Is Reading and Writing Blogs a Waste of Time?

head up assI just read an article that suggested that there are more than a billion blogs in the world and I'm getting more convinced every day that some people pull their head out long enough to write an article, then put their head back where it was.

Let me explain.

I subscribe to about 150 blogs. I don't READ 150 blogs, but I track 150 blogs and read something almost every day and delete the rest. I read some for pure entertainment because they're edgy, funny, or push the envelope. I read some because they're educational or thought provoking. I read some because a friend suggested it by forwarding an article to me. If I like the article, I comment and subscribe for a while. If I don't, I thank my friend and move on.

OK. Let me get back on track. When I was in my 20's, 30's and 40's, I was an avid reader. I always had a book in progress and they were usually on sales, business and personal development. They were also typically written by somebody who actually knew a lot about the subject. They also had to pass muster with a publisher. Did the publisher think that enough people were interested in what the author had to say so that the publisher could make a profit? Now, I'll admit that I read (or tried to read) a few books that, in my opinion, weren't worth reading, but for the most part, people that wrote books knew something about the subject. They typically did not write books for SEO value or to trick you into clicking on their call to action. They also weren't writing books to become a thought leader. They usually were a thought leader.

So, out of a BILLION blogs, how many are know-nothing wannabes? That's harsh and I apologize. A small percentage are know-nothing, but a large percentage are people that are selling stuff and writing blog articles so that they appear to be a thought leader. But, in reality, they may be giving bad advice that does more harm than good. I was going to give some disguised examples here, but some wannabes have very fragile egos. Several months ago, I read an article that suggested how to follow up on inbound leads. The blogger actually included a script. The script was no good. I commented politely and included another suggested script. The blogger deleted the comment. When I looked at the endorsements on his LinkedIn profile, I saw endorsements for lead gen, email and SM marketing, SEO and the like, but none for sales. He also has never held a sales position. I posted a screen shot of his endorsements (without revealing his identity) on Twitter with the question, should this guy be writing about sales? The consensus was, "No." He stopped following me, disconnected from me and hasn't spoken to me since. How many of the billion blogs have authors like that guy, that don't know what they're talking about, don't want any push back and just want to put their head back where it belongs until the next time they get the urge to write a blog post?


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