Written on October 4th, 2008 at 06:10 am by Darren Rowse
Timothy Ferriss vs Gary Vaynerchuk – Two Approaches to Successful Blogging
One of the things I love about the blogging community is how there’s such a diversity of approaches being tried by successful bloggers in their pursuits.
Take for instance two well known bloggers – Timothy Ferriss and Gary Vaynerchuk. Both take different approaches but both have been very successful in building strong online presence.
Timothy is famous for his book The 4-Hour Workweek a book looking at the simplification of life, outsourcing and focusing upon the important tasks at hand. Tim certainly works hard for his money but his approach is certainly a little different to Gary’s.
For example Tim has written here at ProBlogger about how he finds that posting every 4-6 days on his blog is enough (and actually beneficial).
On the other hand Gary Vaynerchuck’s inspirational keynote at Blog World Expo showed a different approach with a guy working massive hours, arguing that you should respond to every single email you get and that you need to be producing content every day.
Both of these guys have built successful businesses and great online presences through their blogging and social media (and I’m sure that there are some similarities between them also ) but both have done it differently.
To me this is encouraging. There are not ‘formulas’ and there is room for a diversity of approaches!
Which bloggers approach do you resonate with most – Gary or Tim?
Tags: Gary Veynerchuk, successful blogging, Timothy Ferriss
103 Responses to “Timothy Ferriss vs Gary Vaynerchuk – Two Approaches to Successful Blogging” - Add Yours
Sid Savara
October 4th, 2008 6:32 am
I’m definitely more on the side of Tim – though I do try to respond to comments when I can, on weekends typically.
I’m probably a bit biased to begin with though: I’ve been trying various strategies for outsourcing my work and increasing my free time for a long time, and I loved Tim’s book when I bought it.
From a reader perspective, I also prefer blogs that post less often, and make each post worth reading. Otherwise, I end up skimming the posts.
Four20
October 4th, 2008 6:37 am
I agree with Gary all the way. . .though I must say I’m pretty jealous of Tim’s success.
Andy @ Retire at 40
October 4th, 2008 6:37 am
I think you have to be privileged to have a blog in which you only have to post every 4 to 6 days. In which case I’d say the majority, like me, tend to put a lot of hours into it – writing posts, commenting, auditing etc
Maybe in the future when you blog is established, you might be able to reduce your posting rate but until that happens, you have to work hard at it.
Amber Riviere
October 4th, 2008 6:43 am
I love this (and hate it). Even though there are times when I wish there were formulas to follow, and it can be frustrating not knowing what to do, it’s encouraging to think that it’s possible to just be yourself and succeed.
Justin Wright
October 4th, 2008 6:48 am
I find myself being mostly on Gary’s side. I tend to work really hard on my blog and like writing a posts at least 4 times a week. I travel a lot so I usually like to write about my adventures and it would be hard to sum them up into a weekly post.
The cool thing is, there is no right way to go about blogging. I have seen people try all sorts of methods with a lot of success. If it were as simple as following the directions everyone would be doing it.
Just be unique, work hard at it, and stay motivated until you find success. It’s all a matter of persistence in the end…
CoolProducts
October 4th, 2008 6:51 am
I like Gary’s approach best. I feel that a blogger should be as dedicated and up to date with their blog as can be. This does not mean spamming post after post, but update readers with a well thought out post once or twice a day. Once every 4-6 days just doesn’t seem enough to keep a really dedicated crowd since most will move on. But this is just my two cents worth.
Angela (Cottage Magpie)
October 4th, 2008 6:55 am
Definitely Tim, though I find that posting a little more often (2-3x a week) seems to work best for me. In fact, I’ve found that if I post every day, I make less money on ads.
With responding to comments, I find that it has the most impact with new readers or when people ask questions — I tend to establish more loyalty sooner. But with established readers, I find it more effective to not respond to every one, and sometimes respond by commenting on their blog. In fact, when I was responding to every comment, some people have told me that they felt uncomfortable commenting because they know they’re going to take up my time with an answer.
However, I definitely want to learn to outsource more. Making more with less is a theme I work toward.
~Angela :-)
Donovan Glass
October 4th, 2008 6:59 am
It depends what mood I’m in. If I’m really enjoying writing on my blogs daily, then I do that. Otherwise, I follow Tim’s route.
Steven-Sanders
October 4th, 2008 6:59 am
Tim also doesn’t follow anyone on Twitter. Kind of crazy, but it’s working for him because he actually meets alot of people in person.
Gary is all about meeting everyone he can in person too.
Probably good rule of thumb. Make it your mission to meet everyone in the world. And care about others. It’ll take you far.
Gary Vaynerchuk
October 4th, 2008 7:00 am
I am with tim ;) JK that being said its like my DNA video on my site…..IT’s all about being you, don’t be Tim or Gary be YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is where the Sh*t gets exciting, you know why? Cause it’s easy being you ;)
PT
October 4th, 2008 7:00 am
I like Tim’s message, but didn’t his online success come from the book? Gary’s building his success through his online efforts.
I see Tim’s approach as a good maintenance method. To get to where he’s at though, you must work like Gary, or write a successful book.
I think Gary could quit and work as hard as Tim now though. Doesn’t seem to be his personality though. He’s the type that needs to stay busy.
Ryan Moede
October 4th, 2008 7:02 am
I love Gary’s style, but I also know that for me it’s just not sustainable. I think a lot of us would want to rock it 24/7 like him, but need to go for a more manageable approach.
The cool thing though is that there really isn’t a right or wrong way to publish. As long as you’ve developed content and a style that your readers enjoy and meets your own personal (or business) goals, that’s all that matters.
