What’s the Flavour of Your Juice? Lessons From the HuffPo

In 18 months, Arianna Huffington has started and grown one of the most prolific, well known and perhaps influential political blogs in the states. Reuters interviewed her about why she decided to go with blogging, and she gave an interesting answer: it allows her to blog “again, again, and again” on certain topics that she feels passionate about … and in particular, it was the war in Iraq.

While the article focuses more on Ms. Huffington and her political views, it got me thinking about her real successses as a blogger.

And I think, much like “A-listers” in the technosphere side of things, the reason why she got so much success, is because she brought real world credibility to her blog; and, she was able to rope in people who were already famous to start writing it. Walter Cronkite? Larry David? Are you kidding me? I suppose it shows another aspect of what Ms. Huffington is able to do behind the scenes if she’s able to rope people like these gentleman in to blog for her. Bottom line: what are we all doing to improve our own “credibility factor?”

If we can’t bring cred, how can we establish a reputation? Many ways. Through the sheer weight of time and our own your own quality postings. Who we publicly and actively associate ourselves with — and they with us. Public recognition and validation through vocal “shout outs” to your blog, or other badges of honor and distinction (btw, how much longer is that damnable 9rules round of submissions finally going to let us know who got in in round 5? David Krug — I’m lookin at you, kid! :) Quantifiable measures, such as feed subscribers, alexa rankings, in bound links and technorati influence.

And so on.

We all don’t all have the juice to rope in the Walter Cronkite’s of our particular obssession in your part of the blogosphere, but take a page out of Arrianna Huffinton’s book — sure, there’s unbelievable passion and determination that has fueled her blog to the blogospheric stratosphere, but examine what you’re doing right now to show and prove your credibility in what you blog.

Its a magnet to get people talking about you, traffic coming to you, and people subscribing to you.

And who knows? Maybe Mr. Cronkite (or his or her equivalent) will come by and make you an offer you can’t refuse.

[Update: Yes, everyone starts out somewhere: the huffingtonpost on its first day looked like the unhacked version of a default WordPress theme]

* Dr. Tony Hung also blogs at DeepJiveInterests.com