The Rewards Of Daily Writing

I’ve built the habit of writing an article every morning; it’s been gratifying.

I find that writing helps me think through things in a unique way that feels like an exploration.

I also spend all day thinking about things to write about, which is an excellent way to stay attentive.

Recently, I wrote a post that I was excited about. It was more personal than I’m used to, and I was eager to see people’s responses.

I kept returning to it all day to find…crickets.

It got close to nothing regarding likes, comments, or shares.

I wasn’t all that let down; I’m a marketer and know the game. Some things land, some don’t. I just took it as a data point and decided that type of post wouldn’t serve my purpose of increasing my reach. Lesson learned, improvement opportunity noted. Move on.

But then, toward the end of the day, I received a message via Messenger from someone I used to work with. It ranks among the top 5 best messages I’ve ever received from anyone outside of family. I was grateful to be on the receiving end and pleasantly surprised by what was shared.

It also let me know that what I wrote did have an impact. The topic in question was rather personal.

I realized then that, even if people did appreciate the content, it was more challenging to expect folks to engage with it because doing so is something like a tacit admission.

I should be the last person who needs to be taught that vanity metrics aren’t (can’t be) the final gauge of success. Even so, here was a powerful reminder.

I still want to engineer what I write for visibility. I like knowing I’m reaching people, getting attention, and growing my following.

But I also like knowing I’m making an impact.

The growth is the breadth, and the impact is the depth. And I want both.

So, diversification in my content strategy is something I’ll continue until I get canceled or arrested.

And if you’ve been following me for any time, I’d love your thoughts.

Are there topics I write about that resonate with you more than others? Are there things you wish I’d avoid or back off of a little?

Let me know in the comments.