What would you say if I told you to STOP reading blog posts altogether?
Obviously, I’m not going to do that (after all, what you’re reading now is a blog post!). But what I will tell you is that reading every blog post in your industry is a huge waste of time. Plus, it’s just plain bad for your brain! Here are 3 reasons why:
1. Some bloggers crank out more noise than a teething newborn.
Many times, bloggers within any given industry simply mimic one another. They don’t have firsthand knowledge, so they just parrot information from others within their field.
Grabbing data becomes an issue when no one is checking facts, writing in a unique voice, or offering new insights. At that point, tons of blog posts start to look the same and contribute to the excess of “noise” that is so common on the internet today.
Reading this noise puts you at risk for subliminally mimicking bloggers who are re-stating information online, which can seriously harm your blog’s brand. You can’t stand out if you sound like everyone else!
2. You can’t distinguish between an “authority” and a narcissist.
Neil Patel says being an authority can significantly boost a business’ online sales. So, you can imagine why a regular ol’ blogger would falsely claim to be a trusted authority figure.
Why does this matter to you?
Well, wasting your time reading blog posts written by people who don’t know your industry is dangerous. They aren’t true thought leaders – in fact, the only thing they’ll lead you toward is mediocrity. Plus, you could end up learning incorrect information and using that information to make important business decisions that affect your profitability – not good.
Read this Copyblogger post on how you can become a true authority blogger.
3. The information you’re finding is repetitive and uninspiring.
You want to come up with some awesome new ideas for your business, right?
Well, reading the same information over and over isn’t going to help you with that. Doing so could seriously hinder your ability to think outside the box. By continuously taking in redundant information, you risk becoming a redundant blogger yourself and boring your audience.
That’s not good for your brand…
at all.
To combat these 3 blogging problems, here’s what you can do:
- Instead of contributing to the noise when you blog, build your own unique voice, share your brand’s story, and focus on differentiating yourself from others in your industry. (For more information on how to do this and why it’s important, check out this guide.)
- Instead of believing every blogger who claims to be an authority, do some background research on both the blogger (look them on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and the information (checking facts is important!) presented in the blog post to make sure you’re not soaking up the wrong knowledge.
- Instead of reading redundant blog posts, try to find information you’ve never seen before. And, to avoid being redundant when you write, explain new (or widely unheard of) concepts or perform research that you think will yield never-before-seen data.
Bottom line: make the most of your time by avoiding pointless content. Discern who the real thought leaders are in your industry and separate them from the noise merchants. And, if you’re the one doing the writing, don’t contribute to the problems mentioned here – both your business and your readers will thank you.
