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Discussion on: Name 3 writing tips you wish you had when you first started blogging

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helenanders26 profile image
Helen Anderson • Edited

Love this thread and the great advice coming through :D

My three are:

1 - Think about your audience. Are you writing for a complete beginner or someone more experienced? What prior knowledge do you expect your experienced reader to have? What problem are you trying to help them solve?

2 - Don't post it right away. Once you are happy with the final version of your post close your laptop and wait till tomorrow. With fresh eyes you often spot mistakes you wouldn't have seen initially.

3 - Don't worry about post views and other vanity metrics. Post views don't tell you if your reader has even read the post, they simply clicked a link. You should be aiming to create genuine conversations and helping others with your post, not chasing internet points.

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michaeltharrington profile image
Michael Tharrington

3 - Don't worry about post views and other vanity metrics. Post views don't tell you if your reader has even read the post, they simply clicked a link. You should be aiming to create genuine conversations and helping others with your post, not chasing internet points.

So, so true! I think that this is excellent advice. 🙌

So much gets lost in metrics like post views. Like you said, a post view just tells you that someone clicked a link. Maybe you had a genuinely good title or maybe you just created enough shock/intrigue to get a click! 😅

Anyway, as you pointed out, when writing for views alone, the writing generally suffers because it isn't coming from a genuine place and it's so clearly self-serving. On the reverse, writing about what you are interested in and trying to make real connections with others who are interested in the same thing is so, so much more rewarding than a post view.

Side note, I love the phrase "chasing internet points" and now I got TLC in my head! 😀

TLC Waterfalls

🎶 ... don't go chasing internet points... 🎶

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helenanders26 profile image
Helen Anderson
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mitchellclong profile image
Moe Long

THE PROBLEM WITH VANITY METRICS! PREACH! As a writer/editor, I'm constantly trying to help people understand this. Excellent write up!