Today your task in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog is to Find a Blog Buddy.
While I’m an introvert and get energy by spending time alone – I’ve found that it is when I work together with other bloggers that my blogs grow fastest. Let me start with an illustration that some of you will be familiar with to help show the power of working together.
A Lesson from Geese
Scientists have found that geese flying in formation in a flock can travel around 78% further in a session than geese flying solo. Working together on the task of flying is beneficial in a number of ways:
- Aerodynamic Formation – The V formation of geese is a way that maximizes the energy expended by those flying as part of it. The bird at the front of the flock breaks the air for those flying behind it and creates a slipstream for them to be dragged along in. The birds behind also help those in front as the upward motion of their wing also creates an upward draft that propels them forward. This push/pull relationship ensures all birds in the formation benefit from the work of others.
- Rotating Leadership – Even with the pushing effect of those behind it – the front bird uses the most energy and becomes tired more quickly than others. The geese know this and instinctively rotate leadership of the flock – allowing tired birds who have used a lot of energy for the sake of the flock to take a rest and be dragged a long for a while until it is their next turn up front.
- Dropping out of the Flock – as a result of sickness or injury a bird will occasionally begin to fall away from the flock – unable to keep up. Instead of allowing this bird to fly on alone – at least two others will always drop out of the flock with it. This ensures that the injured bird will be defended and cared for until it is ready to resume flying – and that it will fly on with the benefit of flying in formation.
- Power of the Honk – From the ground the V formation of the geese is a beautiful thing to watch – serenely gliding across the sky these birds look quite majestic and peaceful. However get up into the flock and you find its quite a noisy affair with the geese constantly honking at one another. There are numerous theories about this honking and it could be partly about letting each other know where they are so there is no midair collisions) but many believe that this honking is actually about creating an environment of success and mutual encouragement. It reminds me of when I used to play football at school and before the game would begin all the boys would gather in the locker room to whip themselves into a frenzy – shouting meaningless stuff about what they’d do to the opposition, slapping each other on the back (and bums) and basically creating an environment where we thought we could conquer the world.
As a result of some of these dynamics the geese can fly amazing distances without stopping for rest – so much further than if they tried to do it alone.
Advantages of Working Together as Bloggers
In the same way – I’ve noticed that bloggers who work together often last longer and have more success in their building of their blogs. There are many benefits of finding another blogger (or a small group of bloggers) and committing to work together for the common good of your blogs.
Here are 10 benefits (taken from a great article in which each point is expanded upon in our archives The Power of Collaboration in Today’s Blogging World by Eric and Sean):
- You can feedback on posts, prior to pressing publish.
- You can have someone to vent to, who understands your situation.
- You can work on projects together.
- You can share link love.
- You can share each others posts through social media and with other bloggers.
- You can share communities.
- You can help each other stay motivated as you share encouragement.
- You can guest post for each other.
- You can share each others talents.
- You’ll have twice the blogging power at your disposal.
How to Find a Blogging Buddy
So how does one find a blogging buddy? Let me suggest two things:
- First go and read this article which is written on the topic – How to Find a Blog Buddy (there’s no point me rehashing those 7 points here).
- If you’ve not already joined the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Forums – head over there and start networking. There are 1300 or so bloggers already signed up and interacting and we’ve set up a special area specifically for Collaboration. Just keep in mind that this forum is for 31DBBB participants so if you join you need to be committed to the daily tasks and working together around them.
My dream with the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge is that participants not only come away from the 31 days having learned and done a few exercises – but that they come away feeling connected to other bloggers who have shared the experience and who are looking to work together.
Together we know and can achieve a lot more than any single one of us.
Parting Advice in Building Blog Buddy Relationships:
As you head off to start connecting with other bloggers let me leave you with a few words of advice:
1. Make it Mutually Beneficial – these types of relationships are best when both parties come out of the interaction better off. It’s a give and take thing so make sure both parties contribute and benefit in tangible ways.
2. Attempt to Find someone Within or in a Similar Niche – this won’t be possible for everyone (there are a few people blogging with quite narrow and specialized focuses) however where you can – try to build relationships with people in similar niches to you. This will open up great opportunities for you on many levels. If you can’t find someone in your niche all is not lost. You can still learn a lot from one another when you have different topics.
