I feel like a failure.

Have you ever said that before?

I know I have.

The truth is, you are not a failure. When we fail, we grow. We get better. We improve, so….

… you are a getbetterer… :)

Grammarly says getbetterer is not a word. I disagree.

Here are 5 mistakes you need to stop doing right now to become a better digital writer.

Ctrl + P

Let's face it we all love shortcuts.

• They save us time.
• They help us to be more efficient.
• We feel more productive.

However, there is no shortcut to becoming a good writer, so….

….stop looking for one.

I know that I am certainly guilty of this one. When I first started to write online, I spent hours searching for 'the' shortcut to success.

I did all kinds of research asking myself these questions:

• What would happen if I wrote this article?
• What would happen if I wrote to this audience?
• What would happen if I posted every day?
• What would happen if I made a video instead?

It's' true. Some people stumble upon a shortcut. They write an article and it goes viral.

But then what happens?

They try again and it doesn't work.

They try again and again and they fail every time.

Why? What is the problem?

Shortcuts shortchange us. When we take a shortcut, we miss out on the learning experience of how to go from point A to point B.

In other words, if we don't know how we got there in the first place, how are we going to find our way back?

Sometimes, taking the more difficult approach may not always be the easiest, but it is a learning experience that makes us better.

We will become a better writer if we trust the process.

Sometimes I wonder: Had I just spent all that time writing, instead of spending all that time researching, looking for that THE one shortcut to success, where would I be today?

There is no shortcut to becoming a good writer.

Ctrl + big money

The best way to become a good writer is simply to practice your craft.

• write
• read
• listen to feedback
• look for ways to improve
• repeat

No shortcuts. Just hard work!

Stop Writing Creative Headlines

Stop writing creative headlines period, there I said it.

Enough said.

No, I need to explain more… (upcoming rant)

Think of a time when you visited a place for the first time, perhaps a new country. It started to get dark out and you wanted to get something for dinner.

You were hungry for anything, but you really wanted a hamburger.

And then, you see a sign like this:

That's great!

They have tasty food!

…But I want a hamburger.

What are you going to do?

You will continue looking for a restaurant that sells good hamburgers right?

Why?

Because that is what you are hungry for.

Ah yes! Now that is what I was looking for.

The same is true with our headlines.

Sometimes we want to be creative with our headlines. We want to make the reader think, and we want them to smile. We want to be different.

That is okay…

… but we aren't telling the reader what our story is about.

We aren't being clear. It is like we are saying, "Tasty food here." "Interesting words here." "Listen to my story."

…and…what? I don't know you. That means nothing to me.

Lesson: It is good to be creative when writing headlines, but BE clear.

• Tell the reader what they can expect to find in your article.
• The reader doesn't care if the headline is long or short.
• The reader wants to know if this article is worth their time.

Stop being creative with your headlines, tell us why your article is important.

Stop Looking At Your Stats….Do This Instead

When I was a kid we did an experiment for science class.

We had to grow two plants.

One was placed in direct sunlight and the other in an area that didn't get much sunlight. (I know this isn't the most exciting experiment but this was before we had tablets, computers, or Youtube. The good ol' days.)

And every day, I would check my places, 3, 5, 7 times a day. I wanted to see if they were growing.

Looking at those plants did not make them grow any faster.

Lesson: Stop obsessing over your stats. Looking at your stats isn't going to make them grow any quicker.

Do this instead…

Spend the time looking at the feedback you are getting from your readers.

• Are you getting a lot of likes?
• Are people sharing your articles with others?
• What are they saying in the comments section?

Listen to your audience and write for them.

Remember:

• good writers write for themselves
• great writers writer for their readers

Stop Writing For You

Have you ever heard the following:

• write more
• write every day
• be consistent

However, this is what 'some' people hear:

• write about your life
• write about your dog
• write about your bowel movements
• write about your neighbors
• write about your car
• write about your frustrations

Hmm…those ideas sound more like journal entries to me, right?

We don't care about your bowel movements. We don't care what your neighbors are doing. We think your dog is cute, but the truth is, we don't care.

What I (as the reader) want to know is…What's in it for me?

If you are consistently pumping out a lot of content, initially you will see an increase in readers, but then what happens?

People start to recognize that your content is, well… boring, mundane, ordinary.

You are writing for you!

The next time your content appears in their feed, they will probably will skip it. You have already made an impression. You are writing for you!

Lesson: Write for the reader.

• Start with a problem and show us how to solve it. (in that case, you may need to share your bowel movements with us)
• Inspire us to do more.
• Entertain us.
• Make us laugh.

But please, don't use your writing as a personal journal. Remember, the reader wants to know….what's in it for me?

Stop Skimming Over This Article

Hey you…New Writer!

This article is for you. Stop skimming over the headlines.

• Bookmark it
• Read it
• Put the suggestions into practice
• Later, come back and share with me how this article was a game-changer for you
• And….start writing!

Bye for now!