My Huge Mistake. Don't Do It!
In fact, there are two mistakes that I want to discuss here.
Mistake #1
I did not create enough content.
I don't know about you but for me writing is hard. And seems to me, it is pretty much a universial difficulty.
If you don' believe me, just google "writing quotes" and see what comes up. Let me give you some examples:
“We are weak, writing is difficult…” ― Robert Falcon Scott
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ― Ernest Hemingway
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” ― Jack Kerouac
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.” — George Orwell
“I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.”― Steven Wright
You can find more here if you are interested (no affiliate stuff) http://egonsarvreviews.com/famous-quotes-about-wri...
However, I like this one here the most:
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” — Thomas Mann
Again, I don't know about you but seems to me - for me writing is way more difficult than for other people (even for other people here in WA). That's why I like this quote. Somehow I find consolation in it.
But because writing is difficult, I tend to avoid it. And that's the first huge mistake. I'd rather do whatever other tasks at hand, than writing a new piece of content.
- I'd rather redesign my website logo
- I'd rather reorganize my sidebar
- I'd rather find a better font size and color for my default body text.
- etc., etc., etc.
And again, it seems to be an universal difficulty:
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” says Stephen King. And because it is the scariest, I have found a rather natural force in my to escape from it. It's uncomfortable, I don't want to face it.
And that's why I choose some other activity. Something easier, something that does not cause such an uncomfortable meaning in me.
That secondary activity keeps me busy, fills my hours and gives me a reason to bat myself on the back while telling,"Hey! You did a great job today!"
I did. The only problem is... I did the wrong thing. That's the big trouble.
Remember this - redesigning your logo or reorganizing a sidebar does not bring more traffic to your site. Neither they increase your authority in Google's eyes. You need content.
But it is so human. So Human! Have you heard, when (yes, even large) companies are in back foot and panic mode, they begin to redesign their logos?
Don't do it! Focus on writing and creating an awesome content. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it like bleeding (Hemingway). Yes, the scariest moment is always just before you start (Stephen King).
Do it anyway!
Mistake #2
Because writing is hard but it must be done (if I ever want to succeed in content marketing) then it sunk in - I cannot escape it. I need to write.
But again, my human nature found an easier way out.
I don't know about you but for me... writing reviews is somehow hardest. And being a human being - weak in flesh - I found myself picking up easier topics. Topics that I enjoyed and kept me motivated. That was the good part of it.
I kept publishing new content frequently. Finally the traffic began to build up. The increase was slow but steady.
I was excited... Very excited...
... Until I discovered that it was the WRONG traffic. I had worked hard to attract the wrong audience.
Terrible!
Therefore, figure out what's your niche and create content for your niche only. Even if this is the hardest part for you.
In fact, it is quite a mystery for me - we choose our niche according to where our passion is. So it should not be hard.
Then you start working and creating content for your niche and suddenly... It is hard. The hardest part in the world.
Like... If writing was hard for Hemingway, he could do something else (sell shoes for example). He loved to write. And yet he describe it like bleeding. Sweat, blood, and tears.
The same with me. In fact, I like writing. If I did not enjoy it, I would do something else. Yet when I start doing it, I find it hard.
That's how life is.
Be very encouraged, writing has always been hard. At least for writers, and especially for great writers.
Recent Comments
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I have the opposite problem than you - I can write and write and write - can't seem to get the techy stuff - I proposed a job-board or massage board or Facebook page to partner people together for greater success and speed at making things work - you have been here a long time compared to many - hope you are still doing well.
If you can write like that... Lucky you, sir :)
In fact, I can write as well but I struggle because I am not native English speaker. That's why it so hard for me.
Yes, I am still here and growing slowly but steadily. That's most important.
I wish you all the best here in WA.
Egon
we just need to stay at it and keep learning - chrome has some software that translates language - I have used it with Chinese and some other languages - it was interesting to watch the site change before my eyes to English - it was legible and correct - maybe there is something there for you to use also.
I get this all the time but some how I manage to write about something i was involved with and then it comes from the heart
I look at my old blogs and they are crap but at least started me off on my journey and now I am taking the old blog and revamping and renaming it using different keywords and getting good results
This is so like me, I have been putting off starting for an age now - yesterday even thought about hiring a freelancer to do it for me - today thinking no grab the mantle and think it is going to be easy and hopefully, it will be. :)
Funny, isn't it? There is like some inner force which pushes you backwards and does not allow you to put a pen on the paper.
We have to overcome it - that's how it is.
Thanks Egon, I feel the same, it is not easy fo me to write and I struggled a lot, lol. But you are right, at least 3-5 times a week contents will be awesome.:)
Thank you Jewel. What I have learned from is that you are very kind and caring. I don't know whether it's because you live in the sunny Singapore or what...lol
I am always very impressed by your soft and friendly expressions in your posts. :) Then I feel like I am a block of ice from the North hahahahaahaha
Hahaha... You are nice, thanks very much for yr kind words! Singaporean women are pretty kind and helpful, lol. Appreciate it, Egon.:)
Great information here and I can relate to some of it ... but I noticed you did not have a problem writing and finding the words here :)
Thanks for sharing :)
Chris
Thank you for encouragement, sir. Maybe this comes out of desperation. And... Out of practice too.
It's been long and weary road. Often it's like, I know what I want to say but don't have vocab or phrases to express myself in English.
So finally, what I did was, I took a new Excel spreadsheet and created a database with some great phrases, connectors, similies, metaphors, etc.
When I read great authors and see something beautiful, I copy and paste it into my database.
This way, over time, my own English has improved and hopefully become somewhat more interesting too.
I just give you some examples from my database (phrases I could never spell out myself):
1. "I don’t recall anyone promising a rose garden."
2. "Trump was never some kind of knight in shining armor"
3. This is just shifting another deck chair as we hit the iceberg,
4. I almost choked to death when I looked...
Or on money:
1. ...has just poured its money down the drain.
2. Somehow that doesn’t sound like Joe Voter digging deep in his Levi’s;
3. When Stein first started passing the hat around, she said $2.5 million would be plenty, thank you very much.
It's a lot of hard work, sir, to improve my vocab and language.
But thank you again for your encouragement. It gives my hope - maybe I am not that hopeless after all :)
You are right quality over quantity. Anyways you are actually saying you have traffic. Traffic equals success. Maybe you Just are perfectionist. If not there is always Videos if you d prefer.
Agree, even wrong traffic is better than no traffic at all. But I still prefer the right traffic. Like this famous example (let me refresh my memory):
If you run a car spare parts store on the street corner, which group of visitors would you prefer - 1000 random visitors, or 100 visitors whose car just broke down few blocks down the road?
As for the videos... that hurts the most... lol
To tell the truth, I fear making videos more than plague... Because I am not native English speaker, I am afraid of being embarrassed.
I know, I should not but I still am. I need to have some motivational boost and try to do at least one...
Im not Native either who cares. Its What you say not how. How about that. Say you discovered cure for Tiredness and Videoed about it. Would people say no wont listen to that he is not Native?
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Writing is easy, but writing useful articles to help people is full of challenge, lol. I try to be more productive too. Thank you for this inspiring blog.
That's right, bu. If good writing were so easy, top notch writers would not say it's that hard, right?