Here’s how I see it. The high-traffic blogs are either:

1. The first in their niche.
2. Provide value.
3. Snarky.

Or any combination of the above.

Much has been said about the first movers losing their advantage and how value counts. So that leaves snarkiness.

In case you didn’t know, snarkiness is a snide way of writing. Pejorative, derogatory, flippant, even downright nasty. Here’s a perfect example:

Paris Hilton’s influence is so great that it has extended to summer camp. And we’re not just talking about kids masturbating furtively under the covers to fading memories of her grainy sex tape. The latest trend? Summer programs where little richies learn not to be vapid airheads!

There’s a reason why snarkiness enjoys such a following today: the heavyweights in the English online world, the Americans and British, enjoy it immensely, especially when the author takes the time to demean himself. Even my westerly-influenced sensibilities laugh at it too.

I’m obviously over-generalizing, but the fact is trying to attract an audience through snark alone is old hat. Snark is entertaining, but quickly becomes boring if there’s no usefulness backing it up. Wouldn’t it be easier to get your message across if you really had something to offer, rather than rely solely on wittily profane analogies that mirror what everyone else is saying?

Snark is dead. Long live value.