Do you have a blog squad? You know, that group of contacts you can always talk to about blogging? Bounce ideas off of? Look to each other for inspiration?

If the answer is no, then you’re missing out. But better late than never! Here are the unexpected benefits of creating a blog squad.

First and foremost, being surrounded by successful bloggers is a great way to hold yourself accountable. Sometimes bloggers come up with great ideas, write them down… and never follow through on them. Maybe they don’t have enough time to address all the things they’re interested in, but more than likely they’re not sure that their efforts will lead to a successful outcome.

Having a blog squad means not only other having people to bounce ideas off of, but also forcing yourself to be accountable for the ideas you have.

It’s like telling someone about a fitness goal. The second the words leave your mouth, your blog squad is likely to hold you responsible for the things you said. And even if they don’t, you’ll still feel like you’re letting them (and yourself) down if you don’t at least try. Accountability is a great way to ensure that things actually get done, which will lead to a better blog, overall.

Shared Blogging Expertise

Besides the benefit of accountability, having a blog squad also means having some built in experts to tap for blog knowledge. It’s necessary to freely give of your knowledge in order to be able to expect someone else to want to help you.

It’s a great way to solve problems without shelling out money on an expert, or stumbling through them yourself. Most of your pressing blog questions can probably be answered by someone in your blog squad who’s been through the same thing.

A great blog squad has a mix of knowledge and experience that compliments all members. It’s beneficial to have different kinds of bloggers instead of just one type. An ideal blog squad is a mix of lifestyle, food, fashion, and other types of bloggers.

Having a blog squad is not so different than being in a mastermind group – it’s really just another word for the same thing (with a focus on blogging, in this case). To learn more about mastermind groups, check out the Mastermind Playbook.

Friendly Content Competition

Although diversity is necessary, it’s helpful to have at least one other person in your blog squad that has a similar blogging style to yours. This helps you to benchmark your performance against someone else.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” it’s important to have some healthy competition in order to grow. Just don’t take it too seriously. Building and growing a blog is always going to be different for everyone. Don’t be jealous of someone else’s success – learn from it!

Mutual Content Sharing

Another reason why it pays off to keep successful people close and as a part of your blog squad is because you can use their platform to grow your blog (and reciprocate them on yours). You’ll never be successful if you’re just counting on your own social followers to visit your blog – there’s much more possibility in being featured on other people’s accounts through sharing. Just know that this must be a two-way street in order for it to be mutually beneficial!   

Check out my post on how and why to leave comments on other blogs.

At this point, the unexpected benefits of creating a blog squad should be pretty obvious to you.

Are you ready to take the next step? Do you have some bloggers in mind that you’d love to be a part of your blog squad?

Let us know in the comments!