3. Find other bloggers on your level – when I’ve suggested this in the past I noticed a lot of bloggers approaching just successful ‘A-list’ type bloggers. While there’s nothing wrong with building a relationship with a larger blogger – there’s also something really powerful about finding another blog at a similar stage to you. This means you’ll be both going through similar challenges at the same time and can worth through them together.
4. Make Each Others Blog Better – my parting advice is to commit to make each others blogs better. While most of us are committed to making our own blogs better (and should be) something quite powerful can happen when we take that attitude with another persons blog too.
“Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.” – Stephen Covey
PS: see the forum discussion of this task and teaching here.
Want More?This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs. Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today. |
After reading this The most obvious way to use this post is simple:
Who out there would like to work together with me in the mutual goal of building a better blog on “tips, tricks, lifehacks, processes, thoughtpaths, simplifications, skills and habits to help get trough life” ?
Greets,
Christiaan
the 31DBBB forums have been a great resource so far, I highly suggest signing up if you haven’t already.
I thought this was pre-day 1?
Ah well, I already have a blogging buddy. This has got to be the fastest day yet for me on the challenge LOL
Very interesting project Darren! By the way there is a formatting error at the beginning of the post. :)
Love how you mentioned synergy, and I’ll be participating in the forums. I didn’t realize it, but you’re right. My first blog did grow a lot faster when I didn’t try to go at it alone. Didn’t know that about geese either. Great post!
The concepts that you are sharing about working with buddies can also work in many other aspects of life.
In addition to inspiration and encouragement form others there is also the accountability factor that comes into play with the Buddie system.
We are less likely to quit when were working togther with others.
Thanks for the great advice today.
Having a blog buddy is really a great tip. Anyone in the parenting niche and passionate about educating your junior? Wanna buddy up with me?
Dominique
I’ve been enjoying the daily tasks and learning a lot from them, but I have to say the greatest benefit from this challenge has been the friendships I have made with other blogging mums/moms. They have been such a support to me personally and to the development of my relatively new blog. I’ve been humbled by the generosity of more experienced bloggers, and grateful for the friendship of those in a similar place to me.
How do we know if the blogger is A list or not,
you know… I am also learning while blogging,
I don’t think I have the capability to match up with most of the blogger (within my niche) I know…
It may work better if we can find some partner in real life who blog and works on this similar niche…
Again amazing idea!
I am in the PERSONAL FINANCE niche and concentrate on blogging about my journey in becoming debt-free.
If anyone would like to talk further about developing this sort of buddy relationship please let me know.
I try to post at least 6 times a week and am really concentrating on building my blog on a daily basis.
Let me know!
Oh man if I could convince the people around me to buy into these principles [my buddies that also blog] – man alive.
To further the Geese example to cycling.
cycling in a pack is so much better especially when heading into the wind.
yes Dareen you are right,
it is Good for both who involuing in bloging together i am already working with one blogger.
And we enjoing blogging.
And we also sujest to each other that what is good for our blog.
its good post.
Thanks,take care.
I’ve got two types of blog buddies.
First, there’s a bunch of us at work all starting out relatively new blogs (even those of us who have been doing it for a while have started new blogs in the past 4 or 5 months). None of us are in similar niches, but we’re all discovering things, giving each other suggestions, sharing ideas, and generally encouraging and motivating each other. It’s working really well.
Second, I have a bunch of friends (both online and offline) who blog in the same niche as me (environment, sustainability, permaculture). We tend to share topic-specific ideas and bounce off each others’ posts a bit, and are able to help further each others’ real-life projects.
Nice thoughts and tips Darren
I have been working on this since 3rd month of my blog and till the date i have found few really interesting and helpful people.
@Christiaanh count me in mate.
I like this tip. So many times we try to do it all on our own. Having a blog-buddy would help tremendously. Anyone in the art world want to pair up? Look me up!
eric @ ericdgreene.com :D
i would agree with this completely. I have a very good friend who blogs and we do a lot of projects together – shared post topics, projects that involve inviting other people, memes etc. It’s such that now that we have been doing it for so long, people all over blogland know us as two bloggers who just go together. It strengthens our presence so much I think!
Talk about synergy! I’ve recently been recruited by a blogging buddy into a larger blogging “circle” to work together and improve all of our blogs. Thanks for 31DBBB – it’s working out to be one of the most valuable exercises I’ve ever done.
I am lucky that I have a teenage daughter that also blogs so, we can bounce ideas off of each other. We have 3 blogs and they are all very different but, we seems to work well together on them.
