Something Is Better Than Nothing (Tip #1)
One of my goals this year is to be more active in the WA community, and one of the things I'd like to do is start blogging here a bit more. I've set the goal of one post per week so that
- 1. I don't bite off more than I can chew
- 2. I can take the time to write something useful
Just on a whim, I thought it would be a good idea to have some tips that other members may be able to use. I'm not sure if I will keep doing this, so there may be no Tip #2, but just thinking about it now, I have some good ideas.
So.
Tip #1: Something Is Better Than Nothing
Yes, I'm going to start out with something that I'm sure some people will disagree with me on, but this is how I have to work sometimes.
For example, I've been telling myself that I need to write a blog post this week. It's now 0:40 on Friday, and I've been thinking about this since Monday.
Finally, I sat down at my computer, and said to myself, "I don't care if it's good or not, I just need to get it done".
So here I am, writing this post.
I'll spell check at the end, and do a quick once-over for huge errors, but I'm not going to over analyze it or try to make it perfect.
It'll be done, and I'll have that monkey off my back.
I do this with my websites sometimes too.
I get so caught up in other things, or wanting to make something perfect, or worrying about doing something wrong, that nothing gets done.
I've learned over the years that a blog post filled with typos and 404 links can still make money, and that's why we're here right?
In fact, I've been going over some of my old work recently, and it's horrible. I can't understand how anyone could ever have read that stuff and think, "Wow, this guy sounds like he knows what he's talking about".
But it made money, and I'm doing much better work now.
Of course it's a pain to go back and fix the problem too...
But the point is that perfection will not make your websites a success.
I don't know what will, but based on my experience, it's certainly not perfection.
Before someone jumps in the comments and says that quality is what brings return visitors and what-not, yes, that's true too. High quality design, content, and these things do have their place in our campaigns, and is what we should all be shooting for.
But, ok, well, I'm running out of steam here, so I'll summarize.
Try to make good stuff, but when you're in a pinch, anything is better than nothing.
I'm sure that most of you reading this are not doing something that you should be doing right now. Seriously. Something is better than nothing, so go do it, or it'll never get done
Recent Comments
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Well said! It is better to get a move on and keep improving on your work than getting stuck in a writers' block.
I think it is best to balance getting it out there with getting it right, not perfect but useful.
Yup, balance is best, and it's something we need to learn over time. How much is too much, and how little is too little?
Thanks for the comment!
I think that anybody that is struggling with something to write about, either needs to do a little more research on the niche they chose, using Kyles alphabet technique or they need to find another niche. I feel when you chose a niche you truely care about and passionately want to write about writing comes much easier. As far as content and perfection I have put stuff out there, and then rewritten it. I published articles and found errors, fixed them and moved on.
You've got a good point. This applies not just to writing, but to all aspects of our campaign. Many people get stuck on things like colors, the position of graphics, or stuff like menus.
You're right, you can always go back and fix it later.
I see both sides of the issue, and I also tend to over-analyze. In fact, I'll read this comment post three times and spell check before hitting the 'Add Comment' button! In the long run, Nathaniel is right: something is better than nothing. On the other hand, there are nit-pickers like me who put a great deal of emphasis on accuracy and professionalism. Case in point: a local car repair facility sent out 50,000 flyers, touting their experience and services. The flyer included a cherub and a caption that read, "Our techs are angles." They meant 'angels', of course. My first thought was this: if the company is that indifferent and that careless while trying to promote themselves and win new customers, what kind of work are they doing behind those bay doors? Sure, the printing company could've made the mistake, but the repair shop is ultimately responsible for the end product. So, even though the car repair facility lost my immediate business, the incident does reinforce Nathaniel's point: I am now aware of the repair shop and I know where it's located. In a pinch, I might end up using them. Receiving the flyer was better than no flyer at all. I still strive to make things the best they can be, but if push comes to shove, and it's either have or have not, then Nathaniel is on target. Something IS better than nothing.
And for me, it's usually the embarrassment of doing something stupid that makes me really look for the mistake next time. I once sent a text off to be read and recorded, but didn't catch some errors. The recording came back terrible! The good news is that the 9 texts after that were perfect, and recordings fine, because I was so conscious about making the same mistake again.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for sharing, I think I fall into the boat of over-analysing, I have been going through one page nearly 3 times already! At this rate, I wonder if I will meet my target to get my website off the ground by next month! Ok, better get to work now, thanks for the "kick in the butt":)
Yeah, I've also found that doing the same thing over and over means you're just spinning your wheels. Coming back to something later with a pair of fresh eyes does wonders.
I hope you get some work done!
Good post! This is what most newbies would put as a comment.
I being a newbie myself, and never have written a blog post, or anything else really. Not even letters to people back in the day.
But I have found that if I try to expand on the comments I write, this helps me to build in this area.
Another thing I have found is in the training section. Again most newbies try to rush through it, don't do this. If you need to just read through the training, from the first lesson to the last. Now you are not wondering what is coming next, and you can concentrate on the lesson at hand.
The next thing is, plans don't go as planed. It seems life wants to play with our best made plans. So if you want to do one lesson a day, good for you, do that. But if life says it has different plans, and it is a week before you get back to the lessons, then re-read the lessons up to the point where you are studying.
Bob
It's good that you're learning to change your ways! As an internet marketer, you'll be writing a lot. You could always outsource some of the work, but it's good to get your 'hands dirty' and do the work yourself at the beginning.
You are right it is very possible to leave things and then be on the last push as they say. One thing I do, when i am feeling good is to create a number of articles, most in rough draft format so that if I have a dry period then I can fall back on these. It really helps because we cannot be creative 24/7. Also I have to agree that although I am a perfectionist by reputation in the corporate world, whilst it was difficult , I have learnt to live with slightly less, in order to get the content out,
Hope this helps,
Regards
Hudson.
Yes, having a couple of articles on hand is a lifesaver. Although it's not essential to publish something every day, I sure feel better when I do.
If you wait until you are perfect, you will be dead before you get started. Good post! Thanks for sharing.
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So how do you better the quality of your site with graphics and stuff my site looks alright I thinks but does WA offer ways to spruce up your site or do you have to pay to do that?
Take pictures, look up free pictures and graphics on the web that you can use.