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Property Ladder, American Idol, and Blogging
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Constructive criticism is invaluable. Experts can tell you what to avoid, where you're going wrong, and how to improve.
Some people only seem to learn from their own mistakes. If they read about the various pitfalls involved in whatever it is they're doing, they might think "oh, that won't happen to me, I'll be fine". Then it does happen and they realise that life isn't all that easy after all.
That's one thing. The other thing that really, really frustrates me is when people specifically ask for help, then ignore everything they've been told and mess things up!
Here are a few examples of constructive criticism.
American Idol
Whenever Simon Cowell says anything even slightly critical, he gets booed. He doesn't care. Sometimes the person he's criticising doesn't care about what he has to say, thinking they can stand on their own two feet regardless of what he says.Admittedly, Simon doesn't exactly hold back, so people may just refuse to listen to him simply for being harsh. However, he is honest. If he genuinely thinks that someone can't sing, he'll say so. If he sees highs and lows, he doesn't just talk about the highs.
Of course, many people won't like the criticism, but does it benefit them if they make mistakes and people keep telling them they are perfect?
There is a big difference between friends and family saying you're good at something and professionals saying it. Friends and family may not feel comfortable giving you negative feedback, but if you're trying to improve, you really need it.
Then again, Simon Cowell told Taylor Hicks in his first audition that he didn't look like the next American Idol - perhaps because of his hair colour. In the end, he won. Even the professionals get it wrong sometimes.
Property Ladder
A UK show that never ceases to amaze me. The concept is simple: a couple has bought a house and wants to make some profit from it. The presenter has worked on loads of properties in the past so has plenty of experience.Usually, the people who buy the house have these weird and wonderful ideas about how they're going to become rich with the minimum of effort. They allocate far too little time and money to the project, they try to do all the work on their own when they've never done DIY before, and they want to live on the income. Needless to say it doesn't always go according to plan.
To be fair, I've heard that some people may be chosen to go on the show because they are so new to the concept of buying and selling houses - or maybe even because they won't listen to the advice given. After all, it's far more interesting to see a development run with a few hiccups than to go smoothly from start to finish. (Actually, I wouldn't mind either way, but that's just me.) Also, not everyone does badly.
On the other hand, many people are given excellent advice only to insist that they will do things their way, and that they know best. Sometimes it doesn't come back to bite them, but very often something horrendous happens partway down the line. I'll never forget the episode where they put in a new staircase without getting proper planning permission and without using a proper architect - the end result was that it had to be ripped out and redone from scratch.
The presenter doesn't give advice for the fun of it, she says what she knows will work. Sometimes people just don't agree, and it doesn't always matter, but the really big things that cost lots of money need to be planned carefully. Otherwise, you just end up spending more money, wasting time, and getting stressed. It's always better to listen to constructive criticism than to ignore it, especially when you really don't know better.
Blogging
There are plenty of tips and tricks on the web to help you build a successful blog. Some of them do not work for everyone. Some of them are pretty much universal. Some sites break all the rules and still attract a large audience. But when you're starting out, it's better to try and stick to the guidance you're given than go against it and assume you'll be OK.Some bloggers ask for direct feedback on how they're doing, especially if they're just starting out and are in need of some guidance. They may ask their existing readers, or they might ask at a dedicated blogging forum. I wish people who ask for help would actually listen to it.
For instance, a brand new blog that focuses on how to make money online will struggle to get off the ground unless it really has something unique to offer. This is because so many other bloggers are doing the same thing.
A blog with an unattractive design can be an immediate turn-off for potential readers. A blog with far too many ads can have the same effect.
Problem is, some people want to make money from their blog and get loads of comments without actually investing a lot of effort into their blog. I wouldn't say that blogging is a difficult thing to do, but I would say that it requires a fair degree of effort and dedication. If you're just not willing to spend the time on your blog, you're a lot less likely to get a lot of people reading it.
