Lauren,

Interesting post. I guess I don't see the competitiveness, but I long ago accepted that my blog wasn't going to get much bigger, wasn't going to be popular with everyone, and I wasn't going to become a pro-blogger. I'm also not as tightly integrated into the Gen Y community anymore, so that actually helps quite a bit - less drama.

I think blogging is as competitive as you make it. Once I took a step back, I realized there's nothing to compete over. There's no prize - no cash reward - not even brownie points - to the person who gets the most traffic, the most comments, or writes the most often. When you figure that out, you start to realize, "Let them compete. I have my business to run. I have my career to run. I have my goals to achieve. Etc."

We can run circles around each other trying to be the best - or we can go out and actually accomplish our goals. My blog does the worst when I'm off doing something important. If my blog is doing well for any reason other than word of mouth "luv" I basically take it as a sign that I have too much time on my hands or I'm trying too hard to make people pay attention to what I'm saying and it doesn't resonate with them.

Maybe I'm just tired of the snarky comments directed at me, as well as people that seem to be complaining to me constantly of "Why do they get more comments than me? I'm a better/smarter/more awesome writer!"

It's lame. People should blog because they want to, not because of some type of validation. I love all your points M - its right on target with what I've been thinking - especially with going out and trying to accomplish your goals.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! :)

I completely agree- Twitter's great for sharing articles and discovering new blogs, but it has gotten way too competitive. I look forward to your recap, but I think it would be good to include some blogs you are reading for the first time. Part of the competitiveness stems from the popularity of certain blogs- I'm not saying those blogs don't deserve it, but there may be other out there that have great content but may not have the same reach (yet!)

That's exactly what caused me to take a step back. Dave and I were talking last night during u30pro how our digest sometimes features the same voice - and we don't want that. It's not what we are about.

I'm hoping that people will suggest blogs to me, as well as what I'm seeking out. Instead of planning out posts, I'm going to be Googling and reaching out.

I think this is great, Lauren!

And I promise, I will *not* be offended if you don't post the one I already sent you! :)

I embrace change & I'm looking forward to the new model for your blog!!!

<3

Well, it will only be happening for a week - and I think it will also give me time to re-group and figure out why this is going on. :)

Thanks KT!

I think it's pretty cool that you're doing this. While blogging is definitely getting more competitive, the blogosphere is also getting overly saturated with content.

People are churning out more and more content, and it is more difficult than ever to find the best content. The best bloggers (like yourself) are going to be the ones who not only write great content, but help to find and spotlight the best content from around the web. What you're doing is definitely the first step in that processes.

I'm really excited to see what you find out there!

That's how it was for me. I cut down my blogroll, really tried to absorb what I could - but its as if content is just being pushed out to be pushed out. As if because you don't blog, you'll fall behind. It's not what I'm about. Everything I publish I believe in - the message, the quality. It's a big reason why I have contributors, series and guest posts.

I love that you're doing this. It's a cool idea that people should learn from. I think it'll be great for you to get back to some core values--learning, engaging, and sharing information--while letting you really be the best at what you do.

Go girl.

LB

Priorities should always be evaluated, and goals should always be set - especially new ones. I am constantly trying to be better, because there is always something else out there.

Learning helps a lot with that.

Interesting concept, Lauren. As a new blogger, I found the well-established bloggers to be intimidating. It is definitely hard for new people to break in to the environment, and with so much self-promotion on blogs and Twitter it is even more difficult. Great idea for checking out new blogs and posting recaps on your own. We should all do more to promote undiscovered/lesser known great individuals and their ideas.

That's one of the main reasons I was hesitant to even start a blog in the first place. This space is intimidating, and many are trying to make a name for themselves. I really think that to make a name for yourself, you have to help others along the way. It's a domino effect.

K, first I love that you created a plan for yourself. Totally helps with facing down the extreme demons of competition (ain't a bad thing to keep some of 'em around, right?).

Honestly, this is why I've kind of laid low lately (not just blogging, though, but online engagement in general). I was spending much more time seeking validation from others than actually writing and contributing in a valuable way. And it's okay to want to produce good content and have people laud you for it, but it's important to step back every now and then and reevaluate how and what you're contributing and whether what you're doing is as valuable as it can be for you and your readers/followers.

Sometimes we just have to reset our systems, and I think your idea is awesome. Let us know how the change in blogging/info consumption goes! :)

Exactly what I've been feeling this week. I'm always evaluating myself on a personal and professional level, so this kind of stuff makes sense to me.

