There are A-list bloggers in every niche. They have tens of thousands of followers, they brag about having millions of page views each month, and their posts are at the top of every search. With numbers like that you just know they’re making a huge income and your want to be just like them when you grow up. But here are five reasons why you shouldn’t be comparing yourself to those A-list bloggers.
Times have changed
Most of those guys have been blogging for years. When they started there were no rules, they didn’t have to deal with Google and their zoo of animal updates, and they had very little competition. People looking for information on the Internet were easily impressed, too. Even the most basic content seemed like expert advice and people believed anything if they “read it on the Internet.”
We’ll never have these same exact conditions again and comparing your blog to there is like comparing apples to oranges. You’re just going to drive yourself crazy.
Their numbers are intimidating
If you’re easily intimidated, the numbers those guys are always tossing around could make you turn tail and run. Don’t let it scare you. Take a good, hard look at those blogs and you’ll see they only edge they have is their longevity. It takes time to build up that kind of following, that much traffic and all of that content. But if you don’t believe you can get to that level then you never will.
You can only be yourself
When you’re trying to compete with these guys you might be tempted to design your blog so it looks just like theirs, or write content that sounds just like theirs or targets the exact same audience they’re targeting. But there are already hundreds of other bloggers doing that same thing. You’re just going to be one of many.
Those bloggers might say they get 3 million unique visits each month but there are billions of people searching the web every day. There’s more than enough traffic to go around for everyone. It’s much easier to compete if you find your own unique voice, and target your own audience.
They’re light years ahead of you
Like I said, those guys have a significant head start. You may never catch up, but the point is – it’s not even necessary. That blogger has only captured one small corner of the market. Even if you do manage to sneak up on him you’re still only going to get a percentage of his business. Meanwhile, your competitors are locking up all the other corners of the market while you’re obsessing over that A-list blogger.
You need to be better
The thing about targeting a big-name blog is that once you match their followers or pass them on the index you might be tempted to sit back and rest on your laurels. After all, you’re King of the Hill now. But you’re not the only one who wants to own that hill and now all those other bloggers out there are going to be coming after you. So go ahead and compare your blog to that A-list blogger, but be prepared to for even stiffer competition from the next guy.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!