The Comparison Dilemma

*Click to read the affiliate disclaimer*

(Last Updated On: )

I may have said the exact opposite at some point, but today I’m saying that I blog to create new income sources. I’ve got too many things going on to start new online hobbies that don’t better me in some sort of way. I’m aiming to have a portfolio of assets that improve my cashflow, prospects and future. That being the case, I’m torn on something: comparisons.

When you operate a website, whether you like it or not, you are in a competition with others that operate within the same niche as you. You may not like, not or even be aware of them, but you are competing against them. The battle is for eyeballs; traffic.

Every time you review something, you’re in a competition against them to rank the highest on Google. Every time you post something on Instagram, you’re fighting against everyone else that your followers follow that posted that day. And it goes on.

These friendly fights are going on constantly and, if you don’t attempt to better your chance at getting your content seen by the most people, you’re forfeiting the chance to come out on top.

In most competitions, you wouldn’t mind stepping over others, but it works a bit differently in the blogging world. As it’s a much more personal thing (or is seen to be) it’s frowned upon to see others around you as the opposition. Bringing a business-minded mentality is celebrated in every other aspect of blogging apart from this.

When I’m making ecommerce sites, full-blown affiliate-driven sites and whatnot, I’ll always start off with a spreadsheet laying out key details about the strengths and weaknesses of those in that niche. The unfortunate reality is that if you want to consistently win at blogging, you’ve got to do the same here.

The reason why you need to especially careful with this with blogging is because it goes beyond just what you’re posting on your actual site; you can be comparing yourself to someone else’s actual life. It didn’t used to be like this, but since a social media presence was seen as a mandatory addition to your promotion strategy, we’re forced to compare ourselves to people with completely different circumstances to us.

If we’re out here caring about the house that your blogging foe has, it’s gone too far.

The reason I gave up on comparisons beyond an actual website (which I have the resources to compete with) is because I don’t need another reminder that I’m in a sphere where no one looks like me, many grew up with resources on another level as mine, and they don’t face the kinds of personal circumstances that I do. I’m over that. In every other respect, I’ll lick off headtops.