Guerrilla Blogging I: Weekend Blogging
We have all heard of the 80-20 rule before. The Pareto principle applies to the field of blogging as well. Not just content wise but also how one can go about becoming a star in this field. I truly believe that talent is only 20 percent, if not less, of the equation when it comes to reaching superstardom in the blogging world. If you look at all the top guys in this field, you will see a bunch of folks who are not only very talented but also passionate about what they do. But even people are not particularly blogging geniuses can become stars by outworking and out-hustling their peers. At the end of the day, you can’t pick up talent but you can always work harder and smarter.
The key to success in the blogging world is having the willingness to try new things and innovate. If you are just getting started in this field, it could be discouraging to think about how many advantages top bloggers have over you. But anybody can be beat in any game. That’s been my philosophy since the start, and that’s the only way you can go head to head against the big guns without getting discouraged and disheartened. My favorite blogging strategy is what I like to call Guerrilla Blogging. Guerrilla tactics have been used throughout history by folks who were willing to take on much stronger opponents. The same concepts apply to the field of blogging. If you intend to dominate a market, you need to find out how you can outplay and outsmart other bloggers in your field. It’s not just about having the best content, but by being great in areas that your competitors are weak in.
Weekend blogging is my favorite Guerrilla blogging tactic. A lot of bloggers don’t like blogging too much on the weekend, but depending on your niche, you may have a great opportunity to grab more market-share by dominating the weekends. The demand on the weekends may not be as high as regular week days, but if your competitors are taking time off, it’s a great opportunity for your to differentiate yourself from them and stand out.
Many super bloggers blog on weekends as well, but they don’t pod-cast or post video-casts on these days. If that’s where they are weak in, that’s what I would go after. You want to focus on providing quality content to your readers and viewers all the time, every single day. Now I am not suggesting that you should forget your social life and focus 24/7 on blogging. You can always hire a few interns to take some load off of you and help you build a 24/7 content factory.
Guerrilla Blogging may not be enough to beat the best of the best, but it does help you dominate most of your peers. Besides, nothing happens overnight. If you keep doing it and picking the right strategies, over time you are going to pick up more followers and join the elite. Once you are there, you are going to have a more realistic chance of going head to head or form partnerships with other top bloggers in your field. Guerrilla Blogging tactics are not easy to implement, but they do make a challenger out of a heavy underdog.
