# The Art and Business of Online Writing  ## Metadata - Author: [[Nicolas Cole]] - Full Title: The Art and Business of Online Writing - Category: #books ## Highlights - If you are a company with a product or service to sell, and you have the means to create a “digital media company” within your niche, HubSpot is a terrific use case for having an active blog on your website. Your blog should become an industry publication, where the purpose of that publication is to tap into search traffic around specific keywords and increase the likelihood of a reader becoming a customer looking to buy your product or service. ([Location 439](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=439)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The second scenario for starting a blog is the solopreneur, the digital marketer, the fitness coach, the individual who is less concerned with sharing his or her own individual insights and perspectives, and instead wants to use writing as a marketing mechanism for their internet business. These types of websites aren’t really about the individual as much as they are the topic (and product) they are looking to sell. Sure, some of the best travel or nutrition or fitness bloggers end up sharing a good amount about their own lives in the process, but their blog content is primarily focused on providing informative answers to popular questions directly related to their product or service. ([Location 442](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=442)) - Tags: [[blue]] - If you are a company with the resources to build and scale your website into an industry publication, you should start a blog. And if you are a solopreneur who wants to “own” a category or niche by creating a directory of knowledge, you should start a blog. But if you don’t fit within either of these two categories, then blogging is not your best path forward. ([Location 457](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=457)) - Tags: [[blue]] - When Manson first started his website and blog, websites like Medium and Quora didn’t exist. You couldn’t publish articles yet on LinkedIn. Blogger was still one of the best publishing platforms on the internet (and to be honest, it wasn’t that good). Facebook and Twitter were infants. YouTube was just starting to turn “vloggers” into internet celebrities. And the term “influencer” didn’t even exist yet. Every benefit that came with having a blog a decade ago can now be achieved in 1/100th the amount of time—if you understand how to play the game of capturing and keeping people’s attention online. ([Location 473](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=473)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Data is the single greatest indicator of what’s working (and what isn’t working) about your writing. ([Location 491](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=491)) - Tags: [[blue]] - There are 2 types of writers today: those who use data to inform and improve their writing, and those who fail. ([Location 497](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=497)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The new way to think about being a writer in the digital age is to turn your writing into a data mining machine. ([Location 524](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=524)) - Tags: [[blue]] - I tell everyone—whether you’re an aspiring author or the CEO of a publicly traded company—that before you do anything, before you write your book, before you launch your product, before you think about “positioning yourself,” you need to write online. Why? Writing online, first, reduces your risk: You will learn what people like and don’t like much faster, for free. Writing online, first, helps you find your voice: If you start paying attention to data, the way you write today will not be the way you write tomorrow. Writing online, first, builds your audience from day one: Instead of waiting until your bigger projects are ready to be shared, you will set yourself up for success from the very beginning. Writing online, first, will give you insight into what people want: This is what Mark Manson did that was so brilliant. He used the data from his blog to inform the title, structure, and concept for his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. ([Location 531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=531)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Likes = “This is something I approve of. Nice job.” Shares = “This is something more people need to know about. This represents me.” Comments = “This is thought provoking. I agree/disagree, and I want you to know why. Views = “This strikes a chord. There’s something valuable here.” ([Location 550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=550)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Successful writers play the game of Online Writing consciously. Unsuccessful writers play the game unconsciously—and then wonder why they aren’t succeeding. ([Location 629](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=629)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The entire—and I mean this quite literally, the ENTIRE—art and science and “game” of online writing is rooted in understanding what category you’re actually competing within. Unless you can consciously name the category, you will never have a firm grasp as to whether your work is “Better” or “Worse” than the competition. It isn’t until you understand the category, and then “The Ladder” that exists within your category, that you can begin climbing your way to the top. ([Location 647](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=647)) - Tags: [[blue]] - This is what makes writing online a strategy game. Think of every category as its own playing field with its own rules. What’s considered kosher in one category may seem completely unconventional in another. What one category calls “innovative,” another might see as boring. Your job is to take the time to read, observe, and study your chosen category to the point where you understand its native language. You should be able to hear the nuances in how people communicate, know which formats have become tried and true, and most importantly, name the dominant writers within the category you are aiming to surpass. ([Location 667](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=667)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Creating a unique, memorable, and “different” writing style is nothing more than a deliberate choice to sit somewhere unexpected on this Writing Spectrum. The more unexpected the