Blogger – Blog Reader Engagement Models
Ajith | Jan 2009 | Blogging Tips, Miscellaneous
The other day I was thinking about the various engagement models in which the blogs and bloggers are operating along with their audience. Just like any other actors – a term borrowed from my programming background – in life even bloggers vary in their interaction and engagement model with their readers. The following are some of the engagement models that I could find around.
Blogger – Reader models
#1 Preacher – Disciples model
In this model the preacher (blogger) keeps giving his sermons without bothering (or having the need to bother) what the readers might think. He doesn’t need to listen to his disciples because he’s a high profile blogger already. And the followers seem to understand that point and take privilege in commenting relentlessly on the blogger’s posts (mostly written by somebody else). The blogger neither bothers about the comments and the disciples never follow up either. In short, this model symbolizes fake patronage and money but the blogger is so big and successful that nobody really cribs.
#2 Leader – Followers model
This is a variation of the first model. The difference though is that the blogger is a true leader and subject matter expert here. He’s as popular as the blogger in the first case but also talk sense more often than not. These categories are the real pro-bloggers or those who have gone through (and can take us through) the entrepreneur’s journey.
#3 Coach-Each-Other model
Well, this is where the wannabe bloggers who badly need a life in the blogosphere fall into. In this model most readers are bloggers themselves though there’s a small portion of non-blogger visitors. They keep on puking topics that’re already stale and addressed by the other person. Every reader has an opinion and the blogger and the reader-blogger together forms an ecosystem. The winning formula here is U-comment-I-comment-back policy. This model is exclusively developed for and by the MMO and Internet Marketing bloggers.
#4 Coach – Silent-Beneficiaries model
In this case model the blogger is a subject expert, he talks and writes sense almost always and he has a huge fanbase as well. However, due to the style of writing and seriousness of the matter the readers don’t actively take part in discussions. Only major clarifications result in break of silence and that happens at a solar eclipse frequency. Mostly this is also because the blogger is to the point and leaves no room for any open questions. In this model the blogger is a pro-blogger material but not as popular in the blogosphere.
#5 Preacher – No-takers model
This is the last category where the blogger religiously blogs very regularly as it has been the case for the last several years. He believes that he writes because he loves writing. 
However, there are no takers for his ideas nor are there any visitors. It’s not like he’s a new blogger trying to build a community but pretty experienced person without any listeners or followers. Probably the blogger, in this case, doesn’t realize the need to have an audience as well.
Your assignment
Please provide one example each for bloggers belonging to the five categories mentioned above. Feel free to pick on each other and don’t be diplomatic. The comments on this post will not be moderated except for profanity!
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Very original and unique topic indeed. We thinks about blogger-audience interaction everyday, but never take the steps to blog about it.
On your question, I guess:
-John Chow is a typical example of Preacher – Disciples model.
-Problogger/Dollarshower/Rauru could be considered Leader – Followers model representatives.
-My blog, domain Marvelous, is an example of a Coach-Each-Other model, although I am trying to improve and progress to Leader – Followers model
-I could say that Lets Sermo falls in the Coach – Silent-Beneficiaries model. I can say this because despite the huge traffic to the blog, the comments are rather less in number and only increase when there is a post which demands replies.
-Preacher – No-takers model blogs are everywhere, but It would not be ok to name any. Its typical with many blogs on Blogger platforms.
Domain Marvelous’s last blog post… Welcome, 2009
This is a problogger kind of post..research and model based , intense stuff…keep it going 2009 is your year to get in the big league
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog’s last blog post… The Thesis Wordpress Theme is Rock Solid
Quality and excellent post.
Good research Ajith!!
@Forsaken, haha… You are a real flatterer. Though I love to be in the leader category, right now I am nowhere. it’s years before one can get there like Darren has done. His consistency is amazing. Anyways, thanks for the compliments. Your other examples are exact fits
@ZK, thanks for your comment
In fact, everytime I do a research based post, the response is poor and hence I am keeping the frequency of such posts low.
@Arun, thanks for the compliments… So do you have examples?
Haha. Wow. Well, I don’t think that I will be giving any examples because I am hoping to fly under the radar here. But I think that blogs are typically a combination of several blogging ‘engagement models’ depending on the type of post being written.
