Mark Luckie on Three Great Ways to Stand Out Online
New blogs, photos and videos clog today’s web. The onslaught continues with no sign of slowing down, especially as individuals and companies embrace Web 2.0.
So how do storytellers stand out among the masses?
Three ways, according to Mark Luckie, the journalist and blogger behind the successful blog 10,000 Words.
- Don’t give up.
- Create content from the heart – about things that matter to you.
- Provide something unique.
Luckie spoke via Skype yesterday with two classes in the Interactive Media Graduate Program at Elon University. The two classes, led by Dr. Michelle Ferrier, are called Interactive Writing and Design. Im part of the program, and in one of the classes. We are currently studying how to develop an online voice and digital identity, which is vital for professionals in any field.
Luckie never imagined the potential growth of 10,000 Words when he started it more than two years ago. He just wanted a clearinghouse for information and inspiration on all things journalism and technology.
When he began, “it was just me messing around,” he said. Luckie, who currently works as a Multimedia Producer for the Center for Investigative Reporting on its California Watch project, said he has succeeded largely because he has written from the heart. The posts that often garner the most attention are ones he writes off the cuff and quickly, instead of the ones that are more researched and massaged.
The blogger credits word of mouth and Twitter for the increased popularity of his blog, which covers topics such as Flash, interactive maps, photos, video, audio and more.
Luckie described many of the digital tools he uses to scour the Internet for information and inspiration, which go into his posts at 10,000 Words.
He said he uses Twitter to connect with people and promote his blog.
“You can’t find everything you want on the Internet,” he said. “You have to turn to people for inspiration.”
Luckie also turns to tools like Google Reader to read blogs, Delicious to organize links of interest and Google Docs to save powerful documents he might use in the future.
He said blogging requires patience. After he developed his unique voice for 10,000 Words, he went back to earlier posts and edited them to reflect his newfound voice. When asked about developing a voice – especially as a beginning blogger, he said, “You already have a voice. Don’t give up.”