style, in the context of your category, the more likely you are to stand out. On the other hand, the more expected the style, in the context of your category, the more likely you are to sound like everyone else—and blend into the noise. ([Location 681](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=681)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The inverse rule of “Specificity is the Secret,” is “The Broader You Are, The More Confusing You Are.” ([Location 762](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=762)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Ineffective writing is nothing more than writing that does not resonate. And the reason it doesn’t resonate is almost always a reflection of specificity—or lack thereof. Either the writer isn’t being specific enough about their category, or the content of their writing isn’t speaking specifically to their target reader. ([Location 770](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=770)) - Tags: [[blue]] - A lot of aspiring writers shy away from naming their writing that specifically, because they fear putting themselves in a box. But especially when you’re first starting out online, a box is exactly what you want. You want people to know where to put you on the bookshelf in their mind. ([Location 775](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=775)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The real question you should never stop asking yourself is, “Could this be more specific?” Because the more specific you can be, the more likely you are to resonate with your target reader MORE than your competition. ([Location 799](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=799)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Implied Credibility is how much “Better” or “Worse” your content is than everyone else’s in your chosen category. If someone comes across your article or song or video and it’s so much “Better” than the vast majority of other creators in your category, they don’t need to read your bio or take a look at your accolades to know whether or not you’re someone credible. They’ve already made their judgement. Your content is so good, your credibility is implied. ([Location 823](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=823)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Signals of Implied Credibility are: Profile picture: Right out the gate, if your profile picture is blurry and half-hearted, what you’re really telling readers is that you’re not “playing the game” seriously—so then why should they take you seriously? Bio: “I like cats, coffee, and watching Netflix,” is not an effective bio. Instead of trying to be clever, tell people who you are, what category your writing is in, and what makes you “credible.” Production quality: If you post pictures, graphic designs, or videos within your writing, then the quality of this content is going to speak for you. Low-quality images, for example, are going to tell readers you’re operating on a shoestring budget. High-quality images, on the other hand, lead readers to believe you have the means to hire a professional photographer (which means, “This person must be successful.”). It’s implied. Grammar: There is no faster way to lose credibility with a reader than to have writing littered with mistakes. (However, I too was once a 17-year-old blogger who didn’t know the difference between ‘their’ and ‘they’re.’) So while grammar mistakes can be an issue, don’t let fear keep you from making progress as a writer. Just keep getting better as you go along. Organization of thought: If your writing reads smoothly, a reader is going to assume “you know what you’re doing.” If it’s formatted well, they’re going to assume “you’ve been writing for a while.” These are subtle signals of credibility in the form of expertise. Specificity: Remember, Specificity Is The Secret. The more specific you are, the more likely a reader is going to immediately assume they are in the right place, reading the right writer for them. ([Location 827](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=827)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Signals of Perceived Credibility are: What other credible people have to say about your writing: “Nicolas Cole is the single greatest writer of this generation.” – Abraham Lincoln Which major publications your writing has appeared in: “Featured in TIME, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, and many more.” How many followers you have on social media: 100,000 followers sends a signal you simply cannot send with 100 followers. High barrier to entry products: Writing a book, or launching a high-production video course, are signals of credibility simply because they typically either require a significant amount of expertise and/or money in order to execute. Badges and achievements: #1 best-selling author on Amazon, New York Times best-selling author, WSJ best-selling author, Top Writer on Quora, Top Writer on Medium, LinkedIn Influencer, Verified on Instagram or Twitter, etc. These are all examples of badges and achievements that can be leveraged for Perceived Credibility. How much money you’ve made from your craft: Mystery novelist James Patterson is “The world’s best-selling author. His total income over the past decade is estimated at $700 million.” That’s Perceived Credibility on a completely different level. ([Location 852](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=852)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Signals of Earned Credibility are: How long you’ve been creating content for: “Every day for 3 years” sends a very different signal than “I just started last week.” How often you create content: “I write something new every day” vs “I write something every few months, when I feel like it.” How much content you’ve created: “I have written more than 3,000 articles online” vs “I’ve written three blog posts.” How many people consume your content: “I have more than 1,000,000 views on my writing” vs “I have 300 views on my writing.” How well one of your pieces of content has performed: If one of your articles has thousands of Upvotes, Views, etc., that in itself is a badge of credibility—and clear proof what you have to say is valuable. ([Location 885](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=885)) - Tags: [[blue]] - While Perceived Credibility can be bought—you can buy mentions in the press, you can buy followers on social media, you can buy testimonials, you can buy reviews, you can even pay people like me to ghostwrite a book for you—Earned Credibility