Karen Putz / DeafMom
October 4th, 2008 7:02 am
I’m like Tim, but I’d like to be more like Gary. :)
Lacy Kemp
October 4th, 2008 7:03 am
As much as I try to post every day, it just doesn’t always happen. I definitely think it’s important to be in contact with your readers, and that alone can be a full time job.
Kris Colvin
October 4th, 2008 7:04 am
I don’t know Tim as a person at all, and have only seen limited coverage of him precisely because I cannot relate to a 4-Hour Work Week. If I did that, I’d make like $400 a week or less, because right now if I’m not working at my computer, I’m not earning. (I am working on changing that by creating products, but that just adds more hours in front of the Mac.) Lots of people are not in a current position to be earning while not working, and for that reason, Gary resonates a lot with me and meets my needs better as a business-coach-from-afar.
But… it actually goes much deeper than his belief in hustling and working a ton – he resonates more with me as a person. I was a bit, umm, off-put by something I read regarding an upcoming conference where Tim said he’d only attend if another famous person was there with him, whereas Gary confirmed and said he’d love to be there and meet everyone. This is not a conference on one of the coasts that will be packed with technology’s rich, well-known and famous. That’s why Gary Vaynerchuk is the best role model for me – it’s not the HOURS he puts in or doesn’t, it’s his attitude. And his attitude is very inspirational.
Tony Rose
October 4th, 2008 7:05 am
I think that Gary’s approach is more effective. Many of the blogs I visit that have excellent rankings are posting at least once a day.
The key is to be delivering good content and not just a post a day for the sake of posting.
Brandie Kajino
October 4th, 2008 7:06 am
I like Tim’s approach. I also think he defines “success” a little differently than the traditional way. I think our own definition of success will (sometimes) dictate how many hours you’ll work. More hours doesn’t always mean more success, and in some cases can make burnout a sure outcome. ;)
Warren Kelly
October 4th, 2008 7:07 am
Right now I’m following Tim’s approach. Of course, it isn’t working for me, so I’m trying to shift gears and get closer to Gary’s.
Ed Shaz/NextInstinct
October 4th, 2008 7:15 am
I say we drink wine hard for 4 hours per week and work hard the rest.
Nah, who can say?
One day when I was a young kid, my grandfather was
quietly observing me, [the youngest in the clan],
watching older brothers and cousins
at play, at ‘work’, at planning play and work.
I must have looked confused because we didn’t have to talk
about what I was struggling with;
‘which of these many ways is right?’
He held up my small hand to my face, just far enough away
for focus, wiggled my fingertips, and said;
“Which two are alike?”
“None Grandpa?”
“That’s right” he said pointing to a perfect grapevine arbor.
“But every one of them does a great job helping me”
“No two are alike, each is one of a kind. In this way
you are all different and must decide;
which ‘what’ works for your ‘who’ ”
Studying successful dudes like Tim and Gary
is a wonderful way to grasp reality; these guys are,
as they used to say ’self-actualizing’.
They are converting their energies and talents into mattering,
standing out, and prospering for it, amidst nearly
6,000,000,000 people who aren’t.
Each has their own chemistry.
4 hour weeks [not really]
and 4 tasks per minute [not really]
You’ll know yours when when you feel mostly contented
from your day’s productivity, days in a row.
Then you’ll tweak, get even better, get bored, and
need a new high of accomplishment level.
Or you’ll be able to chill, and that’s right for you.
Philip McCluskey
October 4th, 2008 7:16 am
Lets see, travel the world and do everything that you always wanted in life… or work massive amounts of hours daily…
I vote Tim
Mihai
October 4th, 2008 7:16 am
I think I’m more like Gary but I try to be more like Tim… well maybe not so hard as I should :) …. but maybe I shouldn’t even try.
chrispian
October 4th, 2008 7:17 am
I talked to Brandon and others about Tim’s approach while at BWE this year. It seems to me the guy is always working, he’s just outsourced all the mundane tasks. He’s still speaking, promoting his book and giving lots of great energy to what he believes in. Gary’s doing the same thing but he’s still doing a lot of the personal interaction instead of outsourcing it. Granted that won’t scale very well.
They both have what’s really important though: passion.
Chris
October 4th, 2008 7:25 am
I’d like to think that I’m more Tim’s style, but I think to have his blogging frequency and readership you need to have his ‘celebrity’ and presence (he is a PR machine)
Question is Darren where do you fit? Somewhere between the two?
Great thought provoking post and comments as always!
Dominick
October 4th, 2008 7:30 am
I am more like Gary. I work long hours. I try to blog daily if possible. I respond to nearly every email. I try to answer as many comments as I can. On one of my websites, it is quite hard to do so though. We give away free DVDs, Books, CDs, Games, Kids Toys, etc. Mainly DVDs though. I can’t respond to the hundreds who enter those contests. I’d be saying “thanks for entering” to every post and it’d waste way too much time! If someone posts another type of comment though, I definitely post back to them.
grechen
October 4th, 2008 7:38 am
i struggle with this constantly. and blogging every day, several times a day, always wins. but i run three separate blogs, so even if i don’t blog at each site every day, i’m definitely blogging somewhere. i do also feel internal pressure that if i don’t post something at each site everyday, i’m not doing my job. right or wrong, that’s how i feel. i definitely agree with @coolproducts – if a blog I VISIT doesn’t update every day, or every other day, i quit visiting. i’m constantly looking for something new & useful.
