Two quick things … a thank you and a correction.

1) Thanks. I found your article very useful. Based on your definition, I guess I can call myself an expert on writing about vocal improvisation. (Who knew?)

2) There’s a tiny mistake in the section “Report on Your Process, Not Others” in the second paragraph, second sentence … “then report back YOUR results, not there’s.” “there’s” should be “theirs.”

(Hope you find this helpful rather than annoying *smile*)

singingly,
sg

I’m just in the beginning of the way to successful blogging, and I DO use other’s people thoughts to make a content for my blog, but I allways try to express my own opinion and I report of my results…

So, great post! from a fellow QLD entrepreneur.

Cheers

Brad

Another inspiring piece from The Yaro. I could not agree with you more on the point about building one’s own expertise.

This entry lifted my spirit to complete a quest I’m currently embarking on, is inspired by what you’ve written in “Blog Profits Blueprint”

http://www.jaxons.org/2007/10/15/blogging-everyday-for-six-months/

Great post! So true about becoming an expert via a reporter. We totally agree with you regarding the fact that you really want to become an expert as this is the only way you will be taken seriously.

We are leveraging our knowledge and have started a new blog in hopes of becoming an expert. Even before reading your post, we realized this is the avenue to take!

Check us out at !

My blog has only been around for a couple of months — but I’ve expanded it and I actually get some traffic from StumbleUpon.

The expert/reporter analysis was very helpful since I do a lot of report but I usually try to add some of my own insight.

Ryan

by the way, Thanks for visited my Blog Road-Entrepreneur.com

I have to tell you that when I started off my blog as I reporter, I got bored very quickly.

Now I can base my blog posts on my own experience, not only do I enjoy it, people are finding me online and I’ve made a few JV partners just since the beginning of the year when I decided to focus on what I do best, build wordpress blogs and market them to sell a service.

The plus is, I’ve made more affiliate commissions from my blog than I’d ever imagined possible as a result and it’s so sweet when those “you’ve made a sale” emails come in and it is because people see me as authority on this particular software and blog marketing.

Thanks again for the great post,

Trish

I guess initially when you start a blog you think.. damn if they can do it why can’t I!? Its only writing.. and people will read anything.. well thats not entirely true.. people only read something that has some value. So now I just gotta work out what am I an expert in that is valuable to others..

Though I think there are more roles in blogging than just those two – what about provoker? Entertainer? Steve Pavlina makes me think every day, I Can Has Cheezburger makes me laugh every day. I wouldn’t say that either one were reporters or experts at anything.

I had to laugh when you mentioned about reporting even if it means doing it about something we are trying to get out of. This is so true for me as I’m so over MLM and yet people pay me and search me out even to blog for them about the subject.

Guess this would make me some kind of expert then.

I also have to kick my butt into gear to get more busy with niches as you are so right.

Thanks for a great and thought provoking post.

Monika

Brilliant post! I’ve nurturing a blog that’s a few weeks old, I was getting ready to post a “reporter” article, promoting a fellow blogger’s wonderful site (which I will still do at some point) when I read your post. I’ve been struggling with finding the authority in me but it came out in the post I created, which has also served to inspire me go deeper with my passion.

I get now, very clearly, the importance of being authoritative, of standing up for what I believe in.

Thank you!

Sol Lederman

Cheers for the tips – very handy, especially as I’m just at the beginning of my latest blog.

I like your approach to doing things long term and building on your previous successes. Makes a lot of sense.

And it’s also comforting to once again hear that it takes time – it’s certainly not something that happens overnight! Unless of course, by overnight you mean working over the night for many days weeks and months!

Cheers!

Gideon Shalwick

Being an expert is one way to become remarkable. If you have deeper insights than everyone else, then you can write unique posts about the subject (like this one). In turn, you get attention, precisely because it’s both useful and rare.

Becoming an expert also takes time, and it’s hard to replicate. To use a Warren Buffett term, this is like building a moat. If you can write an info product on something no one else can write about, then, assuming it’s valuable to your readers, other people will have a hard time infringing on your “market share.”

Similarly, one of the reasons reporters are so seldom remarkable is because it takes less overall time and effort to find a story. The only real way you publish something remarkable is if you scoop a killer story first. You may get lucky and do it once in awhile, but it’s hard to do it consistently, taking a tremendous amount of work.

Look at the top Digg power users. These are your classic reporters in the Web 2.0 scheme of things. From what I’ve read, they spend hours every day looking up stories and trying to be the first one to break them. They can’t stop, either. If they quit posting new stories for a few weeks or months, then they quickly slip down the rankings.

Although, if you can do it consistently, the rewards are huge. Look at sites like Engadget. Sure, they are experts, but the real value of the site is they break news on new technology before anyone else. There are lots of people looking for news on this subject, so it’s a profitable niche. They’ve also built their reputation to a point where people send them the scoop first — a moat constructed of a massive readership and prestige.

Anyway, I think it comes down to being remarkable and doing it in a way no one else can replicate. Going after expert status is probably the safer bet for most people. On the other hand, if Bill Gates is your father and you hear all kinds of stuff before anyone else… maybe being a reporter is best.

Personally, I suck at reporting, but I’m a natural expert on certain rather difficult subjects. A couple of real estate gurus have been pushing me for over a year now to do a home study course on how to flip luxury homes ($500,000 US and up). People are hugely attracted to it because of how much money you can make per deal, and almost no one is qualified to comment on it… except me. The combination makes my knowledge very valuable.

Then again, I have no interest in doing it. But that’s another story

The only way to really learn is to blog about your own journey, your sweet and painful experience.

Overtime, you will gain your own followers.

Have a productive day.

I’ve never thought of the way I blog before.

I love the comparison between the reporter and an expert.

Thanks for this.

Cheers,
Carlo Selorio

Don’t just parrot what the big guys say.