A lot of the top bloggers, marketers and successful online entrepreneurs frequently give tips and advice to others. Some do this directly on their own blogs whilst others do so via interviews and books.
If you’re like me then you will be subscribed to many of these blogging and marketing blogs and will agree that advice always carries more weight when the person giving it is successful. Though when reading these articles you sometimes need to read between the lines.
Blogger and marketer Paul Piotrowski recently spoke about this on his blog (which I recommend subscribing to):
Read, watch, study, and model the most successful people who are achieving the results you want to achieve. However, always remember that 98% of the value is in studying WHAT they do, HOW they do it, and WHY they do it and not just what they SAY they do.
I think that this is great advice as many successful people keep a lot of things close to their chest and don’t go too much into specifics, which is understandable as people tend to duplicate rather than innovate.
Imitation is the best form of flattery
They say imitation is the best form of flattery. This isn’t always the case, particularly from those who work online. That is, no one wants others to copy their original website.
However you shouldn’t be copying a successful blog, you should be paying attention to how the blogger developed the site and made it a success.
- Look at the bloggers work ethic
- Look at how they build relationships with advertisers and other bloggers
- Look at how they interact with readers
- Look at how they built their brand
If you examine what someone successful does and apply it to your own blog then I am sure that you will find success. This goes back to what I said a few weeks ago – ‘You Need to Make Sacrifices to Make it as a Blogger‘. And if you look at the lives of successful bloggers you will soon realise that they work their butts off on a weekly basis to make every new project a success.
Don’t Do What They Say, Do What They Do
The headline for this article is a little misleading in some ways (which is common in the blogosphere!!). I am not suggesting that you do not listen to the advice that successful bloggers and marketers give on their sites and in interviews. I just believe that you should look a little deeper and look at the reasons why they are successful.
Look at structural factors such as the type of websites they run, how professional they sites look, how many websites they own etc. Also look at personal factors such as their relationships with other bloggers and marketers, how they interact with their readers, and how much they are directly involved with their websites.
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
Good tip, I think that could be applied to many things in lif not just blogging what people do has far more impact than what they say …. i think the saying words are cheap actions speak volumes rings true here!
Imitation is a great way to learn too. That's how the art masters learned how to paint and that's how musicians usually learn how to play. There's no dishonor in imitation at least at the beginning of your career.
Interesting. Well I would definitely try doing that. Im more of a listener than observer so I think its worth trying.
well, thanks for share.
i become a freelancer with blogging, it's useful for be
Hi guys,
Great advice Kevin. I'm always trying to duplicate what some of the bloggers are doing in order to make my blog a success. Some of their tactics work for me and some are just too complicated for me.
Kind regards,
Sam
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Very well writen and some good advice.
That’s a very useful and informative article.
You are so true. Therefore we should always also pay attention to what behind the article instead only pay attention to the article it self.
'Don’t Do What They Say, Do What They Do'
Very wise Kevin. But you must copyright this quote before it's stolen.
I assume same rule applies to starting a Facebook page (rather than a blog)? Just sounds, to this total amateur, somehow EASIER than developing a blog and blog audience.
It is so true that doing what they actually do is the way to go. I mean, most people wouldn't tell you the exact path they took to achieve the success they have achieved, so why would you believe that they are telling you everything. It really just make sense to find out what they have done and still do to get to where they have got and just replicate it. Thanks.
My recent post an Easy Way to Earn Money Online Without Investment
Use common sense when following the advice of others. Good article.