Linda F. - The Renegade Writer
October 4th, 2008 7:41 am
I’m definitely with Tim: I try to post two to three times per week, with one or two long, well thought-out posts and one short newsy post, contest, etc. I am finding, however, that the more my co-author and I post, the more unique visits we get. And I’m a fairly inexperienced blogger, so maybe I’m going about this all wrong!
Stephanie Quilao
October 4th, 2008 7:43 am
I’m more like Gary where my blog is my business (main revenue stream). To play the A-game on the web, you have to consistently be posting and participating in community. I also feel I can relate to him more because he started blogging at ground zero like I did, and he has answered my emails or Twitters. The fact that Tim doesn’t follow anyone on Twitter comes off a bit, “I’m amongst you, but I’m not with you.”
Tim came out with a book that became a worldwide best seller so that helped him garnish lots of publicity in the web to help him gain momentum for his blog right away. The book gave him an instant audience, and awesome for him. Did he even have an active blog before the book came out? That would be interesting to know. His archives as far as I can find on the current blog go back only to when the book came out.
I’d like to hear war blog stories from Tim like, “I remember when I’d pump out post after post and only 20 people would come visit me and I made $5 a month on AdSense…” Gary shares lots of his blog war stories and that makes me feel more like he knows my pains and glories. I wish though to someday have some of Tim’s book success. I bought the book, and it is very useful.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy
October 4th, 2008 7:44 am
I agree that there is no ONE right way to be successful. There are many approaches and you have to figure out what works best for you. Tim has a book to fuel his blog visits, and his blog is not there to make money by getting a consistant flow of visitors to click on ads…he’s just suplementing his book and drawing new people in to his site to learn about his book. That’s how he’s able to get away with sporadic posts. Plus, he’s able to make each post REALLY content rich by posting every so often.
L-Jay
October 4th, 2008 7:52 am
I want to have Tim’s approach but I’m affraid I’m using Gary’s approach for the time being. But hopefully I will get my life back soon. The reason why I started blogging is so I could have more time for family – silly me!
Ruchir Chawdhry
October 4th, 2008 7:54 am
Timothy Ferris all the way…
Gary McElwain
October 4th, 2008 8:19 am
My approach right now is more reminiscent of Gary’s style.
Although posting everyday can be a real challenge. I believe everyone would prefer to work the Timm Ferris workweek.
But till then I will keep moving forward
Gary McElwain
Ron Pereira
October 4th, 2008 8:27 am
Personally, while I am sure he is a nice guy, I think Tim Ferris is a terrible role model… especially for young people.
He recommends outsourcing everything – including buying flowers for your wife when you screw up at home. Give me a freaking break.
That may be a nice goal for most… especially those that don’t want to work for a living.
But what about the school teacher making $30k year while working 60 hours per week teaching our kids. Does Ferris expect her to outsource this?
What about the car mechanic busting his tail 55 hours a week turning a wrench and busting his knuckles. I suppose this is not honorable enough for Mr. Ferris… except when he needs his big car fixed.
Further, as much speaking and the like Ferris seems to do I find it hard to believe that he works 4 hours per week.
But I’ll give him credit for this… he is an expert marketer. After all, I bought his book.
With this said, I am all about Gary’s approach of “working your face off.” In the end, I think Ferris is too even if he preaches something totally different.
Jared Goralnick
October 4th, 2008 8:42 am
Gary doesn’t need to work his face off now the way he used to…but he still does. Tim put in a lot more hours into his blog and social media when he was building an audience. So a bit of this issue is really a question of where you are in your blog’s life cycle: if you want rapid growth (”to make a splash”), both quantity and quality are valuable. If you want stasis/maintenance or steady growth, you don’t need that kind of volume.
I’m much more of a fan of Tim’s approach than Gary’s in terms of time management. Gary is an inspiration in customer service, and Tim an inspiration in valuing your time and using it wisely. I know both of them and really enjoy both their lessons.
But for most of us they’re almost like character foils–most of us will never work 4 hour work-weeks or have half the energy of Gary. But seeing them and recognizing that they are in fact “real” and great people, you can see a different way of life–for blogging or for just finding a way of living.
So while this post is in an interesting question for fodder, I don’t think any of us will be Vaynerchuk’s or Ferriss’s. That’s okay.
The more important lesson–care about your customers…while valuing your own time and using it wisely.
Neil Bergh
October 4th, 2008 8:45 am
I think the optimal strategy is somewhere in between. A serious blog should post every day I think, but answering everything by yourself on a huge blog like that seems lika an inefficient use of your time.
izzat
October 4th, 2008 9:17 am
there is so many ways to sucess, it depend on how we take the way.. even how good the way is but we lazy and whatever negative manner (Like me) no way gonna be good at anything.. especially blogging.. and i never.. sigh
Hamdani Amin
October 4th, 2008 11:38 am
I am more inclined toward both styles.
I think and felt responsible to give my reader as much value as possible that why I write and post daily.
At the same time, those task that interfere with this task, as much as possible I will outsources.
Of course my readership still small (about 16 subscribers) but they’re so valuable.
T.S. Ackerman
October 4th, 2008 12:58 pm
Doesn’t the frequency of posting depend on the subject matter? If you’re talking about current events, you have to stay on top of current events and post quite regularly. But if you’re waxing philosophical on deep themes in life, then you can post once or twice a week, especially after you’ve got a couple hundred posts on your site, all with good SE presence due to links, keywords, etc.
Just some thoughts to help with strategy for beginning and growing a blog.
Michael Martine - Remarkablogger
October 4th, 2008 1:23 pm
I was going to say this but then Gary V said it: Be yourself. If there was a formula, that would be it, except it’s no formula at all in the way most people think of it.
You can’t be yourself until you know yourself.
