Why Most Bloggers Are Stuck – Reporters vs Experts

There are basically two types of bloggers in the world – reporters and experts – and some people perform both roles (usually the experts, it’s hard for reporters to become experts, but it’s easy for experts to report).
If you have ever taken an Internet marketing course or attended a seminar specifically for beginners, you have probably heard about the two different methodologies. Whenever the business model is based on content, and if you blog for money then the model is based on content, people are taught to either start as reporters, or if possible step up as experts.
I’ll be frank – you want to be the expert.
Reporters leverage the content of the experts and in most cases people start off as reporters because they haven’t established expertise. Experts enjoy the perks of preeminence, higher conversion rates because of perceived value, it’s easier to get publicity, people are more likely to seek you out rather than you having to seek others out, joint ventures come easier, etc… experts in most cases simply make more money and attract more attention.
Most Bloggers Are Reporters
The thing with expertise is that it requires something – experience. No person becomes an expert without doing things and learning. Bloggers usually start out without expertise and as a result begin their blogging journey by talking about everything going on in their niche (reporting) and by interviewing and talking about other experts (reporting again).
There’s nothing wrong with reporting of course and for many people it’s a necessity at first until you build up some expertise. Unfortunately the ratios are pretty skewed when it comes to reporters and experts – there are a lot more reporters than there are experts, hence reporters tend to struggle to gain attention and when they do, they often just enhance the reputation of the expert they are reporting on.
Don’t Replicate Your Teacher
If you have ever spent some time browsing products in the learn Internet marketing niche you will notice a pattern. Many people first study Internet marketing from a “guru” (for lack of a better term). The guru teaches how he or she is able to make money online, and very often the view that the student gleams is that in order to make money online you have to teach others how to make money online.
The end result of this process is a huge army of amateurs attempting to replicate what their teacher does in the same industry – the Internet marketing industry – not realizing that without expert status based on a proven record and all the perks that come with it, it’s next to impossible to succeed.
Even people, who enjoy marginal success, say for example growing an email list of 1,000 people, then go out and launch a product about how to grow an email list of 1,000 people. Now I have no problems with that, I think it’s fine to teach beginners and leverage whatever achievements you have, the problem is that people gravitate to the same niche – Internet marketing – and rarely have any key points of differentiation.
How many products out there do you know of that all claim to teach the same things – email marketing, SEO, pay per click, affiliate marketing, and all the sub-niches that fall under the category of Internet marketing. It’s a saturated market, yet when you see your teachers and other gurus making money teaching others how to make money (and let’s face it – making money as a subject is one of the most compelling) – your natural inclination is to follow in their footsteps.
If the key is to become an expert and you haven’t spent the last 5-10 years making money online, I suggest you look for another niche to establish expertise in.
Report on Your Process, Not Others
The secret to progress from reporter to expert is not to focus on other experts and instead report on your own journey. When you are learning how to do something and implementing things day by day, or studying other people’s work, you need to take your process and what you do as a result of what you learn, and use it as content for your blog.
It’s okay to talk about experts when you learn something from them, but always relate it to what you are doing. If you learn a technique from an expert it’s fine to state you learned it from them (and affiliate link to their product too!) but you should then take that technique, apply it to what you are doing and then report back YOUR results, not there’s. Frame things using your opinion – your stories – and don’t regurgitate what the expert said. The key is differentiation and personality, not replication.
Expertise comes from doing things most people don’t do and then talking about it. If you do this often enough you wake up one day as an expert, possibly without even realizing how it happened, simply because you were so good at reporting what you did.
You Are Already An Expert
Most people fail to become experts (or perceived as experts) because they don’t leverage what they already know. Every person who lives a life learns things as they go, takes action every day and knows something about something. The reason why they never become an expert is because they choose not to (which is fine for some, not everyone wants to be an expert), but if your goal is to blog your way to expertise and leave the world of reporting behind you have to start teaching and doing so by leveraging real experience.
Experience can come from what you do today and what you have done previously; you just need to take enough steps to demonstrate what you already know and what you are presently learning along your journey. I know so many people in my life, who are experts simply by virtue of the life they have lived, yet they are so insecure about what they know, they never commit their knowledge to words for fear of…well fear.
Blogs and the Web in general, are amazing resources when you leverage them as a communication tool to spread your expertise because of the sheer scope of people they can reach. If all you ever do is talk to people in person and share your experience using limited communication mediums, you haven’t much hope of becoming an expert. Take what you know and show other people through blogging, and you might be surprised how people change their perception of you in time.
Reporting Is A Stepping Stone
If your previous experience and expertise is from an area you want to leave behind or you are starting from “scratch”, then reporting is the path you must walk, at least for the short term.
Reporting is a lot of fun. Interviewing experts, talking about what other people are doing and just being part of a community is not a bad way to blog. In many cases people make a career of reporting (journalism is about just that), but if you truly want success and exponential results, at some point you will have to stand up and proclaim yourself as someone unusually good at something and then proceed to demonstrate it over and over again.
Have patience and focus on what you do to learn and then translate that experience into lessons for others, and remember, it’s okay to be a big fish in a small pond, that’s all most experts really are.
This article was written by Yaro Starak, a professional blogger and my blog mentor. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time.

