I was reading a blog a couple of days ago that linked to “Blogging Expert” Shel Israel. The blogger waxed lyrical about how much experience he has and how you should add him to your feed reader.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of the guy.
But that doesn’t question is authority - hell if I ever need neurosurgery I’m not going to shoo away some doctor because I’ve never heard of him, it just made me think about “experts”.
And with good reason, as I’ve been called a blogging expert. I get called it probably once a week.
Not by any bloggers though, oh no. Through my job I install, manage and upgrade countless Wordpress blogs. A couple of times the phone gets thrusted into my hand as “you’re the bloggy expert”. But that’s because I am ratehr knowledgeable at Wordpress.
Though, have I made a fortune or been famous? Not really. So in a lot of bloggers eyes I’m not an expert. I’ve looked at a few bloggers to see if they are experts or not.
Han could be considered an expert blogger because she’s blogged for nearly a decade and has an account on almost every web 2.0 startup under the sun.
Darren Rowse could be considered an expert blogger because he’s made fortune off a number of blogs
Chris Garrett could be considered an expert blogger as he blogs on a number of blogs and has raised his profile sky high.
Belle De Jour could be considered an expert blogger as she got a TV show starring Billie Piper as a result her blog.
Diamond Geezer could be considered an expert blogger for the pure and simple reason that no other blog has as much deep and quality content as this one.
Jem could be considered an expert blogger because she built her own platform from scratch.
Girl With A One Track Mind could be considered an expert blogger as she released a best selling book from her blog
John Cow could be considered an expert blogger as he has turned a blog into a successful saleable blog in under a year
Vic could be considered an expert blogger as he gives tips on blogging and critiques the blogosphere in a way that’s refreshing and well worth reading. And he manages to keep up with 10 times the amount of comments I do.
I could be considered an exper blogger because not only have I installed Wordpress more times than I’ve had cheese cake, I’ve been blogging for six years.
And finally the New Owner of One Man’s Goal has…wait…maybe not him.
So which of the above are experts in my eyes? Well all of them and none of them. Truth be told anybody who has ran a blog for six months at least probably knows all they need to do. Sure, some of the above blogs up there are money makers, other have achieved some sembiance of fame, others have just had longevity.
But are they good blogs?
I’m not so sure - it’s tricky to define a good blog. If you go on the fact that a bad blog would be a spammy blog or a blog that repeats itself. Each of the above has none (or very little) of the above. So therefore they are all good blogs.
And yet, each one is lacking in their own way, some are great marketers but not great writers, some are great writers but not great photographers, others are lacking charisma (such as this blog), others can’t web design, or program, or SEO their way out of their wet paper. Not that there’s anything wrong in that, it’s just that in my eyes, to truly call somebody a “blogging expert”, you need to have all of these.
These things in my eyes cannot be taught, or taught to a certain extend, but you don’t need all of them to be a good blogger. I guess that’s why I’ve unsubscribed from a lot of blogs recently, I’ll be honest, I’m more interested in how Fern’s baby developing or Kristoff’s time on his own or how many New Zealanders Guy’s shagging than on how I can make my Twitter 50% more efficient by using less vowels.
However, does that make me any less of a Blogging Expert than somebody who does blog about it? Of course not. Does it make me more of a Blogging Expert? No. So therefore - as long as you know your way around Wordpress or Blogger, and don’t regurgitate other blogs but with your affiliate links, then you are a blogging expert, just like me, just like your favourite blogger, just like some schmo on the BBC News who talks about blogs.
So, I’m throwing it out to you: what makes a blogging expert? And what makes a blogging newbie?
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Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay.
“So, I’m throwing it out to you: what makes a blogging expert?”
certainly not me lol!
Like you say if you have all those skills you mentioned above - then yeah you probably are an expert.
why should people analyse blogging so much. When someone asks a question: why do you blog? people are like money money money, fame fame fame - I just blog for fun! Fucked if I care if I’m famous lol Earning moneys nice but really all the money I earn goes straight back into paying for the sites hosting. That set up works quite nicely for me ta!
(plus I hate dealing with people who think their expert bloggers - because quite often, their talking bollocks!)
What’s wrong with my writing / programming / design / photography / seo / marketing / charisma?!
I’m insulted Rhys, really insulted.
Ummmmmm…..
Well, you listed us all and then said ‘each one is lacking in their own way’ but failed to explain exactly which of us is lacking the element that prevents us from being an “expert”.
It was however, sarcasm.. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept
(Comments wont nest below this level)
As in it doesn’t work over the internet
Such a post is long overdue. Such candor is all too rare too! I think that it is always relative. The level of expertise can not be determined by the amount of money someone makes or does not. There are some excellent blogs that simply do not make money at all because they are not there to do so. They are up in blogsphere to serve a purpose which they do more than adequately. Yes, I think that if you can manage a reasonably active blog for about six months, you can call yourself a serious blogger, but an expert? One keeps learning all the time.
Bloggings such a different and personal thing for everyone i don’t think experts exist. What defines a good blog? That surely depends on what you are blogging for and that also differs person to person. Are they experts on what they are writing about? Coz then they’re not expert bloggers, just on that topic. And the time thing - i could juggle a lot every day and never be an expert
so i don’t time’s a factor.
Everyone’s an expert blogger for their blog, coz no1 could write their blog better.
x x x
I don’t have much of an answer to the question posed, as I’m still tryingto work it out myself, but so long as there’s someone out there that wants to read you, then you’re an expert in my opinion
Really fab post Rhys, just what I needed to help me get back into this crazy world of blogging, thanks.