Darren Alff - Bicycle Touring Pro
October 4th, 2008 1:58 pm
I think Gary’s approach is best when you are just getting started. But I think Tim’s approach is better in the long run.
I think Tim’s blog gained much of its success because of his book, but more bloggers don’t have that kind of media exposure to really launch their blogs… and so this is where I see Gary’s approach being more valid for the majority of bloggers.
United Voices
October 4th, 2008 2:30 pm
Well, for me i’m more experimental person. If anything works for you then that formula should be applied from time to time. If any other formula work for quite a good percentage then why discard it?
Both Timothy and Gary is good for me.
Lance
October 4th, 2008 2:40 pm
I would actually LOVE to blog every single day and produce 7+ post per day per blog, but I run out of “creative” gas and can’t do it. Right now I’m at 3-4 posts per week, with 1 or 2 posts being longer and more in-depth, while the others are “easy” posts, like a quick review and a video.
I’ve never looked at Gary’s site, but I think Tim’s is terrific. I’m perfectly happy reading him every 4 days or more.
jim
October 4th, 2008 3:11 pm
I like Gary’s approach but the one thing a lot of people look over about Tim is that he worked his ass off to get his business to the point where he could simplify his life.
I’m all about hustle though, even if I get it to the point where I’d coast… I’d push it even harder so I could get more. Plus, Gary Vee is a Jets fan, can’t disagree with a fellow Jets fan.
Luke Harvey-Palmer
October 4th, 2008 3:33 pm
Ah, interesting article…but be careful here. Why would a guy whose personal brand is ‘work less, earn more’ advocate blogging every day and working your coit off online like Gary? I can assure you that Tim does more than this, but will not tell anyone how much…it would destroy the myth! This aside, I like both approaches – as both have taken very different approaches to brand building. I love Gary’s video heavy style, but also like Tims’ inspirational “Live the Life you Love’ kind of approach…you asked for a decision, so Tim for me! I personally post 3-4 times a week, and know I should do more, but I am not a professional blogger, and I spend more time building my brand offline than online!
Jaseem Umer
October 4th, 2008 3:34 pm
I am with the Tony Robbins.
Don’t generalize anything. Learn techniques from everyone and mix them carefully to make a better one.
Gary and Tim have done great work, but we can’t copy their strategy completely. That won’t lead to success. We have to make our strategy by taking certain properties from their strategy. Still, trial and error!
Kok Choon
October 4th, 2008 4:10 pm
There is no right or wrong, or which is the better approach, as long as the method works and it suite your style, that’s the best method!
Eventually we all gonna have our ways of blogging, no matter which method we start learning from!
All different types of strategies will come back to the same and basic principle, we just need to follow the basics…
Patrick Britton
October 4th, 2008 4:13 pm
I try to write at least three articles a day and typically respond to every comment and email. For my site to grow I feel I have to increase content and keep in touch with my readers.
When I first started blogging I wrote three articles a day. It was very taxing and because I was so new the response was daunting and I ended up knocking it down to one a day and sometimes less. I kept on this track for quite awhile but my states grew very slowly. They did start to jump but it just wasn’t enough.
Just recently I started writing substantially more. The formula seems to be that you start off just to get into the market and once you are visible to ramp it up. I’m sure it depends on you niche but the more content for some the better. Not all. If it’s deep and thoughtful posts that aren’t news related I’m sure you can get away with only a couple a week. Anything news related you better get ready to write your brains out.
Dilip Shaw
October 4th, 2008 5:34 pm
For me it’s Quality over Quantity.
Jani
October 4th, 2008 6:17 pm
I agree with Andy, you must have some content up there before you can slow down, otherwise your blog will grow much more slowly.
And I really like Gary’s approach on how to handle the readers. Amazing.
Saurabh
October 4th, 2008 6:59 pm
Both quality and quantity is an important thing. If you write qualified material but you do it once in a month, then it is unbenificial.
Saurabh
October 4th, 2008 7:01 pm
Quality and Quantity, both are necessary.
If you write qualified material but you do it once in a month, then your readership will be less and you can’t become successful in blogging.
ian david chapman
October 4th, 2008 7:11 pm
I write every day but I choose not to publish everything I write. As my blogging strategy uses a combined social media aproach and is directly imported into Facebook, If I want to get maximum value from each post I need a gap between them. People start to look forward to my next article because I can consistently produce interesting and most often cutting edge content. The value of each post is then increased by the community of regular commenters who can contribute directly on my blog or on my facebook notes. Facebook notes push out into your friends newsfeeds so as I get more comments this automatically pulls in more readers to my blog. Its like a viral feedback loop.
Using this stratgey there are optimal times to publish to get the most viral impact. Weekends tend to be much less effective than weekdays, So I post stratgeically
If I posted every day like Gary does I wouldn’t have time to circulate the traffic on each post effectively. This method works. I took my first blogger blog to an alexa ranking of 290,000 in 3 months and my current blog is at 500,000 after one month.
By writing every day I have a choice what to publish and a collection of articles that I can use at a later date should my creativity fluctuate
Sometimes I write 4 or 5 times a week but most times it avearages every 4 days at the moments
Moise levi
October 4th, 2008 8:23 pm
Both of them have given me quality instruction.
Richard Farrar
October 4th, 2008 10:44 pm
I haven’t read Gary’s blog, so can’t comment, but do like Tim’s.
A quality detailed post once a week is probably what I prefer in today’s society of information overload.
