In the internet age, we’re all content creators. This didn’t start with the internet, but with us. We all have something to say.
You have to choose.
This is often what stops me. When there is a choice that isn’t clear. Two options with serious downsides.
I’ve been blogging for fifteen years. In that time, the expectations have changed dramatically–and often changed again and again.
We want to make our work spread, so we look for ways to make this happen.
The sharing infrastructure of the web has evolved to require visuals. In other words, pictures and video (potentially both). So if we want people to see it, we need pictures. We need to invest in finding the right visual to connect with our words.
And the post needs a great title. Some say you should start there. Spend 50% of your time (literally half!) getting that nailed down.
And don’t forget SEO and keywords so Google loves you.
We’re all stuck in high school.
Seth Godin’s response is to not worry about that stuff. To show up everyday instead. Don’t worry about the expectations. Defy them.
On his blog, he doesn’t put a featured picture in every post. Go to his website. It’s post after post of text. And when you share one of his pieces on Facebook, it grabs his headshot. The same for every post.
This betrays the rules of “going viral”. But it is one of the things he does to make sure he shows up everyday.
It’s also one of the ways that he puts 100% of his focus on the idea. Not on the clever title, the trendy keywords, or the stylized presentation.
All of his effort is on saying what he wants to say.
This is a choice.
It’s a good one. A hard one, too.
He isn’t doing everything possible to make sure every post goes viral.
Nor is he trying to copy the big-time bloggers or news outlets.
You can see the calculation, though. All of the effort is on making the post itself better, rather than splitting the attention with how to make it more attractive or shareable.
That alone is an important calculation. But that isn’t the only one Seth makes. Or encourages us to make. Because he isn’t thinking about each individual post like it is the darling–the one that will get shared and make it more likely that he will get picked to be the star.
This is actually a bet on himself.
He’s going to show up. And the people who hear him and like him? They come back for more. They sign up.
This is the real choice. We could chase after the minimum expectation of the influencer class to get noticed or we can show up every day and deliver for those who’ve signed up to journey with us.
Seth doesn’t just prove we can do it. He proves that betting on ourselves is way better than gaming SEO or going viral. It’s about making something worth it.
I’m writing these words to myself as much as I’m writing them to you.