Do you need a "story" to be respected as a Blogger?
In particular, a Personal Finance Blogger? I recently came across an interesting headline: "Asher Roth went to rap because of what he listened to, not what he lived. Does it matter if he's good? Can he be good? Does he have flow?" That really got me thinking...For anyone not familiar with Asher, he's the star behind the hit song I Love College. He's white and he raps, kind of like Eminem. The difference being, Em & others grew up on the streets and Ash takes notes from those who grew up on the streets.
What occurred to me though, was that I just may be the Asher of pf blogging ;) Not in that I've made it big or anything, or because I wish I could rap (which I do), but more in that I don't have a main story to back me up. I haven't worked my way out of $XXXXXX.XX debt, nor have I filed for bankruptcy or struck it rich being a .com mogul. In other words, I don't rap (write) from my experiences on the street (in debt).
I do, however, have plenty of experience in saving money and budgeting as you can see from any of my net worth updates. That doesn't mean I'm a pro or a financial guru, but I feel like it should give me some street cred out there. At the very least it helps me to convey my messages with a little more conviction.
Would I be a better blogger, though, if I DID come from a financially crazier background? Yeah, probably - as long as I've overcome it all. I'd certainly have more interesting stories to share :) I'd like to think that it doesn't hinder me any more than it does Asher, though. He raps about what he's passionate about (women and beer apparently), and I do the same. Only difference being that one's a little more exciting than the other, and brings in a few more Benjamins.
So I say no - you don't need a story to be respected as a pf blogger. You could use it to your advantage if you did, like Dawn @ fighting foreclosure, but it shouldn't drag you down any. If you love what you do, it'll definitely shine through.
posted by J. Money at
7:18 AM
29 Comments:
I think PF blogs come in 2 flavors: (1) the "schaudenfreude" - The writer's finances are so screwed up that the reader thinks, "Oh thank heavens my finances aren't screwed up like this guy/gal!" and (2) "inspirational" - The writer has his/her finances in order that the blog provides inspiration to its readers. You fall into the inspirational category. Mine falls into the schaudenfreude category. Sad but true.
Every blog and every blogger tells a story. If you didn't have a story, you wouldn't have anything to write. You say you don't have the right cred because you've never been broke or whatnot, but you have experience with money management and advice.
That's your story. Go with it. It looks like you do, and do well. Fine tune it a little bit and you never know, you may do MORE.
I don't think you HAVE to have an amazing story to be taken seriously. For my blog I don't have anything truly exceptional about my story except that we're now debt free, and working on paying off our mortgage. There are a lot of people that have that story - but at the same time I feel like I'm able to communicate and share the things I've learned pretty well, and I have something of value to add. So no, I don't think you have to have an amazing story of bankruptcy, or a story of how you became a millionaire. As long as you have something of value to add to the conversation.
If your blog was called "DebtIsSexy", then you'd be the Asher of the PF world. However, your blog is called "BudgetsAreSexy" - you like to budget and you're sexy. See, truth in advertising ;)
I've felt like I won't ever stand out as a blogger because I don't have some crazy story to tell. But I agree with what you've said, and I think there are a lot of blogs out there that prove you right.
I saw the back of J. Money's head one time in a twitpic, I can confirm his sexyness.
I sure as hell don't have a good story to tell. My college was paid for, I have no debt, and started a Roth IRA at 20. However the focus of my blog isn't that sort of stuff. The people that are drawn to Weakonomics are more interested in topics beyond debt reduction, frugality, and coupon clipping.
I think you'd get more cred as a PF blogger if you wrote your posts in rap form. Just a friendly suggestion.
This is something I've wondered about myself, since I'm also a pf blogger who never really had money problems. Different backgrounds probably appeal to different readers. Someone deep in debt might prefer to follow along as someone else fights their way out, or relives how they did it and might not get as much from investment/wealth building strategies that other types of pf bloggers talk more about. With few exceptions (notably ManVsDebt, which I really enjoy) I rarely read blogs written by people deep in debt or still working their way out, other than to get some "don't make mistakes like this guy did" type post ideas. In my opinion, there's a market for both types of pf bloggers, those with and without a story.