can’t be bought with money. As a result, there’s something uniquely different that comes with these badges, in the sense that each is a reflection of effort, skill, and self-discipline. ([Location 894](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=894)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Mega-successful writers (in both big ways, like selling millions of copies of books, and small ways, in going viral on the internet), don’t compete within existing categories. What they do, intuitively, accidentally, or intentionally, is create a new category for themselves. ([Location 931](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=931)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Categories are created at unlikely intersections, spotted by writers with an intimate understanding of one or multiple sub-categories. ([Location 958](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=958)) - Tags: [[blue]] - it’s best to begin writing on a social media site that 1) already has a significant user base, 2) is relevant to your chosen category, and most importantly, 3) provides you with analytics into your target readers’ behaviors. This is where writing on your own blog, or even someone else’s website, falls short. The whole idea isn’t to just hit publish and then pat yourself on the back. The idea is to hit publish and start gathering data. ([Location 1130](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1130)) - Tags: [[blue]] - I have a rule I live by, and it goes like this: “The number of hours I spend consuming should never equal or exceed the number of hours I spend creating.” ([Location 1325](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1325)) - Tags: [[blue]] - When you start writing on a social platform, your goal is to “beat the game.” In order to beat the game, you need to actually play the game, get feedback from the game, and internalize that feedback to change your strategies over time and make your way up the ladder—in whatever form that means to you. The more you write, the more data you will accumulate, the better your skills will get, the faster you will learn. Conversely, the less you write, the less data you will accumulate, the longer it will take for your skills to improve, the slower you will learn. ([Location 1333](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1333)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The writers who become successful aren’t necessarily the most talented writers. The writers who become successful are the most consistent writers. It’s impossible to know whether or not you have something meaningful to say, or if a platform is worth writing on, unless you give yourself six months to find out. ([Location 1371](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1371)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The minimum amount you should be writing and publishing new material online is once per month. That is the absolute minimum. The people who can get away with this cadence are executives, speakers, authors, investors, and working professionals who have already made strides building themselves on the internet. These are people who are further along in their careers, and have built an engaged network on LinkedIn or a buzzy following on Twitter. It’s very rare that someone with absolutely zero digital footprint (regardless of how successful or well-known you are in the real world) starts writing online and immediately commands attention. ([Location 1383](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1383)) - Tags: [[blue]] - My true “recommended minimum” however is to publish something once every other week. In order to be taken seriously on the internet as an authority in your category and a leader in your industry, niche, or genre, You need to be writing and publishing new material 2x per month. ([Location 1388](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1388)) - Tags: [[blue]] - However, I believe (and have discovered for myself) there is a third option, and that’s to optimize the former so you can introduce people to the latter. For example, I recently wrote a book of poetry called Slow Down, Wake Up, and started sharing more of my poems on social platforms like Quora, Medium, and Twitter. I like writing poetry. I’ve been writing poetry for more than a decade. Instead of ignoring this “content bucket” in my library completely, I’ve leveraged my proven writing to bring attention to my passion writing. I let data tell me what people want to hear from me most, and leverage that data to “win the game,” while still keeping my own personal projects as a priority. ([Location 1436](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1436)) - Tags: [[blue]] - People make “the game” of social media so much more complicated than it really is. If you want to surpass even the most popular, highest-performing writers within an existing category, all you have to do is everything they’re doing, more consistently. If they publish new material 7 days per week, you need to publish new material 7 days per week. If they write 3,000+ word stories, you should write 3,000+ word stories. If they interview industry titans and summarize their takeaways, you should interview industry titans and summarize their takeaways. If they encourage readers to Tweet them with questions and ideas, you should encourage readers to Tweet you with questions and ideas. And if they respond to every single Tweet that comes their way, you should respond to every single Tweet that comes your way. Etc. Your job is to study the competition and understand exactly why they are succeeding in the first place. ([Location 1447](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1447)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Consistent output is the secret to every growth metric on the internet: views, comments, Likes, shares, etc. ([Location 1498](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1498)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Whenever something big happens in the news, it becomes a “trend” for a month, a week, a day, or sometimes even a couple of hours. When a celebrity makes headlines, when a major company makes a public mistake, when an everyday person goes viral, these “trends” spark a crazy amount of engagement on social media—which you can use to your advantage. Trend Jacking is where you hop on someone else’s train in order to bring some of that heightened attention back to yourself. ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1523)) - Tags: [[blue]] - There are five types of writing on the internet. Form #1: Actionable Guide Form #2: Opinion Form #3: Curated List Form #4: Story Form #5: Credibility ([Location 1696](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1696)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Instead, you should write one article exclusively about “How To Land Your First Client As A Freelance Photographer.” If any thought, insight, opinion, statistic, story, or random anecdote doesn’t have to do with that one specific topic, it shouldn’t be in the piece. Period. “How To Choose Your First Lens As A Freelance Photographer” should be a second, separate article. “How To Handle Your Own Accounting As A Freelance Photographer” should be a third, separate article. And so on, ensuring the promise you make to your reader is delivered on to the very best of your ability. ([Location 1724](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1724)) - Tags: [[blue]] - the goal of writing an Actionable Guide of any kind is to get someone to bookmark it. The reason I like to set this as a “mental goal” is because if you can write something someone is willing to bookmark, that means you’ve written a resource the reader doesn’t want to just read once—but wants to come back to again and again (and not just to that individual piece, but to you as a writer). ([Location 1730](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1730)) - Tags: [[blue]] - There are a handful of ways you can make your Actionable Guide “better” than the competition: “Better” Quality: If everyone else writes short guides that don’t go into very much detail, you can be the one to write long, insightful, walkthrough-style guides. Conversely, if everyone else writes long, boring, walkthrough-style guides, you can be the one to condense them into shorter, more digestible bites. “Better” Voice: If everyone else’s How To guides are dense and overwhelming, you can show up to the party and be fast, full of personality, and overly casual. Conversely, if everyone else’s How To guides are so casual you feel as though you aren’t being given professional insight, you can be the one to write in a more formal way. “Better” Organization: If everyone else writes really great material, but it’s organized poorly and full of huge paragraphs and no subheads or page breaks for the reader, you can win simply by organizing your writing more visually and “appearing” easier to read and understand. “Better” Positioned: If everyone else is writing about the same problem, you can flip the problem on its head to be seen as something radically different. For example, if there are a million guides all titled “How To Get Your First Client As A Freelance Photographer,” you can position yourself differently by reframing the problem: “Freelance Photographers, Here’s Why You Don’t Want To Charge Your First Client Any Money At All.” “Better” For The Audience: If everyone else is writing about their industry from a broad perspective, you can stand out by choosing not to use universal language and using extremely specific terminology and vernacular only that specific audience would understand—and… ([Location 1733](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1733)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Below are additional techniques that work well for Opinion writing. “Better” Data: If everyone else’s opinions are shot from the hip and aren’t backed by anything substantial, this is your opportunity to show up to the party with a satchel full of facts. Conversely, if the most popular opinions on a particular topic are overloaded with facts and statistics making them difficult to read, you can be the one to write an entire piece around one single fact and make the topic more digestible. “Better” Quotes: If everyone else is only writing their own opinions, you can be the one to amplify your opinions by curating credible, insightful quotes from other relevant voices. “Better” Insight: If everyone else is keeping the conversation within the commonly accepted rules of the industry, you can present insight from outside the industry and expand the conversation to bigger and broader audiences. (And vice versa: if everyone is sharing big, broad opinions, you can be the one to bring the topic back to one key insight.) “Better” Stories: If everyone else is sharing opinions citing facts or personal beliefs, you can reframe the conversation by telling a unique story that underscores the point you’re trying to make. (Writers like Ryan Holiday do this often, where they will tell the reader a story about someone famous or noteworthy from history, and then after telling the story they will expand upon the story with their own personal opinions and insights.) “Better” Clarity: If everyone else’s opinions are murky, disorganized, or unnecessarily complicated, you have an opportunity to make things simple for readers. What really matters here? Why? And how can you say it in a way where a single sentence rings louder than an entire essay on the topic? (For example: Tweets that go massively viral aren’t just “clever” or “punchy.” They’re clear. They resonate with so many people because they bring a massive amount of clarity to an opinion everyone else seems to be overcomplicating.) ([Location 1757](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1757)) - Tags: [[blue]] - What makes a great headline is getting someone to do three things at the exact same time: Easily understand what this piece of writing is about Easily understand who this piece of writing is for And easily understand the PROMISE: the problem that will be solved, and/or the solution being offered This is what’s known as The Curiosity Gap. The Curiosity Gap is what tells the reader what this piece of writing is about, who it’s for, and what it’s promising—all without revealing the answer. ([Location 1879](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1879)) - Tags: [[blue]] - If you can’t clearly communicate what it is you want to say in a twelve-word headline, chances are, you won’t clearly communicate what it is you want to say in an 800-word post (or a 60,000-word book). ([Location 1933](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1933)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The size of your audience is a direct reflection of the size of the question you’re answering. ([Location 1939](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1939)) - Tags: [[blue]] - This technique of tying niche topics to universal questions is a powerful way of tapping into new audiences and expanding your reach outside of your particular industry or category. ([Location 