Value For Your LIfe
October 4th, 2008 10:53 pm
I can identify more with Tim’s approach to blogging. For me it’s more about quality that quantity. With a full time job, and a long commute, I only post every 4-6 days as well. My blog is still growing, perhaps not as fast as it could be, but that’s fine with me. I’d rather give my readers my absolute best, even if it is less frequently than some other bloggers. I think we all have to try to find that induvidual balance, and do the best we can with what we have to work with!
Sincerely,
Amanda
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work
October 4th, 2008 11:03 pm
Tim. I couldn’t even imagine working as hard as Gary does. My life is not all about my blog. My blog is a small but delightful corner of my life.
Really though each of us needs to blaze our own trail.
Barry
October 4th, 2008 11:04 pm
I can say this with certainty:
1. Some days I don’t read posts from my favorite blogs at all.
2. Some days I read them all.
3. I read each of Tim Ferriss’ posts.
Why is this? The mix of post frequency and direct applicability determines for me what Richard Farrar correctly identified above as ‘information overload.’
I know I can always go back and read missed posts, but by the time I’m ready to, so many new posts have been missed.
Such is my experience as blog reader. Am I much different than most of our readers? Probably not.
Deontée Gordon
October 4th, 2008 11:54 pm
I, too, noticed their very different approaches to the same goal. But, it’s quite clear that they both share one of — if not, THE main ingredient: PASSION!
Andy - Mr MultiVar
October 5th, 2008 12:10 am
Tim, since he is not obsessed about blogging.
Carol White Llewellyn a.k.a. The Travel Maven
October 5th, 2008 12:31 am
I began blogging just a month ago and am still learning the blogging ropes, but I’ve noticed a direct correlation between frequency of posts and the amount of traffic I get.
SparklyDiva
October 5th, 2008 12:52 am
As a newbie, I have to go with Gary. And it doesn’t hurt to develop a work ethic, and then progress into Tim’s style.
Daniel Kemp
October 5th, 2008 1:07 am
I think that each person is going after different people. You cant sell a book about relaxing when you are rushing everywhere to talk about wine.
I think if you do Gary’s hustling in the beginning then the sooner you can do Timothy’s relaxing.
Gary Vaynerchuk
October 5th, 2008 2:20 am
Hey D Rowse…….U know what I think? I think you have some pretty awesome and bright readers :) I hope they all “kill it”
Bartosz Zajaczkowski
October 5th, 2008 3:03 am
Well… personally I prefer and use Tim’s method. I’m busy, my readers are busy… I think bombing them continuesly with new and new reading material is too much for me and for them. As some people stated above… if blogging is an exciting addition to your life (and not main resource of money), there is only one way… Tim’s.
Regards! :)
Jon Rognerud
October 5th, 2008 3:16 am
As an author, consultant and blogger (Entrepreneur Magazine) myself — I wish I had known about Tim’s book earlier! The smart and detailed, step-by-step approach on outsourcing, delegating and essentially “working smart” (on steroids!) – just really struck a chord. Love Gary’s awesome energy too though – just less of my style these days – especially with 3 small kids at home, I attend to that myself. I have been delegating and outsourcing from Tim’s inspirational book, and my firm has grown to 12 people just this year.
Rog on! http://www.twitter.com/jonrognerud
Cheers.
SubSun Cavano
October 5th, 2008 3:50 am
I think it really comes down to consistency; be consistent so your readers build expectations, and then be consistent to give your readers what they expect (and occasionally a little more). So long as you don’t give your readers less than what they’re used to, they’ll happily keep coming back.
It’s just like how you still hang out with that friend who’s ALWAYS late. You’re not even ticked off when (s)he is, unlike when the people who you expect to be on time delay you by being late.
Referáty
October 5th, 2008 4:16 am
Gary is my GOD. He is king :)
methode
October 5th, 2008 5:04 am
This is interesting read. I think both of you are right.
1st: producing every-day content is good for the regular users, they don’t go to John Doe’s blog to read what you didn’t publish and since you answer each e-mail and comment, you form a tight relation with your visitors. But it’s extremely time consuming.
2nd: I noticed that if you post only a few articles, you get more organic user? I mean, maybe I just made something wrong, but there are weeks when I simply don’t have time and nerves to post new content. And here comes Google to help me a bit (and my tracker), it sends unusually high number of visitors. When I start posting again, the number of SE visitors drops again and I have to rely on the visitors from the referring websites. Sounds weird, huh?
Thanks for the post, it’s very interesting :)
anna
October 5th, 2008 5:06 am
I would say Gary . . . although perhaps after you achieve more notoriety this would not always be true. If I only posted a few times a week, my numbers would definitely suffer.
Bryn Youngblut
October 5th, 2008 5:34 am
I would say I’m right in between both of their approaches. I don’t always post daily but more than tim and I respond to every email and comment.
Melanie Nelson
October 5th, 2008 9:40 am
I have to say I’m more of a Gary person. I work hard, and every blogger I know that is making blogging a career is working hard. I think streamlining tasks is beneficial, but for me, that only makes more time for more tasks. ;)
dj
October 6th, 2008 2:17 am
I try to stay away from both extremes… the middle of the road suits a balanced life. Put work into it, enjoy it, but do not become obsessed.
Mari Smith
October 6th, 2008 8:33 am
Excellent post and point, Darren.
Too fun that Gary & Tim are good buds and have such different approaches. I’m a raving fan of both guys and their philosophies. Gary & Tim were among my fave presenters at BlogWorld!
I’m somewhere in-between. I don’t blog every day, but I strive to answer all emails, @ tweets, DMs and I like to comment on posts I’m mentioned in, for example.
I’d LOVE to carve out more time to post on my 3 blogs every day… but, so far, haven’t been able to! ;) I’m toying with taking my email replies and turning into fodder for blog posts. lol.