I never thought of that -- personally I think I have more respect for people who have never been in huge amounts of debt, because that is the way it "should be" and I like things to be how they "should be". If people are getting out of debt, it is kind of exciting, but there are/were a handful of "trainwreck" blogs where the blogger was attempting to get out of debt, and just couldn't. Those are entertaining, and you wish the best for the blogger, but it is hard to respect it.
Hmmm, I sound like a pf snob. :)
I sure hope you don't need some terrible debt story, or I'm screwed.
I have a tendency to read more blogs where the author has come from a similar financial background as myself (no big debts, no credit card mishaps, etc.) I guess I feel the shared experience (or lack thereof) puts us more on the same wavelength. I find the people with massive debt tend to be more extremely frugal and I'm more laid back about my purchases and budget.
I agree, I don't think you need to have a story. I certainly don't. I just like money and learning how to manage it.
In terms of PF, I think the draw to my blog is to see how to maintain your money. A lot of people start out by eliminating their debt, but once they're out of that phase, what is next? Maintenance. I think the whole shared experience thing plays a role, too.
Others can learn from my mistakes and maybe incorporate some of my ideas into their own style.
That's why they call it PERSONAL finance. Each person has their own story. All the get out of debt blogs are good reads and very inspiring. Do you have to have piled up large amounts of debt to be considered a good pfblogger? I would actually argue against that. Wouldn't people who made smart money decisions be the best people to learn from?
Each person has their own story and each person has different needs with regards to their own finances. Personally, I enjoy your story, keep up the good work.
I don't think a terrible financial story is a must. In fact your story is like mine and should be encouraging to those just starting out. Don't get yourself in a heap of debt and then life will be so much easier from day one. Our story may be different, but it is just as important.
p.s. we are both ghetto a$$ gangstas....I mean we even have PF rap songs on our sites! come on!
Hey, you *do* have a story. Everyone has a story. Most people don't have an editor, though, which makes a difference between reading a blog and just hearing someone ramble about life.
i'm with bigasssuperstar, you do have a story! everyone has a story. talking about finances has been taboo for so long. it's great that we all have these open forums where we can be as open as we want to about them. heck, i wish i could say that i never had to work me way out of a financial mess, but hey, that's not my story. i didn't start blogging until i got on the other side so i'm kind of telling my story from the past, present and future ... all at the same time. ;-)
I do think you need to have a story. The key is the way you communicate that story. You could have the most interesting story in the world, but if it is not communicated that way, then not many will want to hear it. How many rappers say the same things in their lyrics? I'd say quite a bit. But some are able to express it much more creatively.
I agree with the above that EVERYBODY has a story of some kind. It's just that some people are better and telling their story, which leads to more credibility and more interest. You could be a wealthy insurance exec or a Subway sandwich artist, if you tell things as you see them you are telling your story. Great blog, excellent point!
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
I like the way you all think ;) Good good discussion going on here, thx for popping in and sharing your thoughts! It's refreshingly reassuring.
I'm with JMoney and Weakonomist here. I don't have a "been to debt hell and back" story or hall of financial shame pic for bragging rights. But I have been a stock investor for 10 years and done it all on my own way before there were pf blogs, etc. so that gives me my cred. Like some other pf bloggers too, I was a pf addict long before I started blogging about it. It was the reason I started blogging. And I didn't even know about those "big" financial blogs like GRS etc. when I started; it wasn't because of them that I got into it.
Great article topic, JMoney, I've thought about it before too!
I think that maybe your cache is that you haven't been in huge debt. You haven't had to crawl your way back to sanity and debt freedom, inch by inch.
And, no, I don't think you have to have been in serious debt or have some touching tale. Liz Pulliam Weston, one of my favorite PF writers, has always been smart about money. She has a blog. And a master's in, I believe, economics. And she knows PF stuff backward and forward.
