PureBlogging

There’s an Indian restaurant just a few blocks from the apartment I share with my girlfriend. It’s beloved by everyone who goes there. There’s always a crowd of well-dressed people waiting to get in. I actually caught the models on America’s Next Top Model eating there one night, when I watched America’s Next Top Model for the first time. Some friends of ours all but demanded we go there. So we tried it one night.

We hate this restaurant. The chicken tikka masala tastes like Chef Boy-Ar-Dee and the service is miserable. We love Indian food — it’s always our default decision when we’re trying to think what we’d like for dinner, and for the most part, we have yet to find an Indian restaurant that we really dislike. But this place… oh, man. I’m not sure if anyone who works there has ever even been in the same room as a good curry. But hey, for some reason, people seem to love it.

Seth Godin made a great point this week:

Here’s the thing: unlike every other species, human beings make decisions differently from one another. And the thing that persuades you is unlikely to be the thing that persuades the next guy. Our personal outlook is a lousy indicator of what works for anyone else.

Not everyone is going to like what you produce. And I’m not just talking about niches — some readers may not like your writing style, some may disagree with your assertions, and some may be put off by your design. You’re not going to win ‘em all.

Which is why you should pay attention to what your readers think… but not too much attention. When you write content, follow three simple rules:

Write what you know best. OK, I admit: There’s a big problem with this rule. If people just wrote what they knew, we probably wouldn’t have science fiction. We wouldn’t have Harry Potter. We might not have any kind of writing that involves pure imagination. But you can bet J.K. Rowling knows her characters inside and out — so I think the real thrust of this rule is “Know what you’re writing about.” In other words, don’t crap out on yourself. Do the research — even if it means researching your own thoughts.

Write what feels good. As a copywriter, part of my work involves writing about topics that are about as interesting as late-night C-SPAN. One of the consequences of this situation is that it’s hard to get motivated; another, more dire consequence is that I run the risk of writing something that doesn’t represent my best effort. If you’re in charge of your own blog, be sure to write what feels good to you — not what you think someone wants to hear about. Ultimately, the content will be more appealing to readers if it looks like you had fun writing it.

Write what you want to read. The best way to find good content is to produce it. Much like the previous rule, following this rule ensures that you’ll write things that bear the mark of someone who enjoys writing.

When you pay too much attention to writing something that will get hits, or writing something that everyone will talk about, you’re losing the game before you’ve even started playing. Writing is about creating something that, whether perceptibly or imperceptibly, is about you.

Earlier this week, Jim stressed the importance of striking the balance between good writing and good marketing. He did so by contrasting bloggers who excel at writing but fail to market effectively with good marketers who skimp on content.

If you’re just starting out as a blogger, I’d recommend being a writer first. You can always apply the latest marketing techniques to your blog, or edit keywords into what you’ve already written. It’s harder to sit down and create huge swaths of good content if you don’t have any.

Don’t assume there are writers out there whom everyone loves. And don’t assume there’s a formulaic path to creating something that everyone will read. Write what you know, and what you love. That’s the only real secret.