| If you're famous, like Mick Jagger or Robert Scoble | | | | Write about ONE thing you are passionately |
| or Madonna, write it and they will come. You can | | | | interested in, maybe Nubian dwarf goat husbandry or |
| write about anything you want, and lots of people | | | | American Civil War history or the evolution of belly |
| will read it. | | | | button lint collections in museums. There are plenty |
| Unfortunately, you my friend are probably not | | | | of people, potential readers, for any ONE of those |
| famous, just like I'm not. If we write on whatever | | | | topics. Even belly button lint has 274,000 hits on |
| we find interesting and exciting, it's unlikely many | | | | Google, and yes there appear to be blogs on the |
| other people will have matching interests. | | | | topic too. |
| Oh some may find your posts on the advances of | | | | I'm writing about Web 2.0 stuff and how it affects |
| bowling ball technology fascinating, but they probably | | | | business, things like blogging and podcasting etc. I'm |
| won't care for your extensive coverage of laptop | | | | NOT writing about fishing or Chinese cooking or biking |
| battery time extension techniques or any details of | | | | or wine or many other things I'm passionate about, |
| your belly button lint collection. And the belly button | | | | because it's not about me. And yeah, I should work |
| lint aficionados probably find bowling balls and | | | | about being more focused too... |
| batteries boring. | | | | But what about Robert Scoble? He's a blogger and |
| In other words, it's NOT about you - what you're | | | | his claim to fame is from blogging. Despite Robert |
| interested in. No one cares about what you're | | | | being a great guy I read regularly he isn't very |
| interested in (unless you're famous), and very few | | | | focused. |
| people will have interests that parallel yours. | | | | Well, you need to be and so do I if we care about |
| But wait, if it doesn't matter what you're interested | | | | traffic - Robert is famous and he started blogging in |
| in, what about all this stuff about "passion" and | | | | a simpler time when there was less competition. |
| "passionate bloggers are successful bloggers" you | | | | And now I must leave you as I'm stranded in an |
| keep hearing? How can you write passionately about | | | | airport and my laptop battery is almost dead. |
| something you're not interested in? | | | | Fortunately I have the latest "Popular Nubian Dwarf |
| Well, you probably can't, but the solution is simple - a | | | | Goat Husbandry" with me. Maybe I'll check my belly |
| one word answer: | | | | button too... |
| FOCUS! I repeat, FOCUS!! | | | | |