Basically, if someone gives you some feedback on your blog, listen to it and consider if you think it would be worthwhile to act on the suggestion. If you ask for feedback, it's even more important to be grateful when people give you the feedback you asked for. Similarly, if someone posts a comment, reply to them. Don't just think that you can get away with ignoring comments over and over again and still have a popular blog that people enjoy reading.
This doesn't even begin to list all of the possible things you need to know about blogging, which is why my blog is dedicated to blogging and website tips. There is no silver bullet here. The same applies to the other examples of constructive criticism. Hard work and dedication are both very important if you want to be successful. You also have to learn to deal with feedback, both good and bad.
What do you think?
Do you get constructive criticism on your blog or website?How do you deal with negative feedback?
Do you give feedback to other bloggers or webmasters?
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Comments on Property Ladder, American Idol, and Blogging
I really did enjoy reading your blog.
You are so right!
I do proofreading of blogs and websites, therefore I see a lot of English grammar mistakes. But when I point this out to the publisher of the blog or website, they tend to get angry with me even if they have asked for the review. If they don't want to hear or have these mistakes pointed out to them, so they can correct them, then they should not have asked me to spend my time trying to help them.
Have a great day,
Kowgirl
P.S. I will be returning to read more.
great article ben. i couldn't agree more. it happens in every area of life - i have a 20 year old and a 17 year old...my aunt with 6 year old twins rarely considers my advice - (whether she asks for it or not)..some people just won't learn.
Great blog post, keep it up :)
Answers to your questions:
My blog is still relatively new and I am still working on getting more readers, so far I have not had any negative feedback.
I deal with negative feedback by blasting the poster and their website/blog if they have one. Unless of course it is actually beneficial and may help to improve the site, in which case I would thank them.
I do not give feed back on the site unless they ask. I am fairly easy to please and can ignore poor design if I like what I am reading.
Thanks for all the comments. :)
Marcus - I agree that a low posting frequency doesn't help, and I agree that feedback is invaluable. I like to know what people think.
Shirley - sounds like this topic is very close to you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks people shouldn't ask for feedback if they obviously don't want to hear it. Good to hear you'll be returning for more. :)
mlpieters - oh, I know that only too well. I think it can be harder for friends and family to accept constructive criticism - I've been told that I can be too honest. Well, I don't want to hurt anyone, but when things get bad, hiding the truth doesn't help anyone.
Daily Celebrity Gossip - glad you liked it.
pilotg2 - Fight fire with fire, eh? I'm not a huge fan of that - aggression breeds aggression. Some people just want to get a reaction and it's not always a good idea to give them one.
Hey Ben.....sometimes I get criticism on my blog, but not a lot. Probably because my site is about "blogging mistakes" and blogging tips and help anyway.
I wrote this one post a few weeks back, it was on entrecard, and I described how newer bloggers were competing on the same level as A-list bloggers. I had a few facts wrong (which I corrected) and one blogger just went nuts on my constructive criticism taking me to task on every little point.
I responded to his concerns with a smile, again and again with every comment he made. What more can you do?
I'm actually starting to review sites now (for free) and their 'blogging mistakes' as if they hired me to tell them what to do better - but I ask the blogger in advance. That's becoming an article series to come out later this week.
As far as direct feedback, sure I do that all the time. Especially if I see something on their blog that's really, really bad (like pages without any meta description or a google penalty).
For the most part, people appreciate help wherever they can get it - especially if it's free! Building a blog is the same as building a business - all the same marketing, communications, and people relations skills still apply!
Hi JT, thanks for the comment. I think your method of dealing with criticism sounds very sensible, you don't want to start a flame war. Well, you might, but personally I'm not a fan.
Good luck with your site reviews!
Agree. Many start a blog and try to monetize right away. And running a blog IS a commitment. When you provide fresh content only once per week... who will read it?
As for your questions, feedback is invaluable. It's like having an Advisory Board at your finger tips. ;-) And yes, I do leave feedback on other blogs on occasion.