You’ve got a pretty cool blog, right? However, you keep hitting these plateaus and not being able to talk with other bloggers as easily as you would like. What is the deal? Are you snubbing your blog competition?
With more than 20% of the Internet’s websites powered by WordPress alone, and many others hosted on other blog host services or with other content management services, there are a lot of websites that are out there sharing all sorts of information. Each person is trying to gain readers.
Of course, you want your own readers, and there are ways to entice… like writing good content and engaging with others on the social network sites. However, what if the people you are talking to also have topics that you cover on your own site?
Simple – Keep engaging. That is what is awesome about the blogging community. Because each person is different, each person has a different angle on any topic. You can learn and get feedback from your competition.
In fact, maybe you should just get rid of the terminology “blog competition” or “competition” altogether. It really seems like a negative word and for some who are really competitive by nature, you take it really hard when you can’t control the situation.
And you know what, in welcoming your blog competition in a more positive light as more of a peer… it could even prove to fuel your blog’s future posts.
Now, I know that maybe the issue of copying might come up and really, if you are writing your own articles, you should not have to worry about any complaints on plagiarizing. It is pretty easy to see who is just writing to cover a topic, and who is actually interested in what they wrote.
The most important thing is to make sure your blog is not all about you on a podium. Anyone can do that, but what about the people listening? Your peers in your niche can be the biggest help, especially if you are sharing and commenting on their sites. Most of the bloggers who are top in their niche, despite being busy, try their best to take the time and leave a reciprocal comment or return a share on Twitter, Facebook, other social network sites, or social bookmark sites.
When you are friendly and engage, your visitors and competition are more than likely willing to link you too!!! Free link juice is awesome!
Don’t be a blog snob. You will hurt your site more than anything.
Hey Nile! I read your blog from time to time, as you appear on one of my blog’s blogrolls (http://thebloggingwarehouse.blogspot.com/). You always post good articles! I don’t “engage” as much as I did back in the mid-2000s for the simple fact most engagers and engagees now occupy facebook, WeChat and twitter. After reading your latest post I just thought I should day hi…
Rewrite content this is what most people does, the very best thing is to make case studies, tutorials and personal point of view to generate unique and genuine content.
Blogging seems so competitive now. I just do my own thing and go with the flow 🙂
I agree engaging with other bloggers is a bit part of blogging :). I have gotten most if not all my blogging advice from fellow bloggers.
I can say that I am not a blog snub! haha I actually met some of my best buddies through blogging and made grandmothers of my little girl 🙂
Blogging is somewhat a trend this days. But being snobbish just because you think they’re competitors, it’s wrong. Engaging will do a great thing for your blog. 🙂
I just started blogging and let me tell you I am no snob, I feel like a very hyper active Chihuahua asking so many question to any blogger who has the time to answer and I have made awesome connections.
It definitely seems like it’s competition these days. Great post!
Great post, especially for those just starting out to help them understand that top bloggers ard just human like everyone else and are mostly approachable
Engaging with other bloggers online is just like networking with other small business owners offline. You need to network in order to be successful. There’s not need to snob anybody.
I agree with Erica completely.I think proper engagement is necessary in this field.Like wise social engagements,engagements in Top Social Bookmarking sites like reddit,StumbleUpon can also help us. And I request everyone to have a look at Triberr which can give you alot of engagements and traffic to your site as because the reach is very high.Thanks Nile for the conversation.Blondish is cool..
Oh wow, I completely agree with you. It is so important to maintain good relationships with other bloggers and not to be “snobbish.” It’s fantastic networking to take the time to read, comment, and share, and sometimes you can build meaningful relationships with bloggers that can turn into deep friendships!
Thanks for the insightful tip.
Cheers,
JoAnna
foreverinparadise.net
Great tips, there is plenty of room in the blogosphere for everyone! It is the golden rule of be nice to everyone, plus Karma – what comes around goes around!
