In my former life, I used to be a huge fan of strategy games for the PC.
Building your bases, gathering resources and creating your own army to crush your enemy to bits and pieces.
Compared to most other games, you actually had to use your braincells in order to succeed !
Ever the geek, I’ve taken this strategic approach from gaming and applied it to the blogging aspect, and the glorious thing is – it works as well 
I believe that having your own conquest structure is the most effective way of
1)managing your precious, precious time
2)spreading your brand influence around the web galaxy
If you think it’s boring, your approach may be too serious. Invading the web with your blogger presence can be a strategic AND enjoyable ride.
This is how I do it:
Structure your writing time like a captain
- Warming up: Before I write any posts, I get my fingers moving by typing nonsense stories – it gets the creativity flowing and eliminates potential writer’s blog RIGHT on the spot !
- I write a minimum of 2 posts a day – one guest post and one for my blog. Writing every single day keeps the momentum going and improves my writing style and grammar dramatically (whoosh!)
- I time my writing in 25 minute chunks, enjoy a 5 min break and attack the next time segment. Working under a time pressure makes my focus laser-sharp.
Invade blogs like a sniper
- I never randomly visit blogs – I always have a goal in mind.
- I strategically visit 3 major types of blogs: Blogging, entrepreneurship, personal development. This way I make sure I learn new stuff and spread my brand on different places – high value all the way !
- I always make a meaningful comment and share the post. If I don’t enrich the blog with my visit, then I WASTED time.
- If a blog is exceptionally good – I go the contact page and make a specific, awesome compliment. Let great bloggers know they are doing magical work, NEVER take it for granted !
Network like a crusader with pure focus
- My main weapon of networking is Twitter – it’s the alpha and omega of my digital ruckus.
- I tweet other, valuable stuff about 90% of the time, and only leave 10% for my blog promotion. Pure self-promotion fells scammy, and your followers notice it.
- I add influential and/or rising bloggers to my Twitter group and monitor their tweets ( I need to know what’s happening at the front!)
- I co-created a group of like-minded bloggers and formed a secret alliance (whoo!) We support each other with ideas and criticism, and cross-promote each other’s stuff
- And that’s it my fellow digital crusaders. I breathe this strategy like Swiss mountain air – and by now it has become a daily ritual that sticks with me. If this sounds like work, it isn’t – pure fun is (and should always be) at the core of my actions.
What kind of person are you ? An online vagabond that cruises around or a digital strategist that “plans” his internet conquest ?
Tell me, I’m curious as heck !
Mars Dorian is a child of the internet and in mad love with creative branding. If you want to create a kick-ass brand, make your blog stand out and simply rock the online galaxy with your essence, go check out his website marsdorian.com and grab his RSS feed today !
The two things I found really interesting are the technique of typing random thoughts before writing posts and sharing articles from other sources in your social network.
I do become a digital vagabond sometimes, but eventually, I believe I can incorporate being a strategist through taking the advice you gave as well as the ones given by other people.
.-= Julius´s last blog ..Can Blind People See? =-.
Hey Julius,
yeah, writing random stuff first is an awesome method – if fires your creativity up !
And whatever works for you – use it. I luv the strategic approach, and I only go vagabonding on the weekends
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
This is exactly how you not only gear up for success, but get on people’s radar.
.-= Nathan Hangen – Digital Emperor´s last blog ..Podcast: You Don’t Need a Blog =-.
Hey Nathan,
Appearing on people’s radars is my main concern (next to creating awe-some content). I thought that producing cool stuff would be enough , but it seems to be so important to connect with influential people, just like in the real world.
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
I tend to do a similar attack on blogs, I go for business, personal branding and general blogs about blogging (like this one!). Good picture by the way.
.-= Jorgen Sundberg´s last blog ..Clarity is the Key to a Strong Personal Brand =-.
Hey Jorgen,
I like the word -attacks – I hope they’re inspiring attacks
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
Inspirational my friend, and I love the games analogy. As a former C&C master and Civ II addict I can relate. I have an ordered mind which thrived in strategy games and I too use similar approaches. Having said that, I do occasionally visit random blogs, but I don’t divert many tanks and infantry, I mean time and resources, into it.
.-= Mo “Mad Dog” Stoneskin´s last blog ..Delinquent child of Frankenstein =-.
Hey Mo
Good old C&C, man, I luved red alert 2 despite its crappy graphics
And visiting random blog is fine too, if you do it once in a while.
But like you said – you want to use your precious resources and place your infantry on the important spots
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
Some very cool tips in there. When do you find that you write best, morning or evening? I’ve been experimenting with this and I really like to write late at night for some reason.
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..Why I Cancelled My Account At The Chris Farrell Membership Site =-.
Hey Mike,
it depends, I used to write my magic at 2 am in the morning (!), but that wasn’t good quality in the long run – nowadays it’s early in the morning and or late afternoon.
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
Excellent post Mars.
I see a big weakness in my armor by not doing guest blog posts. I need to do more of them. Period. I will work toward that end.
I do want to be a strategist. Lone Rangers don’t make it very far in the online or offline world. Besides, it isn’t as fun of a ride either.
Brandon
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..Instant WordPress Training is LIVE! =-.
Hey Brandon,
strategy has such a boring tone – but if you approach it like a game (like I do) it’s pure fun !
I have really started doing guest posts a few weeks ago – and some people already say that I’m everywhere nowadays – talk about personal brand spreading and influence
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..Internet Marketer VS. Digital Crusader – Who Wins ? =-.
These are some brilliant tips Mars..!
I do want to be a digital vagabond…
!
Have a great day.