Sure, I think the personal "been there, done that" stuff is helpful for people looking to make a connection. But it's not necessary. I read all sorts of debt reduction/frugality blogs and none of them have my story. Most of them got into serious debt despite two healthy incomes and not much in the way of health problems/medical bills. I'm the outsider in the PF blogosphere (by and large, at least) because I didn't get all the fun toys and trips to exotic locales. Or even a nice big TV. So, yay, I have a story. But one with which most people can't readily empathize. Still, I have a steady base of readers. So, in the end, any kind of story can be compelling. So long as your writing hits home.
You don't need one to be respected, and in fact I respect you more because you haven't been in a ton of debt. However, I do think stories can pull in more readers sometimes.
Yo J! Good post man. Nah, I don't think you need a "story" to be respected. You just need to have something interesting to say.
A cool angle certainly helps, but not necessarily. Heck, I was reading a blog one day about "How to Buy a House" with all these great tips from a blogger who is still renting and never owned a home in his life! :)
Peace
My thought is that we all have a story. Some are financially frightening and some are financially wise. Some are inbetween. They are all stories. Sharing about knowledge and content in the journey of personal finance in such a way that postively impacts others makes a person a great personal finance blogger!
Great question and post idea. Never thought about it but it strikes a chord.
I think having a crazy story DOES help with a) engaging new readers, b) "the community" of the "IN"-crowd bloggers c) getting picked up by a mainstream journalist and featured in say WSJ or Money Magazine or something. Getting in early - like 5 years ago - is a big help as well. A PF blogger starting now has a much more crowded field to differentiate themselves.
However, what are the key performance indicators for judging "respect"? If it's traffic, RSS/twitter followers, income from your blog, etc., that's all achievable with a No-Story SEO whiz that has some great web savvy with some decent content.
Personally, I don't have a crazy story. My story's probably not typical of the old-school PF crowd - pseudo-frugal but not terribly so, no debt, bought a house immediately out of college and rolled a 3% down payment into a 6 figure profit at sale, avid investor, MBA, corporate professional - but the bottom line is I routinely provide information useful to readers (including my mistakes), I make sure to give more than I get by linking to other bloggers I like, etc., and I don't take myself or my blog too seriously. It could all end tomorrow if I'm no longer relevant.
It's a tough question because many mid-tier bloggers like myself have a tough time introspectively judging whether they're "respected" or not. Sometimes, when I send an email to a big time blogger to guest post and they completely ignore me, makes me wonder. On the other hand, same big time blogger comments on my blog and I say, "wow, cool...perhaps I've garnered some respect". Tough to tell.
Enjoyed the post and comment stream!
haha nice. as long as it's good advice and people like it I guess it works! thanks for stopping by :)
Thanks for sharing guys! It's interesting to hear your thoughts & experiences with this :)
I like your quote Jason - "Sharing about knowledge and content in the journey of personal finance in such a way that positively impacts others makes a person a great personal finance blogger!"
Yes, I think you are right, You don't need a story to be respected as a pf blogger. Since what others care about is what you have published to them, not who you are, nor what you have.
@J. Money, you don't need a sob story to make it in the PF world! The only thing I think having a story does for you is make you more relatable to the people who also have a story. For instance, I cannot get enough of blogs in which the authors have wiped out $30,000 of student loan debt because (*waving hands*) I have a butt ton of student loan debt as well. I like to know how they did it so I can apply that to my own life.
Here's what you have that a lot of other blogs I've read *don't* have... Personality! I mean, there have been so many times reading through your archives that I cannot help laughing out loud. You give great advice, but you're also funny and relatable on a personal level. We've all thought those awful things about people writing checks at the store! (Ha ha!) Don't get me wrong. I love reading advice, advice, advice from other PF blogs, but I know that if I come to your blog to read I'm going to hear from someone who knows how to manage his money AND has a personality that makes it seem like you're hearing from a friend and an advisor. ;-)
Wow, thank you SO MUCH for the kind words! I think I'll have to reread this comment whenever I need to smile :) Appreciate you dropping by and glad you enjoy the blog!
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