1968](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=1968)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Right away in the introduction, your job is to answer all three of the reader’s preliminary questions: What is this about? Is this for me? What are you PROMISING me and how confident am I that you’re going to deliver on that PROMISE? The very first sentence is arguably the most important sentence of the entire piece. It should be a short sentence. It should be a clear sentence. It should be a sentence that a reader can fly through, giving them the feeling that they’re off to a running start. You are successful if you can nail the entire “point” of the piece in ten words or less. ([Location 2117](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2117)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The 1/3/1 structure is the best place to start. In 1/3/1, you have one strong opening sentence, three description sentences, and then one conclusion sentence. Visually, this is a powerful way to tell the reader you aren’t going to make them suffer through big blocks of text, and that you have their best interests in mind. Here’s how it works: This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. This third sentence reinforces the point you’re making with some sort of credibility or amplified description. And this fourth sentence rounds out your argument, guiding the reader toward your conclusion. This fifth sentence is your strong conclusion. ([Location 2135](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2135)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The 1/5/1 structure is the same as the 1/3/1 structure, just with more room for description and clarification in the middle. Here’s how it works: This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. This third sentence reinforces the point you’re making with some sort of credibility or amplified description. This fourth sentence builds on that credibility or description, giving added context or new information. This fifth sentence explains to the reader why you’re telling them what you’re telling them. And this sixth sentence drives home the point. This seventh sentence is your strong conclusion. ([Location 2159](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2159)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The basic structures of online writing are 1/3/1 and 1/5/1. Once you learn these, you can then start to play with rhythm a bit more and elongate your introductions. I cannot stress enough how much you do not want to elongate your writing by cramming sentence after sentence into one paragraph. Online writing benefits from clearly separated thoughts and statements, which is why I recommend using variations of the 1/3/1 and 1/5/1 structure if you need the extra space. ([Location 2181](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2181)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Here’s how it works: This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. This third sentence reinforces the point you’re making with some sort of credibility or amplified description. And this fourth sentence rounds out your argument, guiding the reader toward your conclusion. This fifth sentence is your strong conclusion. And this sixth sentence is expanding on why you’re making such a strong conclusion. This seventh sentence is what you’re going to talk about next. Here, the 1/3/1 structure is being expanded ever so slightly into 1/3/2/1, without asking the reader to slog through too much additional description or explanation. And with the 1/5/2/1 structure, you’re doing the same thing just expanding it a tiny bit more. Notice, we are still keeping one single sentence as the opener, and one single sentence as the conclusion. ([Location 2186](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2186)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Why the 1/4/1/1 structure works so well is because now your single-sentence conclusion packs two punches instead of one. Here’s how it works: This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. This third sentence reinforces the point you’re making with some sort of credibility or amplified description. This fourth sentence rounds out your argument. And this fifth sentence speaks to the emotional benefit of the reader. This sixth sentence is your conclusion. And this seventh sentence is why that conclusion matters so much. ([Location 2197](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2197)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Notice again how every single structure relies on a single opening sentence, and always ends with a single conclusion sentence. Pieces that open with two consecutive sentences in the first paragraph are weaker. And pieces that open with three or more sentences in the first paragraph are tiring for the reader. As much as possible, you want to crescendo and decrescendo your rhythms, starting with one sentence, then moving up to three, four, or five sentences, then back down to two sentences, then back down to one—and repeat. This is what makes the reader feel like they’re riding a wave. And waves feel good. ([Location 2309](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2309)) - Tags: [[blue]] - If the “sweet spot” of an online article is 800 to 1,200 words, then your job as a writer is to pack as much value into your Main Points as possible—without inflating the piece’s word count. ([Location 2319](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2319)) - Tags: [[blue]] - As a rule of thumb, the more Main Points you have, the less explanation you are going to have for each one (in order to stay within the sweet spot of 800 to 1,200 words). Conversely, the less Main Points you have, the more explanation you are going to need in order for each point to stand securely on its own. ([Location 2334](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2334)) - Tags: [[blue]] - For articles that have three or less Main Points, you are going to want to use a structure that doesn’t cut your explanations too short. The 1/2/5/3/1 structure is a good framework to use when thinking about how to make a solid argument for whatever it is you’re writing about, without getting “lost in the sauce” and rambling on and on. Here’s how it works: This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. And this third sentence is why the reader should care. This fourth sentence starts to expand on the point. This fifth sentence is a story, or some sort of credible piece of insight. This sixth sentence builds on that story or insight