 pm
@Nicole, congratulations! I’m glad I was able to help a little.
@Tim, I think I understand you. In this post, I offered no data to support my assertion that meta-improvement is the greatest blogging skill. I will try to fix this problem in my upcoming book. I agree with your belief that we can judge people by their fruits far better than by what other people say. Thank heavens for the curtain-pulling Totos of the world.
@Stu: You’re welcome. A comment is just a comment. But a sincere comment between humans can become an unforgettable point in the development of a meaningful relationship. I’ll address and respond to your suggestions in my first book.
Aaron Brazell
March 25th, 2008 4:46 pm
Well… technically, you’re talking about exponential improvement. Meta means organic or part of or granular.
Meta Improvement describes improving in more and more related ways. Not increasing improvent. Fine detail, but a detail nonetheless.
Easton Ellsworth
March 25th, 2008 5:08 pm
Aaron, that’s a great way to put it. I studied the word “meta” for a while before submitting this post, and it seemed to fit pretty well because it can mean “self-referential.” However, I like “exponential” because it accurately describes the nature of the ideal improvement curve. Sadly, there is no single word that captures the full meaning of this concept.
Aaron Brazell
March 25th, 2008 5:10 pm
No worries, Easton. I just don’t want a buzz word to be created here that means something completely different than intended. ;)
You know… like… social graph! ;-)
Luke
March 25th, 2008 6:03 pm
Okay, I think it’s great to improve your self-improvement, but you have to do some serious self-improvement to start with, or what the heck would you be improving?
Cool post anyway. :-)
Jay
March 25th, 2008 10:10 pm
ok you mean accelerating improvement. you will come to a point that your improvement becomes exponential.
Easton Ellsworth
March 26th, 2008 12:57 am
@Aaron: Thanks man.
@Luke: You can start real slow and speed up from there.
@Jay: Exactly. I chose “meta” because it seemed to fit, but there may be a better name for the idea.
RB
March 26th, 2008 8:12 am
I really, REALLY liked reading this…
I’ve been taken steps to improve daily…researching, reading, trying new things. Inviting guest bloggers/opinions…
What would really get me going is calendaring my writing week. I write blogs and save them as drafts and I’ll admit some have fallen by the wayside.
But reading this made me think about all the things I could improve rather quickly.
Easton Ellsworth
March 26th, 2008 8:49 am
RB, I’m glad you enjoyed it. This is not a fully-baked idea; I would love others’ help in developing it. But we can’t deny that regular introspection and self-measurement tend to lead to faster improvement.
Billie
March 26th, 2008 5:41 pm
I have been blogging since mid December, and have been applying these principles of my own volition. I am 65 years old with the rare, incurable Myasthenia Gravis, and have taken my life with MG and my road to remission through IVIG treatments online through my blog. My mind is working constantly to improve my presentation in all areas, considering the type of audience I attract. I am constantly searching other blogs and information to see what might apply to me. Due to my disease, everything I might like to employ is not possible, but I am trying. My StatCounter began Jan 9th, and is nearing 2000, with my own url filtered out.
Metacognition has been part of my life for a long time, or I would not have been able to expose myself publicly as I have done.
Thanks for this article. I will be rereading it for utilization.
Easton Ellsworth
March 27th, 2008 5:49 am
Thanks for sharing your story, Billie. I’m fascinated by the power of effective metacognition.
Grandy
March 28th, 2008 6:35 pm
Wow…Thanks for the reminder that I still have so much to learn. I’ll be back. ;)
Anne
March 31st, 2008 10:04 am
Yes, I’m very interested in improving my writing as I blog. If anyone wants to be a blog buddy with me and share ways to improve our improvement ;) let me know!
-Anne
Richard
April 1st, 2008 7:08 am
Hi Darren,
I’m with Silky on this one.
This post is much different to something you would write, and I wonder about the wisdom of including posts from others like Easton who use such hyperbolic language.
No offence Easton, but I think there is a philosophical gulf between the “upward-ever-upward” tone you bring to blogging and the understated, solid concepts Darren brings to the craft.
As a blogger I have much to learn, which is why I visited ProBlogger (after some time away) this morning. But I have to say I was disappointed to see the path ProBlogger appears to be on with this post.
Richard
Easton Ellsworth
April 1st, 2008 9:10 am
Anne, I’m always around. You’re always welcome at my blog.
Richard, I apologize. My concept clearly needs some concrete examples and actionable exercises to ground its loftiness. Thank you for motivating me to make the argument much more compelling.
Richard
April 1st, 2008 12:55 pm
Thanks for taking my criticism so graciously Easton.
I think it’s humility, grace and clear-mindedness amidst the general “self-help psycho-babble” available on the net that I’ve come to respect about ProBlogger over time.
Your response has done much to restore my faith in Darren’s site.
Easton Ellsworth
April 2nd, 2008 4:51 am
You’re welcome, Richard!
Ken
April 23rd, 2008 10:37 pm
Thanks for this post. It gave me a new way for me to think of improvement. There’s so much potential to improve! One could be overwhelmed, but the idea of focusing on one thing at a time is timely. An increasingly accelerating rate! What a concept! Better get going myself…
Easton Ellsworth
April 23rd, 2008 10:50 pm
Ken, it’s dizzying, huh? The trick is is just to try.
Easton Ellsworth
April 23rd, 2008 10:53 pm
“Is is” … I need to eat breakfast.
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