Blogging is widely thought to be central to any businesses online marketing success. One of the tactics in a blogging strategy is to get followers who comment on and share your blog. This is using OPF, other people’s followers, by sharing just as good content that isn’t your own. In my collaborations with online bloggers I’ve found two main types: the diesel engine and the bottle rocket.
Jeff Foxworthy is credited with saying men are like bottle rockets and women like diesel engines. To clarify, a diesel engine can take a while to warm up but once it’s running, it can be a marathon. Bottle rockets usually are spectacular and fizzle out but so it’s over pretty quickly. Actually regardless of gender, the same types can be found in bloggers: diesel engine or bottle rocket. And there’s a huge difference in the attractiveness of one over the other.
Warm-up
Find bloggers willing to collaborate. This could be one person at a time or in an online group related to online marketing or blogging. But willingness isn’t enough! The next part is commitment to this mutual helping each other. It might include things like regularly meeting in a private online or even local group. This creates camaraderie among interested bloggers and a place to get to know each other and their writing more. It’s a perfectly productive part of collaboration to stay on this level with action on both or all people’s parts.
Marathon running
Often the warm-up might be only a beginning connection. Sometimes bloggers get to the marathon level and move the conversation along. In the collaborative blogging I do, we are each or all checking off our action list – make comments, check. Tweet, Share, Like or otherwise create more awareness of another’s blog post, check. Move the conversation forward either in email, Skype or telephone, check. It often builds a relationship to possibly get to a next step, although as in maintaining the warm-up stage staying here is also fine.
Spectacular
Yes! Things can crank up and go and go and go. Bloggers have many other options to collaborate starting with making comments on each other’s blogs. Other alternatives that make for a long running diesel-engine like relationship are actions like interviewing one another either for your blog or for a teleseminar event, guest blogging for each other, joint radio show interviews, collaborating beyond the blog. About two years ago a blogger who I met in an online LinkedIn group, Jeannette Paladino, and I collaborated to co-author the free eBook you can still get on either my blog or hers, “Repairing the Elevator Pitch for You to Rise Up and Be Heard.” I must say, it’s a terrific eBook so grab it on either blog and you will find better reactions to your otherwise possibly self-centered elevator pitch.
Currently there are many other ways to get to spectacular: platforms with there is a central sharing of posts, installing CommentLuv or the like to increase awareness of the commenter’s blog, encouraging subscribers to your blog and installing buttons that make it easy to share your post.
All of these things and more make for a highly fine-tuned diesel engine relationship – and no it doesn’t take overnight.
Fizzle
Where things fizzle out is usually when only one person is both willing and committed, or moving the relationship along. About a year ago someone in my local community approached me about collaborating for a teleseminar event, which would lead off with – a couple of blog posts about the topic. Email after email after the first telephone call and it never got off the ground.
But more commonly what I see is where one blogger is checking off their action list – make comments, check. Tweet, Share, Like or otherwise create more awareness of another’s blog post, check. Creatively giving visibility to the commenter, check.
And the operative phrase is – one blogger. Successful diesel engine blogging with others has to be mutual – that is what helping each other through a collaborative venture means.
How do you think you can make a blogging collaboration a diesel-engine like experience? What do you see others doing that cause things to fizzle out?
In blogging, the bottle rocket approach maybe more of a crash and burn…or a flameout. Having the consistent and persistent approach of the diesel engine is what will give you the strength and stamina to stay in the game for the long haul.
Boy, I’m not sure where to start. First I would add one more “Gas Guzzler”. These are expensive relationships that take but give some but, generally give little in return.
To answer you’re question. I am always of the premiss that you give to receive, not as an expectation but as a normal course of events. I guess that would make me a diesel… :). Building a community of like minded people is hard work and not an overnight event. The rewards for that far exceed the effort overall.
The challenge is knowing who is welling to participate and who isn’t in building a relationship and becoming part of a like minded group. “Bottle Rockets” do, but they rarely sustain engagement. “Diesel Engines” are steady eddies and can be easily counted on when action is needed. “Gas Guzzler” are miserly with their engagement and give very little in effort.