and tells the reader something they maybe didn’t know. This seventh sentence is a small conclusion. And this eighth sentence is why that conclusion matters. This ninth sentence recaps what you just told the reader. This tenth sentence reinforces the argument you’re making with an additional tidbit or insight. And this eleventh sentence drives the point home. This twelfth sentence reminds the reader of the important takeaway. Looking at the above, you can then imagine what this entire piece would look like if each of your Main Points followed this same structure. Each section opens with a clear, declarative sentence. Each section ends with a clear declarative sentence. And the “bulk” of each section exists in the middle, where a reader doesn’t feel like they’re slogging through one long, dense paragraph after another. ([Location 2339](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2339)) - Tags: [[blue]] - First, you never want to have three or more long paragraphs one after another. That style of writing has been dead for years, and anyone writing that way on the internet is clinging to a way things were but no longer are. Second, if you are going to have long paragraphs one after another, you want to find ways to change up their internal rhythm so they don’t feel or sound exactly the same. One way of doing this is by using punctuation. Have one paragraph with a lot of short, strong sentences. Have the next paragraph be one long, winding sentence. This is what makes them seem “different.” Lastly, notice how before and after both long paragraphs in the above excerpt there are single, declarative sentences. This is very intentional. Again, you want to subtly tell the reader, “I’m going to tell you a quick story—this will only take a second,” before giving them their next mile marker. There’s something about reading a single sentence after a long paragraph that gives a reader the same feeling a listener gets hearing a chord resolve on the piano. Let your chords resolve. ([Location 2518](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2518)) - Tags: [[blue]] - One of the best ways to avoid spending unnecessary time explaining things to a reader is to use repetition as a way of advancing your Rate of Revelation. Think of repetition as a bulleted list, but in prose form. ([Location 2529](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2529)) - Tags: [[blue]] - This is one of my favorite, and yet one of the least used mechanisms in online writing. Combine repetition with bolding the first half of your sentences. The whole idea here is to do nothing but emphasize the structure you’re using to your readers. So much of online writing is about signaling—signaling this piece is easy to read, signaling you know what you’re doing, signaling it’s fun and there’s a voice and rhythm here worth paying attention to (see how even in this sentence, I’ve repeated the word “signaling” multiple times?). ([Location 2581](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2581)) - Tags: [[blue]] - When it comes to online writing, conclusions are optional. ([Location 2632](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2632)) - Tags: [[blue]] - One of the best ways to get a reader to read another piece of your writing is to leave them with a massive cliffhanger. This type of structure works extremely well with Curated Lists, where the entire purpose of the piece is for you to list Main Points that speak to the reader’s interests. In these types of pieces, the reader doesn’t need a big, fancy conclusion. They got what they came for and they’re happy you delivered on that PROMISE. So, as soon as you finish your last Main Point, jump off the cliff. ([Location 2638](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2638)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Another way you can end a piece is by baking your mini conclusion into the very last Main Point. Instead of starting a whole new section, just extend your final thoughts with an extra paragraph or sentence. Elaborate not just on the Main Point you were making, but on the meaningful takeaways from all your Main Points in the piece. ([Location 2672](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2672)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The Summary technique works particularly well within Actionable Guide articles, or very long pieces with lots of different sections. Readers appreciate summaries. There’s a reason why nearly every self-help or business book ends each chapter with a “recap” or page of “action steps.” Especially when you’re covering a lot of ground, or a topic requires a lot of additional explanation, summaries are a way for you to make sure you and the reader are on the same page (pun intended) before moving on to the next Main Point. ([Location 2690](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2690)) - Tags: [[blue]] - If you’re going to take the time to end a piece with some sort of complete conclusion, I encourage you to make it a Strong Opinion. ([Location 2708](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2708)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Here are a few writing rules I encourage you to live by: Write for the everyday person. If you are hell-bent on writing at an academic level, realize you are writing for a considerably smaller audience—which means, by definition, your material will almost never be read by the masses. If what you want is broad exposure, then it’s important for you to use non-complicated language. For example, don’t use semicolons (very few people understand how they work anyway). If there’s a simpler synonym for a word less than 10% of society knows the definition to, use it. (Why? Because most people don’t use words like, “prodigious” or “confounding” when they speak. They just say, “Wow that was amazing.”) Write how you speak. Record yourself talking about a topic and then transcribe the recording. Pay close attention to the rhythm of your natural sentences, versus the rhythms you try to use when writing to “sound” more professional in your writing. As a rule of thumb, anyone who tries to sound professional ends up sounding inauthentic, and those who lean into their authentic voice end up being perceived as the most relatable. Avoid long sentences. Unless you’re using one long sentence stylistically, like to counterbalance a paragraph of many short sentences, you should err on the side of brevity. The more winding your thoughts, the more confusing your writing will be for the reader to follow. Remember, you are writing for someone whose eyes are flying