Are you an internet expert?
No, I’m not talking about being an expert on all things internet related. As some of you might already know, I’ve been pondering about choosing a subject for a new niche blog that I’m hoping to start in not too long. I’m adamant on finding something that interests me and that I will enjoy writing about, but also something that I know quite a bit about already, as people “in the know” suggest that you should always choose a topic that you’re knowledgeable on in order to be able to write interesting content.
This has gotten me thinking about on my past experiences, and just how easy the internet makes it for us to be an expert on more or less any subject. When I first started a website about the Legend of Zelda, I had only played two of the games in the series. But as I started the site, I learned more about the series, and eventually it came to the point where a lot of people, because of what I had accomplished with the site, held my opinions regarding the games in the series in high regards.
Likewise, when I started Bloggst, I wasn’t all that much of an expert on blogging. But because of my willingness to learn as I go, I developed a grasp of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to blogging, and people started reading what I had to say and acknowledged my opinion (and of course, disagreed). My point is that online, you don’t have to be an expert on the niche you pick, you can simply be an internet expert and learn as you go. To be a little cheesy and use a metaphor, if your knowledge on the subject is represented by a forest, a single tree is all you need to start with as long as you’re willing to keep planting seeds and grow new trees. And with all the information in the world available to you at the click of a mouse, or the very least a simple Google search, could it be easier?
Does anyone actually believe Darren Rowse knew everything about blogging and for instance the top reasons to build your RSS subscriber numbers back in 2005 when he startet ProBlogger? Or that Daniel Scocco over at Daily Blog Tips knew that social bookmarking sites love blogs around the time he started his blog? I doubt that they even thought about things like these when they started their blogs, and their journeys to establish themselves as experts on blogging.
My point is that on the internet you don’t need to be an expert on a subject before you start branding yourself as one. If you have a genuine interest in the subject, and a willingness to learn about it, you can be as successful as anyone, so why waste your time becoming an expert before you start to teach people when instead you can teach as you learn. In fact, I have during my days both as a student and an internet publisher found that communicating and teaching continually while you’re in a learning process is one of the most effective ways of learning.
Think about it, and if you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to share them with the rest of us by posting a comment. I know I’d be interested in hearing what other people think about this, as I’ve never actually heard anyone talking about it in specific before - Perhaps because what I’m saying isn’t plausible? I’d love to hear from people who disagree with me as well!
12 responses to this article :
Nice points, Lars.
My problem is that I have too many interests, and I keep starting niche blogs in my interest areas. To date, I have running / have started blogs on blogging (of course), motorhomes, writing, property, sub-notebook computing, personal wellbeing, tech news, cycling, old man’s ranting, cooking, a personal / family journal, and citizen journalism. All these, and a full-time job, mean that I have had to rationalise my active blogs. But which should I choose? Which will give me the biggest readership, the greater montization possibilities?
I will ponder, and continue to ponder.
by Gerald / on June 20th, 2007, 1:10 pm / permalink
That’s true Gerald. I believe that if you want to brand yourself as an expert, it’s important that you invest a lot of time and effort into your blogs and websites. Of course even if you have an exceptional knowledge on several subjects, it can be hard to give them all enough attention.
That all comes down to prioritizing, I believe.
by Lars-Christian / on June 20th, 2007, 9:00 pm / permalink
Passion makes you an expert as you are constantly learning. You will engage passionate readers even in disagreements
by peter / on June 20th, 2007, 10:27 pm / permalink
Well said Peter! I think you just said with two sentences what I used about six paragraphs to express
by Lars-Christian / on June 21st, 2007, 12:04 am / permalink
I think it’s one thing to *study* a profession but quite another to actually *work* in that profession. Certainly in my experience there’s been a few times when I’ve found my theoretical knowledge of a topic has had little practical use when it comes to the crunch. I prefer to learn something as I go, or become an “expert” as I go!!
by John Lampard / on June 21st, 2007, 8:42 am / permalink
So true.
Everyone learns on the job whether you are an internet expert or not. Regardless of how school had prepared you, the more you participate in work related efforts, or blog about games or the internet - you will become that expert in the field which you constantly write about because the written output eventually sinks into your head where the ideas crystallize to expert knowledge.
by Billy / on July 8th, 2007, 5:32 pm / permalink
Well put, all of it, Lasse. Good to see things have shaped up so nicely for you, even though you are “still just a poor student”. ;0)
I really liked your point about the family-feel to a community. Anytime that we start something that involves other people, they need to feel that they’re included. You’ve always been successful at that. Why? Not because it was a stroke of ingenuity or genius, but because you were (and are) genuine.
There’s this great quote that is even more cheesy than your metaphor, haha.. It goes thusly:
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
As an instructor, I can agree with so much of what you said–especially about the learning-as-you-go. Every teacher does that in some way, if they are keeping up with their field. People such as yourself are teachers, also. But, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know ;0)
Ciao,
-David+
by David / on July 9th, 2007, 9:57 pm / permalink
Hey Lars, Great post!
First to Gerald, when I started online Jan 2005, and opened my 1st blog in 2006, I actually had 3 active blogs, then as the times started rollin’ and google adsense was very kind to me in my niche blogs, I opened more. Only to let them all drop…due to time.
The interesting thing is/was, I had the same mission of empowering women to network their way to success (personally and in biz), but b/c I had a unique voice, tone my readers stuck with me. My blog was designed solely to “brand” me on the internet as a women’s empowerment advocate and a networking expert, both having experiences offline and personally/spiritually, etc. What happened throughout the years was that as I applied my offline techniques online, I began to brand myself as what Lars is referring to as the “teacher-in-study” mode.
At this point, my readers turned into an active, passionate, open-minded, opinionated polite online community.
Only now 6 months later of working solely on my “internet brand” at my primary (actually online blog/website) now, do I feel ready and prepared to re-open more of my numerous other de-funct blogs.
As for being “dead blogs”, I believe as long as we have what Peter describes as “passion”, any blog can be resurrected. My blog is a perfect example. I was offline for 11 months due to partial paralysis of my hands, and I completely did an over-haul on EmpowerWomenNow.com, where my traffic is steadily growing and I’m profiting from it too.
P.S. Y’all, my new theme will unveil soon, but its logo, tagline & more is totally being updated…with none else but “Internet Branding”. So, Lars I’ve been popping in and out of your stuff for months…but this one post I could not be silent for at all
P.P.S. *Very* interested to hear what your next “niche” website/blog/online venture is up your sleeves!
by Ponn Sabra / on July 18th, 2007, 4:21 am / permalink
I believe it is possible to brand yourself as something you aren’t, although if you are found out to be a fraud your reputation will suffer.
Is it worth the risk?
- Martin Reed
by Community Building Blog / on July 20th, 2007, 4:41 pm / permalink
Well, this is an interesting point of view. Actually I didn’t know anything about SEO when I started my blog. Now days, I can’t stop reading about it. Maybe I should start a blog about something I really would like to know more about ïŠ
by Jakob Dupont Knudsen / on July 26th, 2007, 5:50 am / permalink
Great article, I already do dome of the things mentioned, and need to do the rest! Thanks for taking the time to write this!
by eve / on August 2nd, 2007, 7:47 pm / permalink
No this is a blog post I enjoyed. I agree as long as your willing to learn then you can make it happen. research is key, so is interest. both of these together and you can learn anything. you just have to have a passion for it.
Todd
by LA Headshot Photography / on August 10th, 2007, 8:02 pm / permalink
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