Nathan Hangen

Trainwreck Blogging

I just read a fantastic post on Copyblogger about some things that separate compelling bloggers from standard run of the mill bloggers. The premise was that most of the blogs people like to read contain some sort of back story that draws the reader to that author. Bloggers that are transparent in their personal life, such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, or Chris Guillebeau are fantastic to read about because we see more than just the sales pitch.

Gary does his videos live and without editing, which gives them a certain realness that other polished videos don’t have (he’s always incredibly brave to do this!). Chris Brogan has to do a great deal of defending himself because his business is so out in the open that it puts him in a place where he is very subject to criticism. Chris Guillebeau tells us all about his life in Seattle and his travels across the country in a way that you think you know him just from reading his blog.

These guys (there are plenty of female bloggers I read too, just in case you are wondering) are a great example of compelling “real-life” bloggers that give us entry into their personal/business lives in exchange for more interaction with their audience. There are so many money making and personal development blogs out there that I don’t have time to read the ones that don’t reach out to me in some way. People simply want to see the man behind the curtain and get to know him or her as much as possible.

Although I do a great deal of talk about my ventures, I haven’t disclosed as much as I’d like, which probably is reflected in my comments and readership. However, it isn’t an easy step to take – exposing myself to ridicule in front of potentially millions of people. Still, I think that this is the difference between bloggers that make it and bloggers that don’t. Sharing both your highs and lows with your audience does expose you to ridicule, but it also brings people into your circle which in turn creates loyal and devoted fans. If you want to build a grassroots blogging movement, this just might be the best way to do it.

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