What are you reading?
When I ask other bloggers what blogs they read, I am always fascinated that they tend to read in their area of interest or about blogging.
So if their blog is about technology they read other technology blogs and they might read the occassional business blog or blogs about blogging (like this one). On the surface this seems pretty normal, its what you would expect. It is actually very limiting and it has a tendency to lead to an “Echo Chamber” effect. You read something on a blog, you think its pretty good, you do some more research you expand on the topic and so it goes on.
I have recently started reading what are known as “Mommy Blogs”, I actually think that is a bit of a derisive term, certainly from the quality of the writing on the blogs I have read. Mommy bloggers are actually very good examples of bloggers who know their audience, how to communicate with them, and how to keep them coming back.
One in particular that I make sure to read as often as I can is The Daily Blonde. Cheryl, the author, shares insights into her life, her children etc. On the surface of it, what has that topic got to do with me? I’m not a mother, I’m not a woman, so what on earth could I gain by reading her blog other than perhaps entertainment. Well firstly, don’t knock entertainment, nothing wrong with reading for fun, but what I have actually found is that I have learned a lot about communication. I have learned about being open, about understanding your readers or at least making the effort to.
So take a chance, step outside your normal sphere of reading and find something else that you can learn from.
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#1 by Donny Gamble on February 1, 2009 - 5:07 am
When I read other blogs, I enjoy reading topics from a wide range of different niches. I believe that if you know a little about a lot, you will tend to expand your brains capacity to learn new things.
<abbr>Donny Gamble’s last blog post..Post Office Sunday</abbr>
#2 by Kevon Edmonds on February 1, 2009 - 10:16 am
The concept is very similar to one you see in a lot of research. The people who often make the biggest contributions to a problem are those from a different area. The reason is that they give you a different perspective on things and might see a problem in their own area that is similar to one in another.
Translating that to blogging is about what you said. Breaking down the barriers and expanding your horizons, you can find yourself inspired in your own area of blogging based upon ideas you see in other areas.
<abbr>Kevon Edmonds’s last blog post..Keith Mitchell: After 7's Untold Story</abbr>
#3 by website promotion gu on February 2, 2009 - 2:12 am
It's always important that we broaden our perspective with a wide range of subject matter. Whether its blogs, websites, books or online communmities it really gives you a different perspective when there is a more input that can help with our own life and work.
#4 by Sly on February 2, 2009 - 4:42 pm
Connecting with its readers on all my sites its something where really working hard on this year
#5 by Leo on February 5, 2009 - 6:59 am
I actually cue up my reader every morning. A typical day is 400+ posts which I scroll through until I find something that stands out.
From a "reading" perspective, I just got finished with Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" for the 4th time and am currently re-reading Seth Godin's "Meatball Sundae" (this time I am taking notes) as well as Malcolm's newest book "outliers".
<abbr>Leo’s last blog post..Take Back Your Life…How to Get More Traffic to your Site With Just One Post a Week..</abbr>
#6 by card on February 7, 2009 - 3:46 am
Lately, I've been checking out the domain industry……a bunch of blogs through the Domaining .com website.
#7 by Printers on June 24, 2009 - 2:38 am
I typically start my morning by reading the following technology blogs - Tuaw, Gizmodo, & Engadget. Between those three I can get a good grasp on whats the latest in the technology realm.
<abbr>Printers’s last blog post..Garmin eTrex Venture HC Portable GPS</abbr>