It’s amazing to me how many blog posts I see these days that follow the numerous “best practices” for getting lots of readers.  One of the most common is creating lists – everyone is doing it!  How many “top 10 mistakes…” lists does the blogosphere need? (ok, you are right, I’m guilty of this myself).

Not that these sorts of lists or tactics are bad.  I understand that marketers need to do this, and I applaud firms like Hubspot for providing that education through their internet marketing blog.  Also, sometimes, these tactics do help you get your point across more effecitvely.

But I do miss the days when blogging was more personal and authentic. I remember when I first started blogging on Xanga – those posts were very personal and sincere.  It seems like most posts I read these days are a mix of self-promotion, marketing, and attempts at being provocative.  It’s too bad.