Leaving Blogging Behind…
So why are we blogging? What is our purpose? For the first time I would like to share my vision, my dream, my passion and desire with you in a personal way I don’t normally do this. But what the hell. It’s my blog. I can do with it how I wish. I’m a very open person, but have had to cloak my identity a lot at time because of the controversial nature of this blog.
When I got involved in this bad boy. I was actually hoping to remain mostly anonymous behind the Cowboy Persona, but within days that was blown completely. So what the hell I proceeded without whining. I took potshots, I made fun, I stirred the pot. I don’t regret a minute of it.
I admit I made some dumb ass decisions along the way. But who else doesn’t make mistakes. Doh!
People have been asking me more questions about Erati as time progresses, as far as what this is all about. Asking me for a business plan. I have a dear friend who just happens to be filthy rich and he asked me what I have going on. I never went back and answered his questions because I didn’t really know yet. I’ve been working on a more extensive business plan than the one I created on a bar napkin one night a month ago.
I admit I walked full head on to this bad boy with really no clear plan of how I wanted to accomplish what I had envisioned. I knew a few things. I hated the blog circuit. I enjoyed watching others try their hand at the blog network bit. But it seemed so much like a blasted cluster fuck.
I loved creating content, and I wanted to do that in a freeing environment that would help bring exposure to our authors and create opportunities for them to be successful. But how in the hell was I going to get there? Here’s what I have learned. In a short time thanks to 9rules’ Tyme White, and Meme of Spoke Media. Interestingly all the key people I’m learning from right now are women. Almost all of my core group of advisors are also women. I believe women have to be key players in this venture if this is going to work. They tend to lay their egos at the doorstep. And God Knows I need some of that humility.
The Vision for Erati
To move beyond blogging into creating mainstream media content.
To bring change to independent media by empowering content creators to create content and do it damn well without being burdened by technical details, marketing, and advertising.
To embrace my readers with everything I have even if that means closing every single damn blog I have and just creating forums to share conversations. Because this is about conversations, and relationships.
I want my content creators to be people who are in touch with the readers even if that means I have to turn away talented writers.
To create real world environments that allow my audience to be able to interact with my content creators. Whether that is speaking engagements, podcasts, magazines, small film projects, or theatre. Or heck Street Musicians for all I care.
To use our influence in the mainstream media to create social change, and progress.
The Plan to Achieve my goals
First Step: Move Beyond Blogging
The first step in moving beyond “blogging? and into creating a new media element is to quit using terms like blogging, and blog networks. Quit referring to my people as bloggers. Instead they are content creators, and writers.
Second step; Stay small and grow big.
I believe there is a small bit of worthwhile content on the internets. The majority of the content on the net is jibberish. It’s full of nonsense that is a real big waste of my time. And a lot of other concerned netizens. In order to remain small we need to focus on quality. If that means asking people to leave because their quality sucks so be it.
By chosing only the most talented and qualified, devoted people. I don’t have to deal with flakes. I just don’t have time to waste dealing with creators who aren’t committed to this vision. Instead of growing a blog a week, or even a blog a month. We avoid the Walmart Syndrome. We don’t want to be a big box store. We want to be the specialty store that serves up the crème of the crop. By doing so it will create a huge demand for the product. Similar to the great model that Gawker has rolled out. I think there is lasting value in the methods and branding that Nick Denton has done. And while I don’t want to say our model will be similar. I think we will glean a few things from him and modify them to fit our vision.
Third Step:Surround myself with geniuses.
The third step is surrounding myself with geniuses including managers with corporate america, young creative designers, former business owners, actors, people in the entertainment industry, and small business owners. Me, I’m just a visionary. I need people who have done this before built up a business. I need people willing to put in the hard hours to achieve a dream.
Fourth Step: Stop Comparing Us to Them.
In order to leave the blog networks behind we need to stop compairing us to them. We need to stop thinking according to their mindsets. We need to go back into our bunkers and do what we do best and that’s create great content. And inspire others to do the same.
Fifth Step: Make Friends with our audience.
Step Five is to Kiss Ass In Hollywood, New York, and in the MSM so that they understand that we aren’t bloggers but we actually offer them something much deeper than that. If that means we do that with just one damn site. Let’s do it. Let’s give it our absolute best and never turn back. Are we going to do that by creating celebrity gossip sites? Probably not. Are we going to do that by creating something valuable that they can consume and utilize? Like talent. Hell yeah. How can we get corporate america to listen and begin changing the way they communicate? By giving them a reason. If I can communicate to their audience better than they can, then they will come knocking. So instead of focusing on how I can open up a site about a niche topic. Let’s try communicating with their audience and make them our friends. In turn some of the big dogs will come knocking, demanding access. And will it be great when we turn down ten companies and only accept the one we like.
Sixth Step:Create a Grassroots Movement
Create a grassroots movement of some of the brightest, most talented speakers, authors, musicians, actors and unleash them on a world tour of fun and fantastic entertainment that reaches down to the common man and makes them feel like they are apart of this. That they are essential to the excitement. And that by doing so it creates social change.
What do you think?