As we’ve seen previously I’m no marketing guru. I started this blog out of a slightly delusional and naive idea that everything I had to talk about was in some way interesting, as I think most blogs do. After a while I came to realise that it was a creative way for me to try and get some educational information online for people. While I’m no sceptic who goes around fighting all of the scientific injustices that might be committed around the world I do hope that some of my articles give people enough background to understand the content; and hopefully spur them on to do some reading themselves.
It was then interesting to note then how other people got into blogging and how they carve out a readership online. I think I can break them down into about 3 different categories:
- Transitioners: The ones who came to online web logging from some other medium. These people have the experience in other media to make an online presence work quite well for them, and their blogs tend to have a high level of polish. Some of them are even created out of spite for the old medium, with these bloggers seeking freedom from their editors and publishers so that they can publish their ideas more freely. They also come with an installed readership, which helps to get the site rolling.
- Famous/Celebrity/Pop Icon: We’ve all seen these kinds of blogs. Whilst I doubt the majority of them are actually the people themselves posting (that’s what a PR department is for) you do get the occasional one where they’ve decided to become more involved in an online way. Some of them are great to show the person behind the fame, as we often forget that celebrities aren’t always the people we see on TV.
- Journalers/Aspirers: People like myself who for one reason or another decided that a blog was a good idea. These make up the majority of online blogs and they all usually have something in mind. A lot will just be a personal web space to share with friends, others will start with great aspirations for stating a claim on some online territory.
The first two categories come with a built in audience, and I think that shapes what people will expect from them. One of my favourite blogs, The Dilbert Blog by Scott Adams, shows that he knows he’s readers tend towards the slightly nerdy and politically active crowd. Much like his Dilbert comics which satirise office life so does his blog about the real world. He sums it up pretty well with his definition philosotainment.
Due to my training as an engineer I tend to put a lot of trust in the raw data that this site generates. Having a look at the stats for the site it seems like most of my readers are technically inclined, love their games and have a head for political debate. That fights quite well with the overall aim I have for this blog, and I love a good discussion.