Thanks for the tip! Sometimes it seems blogging is too competitive. Maybe If we collaborate it would work out better for everyone.
Words of gold, I hope your post goes viral and more bloggers really grasp this concept. 🙂
I actually just go with the flow and do my own thing too. I don’t pay attention to other bloggers or how they feel about competition. Blogging can be cut throat but you gotta just move on.
Being competitive just doesn’t work well in the realm of bloggers, we should be helping each other.
Work hard, don’t steal content and be friendly – that’s all you need to do. It will eventually come.
I use to get the feeling of AHH She has more this and that… and then I was like why do I even care! I am not her, I am me. I am blogging for me and what I like and how I feel! I love making blogger friends! I am always looking to share ideas with others! Thank you so much for sharing!
Supporting your competition leads to reciprocation and good rep. It’s all about being friends while carving out your own niche.
I have actually met some pretty snobby bloggers in my time blogging and have even read comments in forums where bloggers are discussing how much they dislike certain bloggers. It’s really sad to see things like this. As for myself I think I might be to open to help other bloggers. I even host a section on my blog every sunday where I discuss any topic and close with my favorite links from other blogs.
This is an absolutely wonderful post. Blogging is a community effort. Supporting each other, bouncing ideas off of one another. That’s the only way to get better!
Blogging isn’t the same as it was before, people are now competing instead of helping each other out.
Good points. I don’t think of other blogs as my competition because I’m writing from my heart and my view point. I love connecting with other blogger’s, this is how I grow my blog by connecting with bloggers within and out of my niche. More bloggers should read this post.
I aim to please. I really dont try and make things about myself but in someways it seems it has to be that way.
These are great points. With so many bloggers out there i just do my own thing.
I have encountered plenty of people like that along the way. It definitely doesn’t help one’s blog, especially if they’re trying to expand their outreach.
Great post indeed. I think that the bloggers should get rid of thinking that other bloggers are competition. It should be everyone helping everyone. Thanks for sharing.
Your post made me think about how I feel about other sites. Good sites never make me feel like they are competition. Rather, the spur me on to do better. If the sites are good and have a good readership then they are there to be learned from and enjoyed.
If I look at a site and think it is ‘rubbish’ and yet it is doing well – then I have to look even more closely to see what the ‘special sauce’ is that makes it so readable.
Nile,
I have the sense that many therapists do not want to read and comment on other therapists’ posts because of that sense of competition. But there is enough for everyone and collaboration can bring us all more of what we want. And we can learn so much from each other.
Thanks for a thought provoking post.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
It is significant that you identify what causes are most important to the community your business serves for you to create community engagement.
Every organization is not like a floating entity that has no connections to the environment or society, it is a part of both. That includes your competitors. Thus, engagement is very important.
Awesome post, and I am loving to become a casual visitor of this blog because of you Nile, because your writing skills are damn awesome and I don’t know how you do it but you really fetch out the topics from your readers hearts, the trending ones.
Thanks for your efforts!
Hi Nile. You’ve made an excellent point here. My love is information marketing, and all the gurus say that you should create or sell affiliate products in competitive markets. It’s the same with blogging – if you want to stand out in your niche, you have to hang with your niche. Thanks for your insight.
All the best,
Leslie
Great advice Nile!
You are so right about the myriad of opportunities to network, simply by actively engaging with other influential bloggers.
Especially those within your specific niche. Weigh the short and long term potential benefits vs the cost of simply running traditional type of ads.
Once you establish real long lasting relationships with other highly influential bloggers within and outside of your niche, plus you create quality back links that remain active typically a whole lot longer than
traditional paid advertisement do!
A very solid article and you made several valid points Nile! Thanks!
I find that engaging with other bloggers is a way of networking with like minded people and in doing so I have learnt a lot more about blogging and other topics in general. I have also made some friends.
It seems people are talking about hanging out with blogs in my niche, and I will… but if I just focused on interacting with those people… I wouldn’t learn anything about blogging! Thanks Nile 😉