The biggest moneymaking blogs on the web are telling people how to blog rich quick.

Oxymoron aside: Is that the truth?

Are we really so misguided, insecure and self-loathing that the internet has deprived us of our fundamental ability to interact socially for success?

Do millions of us really subscribe to numberless eBooks, online courses, one-off webinars and costly conventions (although have you thought about that? Having to meet people, share experiences – are you sure you’re ready for that?) in the vain hope that we’ll suddenly go all lightbulb when someone tells us to add a subscription button to our website?

But of course, you’re not that shallow. Of course, you’re confident of your abilities – you’d never go and spunk up $97, say, on 60 incredible pages of advice that you could otherwise find for free elsewhere?

You lie. Of course you would.

What I love about 21st century philanthropy is how it’s always tagged with a hidden cost. I say ‘hidden’ because so many people miss it every time, seemingly numbed into reaching for the CVV number on account of the fact they’re not buying, so much as falling, into a new way of life.

• Earn a six-figure income (can you still be paid PayPal in Italian Lira?)…
• Live a free life (apart from the cost of this course, which will set you back $97 minimum and double in 10 minutes, so do be quick)

Let’s cut slack. Assuming for a moment that there was a genuine benefit. Assuming it liberated you from your lethargy and put you ‘in state’. Because we know from all corners that it’s when you need to attain a condition known as ‘prone to action’, pumped by adrenaline and reaching for the stars, that the fireworks begin.

It’s not new. Unscrupulous business practices have been around for decades. I don’t suppose you could even call them unscrupulous, more unethical. Sans integrity, if you will.

But there’s a disconnect and collision between the underlining objectives paraded by these so called ‘better you’ sites and what the ultimate result is, most often.

The most important learning here is that no website, no eBook, can tell you what to do. Nothing, except the relationship between you and your customers, can tell you what’s going to make your business better.

All we can do is stimulate, provoke, trigger. Antipathy will always win unless you’re prepared to break a cycle and devote some time each day to habitualise something positive, something necessary, that’ll move you forward.

What are we to learn from this?

That there’s a guaranteed way to grow. And it’s, as they say, simples:

• Focus on your confidence. If you’re genuinely dormouse-shy then there are people you should talk to, things you can do. Join – or form – a Mastermind Group; buy a copy of Paul McKenna’s stunning self-help book and CD, Instant Confidence; figure out what it is that suppresses you, and talk to a friendly but not necessarily close colleague about your fears and address them with their suggestions.
• Focus on your customers. No course is going to teach you what you already know, or are on track to understanding. How To Win Friends and Influence People works for me. Dale Carnegie, advocating interactions and listening. You can’t learn more (and you’ll save roughly $90 on a fraction of this advice dispensed via more questionable channels).
• Focus on your tools. You need to communicate every which way – this is true. But hasn’t that always been so? Sears pioneered mail order and it became the order of the day; Bell went all telephonic and the world followed suit. Once a method is established, for sure you need to be there. So learn the essence of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook – absolutely. But not before you find out how your customers use it, and tailor your presence and practices accordingly.
• Focus on your feedback. Most important of all, know what customers are saying, know how to respond (if at all; JetBlue realised that not all complainants wanted, or needed, an answer, despite the instinct to get involved) and know what to do to make things even better.

Show me a blog-rich-quick book that gives you all this. A reality check. And a call to arms: To practice success by being, focusing, and loving yourself.

The results will speak for themselves.

I’m having jitters like you do on the morning of the wedding. I wonder whether to come to the church that is my keyboard and tap out a (what I believe is a meaningful) post to share with you.

Now I’ve never been married: I can’t imagine there’s a girl in the world who would concede freedom for a lifetime of DT. So these cold feet are made for typing, and that’s just what they’ll do. And one of these days they’re gonna come and walk all over you(r mind and convince you of the merit of commenting).

Aside from personal insecurities I had an hour to kill the other day and instead of watching an ep of Masterchef (essentially a gathering of no-hopers whose interpretation of fusion cuisine is beetroot and chocolate mousse) I chose the  latest American Marketing Association masterclass on returning max ROI from business blogging.

You can watch the whole damn thing here – it’s probably the most insightful and beneficial 60 minutes of your month, if you choose to commit.

I was so inspired I produced an abridged version – a five minute podcast for those inconveniently attired with busyness. Here (same as the stuff at the top of this post, by the way):

[audio: http://www.davethackeray.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/blog_better.mp3]

If time is to you as Dolph Lundgren is to Care Bears, here’s the lowdown in just a few words:

• Find out what your customers are searching for. For inspiration use Google Wonderwheel to understand the virtual world around your offerings, Google’s Keyword Tool for phrases and words people are using to search for your products and services.
• Create different types of posts. Bread and butter stuff – to focus on your business world, achievements of customers, product development (no overt salesy messaging – just benefits to the customer); meaty posts that analyse or dissect ways to do things better, that take a while and form ‘pillar content’ for your blog; controversial posts that take a stance on an issue close to the heart of you and your customers; fun posts, poking objective fun at issues that directly or indirectly affect your professional sphere.
• Answer comments promptly. Add value for extra points.
• Analyse, measure and respond. See which posts elicit the most views/comments. Create related posts and watch your popularity ascend.