Nathan Hangen

What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate [GCN-5]

As I spend more and more time pondering what it is that makes people successful in this realm, I think what I’ve discovered is that there are 2 things that work:

1. Using blogging for a real business

2. Using a blog as a personal platform

Blogging, as we know it, is dead. Here’s why…

There are far fewer Leo Babauta’s and Darren Rowse’s today than there were 2-3 years ago. There are, however, thousands of really strong bloggers that are near the top of the “B-List.”

Many of these bloggers would be dominant A-Listers had they started 5-7 years ago. Most of my favorite bloggers have around 5k-10k subscribers, which seems like a lot to someone with just a few hundred, but looks pale in comparison to the 100K of Copyblogger or even the 45K of someone like Chris Brogan.

But there’s a lot of competition, and the work it takes to become the cool kid and reach the point where your traffic snowballs can be too much for some.

I know people that get more traffic than I do, but don’t make a cent. I know people with less traffic than I have that make 10x more than I do. The numbers aren’t as important as you think.

So where does that leave us?

My blog isn’t heavily monetized, but it earns me a check each and every month. What’s more important to me though, is what has come as a result of my blog, such as the Beyond Blogging project, consulting work, and a variety of new things on the way.

Without my blog or Mike’s blog, there’s not a chance in the world that Beyond Blogging would have had the success that it did, clients wouldn’t be searching me out, and I wouldn’t the network that I currently have access to.

Yet, if I were relying on E-Books and info-products to make a living, I’d be toast.

This is why point #1, which is to have a real business, is so important.

Do you have a company name? Have you incorporated or formed a real company?

Do you keep accounting records and treat your income/expenses like a real CEO would?

Or are you just writing and writing until something good comes your way?

Monetization First

I’ve seen a lot of bloggers launch projects without any idea how they were going to monetize them. I’ve seen people start a dozen blogs in a single month, none of which are monetized or have a plan for doing so. Why do people just assume that if you write every day, week, or month that something good will happen?

It’s easy to write a blog post, but it isn’t easy to plan a business…and that’s where people go wrong.

Real Business

I’d like to backtrack a bit towards what a blog can do for a real business.

A blog is a powerful tool for brick and mortar companies trying to market their products and services. Blogging is great for SERP’s, peaks/satisfies the curiosity of interested parties, and resolves customer questions without having to involve a customer service representative or salesman.

Blogging is an important part of a complete online marketing strategy…but it’s just a part.

Why then do “bloggers” treat it like the whole?

Bloggers Make Shitty Business People

I realize this is a sweeping generalization, but for the most part, it’s true. Those of us that haven’t spent any time in the real business world, where networking, face to face meetings, and office politics play a huge role in determining a company’s success, are completely missing out on solid business strategies.

Most bloggers don’t even think about secondary necessities, like accounting practices, marketing budgets, hiring employees, and outsourcing.

That’s why I think it’s important that those of you that do have these backgrounds spend time educating those of us that don’t. I’m working on something to this effect, and although I’m working with a concept more than concretes at this stage, for now…we’ll just call it “The Business of Blogging.”

I think there’s a huge need for products like these, and I think that unless we spend less time teaching bloggers about writing E-Books and creating membership sites, and more time on topics like these, then we’re doing the industry a disservice.

This is also the reason why from now on, I’m removing the term “blogger” from my vocabulary and replacing it with something like “platform builder” or “content king.”

Blogging as a Platform

Perfect segue into the 2nd point, which is that platforming is a great way to accomplish goals outside of platforming.

For instance, the primary purpose of my platform is to get a book deal. The secondary purpose is to create enough buzz so that I can bounce other projects off of this main platform.

Things like Beyond Blogging, Roark Media, and my upcoming “King Builder” program are only going to be as successful as this platform is, which is why it is a necessary evil.

That being said, if my blog were to die a horrible death tonight…now that people know who I am…I could re-create it in much less time than it took to build it.

Momentum of Platforming

Platforming is all about momentum. Just like a trapeze artist uses momentum to swing from platform to platform, so can we do the same within our own digital empire. The content is just the beginning, and each step (as long as it is though through), adds another country to our empire.

The point I’m trying to make is that when you spend your time platforming, it’s important that you have some place to land. I’d hate to see your empire fall into nothingness.

What do you think?

I’m going to be toying around with rates for a membership area soon. Of course, since you’re already in, you won’t be affected, but I might change the way people log in at some point.

Lastly, what are your thoughts on the members area so far? What do you like and what would you like?

And, as always, lets get some discussion going.

Thanks for being here.

- Nathan

Other Posts

• Podcast: The GPL is Marxist
• Are You Not Entertained?
• I’m Taking the Gloves Off
• Where 99% of Bloggers Go Wrong
• Social Media Has Become a Virus

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