But I think models 2-4 are pretty valid…
Shirley’s last blog post… Is Search Engine Optimization Unfair For The Little Guy?
Thats a really original blog post
So let me think….
#1 Preacher – Disciples model = John Chow….. (poor panda he killed btw)
#2 Leader – Followers model = I’ll say….hmm… Daily Blog Tips?
#3 Coach-Each-Other model – Well… Ok i award this one to Dollar Shower lol
#4 Coach – Silent-Beneficiaries model – Uhhh… really i have no idea… Me?
#5 Preacher – No-takers model – “Je Passe” – (Its a french sentence saying… I abandon)
I think I am a bit of 3 and 4 on my side.
Kurt Avish’s last blog post… Central Electricity Board Mauritius Sucks
This is something unique which I haven’t read before elsewhere. I guess most bloggers fall into category #3. In fact to get into category #2 needs some authority over the niche. Learn something new from this article. Great article buddy.
Wei Liang
@Shirley,
thanks for the diplomatic answer… You are the next most diplomatic person after Yan! I really wanted people to write something spicy about other bloggers.
You are right. The engagement and interaction levels depend a great deal on the post topic as well. But in general for a blogger there’s a fanfare that behaves in a certain way based on the blogger’s on attitude. That’s the point I wanted to bring in here.
@Kurt, Haha… I was waiting for somebody to put me under #3… In fact, you are true. I am part of that echo-system model as well. However, I am trying to be different at times if not every day
@Felix, thanks buddy and you are absolutely write that in MMO, Blogging Tips, SEO, IM world usually #3 is the most common model – especially among tier II bloggers. I think it’s a matter of survival. The point is how to move from #3 to #2. If you noticed, #1 and #2 are the places to be coming from models #3 through #5. Both #1 and #2 are successful in their own ways.
I agree that this is a very unique post! Hmmm, I cannot actually give samples to all of the models because I am just new in knowing most of these bloggers. But when I was reading the #1 model, I was actually thinking that you have John Chow on your mind when you were writing it, and you have Darren Rowse when you were writing model #2.
I think you’d fall for either model #3-Coach Each Other Model or #4-Coach Silent Beneficiaries Model. Chris Brogan I think is on #4.
But Ajith, I am sure most people here would like to know who among bloggers you will put as examples in each of the models. I’ll keep track on this post as I wait for your name list.
@Frenchy, thanks for your comment. In fact, the names you picked for #1 and #2 models are exactly what I had in mind. For #3, it’s almost all midsize blogs that are trying to create their footprints in the blogosphere.
As for #4, I had somebody like Steve Pavlina in mind (except for his recent form) who has been amazing in delivering ideas.
#5, you just look around. As such I have created enough controversies
While reading the article I was hoping you would provide examples of each type. I then got to the end and discovered that you putting that on us
I suppose #1 would be a high profile individual who doesn’t have comments open – like Merlin Mann. #2 would be ProBlogger. I’m not touching #3
And maybe I’m not thinking hard enough but I don’t have examples for #4 and #5. Thanks for making me think, I guess 
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@Kim, thanks for the reference to Merlin Mann. I never visited him, will check that blog out. #2 is a natural choice…
As for #3, we just need to look into our own groups
That’s exactly why I’m not touching #3 – I can think of a number of sites but I don’t want to name them.
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Oh, controversies! It’s what makes your blog more popular. You seem to be handling them very well so it’s just ok. Thanks for your reply, btw.
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@Kim,
@Frency, thanks for the compliments… I am in fact, controlling myself a lot and coming down on making controversial statements
wow these are very well categorized model and really nice research on the readers. nice informative post. thumbs up buddy.
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@Sky, thanks buddy
Good work! Will be reading more from you!
I am reading your blog posts for a long time and this is my first comment at your blog because i like the post
Please keep it up.
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@Galen, thanks…
@MT, thanks for your readership… I visited your blog and found a lot of yummy food items’ pics there… It’s a pity that I can’t understand the language to read the recipes
I am a new blogger and found yours at yahoo.Awesome post!
@Samantha, thanks for the compliments and welcome to D$
Its good to know that some people still have a sense of humor
Hey, i was seeing a leng in squidoo, then take me to another link that leave me here, it is a great post dude, thanks !
ellen, pamela, thanks for your compliments
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