At the end of the day, I’m totally with Gary’s comment on your post here: to not try to be someone else, just be you ‘cuz it’s easiest!! Hear, hear.
Cheers,
Mari
@marismith
Kiri
October 6th, 2008 10:24 am
I’d be a little in the middle but more on Tim’s side because I prefer having the time to travel etc. His lifestyle is more desirable than blogging xhours a day, not that I don’t like blogging but there are things I’d prefer doing.
Stu McLaren
October 6th, 2008 9:08 pm
I think the key when you are deciding how often to post is to remember that as soon as you define some kind of schedule or routine, that you are now setting an expectation for your readers.
Therefore, it’s probably best to commit to less in the beginning to ensure that you can maintain the commitment of sticking to that publishing schedule.
You can always increase down the road but it’s a lot harder to decrease – especially if your readers have come to expect it from you.
Paul
October 6th, 2008 9:39 pm
I look at Pshychic Search daily. If there is an important topic that I haven’t covered I write an article that day. Otherwise I incorporate those searches without any results into an artcle about once every two weeks.
Otherwise I post every 4 to 5 days.
TheAndySan
October 7th, 2008 2:24 am
I resonate the most with Tim’s approach, although I don’t want to be completely “hands-off” in my online ventures.
I like Tim’s approach the best because it gives me the most freedom from my computer. I can post, comment, check my email, and watch a funny video as much as I’d like, but I also have the freedom to go outside for a bike ride if I want to.
I’d like to do everything in my business, but there will come a time where I would have to delegate tasks because they would take up too much of my time and effort.
A quick example, I posted some videos on YouTube. I received a lot of rude comments, and because I wanted to moderate all of them, I had to sift through ALL of the email notifications. There weren’t even that many (less than 20 total), but it was an eye-opening experience and a hint at what’s to come. It showed me that I would eventually have to delegate some tasks if I were to get anything done.
TheAndySan
http://www.theandysan.com
Craig Reid
October 7th, 2008 8:19 am
As a fellow video blogger (I can’t be bothered typing) I have to say that I relate to garyvee! I would love to think that Tim is right, but as an experienced small business owner and a new blogger I can’t help but notice that the more effort I put in the more I get back. saying that, if you can work smart (particularly with your blog marketing) you can save yourself a lot of time. Bottom line is maybe you can use a bit of both of these guy’s techniques.
Traci
October 7th, 2008 8:26 am
I’m going to have to side with Tim’s philosophy. From a reader’s perspective – and I don’t read just one blog, new content everyday is overwhelming. I prefer a nice, well thought out blog post with good information once or twice a week compared to an overload of fragmented info daily.
This should be prefaced with the fact that I do not have a personal blog, but am launching a corporate blog and have other full-time marketing and communications responsibilities.
gillberk
October 8th, 2008 5:17 am
Every established blogger certainly will recognize the importance of these traits and new bloggers will do well keeping them in mind. You can base everything you do on plain luck, but don’t be surprised if nothing comes from it.When we think of intelligence we tend to focus on Mathematical-logical intelligence. This is certainly an important aspect of intelligence, but of very limited use when not combined with other aspects. Imagine that Einstein only used this kind of intelligence.“If A equals blogging success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y plus Z. X is persistence. Y is imagination. Z is asking guiding questions based on your curiosity.”, and how could you imagine using this formula on your quest towards blogging success.
—————-
gillberk
SEO
Blabrmouth
October 9th, 2008 3:54 am
First of all, fantastic friggin’ post. As far as I am concerned, Gary all the way. Lean with it, rock with it! Go hard or go home!
Morgan Coudray
October 10th, 2008 10:05 am
I’m bias, but I clearly love Tim’s approach. He gets enough guest writers to be able to write no more than once a week on the blog and yet generates a lot of discussions and attention.
Daylle Deanna Schwartz
October 10th, 2008 11:41 pm
I lean more toward Tim but a little more often. People need to do whatever floats their blog.
This topic has given me serious guilt at times when I couldn’t post as often as i thought I should. Being a professional writer, sometimes I have nothing left for my blog after working 12 hours on finishing a magazine article or writing a book. It made me stressed. Then I thought about it more rationally and realized that how often you blog depends on your topic, your readers and your sanity. Many of my readers don’t typically subscribe to blogs and I don’t think they’d want to get posts every day.
I write about self-empowerment and believe it’s more important to have quality posts 2-3 times a week than force them out every day. My posts are pretty organic. I often refer to things in the news, celebrity antics, or something that happens to me because I’m motivated to say something. For example, the verdict in the OJ trial motivated a post for my Law of Attraction in Action series about how revenge comes without doing it yourself. When I began, I wracked my brain for things to write about. Now they come naturally, without the pressure to produce. So I post when I have something to say that I feel will help my readers.
Tom Gray
October 13th, 2008 8:21 am
Tim wrote The 4 Hour Workweek. If he published any more than once every 4-6 days I’d have to take his book back for a refund! You know, it’s kind of the difference between a newsweekly and the daily newspaper. Choose the format that works for you, your message and your content. In truth, Gary & Tim are Apples & Oranges and should probably not be compared directly.
David B Katague
October 15th, 2008 10:30 am
As a new blogger, I will try to incorporate Tim’s and Gary’s modus operandi.
Joel Drapper
October 15th, 2008 7:42 pm
I think every email and comment should be read, but not necessarily replied to. In regards to content I think that for the first month or so you really need to post at least once a day just to get it going after that you can slow down and maybe post only 2 – 4 times a week.