across the page at lightspeed. Alternate sentence length. If you read your article and find most of your sentences and paragraphs are all the same length, you have a rhythm problem. Short sentences should be followed by longer sentences. Longer sentences should be followed by short sentences. Short paragraphs should be followed by long paragraphs, and really long paragraphs should be followed by really short paragraphs. As Mozart said, “Music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” Write confidently and declaratively. A lot of people hesitate to “make a point” or “take a stance” when writing online because they don’t want to get criticized in the comments. As a result, their writing stands for nothing, and resonates with no one. It’s safe. It’s self-conscious. And worst of all, it’s vague. The more declarative you can be with your language, the more you will force readers to make a decision. Either they will say, “I strongly agree,” or they will say, “I strongly disagree.” Either of these responses is far better than, “Meh.” ([Location 2743](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2743)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Whenever you are talking about yourself, it should be done in a way that gives necessary context to the reader. If you’re writing about how to learn a skill, you should also tell the reader how you learned that skill. If you’re writing about what it feels like to fall out of love, you should also tell the reader about a time you fell out of love. If you’re writing about the future of technology, you should also tell the reader about the history of technology and what you’ve experienced in the past. If you’re writing about politics, you should also tell the reader how you got involved in politics. ([Location 2793](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2793)) - Tags: [[blue]] - In the game of Online Writing, volume wins. Every time you write something online, your footprint gets bigger. The more material you write within a given category, the more dominant your voice becomes. And the longer you stick with it, new writers in your chosen category will need to compare themselves to you. ([Location 2961](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2961)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The second way to think about writing online is to take a timeless approach. These are stories, opinions, insights, lists, and guides that will stand the test of time. They could be read today, or they could be re-read ten years from now, and they would still remain valuable to the reader. The principles are universal. ([Location 2976](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2976)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Timeless content very rarely commands the same level of hype that a trendy, hyper-relevant, timely piece receives in the moment. It’s hard to compete against something the entire country, or even the entire world is fixated on for 24-48 hours. However, where timeless content “wins” is in its ability to endure. A timely article might accumulate 10,000 views in a day, and then fade into the abyss—whereas a timeless article might accumulate 5,000 views every year for ten years. And I much prefer the latter. The reason timeless content is a better long-term investment is because you can continue to reuse, re-publish, and re-share this content long into the future. The more you write, the bigger your library of usable content grows. The more your library grows, the larger of a footprint you can now bring to any new writing platform. The larger of a footprint you can bring to new platforms, the faster you will effectively position yourself as “the king” of your chosen category—and over time, this flywheel will continue to spin faster and faster. ([Location 2983](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=2983)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The three types of “content buckets” I recommend are: General Audience: You should have one bucket that is aimed at universal topics. Things like positive habits, life lessons, productivity topics, etc., are big, broad categories that resonate with the widest number of people. How you make them relevant to you is by approaching them through your own specific lens. So let’s say you’re the VP of Marketing at a software company. You should write about life lessons learned as the VP of Marketing at a software company, or time management techniques you use day in and day out as The VP of Marketing at a software company. This same logic applies no matter who you are. You could be a poet, or a foodie, or a master salesman, and there is still massive benefit in targeting universal topics through your own specific lens. Niche Audience: Your second content bucket should be hyper-relevant to your expertise. If you’re the VP of Marketing, then your niche audience is “marketers”—and refined further, maybe “content marketers.” When speaking to this audience, you have the option of continuing to leverage these universal topics to broaden your reach, or intentionally excluding general audiences by speaking directly to the intimate pain points your target reader is experiencing. My recommendation is to do both. Company/Industry Audience: Your third content bucket is the environment and industry you exist within. If you’re a violinist, you should be writing about the violin industry. If you’re a music producer, you should be writing about the music production industry. If you own a SaaS business, you should be writing about software as a service and the SaaS industry at large. If you are a writer, you should be writing about writing (in your specific genre). This third bucket is usually the easiest to pinpoint, however it’s an important one to add into the mix in order to be “seen” as a leader in your chosen category. ([Location 3008](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3008)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Writing anything on the internet follows a fairly simple 3-step process. Step 1: What “Type” Of Writing Is This? Form #1: Actionable Guide Form #2: Opinion Form #3: Curated List Form #4: Story Form #5: Credibility Step 2: What “Idea” Am I Communicating Within This Piece Of Writing? Idea #1: Explanation (When/Where/How/What/Why Something Happens) Idea #2: Habits (To Achieve A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #3: Mistakes (Keeping You From Achieving A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #4: Lessons (Learned In Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #5: Tips (That Can Help