Analyze Writing Assignments

When you receive a writing assignment topic, it is a good idea to start brainstorming by listing main ideas or key concepts. Put the words or phrases down on paper and just jot notes by them. Many people put circles around each thought and join them by arrows. This process may lead to a longer article.
Decide on the type of paper you are writing. This may be assigned by your teacher, but you may have to give an opinion and justify the opinion. Keep in mind the correct subjects and verbs to use.

Start researching your topic. Make sure you know what your teacher will and will not let you use. Start with the most general source first, so you can learn about the topic then work your way out to the most specialized sources. Use print materials. Before you use internet materials, make certain you know what is allowed.

Establish parameters for your topic. You do not want to be too generalized or too specialized. Make sure you pick a topic where you can find enough information.

Make a précis of your information. It may help to take this to your teacher, so you will know if you are on the right track. If it is necessary to write out your opinion or your thoughts on a topic, make sure that you have the facts to back it. Always remember to be a critical thinker and keep an open mind. Don’t overlook important research material because it doesn’t match your thesis statement.

Taking lecture notes

Lynne:
When taking notes make sure to pay attention to the teacher when they are speaking write down what the teacher says if he says it more than once. Make sure that you understand what the subject is about and if not then ask questions. But the practice to getting good grades is R-E-V-I-E-W thats right review. Review over text books and notes on a daily basis.

M.:
Do not miss a lecture, ever, no matter what. Read the chapter before the lecture and bring coffee. Professors don’t care if you bring a whole gallon if it helps you keep alert.

Prince:
Reading the chapter once before the lecture helps you understand the material and stay interested in the lecture. Also, try to stick around in the lecture room after class and fill in what you missed or left out.

Kesha:
I try to read before the lecture, but if not, I just bring my book to class and highlight what the professor talks about.

Erika:
Always sit in front and just keep taking notes. Try to write throughout the entire lecture.

Melissa:
I outline my notes as I am taking them and then later I highlight important headers.

Sanobeia:
It’s better to pay attention and write good notes in class, rather than taping lectures. Also, highlight headings in the notes because when you are studying for an exam, then you can immediately pick out important information you need to know.

Belia:
I use the Cornell Method for taking notes. In my notebook, before class, I draw a line, making a 1 1/2-inch margin on the left. Then I take notes on the right side of the paper and add questions pertaining to the notes on the left side.

Evelyn:
I underline main topics, definitions, and anything the professor repeats or emphasizes.

Kamilah:
If you miss class, get notes from someone you know is a good note taker.

Math Strategies

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Andrea Michelle Jones:
To get better is to do all assignments as planned by teacher. That way, when its time to take the test you will not have to cram down a 3 to 4 week course in a night if you haven’t done the assignments as planned to that were due. Don’t spend time in earsing waste while taking the test. You need all the time you need.

Marko:
Do your homework whether you have to turn it in or not. At first I figured that if I didn’t have to turn it in I wouldn’t do the homework. I got a 46% on my first exam. For the second test, I did all the homework and did several chapter reviews and practice tests. I got a 94% on that exam.

Stephen Nguyen Review: Absolutely correct. Math is not hard. Be sure to do all of the homeworks assigned. If you are stuck on a problem, re-read carefully your lecture notes and examples in the book. Chances there is a similar problem to your homework problem. If you still do not know how to solve the problem, ask your classmates or your teacher. It is important you know how to solve all homework problems because problems in the test are sometimes similar to those in the homework. Knowing how to solve all the homework problems will guarantee you a high B or above. To prepare for a perfect test, re-do all of your homework problems. By the way, do your homeworks early else you probably won’t have enough time to complete all problems assigned.

Sandra:
You should expect math to be a time consuming class. Doing the homework is the biggest thing and the Math Lab located in Taft Hall is helpful. Also, I studied with classmates when the opportunity presented itself. This was nice because when we explained things to each other we found out how much we didn’t know.

Teayonia:
I keep candy close by and every time I finish a problem I reward myself with a piece of candy.

Michele:
To do well in math, definitely study in groups. There’s also a Math Lab in Taft. There are a lot of places on campus that have practice exams available (library, professors, etc.). These practice exams are very useful.

Kira:
If you don’t understand something, go see a tutor. Honors College offers tutoring and it’s free!

Miguel:
Always, always do the assigned problems and then also do other problems that weren’t assigned. I’ve noticed a pattern with my professors. On the tests, there always seem to be some of the problems that weren’t assigned.

Kathy:
I not only went to my own discussion but I also went to other T.A.’s discussions in hopes that something would stick.

Nancy:
Always take at least two practice tests and talk to the professor and T.A.! The Math Labs are very helpful and so is the workshop which counts for one credit hour.

M.:
I always do practice tests and go to review sections.

Sanobeia:
The T.A.’s and professors know what you need to know and they will work with you — not to mention give you helpful tips. You can’t shy away from them when you’re dealing with math. They’ll help you pull up your grade.