If Content Is King, What Does That Make Your Blog?

Most bloggers are familiar with the phrase “Content is King.” The logic goes something like this: The more you write, the more likely people are to stumble upon your site and stay there to explore, and, assuming they like what they read, the more likely they are to come back for more. But what a lot of new bloggers tend to overlook is the fact that actually keeping the content—and the ideas—flowing is easier said than done. I fall into that category myself. Actually posting regularly, well… it takes, like… effort.

Fortunately, AnotherGuy is tackling the problem and offering help. He’s started something of a group experiment. A writing experiment. Details can be found in the link, but basically it goes like this: Anyone is free to submit topic ideas to him. He posts a topic idea every day. Participators write at least 400 words on that topic. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

It’s a really simple idea. Probably far from unique… so why is it so noteworthy?

Well, for a lot of us, coming up with an idea is half the battle. A lot of people put pressure on themselves to find a unique idea that no one else has ever written about. The problem with that approach is that when you’re looking for those hidden ideas, the days tend to just pass you by… It’s a big internet, there are a lot of brilliant writers on it, and those totally unique ideas are few and far between… and you know what? When you finally have that brilliant idea, are you going to have the discipline and skill to sit down and write a succinct, engaging article that will do it justice? Probably not—unless you practice writing on a regular basis.

What else makes this experiment worthwhile? It’s a group experience, and I feel like that counts for a lot. It’s always easier to motivate yourself when you’re a part of a group, even if your work is totally independent.

There’s also the fact that the topics that are chosen might not be topics that you would normally write about. As a whole, that’s a good thing. It forces you out of your comfort zone and puts the focus on the discipline of writing. After all, it’s one thing to write on a whim, it’s quite another to sit down and write on a deadline.

Not to mention that when a lot of people write about the same topic, there’s a certain amount of feedback generated from reading all of the different perspectives that people have and then comparing them with your own.

So that’s it. this is my first post in the experiment & I hope to keep this going at least semi-regularly. If you have a blog… join us!