How to Be a Famous Blogger

If you clicked on the title in hopes of finding all the answers, then you might be disappointed. In concept, knowing how to achieve something is simple, but making it happen is the hard part. This is a lesson of life that many great thinkers before have passed on, so there is no need for me to repeat what they said. However, we all find it necessary to prove ourselves. We spend too much time thinking that anyone else really cares about what we do, what we think, and what we want to achieve. In a way, people do care, but not about your personal story. They care about what you believe. It is this belief that is valuable. There you have your answer to the titular question. If you would like to become famous online, then simply create great content. People do not follow you, but they follow what you create. Within this content that you offer up for worldwide scrutiny, at its very core, is what you believe. This is what people follow.

Great! I am done. 1,300 words to go. I guess, for the rest of the article, I will just tell a few jokes and write down a few amusing anecdotes from my life. In one succinct paragraph I passed onto you all the wisdom I possess on the subject of getting famous online. That is really all there is to it. Are you surprised? Perhaps you are a bit flabbergasted.

You see, what I mean when I say that content matters the most, is this: Since I began writing for LockerGnome, I quickly realized what people enjoy reading the most. As someone who wants to contribute with great content, what matters most is to focus just on that. Are you a content creator? Then do that, and do not waste resources on matters like SEO or target groups.

Guy Kawasaki, who has proven himself as a great content creator, said that the best SEO is no SEO at all. If your stuff is good, then it will be shared. The nature of social media is still the sharing aspect. It is not your job to ensure that your content is searchable and indexed correctly. If you put all your efforts into actually creating the fascinating material others will love to read, then you will not need any SEO. Your readers will do that for you. That is how Google works today. Many times I have had hangouts with Google webmasters, and they confirmed this strategy. Keywords are pretty much out. Content and quality are the things that matter.

In previous articles by me, you can find out more about storytelling. This is a powerful weapon that any aspiring online content editor or creator should know how to wield. As a marketer, one must see the message to be delivered as the biggest battle in life. Storytelling and honesty are the weapons that will help you gain a grand victory. So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, be sure to understand that good content is not enough. You must have great content.

I can tell you what you need to do to become famous online. No problem! That part is easy. It is doing it that will demand just a little more effort. I am not famous online, so why should you or anybody trust my words? As I mentioned at the beginning, you must look beyond the words that I write and discover what I believe. And what I believe is this: People will always come back for more. When people find your content for the first time, whether it is text-based or visual, and they enjoy it, then they will assume you can impress them again. This is why it is important to always create not good, but great content.

This is the reason why some of you will continue reading my future articles. When readers feel your personality in your writing, it means something to them. It means that you are not simply collecting facts or information for them, but are making an effort to present it in a most entertaining and accessible manner.

If you are still reading, then I already succeeded in capturing your imagination. Believe me, today it is a great feat to make anyone read even one paragraph. Unless it is for university and they are practically forced to read a tedious book on history or economics, people are happy to spend the remaining free time with anything but reading. I am glad you are still following me along.

The Road Less Traveled By

Imagine two articles, two writers, and one single topic. One of them is a revered professor with an academic background and many years of experience. Then there is the younger writer with less experience, but much more passion. They both write an article about a particular subject. From the get-go, they have completely separate goals, and two differing views of the world. They are not conflicting with one another, but they do not get along.

The results could not be any more different. The professor’s writing style is very accurate and never fails to hit a beat with fact after fact. At least the reader can be sure that what he presents can most likely be considered authoritative. However, it will also be very dry, making the reader feel as if he or she is chewing sand. It will be an academic experience, but ultimately not very gratifying. The reason why my poetry courses at university were not among my favorites is that the presentation was not as engaging as it could be. There is nothing wrong with poetry, but it is a subject that can quickly become tedious.

The younger writer will tackle the same subject with more elan and vigorous passion. That is how we youngsters tick. When I decide to write about a particular topic, I do so because it genuinely interests me, and I hope to spark the reader’s interest. This is the writer’s mission. Yet research must be taken seriously, of course. As soon as someone likes your work, and shares it with his social circles, then you become a sort of authority. So it is in your best interest not to just write some nonsense drivel. Content is king, but great content implies knowledge, care, and a blooming personality to boot.

To find the right balance between creative storytelling and the right amount of factual content is, admittedly, a daunting task. Like anything in life, though, it is not impossible to attain. If you look at it from another point of view, it is very much like finding a solution that lands in the middle ground between pleasure and responsibility. Therein lies a dilemma, because we all ask for pleasure first; it is in our genes to slack whenever we are given the opportunity. If I would sit and write an article like this without taking a break or allowing for long periods of procrastination, then it would probably just take me around one hour. No, there are too many distractions, and there is too much temptation to keep playing Max Payne on my phone. Finding a balance between creative freedom and facts is very much an act of discipline.

Content is King

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost

You need to be taking the road less traveled by, which is to know yourself and create that amazing content. Honesty is as much a factor in the equation as the popularity of your content. Rest assured, though, someone will pick it up. The Internet is large, which leaves room for a lot of creative people to do their thing. This means that getting famous online does not imply being known by all the users the world entire. With high certainty, there are many people in China who do not know who Chris Pirillo is. Jokes aside though, I can only repeat myself and say that, if you are good at what you do, then someone out there will appreciate your skills.

The last verse from Robert Frost’s poem teaches a valuable lesson, which can be applied even to the ever-changing world of online content. Everyone assumes that there are strict rules, and everyone needs to comply without question. Yet, like in life, creating great content has nothing in common with conformity, but rather with free expression of your character. Remember, people do not follow what you do, but instead what you believe. For them to believe what you believe, you must of course believe yourself. If you do that, I am sure we will see great and entertaining writing from you.