And what to do to switch to the remaining 1%
Don’t sweat it anymore because everyone makes mistakes.
Having conducted numerous consulting sessions, I have noticed these common traits that novice writers hold back in their writing careers.
With a childlike impressionable mind, they are seduced by so much fame and success that they step onto this vast arena of the world of content creation. And wrap up everything that makes the rounds like a fun shaggy puppy.
Trust me; I feel for you because it’s hard to know what’s best for you.
So, to see if you too have been charged and guilty, and to act immediately, write down that list.
pain! It can hurt where it hurts the most…do you know where?
Are you creating platforms for too many social platforms at the same time?
We need to go back to the control room and rethink our strategy. Please understand this:
Your attendance is irrelevant.
People think it only matters to be on the platform. no. You need to be consistent on your platform and create valuable posts for your audience to connect with you.
Reasons not to:
- Creating meaningful content takes time (for beginners). Therefore, managing many platforms can be a daunting task.
- And doing it consistently across platforms is too much for the first few days.
- Again, every platform has its own peculiarities. You should customize your content accordingly. Again, it takes time.
So instead do:
- Choose one platform. If you like the long format, choose something like Medium or Quora. For short, LinkedIn or Twitter.
- Consistently create content and build community. build trust. Feed the algorithm and watch it grow.
- Once you have enough traction, Use this platform to boost your next platform.
- Use that audience and repurpose it for your new platform.
- Reuse existing platform-ready content for the next platform.
- Show your built reliability on the first podium to gain a faster following on the second podium.
This is a much more effective and results-oriented strategy.
This word must still haunt you. And most of the time it prevents you from discovering the real writer inside you.
Ditch the niche.
Well, at least at first. Eventually you’ll reach a sweet spot where everything aligns with your creative process. But don’t burden yourself with a niche for the word ‘go’.
So instead do:
- Find your writing style. I write about all topics that interest me. Believe me, as a newbie, very few eyes are on you – a great reason to go skinny dipping.
- Pay attention to your engagement level. What topics are getting the most response? Which stories are getting more views? What does your audience want from you? These are your niche breadcrumbs.
- Which of these topics are you interested in? you like it
- This may take some time, but stick to the process.
Simply put, go with the flow until you get there. And you will. Eventually it will surface.
Guilty! !
Have you ever seen a ravenous squirrel with so much food in its mouth that it sometimes couldn’t get through? And I think there are many people who are laughing thinking about themselves.
Name it, I was trying my hand at— Media design, print, low content books, blogs, YouTube videos (yes, made a couple) and so on
But I forgot one important thing:
All activities required me to be consistent, and being consistent meant time.
I couldn’t have juggled too many hats.
So instead do:
- First, make a list of things that might be of interest to you in the long term.
- Choose 2 or up to 3 things.then better they are relatedI decided to design in Canva because it helps me create LinkedIn content such as carousels, banners and profiles.
- And I’ll shelve the rest for later. After mastering a few, you are always free to pick new projects.
I will be the last one to tell you to stop experimenting, adding to your skill set, or learning something new. I’m too obsessed with it. But as a beginner, I can’t afford to do too many things at once.
So prioritize and grow.
Again, driven by notorious force, novice writers are always in a hurry to put another story out there. As a result, they forget the most important element of writing that they need to hone.
Writing is the shitty part. Magic happens in editing.
Many of my clients tell me— Currently, I have written over 20 articles. Why am I not getting traction?
I ask — how many of them have you edited 3 times?
I rarely get an answer to that. But you see, he’d rather have 3 good stories than 10 average ones. And the best part is that with time and practice he can spin 10 really good ones in a very short amount of time.
But for now, as a beginner, focus on editing rather than writing.
So instead do:
- Shift your focus from publishing your story as soon as possible to editing it again.
- not a number game some story. The sooner you realize the importance of editing, the sooner you will be able to write a better story.
- write your story let them rest Come back and revisit the same with a fresh perspective. And clean it up a bit more.
Beginners can easily fall into this monkey hole. Yes, we grew out of monkeys and threw off our tails, but the ape hasn’t shed yet.
I’m talking about copying other authors. I’m a newbie and tried that too. But it got very difficult and I said no. thank god!
Say it out loud—you can’t imitate someone. it’s not happening.
So instead do:
- Get inspired. select element to select From other writers who find it helpful to emphasize your writing. Like I chose Tim Denning’s quirkiness, Ayodeji Awoshika’s clarity, Zuri Lane’s human element, Niharika Kaul Sodhi. choose yours.
- Because it’s the best you have. The moment you try to sound like someone else, you are doomed. You will be kicked out of the race.
- Trust the fact that there are enough and many audiences in this world for all kinds of voices. protect your voice
no. intent. no.
I am not against the course. They are excellent and will save you a lot of time trying to learn things on your own.
But what about after that? Many clients tell me they came to me after a course or two and still got no results.
The problem is not taking the course. The problem isn’t implementing it.
Knowing it doesn’t help. Doing it helps you. Yes, it can be daunting at first, but it’s a learning curve. When you started learning as a child, your letters were illegible. (Well, if you’re a doctor…just kidding)
So instead do:
- training. training. training.
- Practice some more.
- And some more.
There are no shortcuts here. You have to get down and dirty, my friend. And receive those spots as a badge of honor.
Ok, this is important.
Numbers are for our convenience, but we always tend to quantify everything — including immense efforts and successes.
Comparing yourself to others and measuring all your efforts with quantifiable numbers (likes, claps, reactions, shares, etc.) is quicksand that can’t be quickly sucked and exhaled.
Comparing your day 1 to someone else’s 379 is unfair. It will never be the same.
So instead do:
- Look for the right set of numbers — how long did it take you to come up with a story, how much time did you invest in trading, went to the 30 day challenge or sort.
- Own all the numbers. Measure your growth, not others.
- Focus only on your own parameters because you can control them, not anyone else’s.
Remember – the only thing that matters is you.
Frankly, I have a few things I could have put on my list, but it would have been a drag and a little demotivating.
But I swear my heart is in the right place when I tell you these things.
And let me proceed by offering some amps for your work.
A Bouquet of 15 Writing Exercises to Strengthen Your Writing Skills: here.
A Glossary of Power Words to Power Your Headline Game: here.
30-day writing journal with writing prompts: here.
and some such here.
Happy writing!!