I was spending time seeking validation too - but for what, I'm not sure. Is it because we are more behind the scenes in our profession? I think PR people are competitive in general, but there has to be a line somewhere.

Can't wait to chat more on this T!

No update this week from LAF? Looks like this is the opportunity I've been looking for. Your readers are mine! :-)

In all seriousness, though, this competition spurred on by the dream of easy money has definitely hurt the internet in general. Everything originated as an open forum for individuals to acquire & disseminate information. The greedy nature of capitalism does not combine well with such an altruistically-based medium.

I'm sure they would love to read your content! :)

Are people making money off blogging though? I've noticed it's more of an "I need validation" and "want to feel that im better than you" type mentality, rather than money.

What do you think?

This is so sad but true. I really hate that blogging is competitive because it is the opposite reason of why I blog. Good for you for calling people out on it! It's important to remember the engagement part, because that is one of the most beneficial things that people can get out of blogging in the first place :)

It wasn't really a call out - more of a reaffirmation of why I do what I do. I blog because I'm passionate about my industry and writing - not because I want to beat someone on a list or recognition. Do I compare myself to other bloggers? Of course, its what makes me better.

I cannot tell you how well timed this is L - Our conversation yesterday REALLY hit home with me. This scene has gotten SO competitive, but do you know why? I don't...at all. I don't understand what the point of competing is. Do I want to get people to my blog? Sure, I'd love to keep growing, I'd love to get recognized by a book publisher for a book deal, but whatever - through it all - our "Gen Y" community has lost touch of what matters most - writing. Passionate writing for the love of the medium.

2010 is going to be a "back to basics" year for me. I'm not concerned with writing about buzzworthy topics, or debating Social Media trends - I want to write as a release for myself, as a means of learning and personal growth, as a way to genuinely communicate and build relationships with other human beings. That's what it's ALL about for me.

I'm unplugging this weekend myself. I'm going to do some writing (not on the computer - on sheets of paper) and a lot of thinking. Damn of the year always brings about reflection, huh? Let's take a deep breath, step back, and then you and I will have to set up a time to chat next week.

I've always been pretty laid-back, which is the reason I went into PR. I'm organized and detail-oriented, and I've never been about me. It's always other people first.

Blogging has pushed me to a whole new level - but I need to get back to why I started.

Unplugging is something I have on the agenda too.

Thanks for the great convo yesterday M.

I think things get as competitive as you allow them to. I'm not sure anything is more competitive now than it was a year ago. There will always be those that self promote themselves all day long, those looking to make a zillion dollars, those that write for the sake of writing, those that love a good discussion, etc.

I think it's a matter of who you want to play with. I'm reminded of a lyric from a favorite Kid Rock song of mine (Only God Knows Why) - "You get what you put in, and people get what they deserve."

I think you're right.... to a point. I've had several people make snarky comments over the past few weeks that echo "My traffic is better than yours" and well, I'm sensitive. I need a thicker skin. It's something I know I have to work on, but at the same time, I want to make sure I have the most genuine people on my radar.

I'm a little late on this post but I agree with kristingast. I am also new to the blogging world and it's a very intimidating place to be. Having to constantly come up with relevant and interesting content while competing with the "big boys" (and girls) is hard.
I look forward to seeing which new voices you find.

I agree that it is intimidating - and I always say I couldn't be where I am without the support of my friends. They were the ones promoting me and commenting - as well as encouraging my writing.

I'm hoping by reaching out and finding new blogs that I will be doing the same.

It's always good to take some time to reflect on what you're doing and why. I was very hung up on my blog earlier this year and worried that I was "doing it wrong." In the past few months as my client work has intensified, I've been able to devote less time to my blog. I've gone from 3 posts a week to 1, and sometimes I have to push myself to do even that. But I do feel as though the posts I am writing are more targeted and some of my better posts. I've stopped worrying about the number of comments and hits. It's so liberating. Good luck with your experiment next week!

Lot's of ego's carry over to social media despite the fact that social media is supposed to be 'social,' Lauren.

It definitely feels competitive sometimes. I always try to remind myself why I started blogging - to help myself grow as a professional and to share information. When people started reading and commenting on it, I realized I had found a niche. So I kept blogging and now I try to share as much knowledge and ideas as I can.

I've gotten the snarky comments too. It's annoying. But, you just have to shake them off and realize that these people are either jealous or insecure.