You In Your Own Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #6: Stories (That Symbolize Or Explain Some Aspect Of The Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #7: Timely Events (That Are Relevant To The Target Reader’s Knowledge, Awareness, Or Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) If you notice, timely “this just happened” content is only one of seven types of ideas that are communicated in written content—and yet, writers disproportionately give them priority in their libraries. Instead, I recommend you give timely content the smallest allocation of your writing portfolio. Take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, but invest the majority of your time in building timeless assets you will be able to repurpose and reuse (and will pay you dividends) years into the future. Step 3: Why Me? Credibility #1: “I am an expert on this topic. Here’s what I think.” Credibility #2: “I went out and talked to all the trusted experts on this topic. Here are all their insights and opinions in one place.” Credibility #3: “I’m just sharing my opinion, but my opinion is the most articulate one of all.” When you combine these three steps together, you suddenly get a very easy (and replicable) equation for consistently writing high-quality, high-performing content. ([Location 3033](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3033)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The longer you stick with writing online, the more data you will accumulate about what topics resonate with the most people, what headline styles work best for you and your content, what piece structures and styles keep readers engaged the longest, etc. For example, when you see that one of your articles, social media posts, or short stories is outperforming every other piece of content you’ve ever written, you shouldn’t just see that as a “win” and move on. You should question why this piece in particular is resonating with so many people—and how you can expand it into a longer, more valuable asset. ([Location 3192](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3192)) - Tags: [[blue]] - This is the answer to the question, “When should I launch my own website?” You are ready to launch your own website when you’ve reached a point where your writing can in some way, shape, or form become a business. ([Location 3196](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3196)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The best way to continue earning a reader’s loyalty is to direct them from a piece of written content they already find valuable, to a longer, more extensive resource they will want to bookmark forever. ([Location 3225](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3225)) - Tags: [[blue]] - “Pillar Pieces” are the most valuable, most comprehensive, most insightful, and most engaging versions of pieces that have proven themselves elsewhere. Instead of sending readers from an article on a social platform to the homepage of your website, what you want to do is exceed their expectations by giving them a longer, more extensive resource they almost can’t believe you’re giving away for free. If they thought your articles and written content on social platforms were valuable, they should be blown away by how in-depth your “Pillar Pieces” are on your website. ([Location 3227](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3227)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Once you have a Pillar Piece written on a specific topic, you should then direct readers over and over again to this Pillar Piece in your relevant social content. This becomes your “Reader Acquisition Flywheel.” Write content in each of your three Content Buckets. Use data to decide which specific topic deserves its own Pillar Piece. Create a Pillar Piece on your website specific to one of your Content Buckets. Continue to write about that proven topic in social environments, and regularly link to that Pillar Piece in everything you write that is relevant. ([Location 3261](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3261)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The same way you want to turn proven articles into Pillar Pieces, you also want to turn proven articles and Pillar Pieces into longer, more valuable resources and products. Again, instead of “wondering” what you should create next, let data tell you. If you’re seeing one Pillar Piece is getting significantly more traffic than the others, you should consider turning that in-depth piece into an even longer, even more valuable downloadable PDF worksheet or guide, or even a 7-day email course for beginners, etc. The idea here is to never make the reader feel like they’re being presented with something “out of context.” ([Location 3286](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3286)) - Tags: [[blue]] - What you want to do is build a road for them to follow: They click on an article that speaks to their interests Within that article, they see a link to a more valuable resource that speaks to their interests Within that Pillar Piece, they are presented with an even more valuable resource that speaks to their interests And so on ([Location 3291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3291)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Give away 99% of your best writing for free. Play the long game. Become the most-read, most-valuable writer in your chosen category. Your goal should be for readers to tag you on Twitter and say, “I seriously can’t believe all this amazing content is free.” Your only problem should be having too much of people’s attention, and not having enough hours in the day to capture it all. That’s far better than not being able to get people’s attention in the first place. ([Location 3308](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3308)) - Tags: [[blue]] - When you give 99% of your “best stuff” away for free, that means you should only monetize the last 1%. And in that last 1% should be just as much, if not EVEN MORE value than the other 99%. ([Location 3359](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3359)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The art of online writing is all about letting readers tell you what it is they want more of, and what they’re willing to pay for. Then, once you’ve effectively captured and held their attention, you can present them with the next most relevant, most valuable piece of content in your library. ([Location 3381](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08GZK274F&location=3381)) - Tags: [[blue]]