Correction: can be forgivable.
The above image is an excerpt from one of my favorite sketches on the show, Portlandia, which you can watch for free here, or watch the whole series on Netflix (which you should.)
In the sketch, Fred Armisen’s character overloads from literally being all over the place with his gadgets, being unable to focus on just one thing.
A common line of wisdom is that a jack of everything is a master of none. I submit to that thinking, but as always,
There are exceptions to every rule.
Friends and colleagues routinely approach me about starting their own blogs looking for tips on building and sustaining a large audience. One of the first things I say is that they need to zero in on a niche topic, which is popular advice. More people are willing to subscribe to your work if they know what they’re getting into.
Tech expert? Done. Poetry? Done. Movie critic? Why not.
When I give that advice, however, I am sometimes pointed out to the fact that my blog is, in fact, all over the place. I blog about almost anything and am unapologetic about it. So, why don’t I follow my own rule?
To be honest, I did at first and try to have a basic foundation for everything I write. Typically, my topics have to do with branding, social media, PR, and writing. That’s still a little all over the place, but at least they have some things in common. I then have all of my posts, such as this, that are completely random, but I manage to get away with it, leaving others asking why and how.
It’s simple. If your goal is not to build an audience, you are pretty much free to write about whatever you want. Maybe it will catch on. Maybe it won’t. My own goal has always been to help people by sharing my own thoughts and insights into things that interest me.
This is riskier, because chances are people won’t like you enough to keep coming back. It happens. You just have to make sure that your fantastic personality is shining through at all times, and just hope for the best that people like what they read. If nothing else, here is one big takeaway:
If something honestly interests you, it’s far more easier for you to make it interesting to other people.
That seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a healthy reminder.
Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person.
Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me)