If you have been a blogger for any amount of time, I am sure you have seen and read some of the gazillion posts online about “How to Blog” or ‘How to boost traffic.” At the top of almost every single list post is “Content is king.” I swear if I see that ONE MORE TIME I’m going to loose it. Content is NOT king and I find the original phrase very vague and deceptive. It leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
The thing about that phrase that grinds my gears is that it implies that all you have to do is write compelling, interesting, information filled posts and your traffic will soar. Nothing could be further from the truth. Great content does not guarantee views or success, ever. It simply is not enough.
Are there great song writers whose songs have never been heard?Are there great writers whose books have never been sold? Are there wonderfully, creative artists that have never had a piece hung in a gallery? Absolutely.
Here’s the thing though. I bet you can name at least 3 blogs, that get millions(no exaggeration) of views a month, that you think the content is sub-par. You have probably shook your head thinking, what the heck? Why can’t I get views?! The only answer I can give you is that the blogger has created a persona, a voice that the audience connects to in a deep way. And that is why they come back, time after time, to read their blogs.
Related Post: How To Find Your Unique Blogging Voice
I asked members of my Facebook group, blogsharelearn, how they feel about “Content is King.”
Here are a few of their responses:
Allan Liwanag of Practical Saver ” I think it’s overused. When I first started blogging, all I saw was content was king. But the bloggers didn’t really explain what makes a content king or a pawn. I find that a lot of these bloggers or their articles are more like click bait. Again, that’s just my opinion.”
Peggy Nolan of PeggyNolan.com “Just another one of those magical marketing buzz phrases. <sigh>”
Thea Wood of TheaWood.com “It’s important to emphasize that content with perceived value– and/or invokes emotion is what’s important.”
Ashley Rader of Blog Genesis “If you don’t market your content – it might be awesome, but no one would ever see it!”
Rica Lewis of Yoga Mat Monkey “It’s an annoying cliche. I’m not just a blogger, I’m a trained journalist and writer/editor, so of course I agree that good content should always be a priority. But damn, I get tired of seeing recycled posts. Then again, maybe I’m just crabby because I’m out of coffee…”
Kristin Nador of KristinNador.com “I treat it like the phrase ‘at the end of the day’ overused filler noise that I ignore. Creating/writing/broadcasting good content to your targeted audience is a fundamental that any blogger is aware of. The methods to reach that end are where bloggers are at different learning curves on their blogging journey.”
Your turn. What do you think about “Content is King.”?
22 comments
Content is NOT king. Loved this post, MUAH.
Great post! I like that it was intentionally vague. We all want to grow our readership, so I’m sure you’ll give us some helpful hints soon. I’m so glad I found your blog today (from Danny’s site, I think). 😀
Growing a readership is a long and unfortunately, sometimes slow process. My number one tip for increasing pageviews is using Pinterest. Pinterest requires the least amount of work once you establish a good profile and pinning strategy. It is also the best place to find readers outside of the blogging world. Once you tap that, you are golden.
I love it when I find a new blog with amazing content…. but I feel sad and disappointed for the blogger if I’m reading, reading, reading, post after post, and I see no-one has commented on any of them. It’s hard to write time after time when you feel like you’re publishing into a void of nothingness where no-one really cares what you have to say. I always try and leave a comment on blogs like these because I know I love it when someone does it for me! I have a friend, whom I met via my comments, who blogs across the other side of the world. We always make sure to trade comments on each others’ blogs. Her writing is some of the most superbly written work I have ever read. She knows how to make words sing and speak to the heart. But not many people visit. There must be thousands upon thousands of blogs like this, missing out on being read. So, I guess content is queen, and promotion and traffic generation is king (if you want to get your posts read). Some people like keeping their blog small and little known too!
I totally agree Linda. Blogging success depends on so many factors and how one defines success. Sometimes the triumph is just in being brave enough to put your words out there. I am so glad you have found a blogging companion. It makes the journey a lot more fun.
I do think content is important but there are so many other factors in building a readership. We need to engage and appreciate our readers and build relationships so that they want to visit your blog and read your content. What is the point of having great content if no one wants to read it? Thanks Elena Sue from Sizzling Towards Sixty.
I think alot of bloggers exaggerate their numbers to get readers anyway. I spend most of the time on promotion and engagement. Traffic goes up and down and we often get too worried about it, that it takes the joy out of blogging. Building a loyal readership means alot.
To your point, my #’s were higher then they had ever been before I took 2 weeks off for vacation. Now they are as low as when I first started. Did my content all of a sudden suck? No- nothing changed except for lack of promotion. Don’t regret taking the much needed time off. AT THE END OF THE DAY, it just DRIVES YOUR POINT HOME! 🙂
Vacations are so important and necessary. Do you have your Pinterest automated? It drives most of my traffic and I can take a week off easy without a dent in my traffic. I highly recommend it if you haven’t.
So very true, Elena, at best I think sometimes content is the Court Jester, tricking you into thinking all you have to do is write well and you’ll do wonderfully. 🙂
Loved this, shared. Really loving #BlogShareLearn – these linky parties are a blogging goldmine.
Hope this weekend treats you kindly. 🙂
It is very misleading for newbies. There is a lot more to blogging than just writing great content.
Your title got me to click because I am tired of seeing these posts with the magical buzz phrases to get people to click on them. However, I was hoping to find out if content was not king, what should I be doing to build my audience? Content, Seo, social media, networking,….?
All of the above I think cyaburt. I think the lesson here is that great content is important, but hard work is needed if you want anybody to ever see it
Marketing to the correct audience is key.
I’m sorry. I purposely made this post vague to entice discussion. I will definitely be doing another post with more detail but for you right now, I think the steps are 1)create a mission statement 2)define your audience and then you can write great content. Hope that helps.
Thanks Elena! That is exactly what I have done. I have a very specific niche so I know my goal is slow and steady. I do not expect an overnight success.
Fantastic post! And thank you for including my quote. Enough with the magical marketing buzz phrases 🙂
You are very welcome Peggy. I am so glad you are part of the group.
I love reading good content, but presentation also comes into it – and length…..those 3,000 word posts are just too much for my little brain most days. Short, sweet and to the point is all I ask for (and maybe a laugh occasionally!)
I have to admit that I can’t do long either. Especially when I am reading on my phone. The funny blogs always get a ton of views, don’t they?
Love this post! So glad you’re always saying something new. Down with recycled posts! ha ha 🙂
Like, downward dog down?