Krissy
October 22nd, 2008 10:26 am
My approach is somewhere in the middle between Tim’s and Gary’s, although I would have to see I lean towards Gary’s. I can see the pros and cons of each. With Tim’s approach, unless one was really conscientious, one could become lazy. With Gary’s approach, one could get burn out. As I stated, the way I blog is somewhere between the way these two men blog, as I try to achieve balance in what I do. But actually the way I blog is much closer to Gary’s way because I work hard and play hard. When I say balance I mean balance with an edge. Just enough balance so I don’t get burn out!
I don’t answer every email but I answer many, many of them. Even when they are comments, with questions in them, or just statements, I frequently return an email to the person. I figure if they feel it is important enough to write me, it is important enough for me to write back. However, when the volume is too high this is not possible… Sometimes I have to hit and miss people, and note that eventually everybody will get hit with a peice of mail… Sometimes this is the best that I can do or I will be on the computer night and day. I would have no time for my family. They are important also. But gee, this blogging thing sure is important in my life too!…
Krissy :)
Noah St. John
October 28th, 2008 9:56 pm
I recently interviewed Gary about this very point. You can listen (free, no opt-in) at
http://www.GaryandNoah.com
He gave an amazing tip at minute 27 that really changed my thinking.
Gary taught me more while we were driving around Cleveland, Ohio than I have at marketing seminars where I dropped 10 grand.
Plus, he’s a really good guy.
Enjoy the interview.
~Noah St. John
Brandon J. Mendelson
November 26th, 2008 2:59 pm
I like Tim’s approach, but I think it works because it’s Tim. That’s a problem for the rest of us.
How can I prove this?
Did you know who Tim Ferriss was before his book was published?
Gary’s plan is the slow but sure way that will work for everyone with persistence. You can only grow through networking online, and Tim’s approach is not conducive to that.
P.S. I loved the 4 Hour Work Week, even though it cannot be realistically applied to all professions. Believe me, I’ve tried.
zach even - esh
November 26th, 2008 3:05 pm
I like both guys and use both approaches, but more gary’s than Tim’s.
I had lunch w/gary mid summer and he really pumped me up w/regular blogging and hustling. I can respect big time how Tim is super disciplined, w/NOT 1 following on twitter!
I have a friend who doesn’t face book or twitter and blogs only 1x a week if that and kills it w/his simplicity.
Then again, on wine library gary gets sometimes 600 responses and tim gets on average 100 or so.
I am starting to ween away slightly from face book and twitter and will see how else Tim gets more traffic.
Who wants me to speak at their next web 2.0 engagement!?!?!?
Both guys rock, tough question!
–z–
Nathan Hangen
November 26th, 2008 3:25 pm
I wouldn’t say that Tim is a successful blogger. His blog is riding on the coattails of his book while Gary has developed a cult following because of his methods and personality.
In my opinion, Gary is connecting with his audience by being “just one of the guys,” while Tim is more of a shameless self-promoter. There is nothing wrong with self-promotion, but it doesn’t develop a community.
Unless Tim releases another killer book, I think his popularity will wane, while Gary’s will continue to grow exponentially.
kirch
November 26th, 2008 4:23 pm
How arrogant must one be to post every day? Do you really value yourself, your words, your thoughts so much that every day someone has to read what you’re thinking.
It’s great to want to respond to every email sent to your blog, and it has huge pay offs for someone building a fan base.
At a certain point the “tipping point” perhaps, it seems self evident that you will not be able to maintain that pace.
Blogging is a unique sphere where people contribute ideas, often with the premise that their thoughts are superior. Blogging has an elitist mentality buried deep withing it. (i guess by default i fit into this category since i’m responding)
subscribe to blogs that are interesting. If you want someone to read everything that you write start your own blog rather than expecting authors to read your thoughts.
That sounded way more hostile than I am, I think I’m just stirring up trouble.
Live words rather than reading them. If you’re stuck all day long reading email, what in reality are you accomplishing? Be yourself not a half A version of some internet hero. (although both dudes seem pretty cool on some level)
Vladimir Chen
November 26th, 2008 9:20 pm
Wow! As Gary said elsewhere above lots of great people are commenting and it seems like this post is really being “killed” by these people ;)
Darren, thanks for the interesting post and I think it is a very interesting analogy which has led to such a great discussion.
I could not agree more with Gary that “being YOU” is the most important. But when we learn things you always look up to people like him and Tim. No matter what they say, one will be inclined to learn the best from both. For example, I just can’t help my amazement over Gary’s enthusiasm and passion for valuing the customer. I have a big respect for his genuine approach to things. In the meantime, Tim is the master of valuing his time (and so is Gary don’t get me wrong). But I do see more structured patterns in Tim’s approach.
I think the most challenging task is to find that “being YOU”. As time goes by, we want to learn from the best to become one.
As for how frequently to blog. I think it depends on your audience. Tim’s ‘fans’ are probably ok with less regular posts and email replies, while Gary gives/does great stuff when he feels like it (my best guess). At the end of the day, it is your audience, you define the rules. But I agree that some patterns as to how often things should go off are necessary.
Bottom line, learn from the best to become one. And Gary and Tim happen to be those we all want to learn from.
Charles
November 27th, 2008 12:09 am
Speaking as a reader . . .
I will occasionally unsubscribe from a blog’s RSS feed if I notice that only 1 in 20 of the posts is worth reading.
I have never unsubscribed from a blog because I felt they weren’t posting frequently enough. That doesn’t inconvenience me in the slightest.
Once you’ve got my attention, keeping it is entirely about quality, not frequency. As for getting discovered in the first place . . . well, that’s usually about quality too, isn’t it?
