Every online writer's dilemma:
Writing for vs Writing for
your audience yourself
Here are 7 mental models to help you find the balance, grow & enjoy the process 🧵
Writing for vs Writing for
your audience yourself
Here are 7 mental models to help you find the balance, grow & enjoy the process 🧵
1/ Only write about things you're completely obsessed about.
Online writing is an endurance sport.
And forcing yourself to write interesting shit is not sustainable.
So the only way to keep at it over a long period is to write about things you're genuinely interested in.
Online writing is an endurance sport.
And forcing yourself to write interesting shit is not sustainable.
So the only way to keep at it over a long period is to write about things you're genuinely interested in.
2/ Write selfishly. Then, make it all about the reader.
The best writing is the product of a paradoxical mix:
Self-indulgent curiosity & empathetic packaging.
Go down your favorite rabbit holes to find ideas.
Then, give people reasons to care about them.
The best writing is the product of a paradoxical mix:
Self-indulgent curiosity & empathetic packaging.
Go down your favorite rabbit holes to find ideas.
Then, give people reasons to care about them.
3/ Optimize for width first. Then, build audience density.
Having millions of views is cool (& it can def be helpful).
But if you overdo it, you'll end up with a huge following that doesn't give a fuck about you.
Like those IG pages that can't sell $100 worth of products.
Having millions of views is cool (& it can def be helpful).
But if you overdo it, you'll end up with a huge following that doesn't give a fuck about you.
Like those IG pages that can't sell $100 worth of products.
4/ Create your own depth metrics.
Today's social platforms only have width metrics: likes, retweets, comments.
So if you want to optimize for audience density, you gotta come up with your own metrics.
DMs, emails & sales are much better indicators of audience depth & density.
Today's social platforms only have width metrics: likes, retweets, comments.
So if you want to optimize for audience density, you gotta come up with your own metrics.
DMs, emails & sales are much better indicators of audience depth & density.
5/ Deconstruct your good taste.
One thing all great writers have in common:
They're active consumers.
Every time they find something interesting, they dissect it & try to understand why it works.
Then, they apply that to their own content.
One thing all great writers have in common:
They're active consumers.
Every time they find something interesting, they dissect it & try to understand why it works.
Then, they apply that to their own content.
6/ Curate but add your own spin to it.
Idea arbitrage is an effective way to grow quickly.
But producing work you're proud of requires creativity & originality.
Great writers are great at leveraging other people's ideas while also remixing them with their own views & stories.
Idea arbitrage is an effective way to grow quickly.
But producing work you're proud of requires creativity & originality.
Great writers are great at leveraging other people's ideas while also remixing them with their own views & stories.
7/ Build your own algorithm.
Great writing is a by‑product, not a result.
Consuming great content is the 1st step to creating great content.
If you rely on the algorithms, you'll just see what everyone else's seeing.
So dig deeper & try tools like @mailbrew or @feedly.
Great writing is a by‑product, not a result.
Consuming great content is the 1st step to creating great content.
If you rely on the algorithms, you'll just see what everyone else's seeing.
So dig deeper & try tools like @mailbrew or @feedly.
This thread was by inspired by a recent convo with @dickiebush, @Nicolascole77 & @george__mack.
If you enjoyed it, I highly recommend you watch the video below.
It's full of insightful nuggets & actionable tips:
If you enjoyed it, I highly recommend you watch the video below.
It's full of insightful nuggets & actionable tips:
Wanna learn how to inject virality into the ideas you're genuinely curious about?
You might find this useful:
You might find this useful:
https://twitter.com/dbustac/status/1429953351567896593?s=20
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