Top 12 things I've learned as a writer
Hey guys, looks like I’m back with a new post! Yay! So, for this one, I’ve been debating on what to do, and I’ve decided on doing something new. I’ve been doing this thing for two years and I thought I would share something for anyone who is thinking about starting their own blog, video series, or anything else. As a content creator, I feel like art is universal. As artists, we’re all the same but we're different and we have so much to share with the world. That’s why I've put together a list of everything I’ve learned so far to inspire those of you who would like to become content creators and to entertain those who should totally be studying instead of reading my blog. Here are the top 12 things I’ve learned as a writer! Enjoy!
1. Create high quality content
Okay, so this first one is straightforward and goes without saying. This one can help
your ranking, audience growth, and audience engagement.
2. Write often
Okay, so now that you have your content up, you need to write often (If you're a writer or a blogger, of course. If you're a youtuber, you can practice your video editing skills or whatever it is that you do) (I don't know) (I probably should have renamed the title to practice your craft. Why didn't I think about that?). This one is really good if you're trying to improve your writing skills. So, if you're trying to become the next Danielle Steel (you have to check her out, I love her work), write whenever you can.
3. Have a plan
Obviously, if you wanna be content creator (or anyone), you want to come up with
a plan to make your career take off. This is the first and foremost step to running either
a blog, a youtube channel, or a business.
4. Have a back-up plan
In case if your plan doesn't quite work out the way you planned, it's important to create a
second plan so that you have something to fall back on.
5. Have a back-up plan for your back-up plan
Now, if for some reason, your first plan doesn't work out the way you want it to, your second
plan doesn't quite work out either and you're on the verge of staying up all night hoping hitting
your head against the wall, then don't worry. One of your plans should work if you work at it
long enough. Remember, it's not that you should stop trying, it could
be that you're just not there yet.
6. Assess whether this is something you want
Obviously, content creation is just like any other career path. The only difference is that it might require more work and effort but you don't necessarily need to have any form of education or work experience to start. With that being said, you do need to have the right tools to get started which might include (but is not limited to) communication, which brings me to my point which is...
7. Communicate, communicate, communicate
Guys, I cannot stress this enough. Communication is so important especially if you're working for yourself. When you work for someone, you have someone telling you what to do. When you're self-employed, you're left on your own to figure out what to do which can feel utterly confusing especially when you're doing it on your own. That's why it's so important to communicate and to have connections with others whenever you need to reach out for help.
8. Stay updated
When I say this, I literally mean make sure to keep creating new content so that your readers (or viewers) can find you. I didn't want to say that you should create new content in order to keep your readers engaged because obviously, any kind of content that was made years ago can look as good now as it did then. The point that I'm trying to make is that you want to make sure that you keep uploading content consistently so that your content can continue to be ranked
high in the recommendations so that your audience can find your content.
9. Know where to go and who to talk to
Guys, I am not kidding, this one is so important because (I kid you not, this something that I really almost did) at the beginning of my blogging journey, I wanted to monetize my blog using Amazon's affiliate program (this is before I discovered the paypal's simple donation system). Well, from Amazon, I discovered that I had to rack up about 500 followers on twitter to get in. Well, I came up with this brilliant idea of going to the live chat option on Capital One's site (Yes, I'm referring to the bank and yes, I really almost did this) and then ask them for twitter followers. It took me about another day to figure out that I had to follow others on twitter in order to get followed back. Hmm, I do these things and then I wonder why my blog has been slow to take off but hey, don't look at me like that. I'm new at this too. Granted, I've been doing
this for more than a year now but that's besides the point.
Okay, enough about that, moving on...
10. Figure out who your audience is
Guys, it is okay to not be sure about who your audience is when you're starting out. I wasn't
even sure myself until I settled with the idea of having mostly adolescents, adults, and tweens
as my main audience. It really depends on the content itself because your target
audience will depend on what kind of content you have.
11. Stay motivated
Now, I have to say, this one was the hardest one for me. For those of you who are serious about this career path, let me tell you something, there will be times when you'll question yourself, there will be times when you wonder this is what you really want, but most of all, there will be times when you wonder whether you should keep going or give it up altogether. This is my advice and hear me out, I am speaking from my own experience; if you have a solid plan, a solid back up plan, a solid support system, and if this is something that you really want, then go for it. Yes, it's a risk but it could be the best risk you've taken and you won't know unless you try.
12. Have fun!
Whatever you choose to do, it's important to enjoy and be passionate about what you're
doing. There is no high quality work without passion. That's what brings your work to life
and it's something that makes what you're doing worth doing.