Alex
November 27th, 2008 1:14 am
I vibrate more with Tim Ferriss, us Generation Yers are in information overload. I like to keep it simple, streamlined, yet innovative.
Chris Dunn
November 27th, 2008 2:16 pm
I’m glad you guys put this blog post together… I agree, they have very different approaches, but I get a lot of value from both. Tim has a very calculated way of “doing” life. Everything is an experiment and he is always looking to get the most out of something with the least time/energy needed. On the other hand, Gary’s “work-your-face-off” approach really sells his passion. I think he connects with the average Joe on a more level playing field.
Again, I love both of these guys…
Chris Dunn
GoalGuru.com
November 29th, 2008 4:20 am
My approach is definitely more like Tim, my blog is not the focus of my business, more like an extra tool. My Goal is quality posts, not quantity.
Live Your Dreams,
Jill
Ryan from Marketing Martial Arts
November 30th, 2008 3:43 am
I definitely am inspired by Gary but seem to gravitate towards Tim’s approach of blogging. I am very interested in using video; which Gary is a master of. My posts take a while to get my thoughts down and connecting the way I want. It’s definitely easier after blogging for the last three+ years, but still takes time.
Danny Brown
December 3rd, 2008 2:53 am
I don’t know about blogging approach, but one area they differ greatly is on Twitter.
Whereas Gary (@garyvee) engages in the conversation and actually has fun with it, Tim (@tferriss) follows no-one and seems too in love with what he himself is doing.
Kudos to Gary for joining the conversation – minus points for ego-stroking to Tim for simply broadcasting. Why go on Twitter at all?
col @ gigablonde :: things to do in ny when you're [alive]
December 5th, 2008 5:22 pm
I’m with Tim as far as frequency. I blog once per week. We’re so constantly bombarded with information … I’m a big fan of info which is dispersed consistently but at manageable intervals. When there’s too much to keep up with, they lose me.
Communication is a different story though. When somebody writes me, I make sure and respond. I feel like that’s giving respect. Of course, I don’t have thousands of followers like Tim does. I admire the way he sets boundaries to keep things manageable … that’s what he’s all about, right? (Well, a big piece of what he’s all about ;)
johnkweber
January 8th, 2009 10:47 pm
It is very interesting that they each achieve success based on the way they interact with their customers. Unfortunately unless someone dies and leaves you a lot of money you will never get anywhere without the customer. So you are stuck with them.
What I like about Tim’s approach is to get rid of the customers that suck you dry and dont give you any or no financial benefit, because unfortunately you do get those kinds of people. High maintenance customers according to TIm Ferris.
I do think though that since you are always dependant on your customers for making your money, that they should be treated with a lot of respect. This means that when they email you, that you respond to their request without fail. What Tim suggests is that you get someone else to do all the work. That means he still gives his customers the needed respect but is free to do anything he wants as he has the time set free due to others doing the work for him.
I prefer to give my customers and people that email my time. Not excessive but enough to fulfill their requests when they desire it. It most certainly works for me. Get rid of those that dont pay you for your time as it most certainly could become a bad habit on their part. However in the same sentence I would like to say that I prefer to build relationships with my customers first before I make money with them or even from them. The reason being that those customers are with you for life. Not a once of money making binge. Trust me when I tell you I make more money out of that strategy than any of the others. I read a lot and this book of Timothy Ferris, the 4 hour workweek is most certainly my most favourite. I respect him for what he does and kudos to him for achieving what he has. Excellent stuff.
Read my thoughts on my blog regarding various subjects if you are interested
Nancy Fox
February 11th, 2009 10:31 am
I so agree with this post. Everybody has different abilities and styles of working and playing. I felt relieved because sometimes I just enjoy working it feels like play. Then I’ve had enough and I HAVE to get out to the tennis court and blow off steam. A day without a creative process, learning something, accomplishing something feels empty. I don’t have to feel guilty anymore.
Thanks Darren.
Sid Savara
March 11th, 2009 6:03 pm
After 5 months, I’ve realized I was wrong.
I was the first person to reply to this article, and I have been a longtime supporter of Tim Ferris.
However, I think both Gary and Tim are right in their own way – and for *bloggers* I think that Gary is right on the money. I cannot build a community without being involved in the community. My blog and it’s readership are shaped by my blog and voice.
Now, I have been experimenting with outsourcing some more mundane blogging tasks – trackback/comment moderation, post formatting, post promotion, finding appropriate images, proofreading, etc.
But I was wrong when I said I was on Tim’s side. I do agree with Tim that I should only do what I’m best at: being me, writing, interacting with readers. But I was wrong about being so hands off. I do reply to just about every email and every comment, and I do go out there and comment on related blogs and interact with other bloggers via email, facebook, twitter, IM, etc.
Personality takes time. I doubt Gary does everything himself, I know for example he outsources development to folks for ruby on rails stuff (the recent Corkd issue), but all of the Gary Vaynerchuck brand is built by Gary, and all the Tim Ferris brand is built by Tim.
Tim may not check his email often or take phone calls, but he’s everywhere – on panels, doing presentations, writing on his blog, on twitter, on Facebook. The difference I think is that Tim doesn’t refer to the time he spends “being” Tim as work, but that’s what it is. Gary on the other hand, does see being Gary Vaynerchuck as a full time job.
Being Sid Savara, too, is a full time job. It has taken me months to realize it.
RachelB
April 6th, 2009 10:59 am
I just love the fact that different bloggers can take completely different approaches to their blogging and get equally successful results. It just goes to show that there are many different paths to achieving great success in the blogging world and elsewhere.
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