We all know that creating content can be hard work.
One of our goals at Copyblogger is to help you make sure you’re putting your work into the right things, so you get results and not just a fistful of disappointment. This week, we looked at three myths and mistakes that can hold writers back — and how to move forward again.
On Monday, Stefanie Flaxman uncovered a common content error that’s led to the mass of forgettable filler we’re all bumping into today. She explains how to take a bulldozer to the weak and the generic, and find the focus that will let you create the right content for the right people.
On Tuesday, Loryn Thompson confronted one of the great myths of the writing life:
“If I had more time to write, my writing would be 100 times better.�
(And yes, I fervently buy into this myth myself a lot of the time.)
Loryn’s post encourages us to get out and live, and treat our busyness, chaos, and even stress as fodder for better work. Butt-in-chair time is important, but it’s not the only element that makes for strong writing.
And on Wednesday, I addressed a third myth, sometimes called the Field of Dreams delusion — that if we just build enough wonderful content, the audience will come.
That would be fabulous, but … it doesn’t work. It never did, at least not with any reliability.
Once you’ve crafted your relevant, high-quality content, you still need to promote it. I have some thoughts on what works today, and a few techniques that will benefit you for a long time to come.
Over on Copyblogger FM, I talked about how we can connect with our audiences more intimately, at a time when email inboxes are overflowing and Facebook has (temporarily, I believe) put a panicked pause on new chatbots.
And on The Writer Files, check out Stefanie Flaxman’s two-part series with Kelton Reid. She’ll help you face your myths, demons, and delusions, and move forward toward your best work.
Have a great weekend!
Chief Content Officer, Rainmaker Digital
Catch up on this week’s content
![underneath the dirt, there’s still a proven process that builds your business]()
One Factor that Caused the Current Content Marketing Climate (and How to Fix It)
by Stefanie Flaxman
![how vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live]()
How to Stop Wishing You Had More Time to Write
by Loryn Thompson
![Outstanding content is not the finish line, it’s the starting line – Mark Schaefer]()
Why Great Content Alone Isn’t Enough to Build an Audience
by Sonia Simone
The Right Way to Add Opt-In Forms to Your WordPress Site, Part Two
by Sean Jackson
Email? Chatbots? Social? How Are We Supposed to Reach People?
by Sonia Simone
3Q Before You Publish Your First Piece of Content
by Jerod Morris
How Copyblogger’s Editor-in-Chief Stefanie Flaxman Writes: Part Two
by Kelton Reid
Reader Comments (2)
Hi Sonia, thanks for this recap, these articles were as it just fallen from the sky. I had the same thoughts several times, mostly “I wish the day had like 30 hours…” but at the end everything comes down to preparation + inspiration. We can get all the data of the world and still this won’t assure perfect article – it may be relevant, but that also won’t attract readers.
Google is just another tool to find consistent niche; SEO only helps you to gain visibility. Good writing is not ONLY driven by data, but human touch and experiences.
Totally digging the time and writing article. I do a pretty good job making time to write daily. No way around it; we have 24 hours. We choose how to spend it.
I’d add that getting away from the laptop for meditation, yoga, exercise and Netflix sure helps me churn out content persistently. Like a machine sometimes. I rarely ask for the 25th hour writing-wise because I use my 8-10 hours of work daily fairly well.
Ryan
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