What a Wimpy Kid Can Teach You About Blogging by @weblogbetter

Kiesha Easley | Feature Contributor

Every blogger should blog like Rowley….

You know Rowley.  He was Greg Heffley’s friend in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” who wasn’t ashamed of his “Mommy & Me” T-shirt or his purple “Joshie” bike.  In a way, yes, Rowley was rather goofy – yet because he was completely unafraid of being himself, he eventually won the hearts of his classmates with his zany Zoo-we Mama comic strip.  He ignored all advice about being “cool.”  He seemed to recognize that the person who constantly preached about it was actually the farthest from it.

How often do you see this in the blogosphere?

Countless blogs offer advice on how to make money online, how to get more followers on Twitter, how to cash in on Facebook – when in fact, they are either doing the exact opposite of what it takes or offering wrong advice in general.

The problem with Greg, was that he wanted to be cool for all the wrong reasons.  He just wanted to be popular for the sake of being popular, but had nothing to offer anyone.  He kept going after titles – chasing fame for activities that he wasn’t even good at nor possessed the passion.  Not once did he take inventory of his talents and skills before diving into a venture.

How often does this happen online?

I’m guilty – When I first starting blogging, I dived into affiliate marketing without having a full grasp of what it entailed.   Yes, I had done some research, but that can never substitute for experience and success.   I also lacked passion in that niche, which meant writing posts quickly became a chore.  By the time I realized this, I had already invested time and money that I’d never get back.

By the end of the movie, Greg finally started to realize his problem, also.

Despite how goofy he thought Rowley was, he realized something:

• Rowley had enough confidence in himself to just be himself. He was not always looking for evidence that others liked him.  He was free and felt no need to react to the opinions of others.
• It was those weird and quirky qualities that made Rowley so interesting and unique – those were the very things that made him stand out from the crowd.
• He valued people and relationships.

When Greg started valuing people instead of “being cool” that’s when he began to treat people differently; that’s also when he finally made it on the “Class Favorites” list, ironically for being friends with Rowley.

People Can Sense When You’re Not Really Trying to Help

We have 5 documented senses, but I actually think we have 6 – the last one being the ability to sense when people are just out to fulfill their selfish desires.  When you land on a blog that has nothing but ads or ads placed in misleading places, that immediately tells you something – this person is not exactly trying to help.

Good examples of helpful bloggers include people like Darren Rowse, Lisa Irby, Kristi Hines, Ann Smarty and Ileane Smith.  What are they doing that gives me that sense?  They offer content, advice or products that actually help their readers.

The amazing thing about all of these bloggers is that they never ask for anything in return.  It’s obvious that each one of these bloggers really value people and relationships.  Because of this, people flock to their blogs and rush out to purchase their products.  We know we are going to get quality information that will help us accomplish our goals.

When bloggers begin to value people and relationships and make it a point to help others, that’s when they will begin to see the results they originally set out to achieve.   That’s when they’ll gain the loyal following and the kind of blog traffic that crashes servers.

It requires a desire to move beyond just helping oneself and being cool for the sake of it.  You’ve got to genuinely want to help others for the sake of helping others.  When your blog becomes one that offers that kind of value, that’s when it’ll reach higher levels of popularity.

Re-evaluate your motivation and goals and make sure they are aligned with what you really value.  Make sure you’re doing something you’ve got great passion for and that will come through on your blog.

Image Credit:  Mikey Molerat

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Kiesha Easley, Online strategy and Blogging expert fromWeBlogBetter.com, South Carolina.

Kiesha Easley is a writer, instructor and blog consultant.  Her blog,WeBlogBetter.com provides blogging, writing, social media and other great tips for improving a blog.  Kiesha’s articles have been published onProblogger, DIYThemes, Social Mouths, and in Midlands Live Magazine.  Her most recent blogging guide, 10 Week Gameplan for a Top 100k Blog, has helped many bloggers build successful blogs from scratch.

In addition to teaching others how to blog, Kiesha is also a college instructor who teaches students how to write for mass media.

When she is not writing, teaching or working on freelance projects, she loves ballroom dancing, watching movies (her favorite: The Pursuit of Happyness), spending time at the beach with family and playing The Sims 3 when she can steal some very rare free time.

Feel free to send her your questions about blogging and content marketing. Kiesha loves helping and connecting with others, so connect with her:

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Email: kiesha@weblogbetter.com

Kiesha Easley