3 Simple Things I Didn’t do to Hit the Digg Homepage

I recently had a run on the Digg homepage with an article I wrote titled “You Won’t find an iCache in My Pocket!“. Now this wasn’t the first time one of my articles has been on the homepage, but it was the first time its been one from my own blog, so it was exciting for me. Since its been a few days now, I have had some time to reflect on why it made it and also what I did differently. So rather than telling you what I did do, I felt it would be easier for you to understand by knowing what I didn’t do.

By the way I loved the experience and although it only received about 330 Diggs at last check, it still brought an impressive 6,400 visitors in twenty-four hours and doubled my feed subscribers by the following day. It also brought several additional links causing a substantial drop in my Technorati rank. So all in all it was a very pleasant opportunity and I look forward to doing it again.

3 Simple Things I Didn’t do to Hit the Digg Homepage

• I didn’t write the article with benefits in mind. I came across the website for the iCache while I was browsing Google and felt compelled to write about it. Never once did I think to myself “hey this might get on Digg”, I just genuinely liked the topic.
• I didn’t spend very long writing it. It’s kinda funny because being a professional writer, I typically devote a good amount of time to each piece I write, but on this particular article it took maybe 10 minutes from concept to published post. It may have helped that I wasn’t thinking with others in mind, so the outcome at that time really didn’t matter much.
• I didn’t “butter it up” so to speak. In other words, I wrote it very plainly in the same context as if you and I were sitting in the living room talking to one another. I am the worst person for editing my grammar when I write, which in all honesty is something I am trying to break free from. I have found through personal experience that people like the real you or me in this case. Normally I would not write didn’t but instead I would edit it to did not. So there are some changes brewing.

So after looking at all three of these important factors, the best lesson I have learned is be yourself! But also write for you and not anyone else, because if it is not a topic that you have a genuine interest in, neither will your readers, it reflects in your work. You should of course always edit your work before publishing, but don’t be a Nazi about it, let it flow as if you were talking to a friend and your readers will thank you.

Best of luck!

Written by Patric Herber from Real Estate License
Posted on September 30th, 2007 and filed under Blogging
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