It’s kill or be killed in the blogosphere. It’s tough to stand out in an ocean of “influencers”. So what can you do to compete or, at least, survive?

• What is your blog’s intention? If it’s personal, don’t stress about the number of followers or re-tweets. It takes time, effort, and desire to truly compete with influential bloggers. It’s imperative to ask yourself whether you want to make the commitment.

• Blog if YOU want to – don’t force it. It’s a big mistake to write posts that just fill space. In the blogosphere, it’s quality over quantity. It’s not necessary to publish a post about every trend or piece of news.

• Follow trends but narrow your focus to something original. The more specific your blog is, the more people will be  interested in reading it. Furthermore, your blog will become an authority on its subject and gain a solid reputation.

• Give YOUR opinion and not a carbon-copy of someone else’s post. You must be unique or you’ll be lost in the sea of vanilla bloggers. Be controversial; Be funny; Be outlandish. Most importantly, be yourself. If your blog doesn’t parallel your own opinion then something horribly wrong occurred during the creation of your blog.

• INTERACT! Talk to people about your blog’s topic. Comment on their blog or even write a post detailing how your opinion differs. Use social networks to freakin’ network, that’s what they’re for, dammit! Link up with groups or find inspiration.

• Utilize web tools to optimize visibility and enhance your blog’s appearance, but don’t go overboard. Oddly enough, it’s exactly like those dumb Bud Light commercials (Bud Light – The Arrival. Don’t be too plain because it’s boring. Don’t go over-the-top because it takes the focus off your post and clutters the page.

Hopefully, you can cross all these tips off your proverbial checklist. They’re remedial and general common sense, but it’s important to remind yourself every now and then.

Good luck…and stay competitive.