I also have been fortunate to find other bloggers that we all tend to promote each other, pointing out any errors, and also giving atta boys. I prefer a Nascar analogy such as Bump Drafting Buddies. ;)
Blog buddy is important… this sure is not as simple as gettin a date. Yes, I would term getting a date simpler than getting a blog buddy.
Contact me if anybody needs a buddy:))
It just like running with someone. You will never skip it if someone else is waiting for you. And you will run harder and longer. Both people will benefit each other. Having a blogging buddy is just like that. It’s a good idea.
Very good suggestions here.I had almost given up on blogging since i have not been able to find a go-to person.Eceryone wants to sell something to you.nobody wants to help the upcoming stars.Is there any wonder bright people drop out of blogging before they start? Thanks darren for these tips. God bless you richly.
One of my online buddies is out while her shoulder is repaired. Meanwhile, another friend who also talks about fitness is guest blogging on her account. Works!
Building a team of about 5-10 members which have similar niche, this could help each other to improve our blogs. Between, I’ve one blog buddy which is my brother, we’re working together to build more niche blogs. Working together can get the things up faster and working alone. :)
Regards,
Lee
I couldn’t be without my blog buddies – we each check over each others work for spelling etc along with just telling us whether each potential post makes sense!
Not only that, when one of us has the beginnings of an idea but can’t take it any further one of the others will always be able to inject some ideas.
This post below for instance was the culmination of several peoples work and now we’re all happy to promote it,
http://www.polr.co.uk/online-marketing/index.php/web-design-alan-partridge/
Brilliant post Darren, thanks. Too few bloggers work together! Off to check out the forum now!
I had joined the 31DBBB with great enthusiasm, but, as happens often, life caught up and I have managed to make a mess of this. But I want to make amends. And what better moment to start it than the present moment.
So, If anyone is looking for a blogging buddy in the writing niche, I will be more than eager to join them.
I am not an A – list blogger as of today, but who knows what tomorrow brings…
Excellent points. Viewing one another as colleagues instead of competitors can make one’s blogging far more effective indeed.
I use my boyfriend. >.>
Thanks Darren, as usual you’re spot on! I’ve been blogging with a buddy for months now, not only does it help ensure the traffic between our sites is cooperative but it also allows us to ensure each other is doing the best jobs we can.
I’ve heard the story of the geese before, and it is always inspiring. Together we can all accomplish so much more than we can individually. Thank you for that reminder.
I feel as though, on another level, I have hundreds (maybe thousands) of buddies through this challenge and the community it has created. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me in these first few weeks of launching my blog.
One thing that has been left out from here is that when contacting anyone about their blog, you ought to be polite. I would appreciate any kind of comment either on the post, style or the site itself, if it was up to me. But only as long as it was presented in civilized manner.
There are enough forum trolls and spam already, so the real, honest opinions and comments are extremely valuable.
Would it be wrong to comment a blog if you visit it only to see the content?
IMO not. “Hey, I stumbled upon your blog and…” would be a great way to start…
I know my buddy but they are not in this project. Maybe I have to let them know about this project… :)
I’ve found my blog buddy on my second month of blogging. He’s into his second year of blogging. He’s taught me a lot of things and even on occasions tweaked my blog for me. I feel so indebted to him, but he shrugs it all off and makes it clear he does it for friendship. Isn’t that cool or what.
I have little to offer him in terms of usefulness. He’s a veteran while I’m just a newbie. But the good things he’s done for me is seared on my brain, and made me more receptive to be more open to those just starting out.
And yeah, I’m his little evangelist, putting in good words about him every chance I’ve got. The only way I know to repay his kindness and generosity.
And there’s this other blog buddy who’s offering self-hosting for me free of charge. Who would have thought I’d deserve to be extended this kind of help. We’re working out the details. Me going from blogger to self hosting. I’m such a lucky guy.
I’m not comfortable saying their names here, especially this blog buddy who offered me this self-hosting thing. He’s lots of online buddies and this might spook them knowing a relative newcomer has upstaged them. lol.
Love this part of the tutorial. Indeed it’s a powerful part of blogging. Buddies can see you through the rough spots. So many hardships become less mind-boggling because of them. And the sheer joy of working in synergy as you aptly put it is just priceless.
My impressions on bloggers has always been that of a very compettitive market. Similar to sales people. Why would you want to share your sales information, tips and tricks.
