Here is a suggestion... Fire the designer of your Blog. The default WP theme you are using makes it look cheap.
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
Robert: Cheap? Really? I thought it was functional. At some point soon, I might change it.
Mark Krynsky
· 1 year ago
Those are some nice insights Andrew. I especially feel that the "Keep Producing" mantra is one of the most important. Producing quality information and tapping multiple methods to spread that content across the top social media outlets is key to building on those snowflakes.
Offer transparency and share as much as possible with your followers across individual sites and through Lifestreaming services. If you create a great presentation, share it on Slideshare, which in turn should be a service you have added to FriendFeed and an app added to LinkedIn so that you effectively spread your information to be accessible and promoted across all channels where people are following you.
Beyond sharing content you produce, also share all the information you find valuable with others as well. This is even easier than producing content and offers a second stream that your followers will appreciate as well.
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
Mark: Thanks.
Good point about sharing on multiple sites. After talking to Robert, I started obsessing with twitter and friendfeed. I think I overwhelmed my twitter followers with waaaaay too many posts. And with FriendFeed I felt like I was talking to the same 30 people.
By the way, I like your site.
Robert Basil
· 1 year ago
Andrew,
Don't get me wrong, the content is great, and I'm not into "flashy / Ajaxy" websites. But the design could use some work. Just a little more structured in the design. Right now it kind of looks "thrown together".
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
Robert, I wasn't offended. I like your feedback. Thanks!
Kyle Sellers
· 1 year ago
If you were truly trying to be helpful, maybe an email would be better? Andrew, I dig it, and I think it's functional.
Olivia
· 1 year ago
I like Scoble's Rule of 15. Keep producing is a hard one. I can imagine it takes a long time to interview, edit, synthesize, record a video and blog it. I like Mark's comment above about distributing your content across many media outlets to build your pile of snowflakes. Do you take reader requests for subjects they'd like to hear about? I want to know how to convert casual website readers to registered users for starters.
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
It really does take me forever to interview people + write it up + do a video about it. I do it because I learn so much from having conversations, like the one I had with Scoble.
Amy
· 1 year ago
Our blog is mostly read by our friends and our clients. We end some of blogs with questions that lead into discussions that end up being carried into the twitterverse or as something we all talk about at the next meeting. We also take what our clients call us about and use that to develop content as well. One client was excited to see that we used them as an example they showed that post to their colleagues and friends. We later ended up with more subscribers from that one post.
I also believe that if you work with your current followership and make them part of who you are they will love you more. As time progresses they will tell others of "how cool" you are and you gain more followers.
Another thing you should mention is "don't give up." It takes time to become a hit. A lot of people don't realize the time they have to put into it before they see the results they really want.
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
I end posts with questions sometimes too. What happens when no one answers those questions? Is it embarrassing because it tells that world that you don't have enough readers?
Amy
· 1 year ago
At first it does. But I noticed that was back when no one ever read it. We blog to share information and if we have questions, sometimes their answered, sometimes their not. I think Angela Julia said it best from her Wired interview about being internet famous, "you have to be thick skinned." So no responses means you have no readers, or it means no one likes to comment, or it just means don't think about it.
Damian Rintelmann
· 1 year ago
Andrew I think that you make some good points. Scoble definitely does produce often, I'd say almost too often. So finding the balance is pretty key.
Gary V does a good job of finding that balance I think. He does do a great job of having an own-able space. I definitely agree that you have to find your niche and stay with it.
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
I've been wrestling with that niche question. How do I limit myself when there's so much I'm interested in. I'd love to know how others do it.
Damian Rintelmann
· 1 year ago
Limiting is good and bad. If you look at someone like Guy Kawasaki he talks about many topics but has a the same approach. It's all about that strategic mindset. Then he sprinkles in a bit of personal information like his love for playing hockey.
I think that is what has made him so respected and approachable.
Mark Drapeau
· 1 year ago
Andrew: I think you should follow all the advice in this wonderful column, "How to Execute Against Your Resume" (http://is.gd/482s) and constantly, and I cannot emphasize this enough, self-promote your products. Mark ;)
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
I read that article. In the end, you seemed to say that an online presence is great for people like club promoters, but not for most people. Seems that point disagrees with my goal of raising my profile online.
(BTW, nice bit of self-promotion in that comment. Love it buddy.)
Mark Drapeau
· 1 year ago
Andrew, thanks for your nice comments on that article of mine (http://is.gd/482s). Anyone thinking about building a personal brand should read it. Really, my big point in this article (http://is.gd/482s) is that I think the best way to do it is to have some serious resume/skills/jobs as a person behind the online persona used to promote. Anyway, I can't really say it here better than I said it in my article (http://is.gd/482s), so you should probably just read my article (http://is.gd/482s) again (http://is.gd/482s) when you have a chance. Mark :)
noticias
· 1 year ago
Who is Robert Scoble? ( just a joke )
bayuadji
· 1 year ago
"Publish a lot, because this is a Google world.â€" I think it's just not Publish a lot, but also Publish a lot good content :)
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
Does Technorati's research disagree with that? They seem to say that you need to just create as much as possible and let the users figure out what they want: http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blo...
