In the time I’ve been blogging personally in the new media side of the blogosphere, there have been some unwritten rules that I’ve taken notice of that some bloggers seem to follow religiously.
Of course, there’s the usual “best practice rules” that you’ll find written about here (such as writing with passion, finding your own voice, participating in community, investing time in marketing your blog, and so on, and so on, and so on) — but there are a few others, some tongue in cheek, and some not that are applicable to bloggers in any blogging niche.
If you want to get your egomaniacal gasbaggery on in earnest, that is. :)
So it was with much surprise that Michael Kanellos over at CNet has pretty much hit on all of them in a recent post, that I’ve paraphrased below:
1. Be Insane Or Obvious (But Not Both): That is, trumpet something crazy and out of left-field to “wow” them with how insanely broad your assertions can be, or try and confirm what people already believe. Trying to do both can be difficult, however.
2. Watch The Nielsens: In other words, stick to what people are already talking about, irrespective of whether or not its actually important. Who cares if there’s state-of-emergency drought in the South East that is the worst in decades? Stephen Colbert got denied a spot on the Presidential Ballot!
3. Find a Good Enemy: One that everyone loves or hates. Again, preferably not both. If you’re in tech, pick your perennials: Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Nintendo, Google, or Jason Calacanis.
4. Never Be Afraid to One Up Someone: “Yeah, I heard Google just brought on Oracle for its OpenSocial API — but *I* heard they’ve also got Pepsi and McDonald’s too!” Ah, ones-upmanship. The bastion of any good pundit.
5. Be Vague: That is create a topic that is intentionally vague and let everyone else do the talking. Makes you look smart *and* wise without having to explain yourself.
I’ve found the same rules above also apply if you’re looking for a job as an afternoon talkshow host for any given political stripe as well.
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