Once we are aware of the active versus non participant, the question then becomes what are the next steps. Do we abandon the some relationships? Do we try to educate where I think it is appropriate? What course is appropriate? As a newbie in the blogosphere I am still pondering these questionsband continue to look for the answers. Thoughts?
People that do not comment and share back are really missing out. I know time is crucial but so much can happen. You can find some really good golden nuggets in many posts as well as learning new ways to market. I’ve learned so much just learning about other people, especially in business and this is some great advise for people that want to find creative ways to grow a business. Thanks for sharing Patricia. Another valuable post.
This is such a timely post. I am currently going through my list of those who take but do not give back and casting them away. I have limited time and I want to participate with those that participate back. Finding those blogger ‘friends’ and cultivating them is a much better way to invest my time.
I so agree. Great partnerships only work where every party is engaged and working towards the common goal. Whilst I understand that sometimes people have to take a backseat from time to time (let’s face it, life just happens to us while we aren’t looking!) thre has to be an overall commitment from everyone involved, and we’re all quite willing to hold the fort while someone has a crisis to deal with off line, aren’t we. The other sort are the free loaders, and I guess we’ve all know those!
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Patricia, I am stunned. This is awesome. Thank you so very much. I am one of the slow bloggers, maybe even slower than the diesel engine but I am sure that I will Improve. Thank you once again
Pat — our collaboration on the Elevator Speech e-book was so much fun. I got to know you better and I use the book as a subscriber incentive. I guess I’m a diesel because I’ve built so many relationships online with our great LinkedIn Bloggers Helping Bloggers Group (where we met). It is all about giving and if you do it will come back to you. Great post.
Collaboration online typically benefits everyone involved. All it takes is one good idea and a group of willing participants and then – wow – something amazing grows. Maybe we diesel engines are better equipped to collaborate simply because it’s in our nature. A bottle rocket is certainly exciting for a brief time but the diesel engine will get you where you need to go.
Susan I LOVE the gas guzzler!
Your questions:
Do we abandon the some relationships? <= as a big believer of energy, our personal energy, if you want to attract some of the better relationships, after due consideration, you may need to let go of the ones that aren't working. As long as you stay in or hold on to the ones that don't work, the less room you have to take in better ones.
Do we try to educate where I think it is appropriate? What course is appropriate? <= this works at the get go. Have the courage to discuss what works better. Some people really just don't no how to do things better.
Oh I’m LOVING the additional analogies – first the gas guzzler from Susan. Now the flameout from you!
These are creating the different variations of bloggers there really are.
You bring up a GREAT benefit of commenting: it’s about both supporting another blogger and learning! Learning nuggets that could be valuable for you.
Thanks!
Mandy and sometimes free loaders, the ones who come and go, are really hurting themselves. Thanks!
Paul it’s a good thing to be a diesel engine blogger! Hooray for you; you are already improved.
Geek Girl, it’s true: your best investment in time is to find the bloggers who are committed and put your time toward helping them!
Catherine, not everyone is committed. That’s one thing that makes people successful. My guess would be is that if you looked back a year or few from now to the online collaborators who stuck with it, THEY are the ones we’ll said prevailed!
Jeannette, I have to say, that was one of the most fun things I’ve done online. And your right, it’s because of the diesel engine approach to collaborative blogging.
Thanks Pat, I appreciate all that you do and your suggestions and thoughts, especially on how to manage non engagers. You’re the best. 🙂
Bob, but now you know better! TeeHee!
Thanks.
Pat,
Sadly, me thinks I’ve been a bottle rocket, blogging like a fiend but not taking time to comment on others’ blogs. I must repent. Great article.
I’m pretty sure I’m the Little Engine that Could. Or that Should. Or that Might. Or that Will Get Over that Hill, I will, I will!
I did a few interviews about a year ago – I should do more of those. I enjoy connecting with others.
Good commentary and ideas in this post.
Great visual with your Little Engine Leora! Yep; so like a diesel engine. Thanks.