Attention, the currency of any growing business
Whatever makes it interesting to you is what will make it interesting to your audience. 👀
If you’ve been following me (online only, I hope) for some time, you know that around 2013 I started a blog which got its 15 minutes of fame – and then, of course, it never quite saw the light of the internet again. But, for a little while, it did awesome and got me 40k+ readers and around 5k followers that are still with me – even though, frankly, I’ve not been with them for a while. I miss blogging, but. There’s always a but. I’m still trying to figure it out.
My best guess is that, as attention died down, so did the joy I felt writing and sharing my work. Because let’s be honest, if I didn’t want attention I’d be writing in a diary, not on the internet. As for why did I want it, it’s simple: it’s every writer’s dream to, you know... make a living out of writing. Think of writing as a potential future business. Attention is the currency of any growing business. Your business can’t grow if no one knows it exists. Neither could mine.
I used to write a lot of introspective fiction back then, and dream of unlocking the secret of writing a best-selling novel and becoming a famous author. The writing itself wasn’t hard, but it took a lot of mental energy, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable in front of a few thousand complete strangers. And, when they stopped caring, I did too. So why should you care? Because this isn’t really about my long-lost blog. It’s about why you shouldn’t give up on yours.
Personal blogs (or creative outlets of any kind) are hugely important for us, because they aren’t just about writing, taking pictures, or editing videos. They’re centered on our identity. In other words, your food, travel, or fashion blog isn't all about the new pasta recipe you tried, the last trip you’ve been on, or the new dress you bought. It’s actually about the fact that it’s yours, and you get to do what you want there. That’s why you take it so personally when nobody gives a damn about it.
If you think about it, a blog isn't all about the topic you're talking about. A big part of it is about you and your passion for the topic you’re talking about. Which is why, the next time you feel you’re losing them, you might want to share something with your audience and incorporate why it's special to you. Because that’s the catch. Whatever makes it interesting to you is what will make it interesting to your audience. It’s what makes people connect with you.
It doesn't have to be deep or get weirdly personal if that’s not your thing. But it has to include a backstory that will make people feel something. Figure out why you want to share your work with them, and build a story around that. Because while sharing your *how* might get you a momentary spike in engagement, sharing your *why* will help you build loyalty over time. That’s how you get their attention back – and refuse to give up on your blog, passion project, even business.
(However, please remember that not everybody will pay attention to or be interested in what you think is the best thing since sliced bread. That’s ok! The idea isn’t to get the whole world to watch you do your thing. The idea is to find your people, the ones who resonate with what you have to say and who want what you have to give. If you want them to find it, you have to keep creating. Keep showing up. Keep believing that they’ll see you... Because what if they do?)
Whatever it is that you’re selling or sharing isn’t the only thing your audience is buying or consuming. We’re saturated with near-infinite choices, especially when it comes to content. There's only one way to stand out: being truly, authentically, unapologetically yourself. Every single thing that ever happened to you gives you a completely unique perspective that no one else can ever claim to offer. Own that and use it to your advantage. As for me? Well, I might just publish a new post…
The short story? The new channel? The skills? Sure – awesome! But there are millions of writers, video makers, and convert-a-word-document-into-a-pdf-file gurus out there. Your readers are reading YOU. Your followers are watching YOU. Your clients are buying YOU. What do YOU have in store for us?
Anca x