Anyone can be a blogger-slash-critic. Here's how to stand out from the Blogging Herd.
Anyone with a computer can blog. But it takes guts and delusions of immortality to take on powerful companies, cranky religious organizations and governments. Still, why blog at all unless you are prepared to do the hard work of being well informed, and then let the entire world know your down-in-the-mud, honest-to-God opinion, even if it earns you a spot on someone’s hit list?
Welcome to my world.
Three out of five stars? That’s a hackneyed rating system reserved for movies and restaurants. Who wants something as cliché as little shaded yellow stars to tell readers, wow that was a damn awesome flick, or good grief, that was pureed road kill? Personally, I prefer to read the words and get the real score.
I’m disappointed when a film critic – probably to avoid getting whacked in the subway – sells out to his diplomatic side and says “X gave a restrained performance that was refreshingly different from her co-stars”. Oh please, just say what you really mean (she was about as animated as a driftwood, especially during the lusty parts).
Or how about the polite restaurant reviewer who describes the Cream of Cheesy Tomato Bisque as “a curious dish made with charmingly out-of-season tomatoes fused with artisanal cheese ...the odd combination lingers in one’s stomach and coats the tongue with strange and even more lingering aftertastes, the richness of which allows the diner to do away with ordering another course.”
Prose aside, what exactly is my point?
Writing an honest review, especially if it requires pointing out big flaws, is no walk in the park. As you write, you imagine lawsuits you’d like to avoid and see images of powerful people passing notes with your name underlined in bold to Tony Soprano. You also know that, if you take the safe course and criticize in the most diplomatic way possible, the punch in your review goes from "hard hitting" to "light tapping".
There’s nothing wrong with diplomacy or playing it safe…or even using the hackneyed gold star rating. BUT - if you want anybody to care about what you have to say – playing it safe just doesn't cut it. It doesn't attract interest. It doesn't inspire YouTube videos. It doesn't get enthusiastically picked up and passed around via links and emails. Surprise, surprise, journalism on the Internet is just as beholden to sensationalism as supermarket rags. A little vulgarity and a healthy dose of brutal frankness are a good thing. Don’t believe me? Ask Perez Hilton. Ask Bill O’Reilly. Their websites’ Alexa ranks – that Internet barometer of popularity – are every blogger’s envy. Yes, their posts may irk, even shock people, but we keep on reading. Call it the Guilty Pleasure Syndrome, but it works.
So how do you go about making a splash and getting people to read your blog without falling into clichéd traps and attracting lawsuits and enemies?
1. Have something to say. Stand for something. Don't write about things you don't really know much about.
Welcome to my world.
Three out of five stars? That’s a hackneyed rating system reserved for movies and restaurants. Who wants something as cliché as little shaded yellow stars to tell readers, wow that was a damn awesome flick, or good grief, that was pureed road kill? Personally, I prefer to read the words and get the real score.
I’m disappointed when a film critic – probably to avoid getting whacked in the subway – sells out to his diplomatic side and says “X gave a restrained performance that was refreshingly different from her co-stars”. Oh please, just say what you really mean (she was about as animated as a driftwood, especially during the lusty parts).
Or how about the polite restaurant reviewer who describes the Cream of Cheesy Tomato Bisque as “a curious dish made with charmingly out-of-season tomatoes fused with artisanal cheese ...the odd combination lingers in one’s stomach and coats the tongue with strange and even more lingering aftertastes, the richness of which allows the diner to do away with ordering another course.”
Prose aside, what exactly is my point?
Writing an honest review, especially if it requires pointing out big flaws, is no walk in the park. As you write, you imagine lawsuits you’d like to avoid and see images of powerful people passing notes with your name underlined in bold to Tony Soprano. You also know that, if you take the safe course and criticize in the most diplomatic way possible, the punch in your review goes from "hard hitting" to "light tapping".
There’s nothing wrong with diplomacy or playing it safe…or even using the hackneyed gold star rating. BUT - if you want anybody to care about what you have to say – playing it safe just doesn't cut it. It doesn't attract interest. It doesn't inspire YouTube videos. It doesn't get enthusiastically picked up and passed around via links and emails. Surprise, surprise, journalism on the Internet is just as beholden to sensationalism as supermarket rags. A little vulgarity and a healthy dose of brutal frankness are a good thing. Don’t believe me? Ask Perez Hilton. Ask Bill O’Reilly. Their websites’ Alexa ranks – that Internet barometer of popularity – are every blogger’s envy. Yes, their posts may irk, even shock people, but we keep on reading. Call it the Guilty Pleasure Syndrome, but it works.
So how do you go about making a splash and getting people to read your blog without falling into clichéd traps and attracting lawsuits and enemies?
1. Have something to say. Stand for something. Don't write about things you don't really know much about.
2. When you criticize something, have evidence to back it up. Otherwise, it's just a cheap shot. For my site WowGoldFacts.com, I use screen shots as proof.
3. Do not present rumor or hearsay as proof. It's not.
4. Sarcasm is always okay but be warned..your readers for whom English is a second language will not get the joke. You'll get a lot of angry responses unless you explain your point in plain speak as well as through the use of sarcasm.
5. After giving your critique, give the company or the person in question some helpful advice. Surprised? That’s what reviews are for. Take the sting out of the put-down by giving tips that really work. However, for companies that have no ethics, and repeatedly lie about their products and services, I reserve the right to pen-whip them without mercy.
6. Censor your cuss words with asterisks or text substitutes like “bleep”. There are young kids who use the Internet. Role models are important. So is avoiding automated parental censure software. Bad reviews from parents and Oprah will (bleeping) kill your traffic.
7. Develop your own writing style. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but "copycat" is not an accolade.
8. Hide behind a pseudonym so you can sleep well at night. (Thank you Mr. Rushdie for demonstrating the importance of preventive journalistic security measures.)
And remember: Be Fair. It doesn’t always have to be criticism. Praise when praise is due.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_872331_13.html
