I love that your best performing posts were written in 45 minutes. I suspect that’s because you had passion behind them. Good thing to remember. If I am passionate about something, write about it.
Yes, exactly that Annette. Once I made a viral video that got like 6,000,000 views. I wrote the script for that in an hour. Shot it in an hour. Edited it in 3-4 hours, and posted that same day. I feel like our best work can sometimes be the stuff that takes us the shortest amount of time to create.
Those are definitely some lessons I learned after 1.5 years of writing already.
Especially the last one is the key why I'm still here:
helping myself by writing, and then publishing it to help others too.
I actually started writing in 2018 but quit after my studies needed my attention. I didn't have any goals or community back then (didn't know about Twitter) to keep me focused.
This is a great article. Thanks so much. I hope the whole "sowing/reaping thing" kicks in and you reap abundantly. May this year be your best year ever!
I really appreciate all these pointers. It’s amazing to me that you blogger for 88 months! That sounds like a lifetime but it shows and I know from this short time I’ve been writing it just keeps getting better. Thanks for taking the time to share your hard earned experience!
'Always make your writing about helping other people.'
Yeah, I'm making sure that my articles are in that sense actually relevant to readers and that they can get something out of it. Cause that's how they become interested in reading your articles and possibly subscribing.
This is great advice! I actually mostly use my photos that I’ve taken myself instead of stock photos. Maybe that works better from my niche (personal finance from a very personal angle) ? Or maybe stock images have more benefits?
I'm fine with either Maria! :) I think that's cool you use your own photos. It most definitely helps you with your own visual style, I would imagine, that helps you stand out from everybody else.
Create a freebie you can give away to people in exchange for their email address. Something like a free course, download, checklist, ebook, whatever that would be attractive for them. After that, start to develop some kind of a digital product to sell. That's the gist of those two points there.
I love that your best performing posts were written in 45 minutes. I suspect that’s because you had passion behind them. Good thing to remember. If I am passionate about something, write about it.
Yes, exactly that Annette. Once I made a viral video that got like 6,000,000 views. I wrote the script for that in an hour. Shot it in an hour. Edited it in 3-4 hours, and posted that same day. I feel like our best work can sometimes be the stuff that takes us the shortest amount of time to create.
I'd love a link to that video, just so I can see what it looked like. It sounds amazing!
It is the only sdvice I did not like🙂
We all have ways of writing that work for us. That’s what makes us and our writing unique.
I've found the best reach on my other social media sites to come from the posts I didn't agonize over. One draft, a quick proofread and send it.
Same here Eric!!!
I just found at least five different things I'm going to start doing today. Thanks for sharing!
I'm so happy to hear that Lucy!!
Number 49 really resonates. I don’t mind using myself as an example, but my goal is to give people something useful to apply to their own situation.
I started my first blog in 2007. I'm in agreement with the vast majority of these points. Take them in.
Woah that's high praise Martin coming from someone with so much skin in this game. Thank you.
Those are definitely some lessons I learned after 1.5 years of writing already.
Especially the last one is the key why I'm still here:
helping myself by writing, and then publishing it to help others too.
I actually started writing in 2018 but quit after my studies needed my attention. I didn't have any goals or community back then (didn't know about Twitter) to keep me focused.
Thanks for the lessons Tom!
Thanks for taking the time to read, Karina! :)
This is a great article. Thanks so much. I hope the whole "sowing/reaping thing" kicks in and you reap abundantly. May this year be your best year ever!
Thanks Tom 🙏
Great succinct list to follow.
Appreciate the honesty.
As a newbie - I am now going for 200 subscribers, but am still going to do your course - thank you 😊
Thanks Janet! Hope it helps! :)
Thanks Tom :-)
Hey! Great, actionable article. Got any tips on writing great headlines? :)
For paid subscribers I have some locked content that teaches you how to write great headlines. The material for that is great!
I really appreciate all these pointers. It’s amazing to me that you blogger for 88 months! That sounds like a lifetime but it shows and I know from this short time I’ve been writing it just keeps getting better. Thanks for taking the time to share your hard earned experience!
No problem Kasey. Yeah, it's been like 8-9 years now or something. I have no idea anymore. Seems like just yesterday. Haha. Thanks for reading.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m just getting started on Substack and I found it so helpful and encouraging.
I'm really happy to hear this, Courtney!! Let me know if you have any other questions along the way.
'Always make your writing about helping other people.'
Yeah, I'm making sure that my articles are in that sense actually relevant to readers and that they can get something out of it. Cause that's how they become interested in reading your articles and possibly subscribing.
You raise a lot of good points, Tom.
Thanks Raveen for reading. :)
Loved it, thanks
This is great advice! I actually mostly use my photos that I’ve taken myself instead of stock photos. Maybe that works better from my niche (personal finance from a very personal angle) ? Or maybe stock images have more benefits?
I'm fine with either Maria! :) I think that's cool you use your own photos. It most definitely helps you with your own visual style, I would imagine, that helps you stand out from everybody else.
I want to know about 21 & 24!
These seem like key learnings I need right now.
Create a freebie you can give away to people in exchange for their email address. Something like a free course, download, checklist, ebook, whatever that would be attractive for them. After that, start to develop some kind of a digital product to sell. That's the gist of those two points there.
Fear of #34, as an esl writer, is one I have to overcome every time.
Tom, I wrote something about this today. I thought you might have some similar experiences being an ESL (español como segunda lengua) speaker, too.