Be More Than Just an Echo Blogger

An “Echo Blogger” is someone who blogs about things that others have blogged about or things that were on the news.

Like echoes, an echo blogger often comes up with a rewritten posts. While it’s technically a valid blogpost, an echo blog will most likely not rank in search engines.

Let’s take the release of the new PH bills as an example. Echoing the report puts your blog in competition with powerhouses like Yahoo!, Inquirer and MB. Sadly, the saying “Walang malaki na nakakapuwing.” doesn’t apply in SEO.

Here are five time-tested ways to get you out of posting echoes.

1. Express Your Thoughts

There’s a thin line that separates “echo blogging” from expressing your opinions on a topic. Treading on the boundary is risky and, if done correctly, rewarding.

There are, literally, millions of topics to work with. It can be as mundane as the latest celebrity gossip to a technical take on the latest Linux release. You just have to always remember to avoid ending up with a complete rewrite of the story.

Start by introducing the topic, put some quotes from the report and write your say about it.

2. Brew a Story

Are you an engaging storyteller? Share one in your blog. You can start with by sharing the highlight of the day or a holiday tour you just came from. Or, if you’re into high-fantasy, invent a character and post a chapter-by-chapter tale of his or her adventures and mis-adventures.

The point is that sharing a story is better than rewriting news and articles.

3. Creative Venting

Did someone or something make you mad? Write about it, creatively. There’s a risk to this, though. Be sure to keep an objective mind or the post will end up being another of those rants. Who really read rants?

Metaphors and euphemisms might just be the escape to cushion the rage. And, trust me, it feels good to fume indirectly.

4. Give Niche Tips

Does your blog fall under a niche? Give tips related to your topics. Topics like “The A to Z of….” or “101 tips to….” are good starting points when writing for a specific niche.

A well researched niche article is bound to attract traffic and lots in-bound links.

5. Write a Review

This might be the easiest way to escape the “echo blogger” tag. Reviewing products such as the movie you’ve seen, the latest gadget you tried out, the food and service in a restaurant and many more are great topics to work on.

If there’s one thing to remember when writing a review, it’s being objective.

My Experience

I used to be a full-time echo blogger. My old, now closed, blog www.kinaadman.com, was filled with useless blogposts and re-posts (rewrite & post).

Everything changed when, a few weeks after posting How to Unlock Huawei 3G Modem, traffic to this blog increased by 200%. That’s when I realized how important substance is on a post.

I do “echo blog” from time to time but I have set a goal of putting original un-re-blogged posts recently.

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