Damian Rintelmann
· 1 year ago
I think that you can alienate your reader with that approach. I used to really enjoy Scoble and now I don't as much. There is too much to sift through to find something worthwhile.
jsinkeywest
· 1 year ago
Hey Andrew Your well on your way.It is strange how people acquire their "fame" but to me I gauge a person by there attitude and their willingness to help others despite their success. Alot of the well known people on the internet are legends in their own mind and need a wake up call. 2009 will be sweeping all these dinosaurs aside your time is coming Brother Keep up the great work PS I like that doesn't show do follow move ;) on the design comment
Damian Rintelmann
· 1 year ago
I agree that this was a great post. Keep up the good work!
Andrew Warner
· 1 year ago
Damien: I agree about burning people out with too many posts. (I wonder if I'm doing that here with too many comments.)
Yasser: Thanks for the compliment. I'm a Scoble fan too.
John: I wonder how many internet famous people are really famous in their own minds. Are we all speaking to ourselves. (By the way, who's the girl in your avatar?)
Venkat: Like you said, I'll keep on writing. I wonder how much time I should commit to this? I do have real work to do. I'd love to hear anyone's ideas for where to draw the line.
Everyone: Thanks for all the feedback & comments. I love the conversation this sparked.
Rich Ramalho
· 1 year ago
Hi Andrew,
I happened to stumble across your website tonight and found it most interesting. I really like the information you've provided.
Keep up the great work!
Rich
Jack
· 1 year ago
I know it's perhaps a route more fraught with trial and tribulation, but how about trying to achieve internet 'fame' (if that's what you really want) by doing something useful?
I really admire everyone from Boris van...., to Michael Arrington to Marc Zuckerberg to Pete Cashmore who have achieved some level of internet fame through substance, i.e. they've made their mark by creating something others find useful. I'd put Robert Scoble in the same bracket as a Big Brother contestant. Sure, a certain demographic has heard of him, but it's because he's an attention seeker; not because he's done something worthwhile. You could get 'internet famous' by having sex with a park bench and putting the film on YouTube, but that kind of fame - along with that of Robert Scoble - isn't going to impress the grand kiddies. It's becomes the famous for being famous downward spiral. Why bother.
Tom
· 9 months ago
If you ever get to know how to get famous do let me know too I might be interested in boosting some of my projects with own popularity :p
All Comments
Here is a suggestion... Fire the designer of your Blog. The default WP theme you are using makes it look cheap.
Offer transparency and share as much as possible with your followers across individual sites and through Lifestreaming services. If you create a great presentation, share it on Slideshare, which in turn should be a service you have added to FriendFeed and an app added to LinkedIn so that you effectively spread your information to be accessible and promoted across all channels where people are following you.
Beyond sharing content you produce, also share all the information you find valuable with others as well. This is even easier than producing content and offers a second stream that your followers will appreciate as well.
Good point about sharing on multiple sites. After talking to Robert, I started obsessing with twitter and friendfeed. I think I overwhelmed my twitter followers with waaaaay too many posts. And with FriendFeed I felt like I was talking to the same 30 people.
By the way, I like your site.
Don't get me wrong, the content is great, and I'm not into "flashy / Ajaxy" websites. But the design could use some work. Just a little more structured in the design. Right now it kind of looks "thrown together".
I also believe that if you work with your current followership and make them part of who you are they will love you more. As time progresses they will tell others of "how cool" you are and you gain more followers.
Another thing you should mention is "don't give up." It takes time to become a hit. A lot of people don't realize the time they have to put into it before they see the results they really want.
Gary V does a good job of finding that balance I think. He does do a great job of having an own-able space. I definitely agree that you have to find your niche and stay with it.
I think that is what has made him so respected and approachable.
(BTW, nice bit of self-promotion in that comment. Love it buddy.)
I think it's just not Publish a lot, but also Publish a lot good content :)
http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blo...
Your well on your way.It is strange how people acquire their "fame" but to me I gauge a person by there attitude and their willingness to help others despite their success.
Alot of the well known people on the internet are legends in their own mind and need a wake up call.
2009 will be sweeping all these dinosaurs aside your time is coming Brother
Keep up the great work
PS I like that doesn't show do follow move ;)
on the design comment
Yasser: Thanks for the compliment. I'm a Scoble fan too.
John: I wonder how many internet famous people are really famous in their own minds. Are we all speaking to ourselves. (By the way, who's the girl in your avatar?)
Venkat: Like you said, I'll keep on writing. I wonder how much time I should commit to this? I do have real work to do. I'd love to hear anyone's ideas for where to draw the line.
Everyone: Thanks for all the feedback & comments. I love the conversation this sparked.
I happened to stumble across your website tonight and found it most interesting. I really like the information you've provided.
Keep up the great work!
Rich
I really admire everyone from Boris van...., to Michael Arrington to Marc Zuckerberg to Pete Cashmore who have achieved some level of internet fame through substance, i.e. they've made their mark by creating something others find useful. I'd put Robert Scoble in the same bracket as a Big Brother contestant. Sure, a certain demographic has heard of him, but it's because he's an attention seeker; not because he's done something worthwhile. You could get 'internet famous' by having sex with a park bench and putting the film on YouTube, but that kind of fame - along with that of Robert Scoble - isn't going to impress the grand kiddies. It's becomes the famous for being famous downward spiral. Why bother.
thanks for sharing
Ankit