The Time has come for Examiner.com
You’ve probably figured out that I enjoy writing. I started blogging back in December 2005 and because I enjoy the activity, I’ve not only kept up with it, but expanded my writing over the years. Almost two years ago I started a YTB newsletter that goes out each and every week to thousands of subscribers. About 9 months ago, I was invited to write for Examiner.com, and added that to my list of weekly writing. For some, that might seem like a lot of work, and while I do spend time typing away each week on this keyboard, I hardly consider this “work” because I enjoy it.
I’ve been consistent about my writing and created a ton of content here on the internet. As a result of those two factors, I’ve gotten some pretty solid exposure and page rankings on several different topics. To write something, and then see it indexed on Google less than 20 minutes later can be a real kick. Most bloggers would die for any type of ranking on Google, let alone first or second page views.
I can’t think of another format (that being the internet) where an average guy like me can create a following because of its open source and the way search engines index and pull up information on any topic you could imagine. Think YouTube, BlogTalkRadio, and the millions of blogs out there that generate millions of clicks each and every day. Each medium giving the average Joe a place to share his or her ideas and subject matter.
For some, that’s part of the charm. For others, it’s a real threat.
Examiner.com was created for those looking for a local angle. Examiner’s slogan states “insider source for everything local”. Topics range from bar hopping to the latest attraction at the zoo. These niche topics and markets have created a staggering amount of content on the internet, each with its own niche both by location and subject. Would the vast majority of the information found on Examiner.com be considered “newsworthy”? Hardly. But I don’t consider Tiger Woods, Sandra Bullock and Weezer “news” either.
Time Magazine (and I would assume other news organizations) have taken notice on how well a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” (not yet “professional” writers, but not “amateurs”) have overtaken first and second page search rankings. Other news organizations also compete in part for Google, Yahoo!, and Bing page rankings to garner readership on the internet. Low and behold, one “Professional” appears to be a bit upset that a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” are getting better search rankings than they are.
As someone who doesn’t have the kind of money Time, CNN, or any other new conglomerate has, you learn things when writing on the internet. Tags, categories, key words, social media and linking all help attain visibility in this massive space. Content however is still king when it comes to the crawlers and spiders finding you and then prominently placing you in what’s known as organic searches. When I made the switch over to hosting my own blog with WordPress a little more than a year ago, I brought all three previous years of content with me. Because of that content, the new Just Picture It Now blog was not only picked up, but indexed within a period of days instead of months.
A bloggers dream come true.
However, getting noticed on the internet does have drawbacks. Attaining visibility also means that your going to attract some readership who frankly don’t agree with your point of view or the company you keep. Because their opinions are obviously more important than yours – often times they’re going to tell you so. And I can tell you from personal experience – it can be down right nasty and bizarre at times.
If you’re not ruffling a couple of feathers – you’re simply not doing a very good job of getting noticed. Look at YTB. Here’s a Travel MLM that’s name is probably more recognized in the travel industry than three quarters of all the other Agencies out there. Not only is it a household name for most who work in the trade, it gets the entire industry in a tizzy every time these three letters show up in a publication. (Just look at the ridiculous communication and emotional outbursts in Travel Weekly’s latest YTB article if you’re not sure how emotionally charged the subject is.)
But like the travel industry, news media has also changed due to the internet and how stories and content is consumed. If you’re like me, you can’t stand main stream media because of it’s bias, the lies (mostly by omission), distortions, and often ulterior motives that many in the mainstream media adhere to. Let’s also not forget how they attempt to create a stories with the way they badger and quarry certain topics. I found the Tiger Woods fiasco a complete sham with the way they sensationalized his accident.
All done for some sort of story and the almighty buck.
And that my friend is what it boils down to here. There is gold in the form of ad revenue from the thousands of topics and millions of articles written on the pages of Examiner.com. Like Network Marketing, there is also power in numbers. According to Time article Nielsen ranks Examiner.com as the fastest-growing Internet news site in the U.S. I can also tell you that Alexa ranks Examiner.com higher than Time.
Which brings us to the question of just how this happened. It certainly wasn’t money. (Examiner.com doesn’t pay but a penny per page view on average.) No it was something much more powerful and effective. Grass roots efforts using social media like Facebook and Twitter and the relationships they create make Examiner.com a force that mainstream media simply can’t create or compete with.
For me, I’m getting another kick out of David beating out Goliath for the time being. Examiner.com is still very young and has some growing up to do. (Both from a corporate side and a truly personal level.) I think it has a good shot of finding it’s own voice however – based on the model and the passion it’s writers have about their particular interest and topic.
One things for sure; the time has come for Examiner.com. Good or bad, people are taking notice and that creates even more readership and popularity. Some I’m sure will be picked up by the same “news organizations” who are starting to poke and pry. (There are some really good writers on Examiner.com) Others don’t have the stomach or self worth for anyone to criticize a single thing they do, so they’ll probably just quit and find another, more respectable place to hide. Some will take an “I’ll show you” approach and start polishing their craft, or contributing to others on how to be better writers.
Me…I just love to write – and thanks to the internet, this blog and Examiner.com I have an outlet to do just that. If you like it – all the better. If not, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
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