So I though the same of bloggers, why would a blogger want to help me out.
But I guess is is a mutual relationship here, you scratch my back I scratch yours.
I had already posted a thread in the forums about Programmers and web developers networking. Got some response out of that. But this seems to be a little bit more than networking. Its about helping out I guess.
I suppose one of the things to help out in is to subscribe to each others RSS feeds. Promote each others blogs in our own posts where possible, etc.
So the forum is Web Developers Programmers: https://www.problogger.com/31days/topic.php?id=127
So if you haven’t made it over there let get too it.
My blog and website is all about web development, Programming, CMS. If you find that at all interesting and think you can benefit from it. Drop me a note.
My Blog: http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog.aspx
In my view this is a great lesson on leadership. We have a tendency to see someone something and we do it. Not always understand the consequences. It reminds me of the ham story. If you are not familiar you view on enzine articles at http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-We-Learn-From-Ham?&id=1394329.
Thanks Darren for a great set of tutorials.
Thanks Darren, you are right saying we need a group of bloggers. i find it withing this past month that i have been able to communicate with other bloggers.
the problem so far is how to find those in the same niche. i have a bunch of friends and heading towards sharing of blog ideas.
This is still a homework to be accomplished.
Darren, I just wanted to say I was really excited to see this article! I am part of a group writing project on the small home movement which consists of a group of nine writers who also have their own blogs. The geese analogy you use really seems to match what we’ve experienced to a T.
So often the advice you ready about blogging seems to be focused on trumping the competition. It was great to see a piece about the power of cooperation!
I don’t have a single blog buddy, but I found a community of travel bloggers that was just starting to organize as I began the process of starting my own blog. These folks were very generous with advice and answering questions as I worked through the process of starting my blog and getting it up and running.
The same group also banded together to do a charity fundraiser called Passports with Purpose ( http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/passports-with-purpose/ ) last Christmas, and we raised $7,000+ as a group for Heifer International (something we’d never been able to do as individual bloggers).
When I needed some advice about a freelance blogging contract I was considering, I again had a couple of folks to talk with about it so I could make the best decision for myself (one of them even spent 20 minutes on the phone with me one evening about the sorts of things I should consider when accepting, or declining, a contract).
A couple of other folks from the community organized a half-day travel conference as an add-on to the BlogHer weekend. I’m going to BlogHer and the TBEX conference, so I’m hoping to meet some of my community F2F and work on working more closely with some of them in the future.
I can’t say enough about the importance of having a blogging buddy!
Just an example…I was listening to a video interview yesterday and a blogger was asked if they had someone to proof-read their posts before they hit publish. His answer was that his wife mostly did that, which is awesome, but for me it’s my blogging buddy/s. It’s crucial to have someone you can count on to shoot a post for a quick edit/critique.
Definitely worthwhile to add to this challenge, Darren. Eric
I would love to connect with travel bloggers and or restaurant bloggers in South Florida.
“no man is an island” another great lesson for us today Darren.
Great idea!
I’m behind on the task, but this one is easy.
I have several people I want to ask! :)
I was trying to find some contributors within my current social connection pool. I found it’s really hard to get someone as committed as I am to my blog in order to post regularly.
Now I hope when my blog get more and more readers in future, I would find someone as enthusiastic as me in blogging in my niche.
What a great post. I’m actually tempted to forward it to people who have no idea what blogging is, just because of the great lead-in.
bütün dünya üzerinde bulunan etkin dağıtım ağımızla sizdeyerli çiçek severlere hizmet etmekten herzaman olduğu gibi gururluyuz
for sharing thank you very much good very beautiful work
I’ve got some excellent collaborators on my site now and I notice the more I post comments about their posts (often words of encouragement), the more they comment back AND the more they post!
It does create a community and it’s definitely win/win. Especially when it’s something we are all passionate about.
Great idea. I happen upon a lot of other bloggers at the same stage as me in their online writings but one in the same niche would be very useful for both me and the other person.
So if anyone also blogs about relationships, dating or sex then please get in contact. :)
Thanks,
Sam
Such a great idea, I see how I could really benefit from a blogging buddy. Anyone interested in buddying up for a web development and design blog?
I am looking for a blogger 2 be blog buddies with
I am in the internet marketing niche
If anyone has a blog with over 500 RSS subscribers then contact me and we can help each other.
Great post Darren
This will make it easier to get your blog going. Has worked for many of my blogs.