Super Bowl Secrets to Blogging Like a Champion

You know, I’ve never really been into football. I was a total fair-weathered fan of Da Bears this year. But as the Super Bowl approached, I found some surprising depth and respect for this game I had shunned for 38+ years.

Can Peyton, Rex and the rest of these boys teach us a thing or two about blogging?

You bet.

1. Always start out with a Bang!

   Wow, that first Bears play ROCKED! A touchdown on the kickoff - I think it was a Super Bowl first.

   It was also a lesson in headlines - always, always ALWAYS take the time to write a great headline. A few months back, two blog posts with the same content went up against each other head to head on Digg, I believe. One made it to the front page. The other went nowhere. The only difference? The headline.

   By the way, I frequently visit Brian’s Headline Templates when I get stuck. And I am starting up my own swipe file, just because this is such a critical component to blogging success.
   ~

2. Get your head in the game

   That first kickoff immediately got into the heads of the Colts (sadly it didn’t stay in their heads, but that’s another story…). In the next two plays, they were called on false starts - they were nervous and jittery.

   If your head isn’t in the blogging game, you’ll be worse off than that. There are too many talented bloggers out here who write from their hearts and with passion.

   If you can’t write with passion, you might as well stay on the bench. You can’t compete in the big game if you don’t love the sport.
   ~

3. Pray for Rain

   That dang slippery ball was all over the field yesterday. I lost track of the interceptions and turnovers in the first quarter.

   But no matter what, the Colts were able to turn it to their advantage.

   For new bloggers, keep posting, keep networking, keep doing the little things you KNOW you need to do to make your blog successful. If you let the rain stop you, you give up your chance at winning.

   No matter what happens with your blog, it will only succeed if you take the lemons and make lemonade - the strategy that enabled the Colts to win (dang it, anyway…)!
   ~

4. Give a little *Luv*

   What would a Super Bowl be without expensive commercials? Coke put togther an interesting and inspiring little animated piece about sharing the love.

   It was set to the tune of “Give a little love and it all comes back to you” - a jingle with heavy blogging implications.

   ‘Round here we call it “Link Love“. And if you spread it massively, eventually, it comes back.

   Massively.
   ~

5. BE someone

   In the pre-game show, CBS put together a clip on Chicago’s beloved “Sweetness”, Walter Payton.Walter’s greatness certainly came from his talent for the game. But he became a legend because of who he was as a person.

   A blog isn’t remembered so much by the individual posts. What makes or breaks a blog is how the person behind the blog shows up.

   Sweetness is still making an impact on Chicago, and he’s been gone for 7 years.

   How are you making an impact with your blog? How do you show up?
   ~

6. Consistency wins the game

   You should have seen poor Rex Grossman in the after-game press conference. The media ate him alive - and his face showed it.

   Although he’s young, Rex is also a gifted player, in his skills and in his willingness to learn. He knows he played a bit inconsistently this year (and a gazillion people are ready to remind him of this lest you think he forgot…)
   
   Being the optimist that I am, I can cut Rex a little slack. He was consistent enough to get to the Super Bowl. An accomplishment in and of itself.

   But to really get to the top, he will be licking his wounds and learning from his mistakes to be consistent - and take the big game next year - WE BELIEVE IN YOU, REX!
   ~

7. Standing the Test of Time

   I think my 12 year old looked at the TV a little cross-eyed when Prince came on for the half-time show. But the rest of us know that he is still one of the best musicians ever.

   The reason Prince was chosen is because his music has stood the test of time.

   Similarly, there are some kinds of posts that will always do well, ones that will continually draw readers, links and comments - true “Flagship Content“:

   List Posts
   How To Posts
   Top 10 Posts
   Tips
   FAQs
   
   

8. A great mentor is your greatest asset

   Besides being a landmark Super Bowl, our two African-American coaches had something else in common - a mentoring relationship shared earlier in their careers.

   Both of these humble and extremely likable men took it all this year - in stark contrast to Ditka, who’s healthy ego was his trademark.

   It’s no secret around here that I am a raving fan of Darren Rowse, blogging mentor to all of us. His work on ProBlogger has heavily influenced the fact that my blog is finally earning consistent revenue. And I’m honored to have the opportunity now to continue to pay it forward with my work here.

   My #1 blogging and business advice is to work with a coach, mentor or mastermind group - or simply read a lot of blogs to get the knowledge you need.

   I think Lovie would agree.

By the way, I’m doing a little social networking experiment here, and if you find this particular post Diggable, del.icio.us, or Bringr-able (or any traffic-driving site, really!!), would you please use these pretty little icons and help me promote this post? Thanks!