Stop Reading & Start Writing
How much time do you spend per day just reading? An hour, two, maybe even more.
If you spent that time writing, how much quality content could you create? A couple fantastic posts probably.
It is time to look at how you budget your time. I am by no means saying stop reading all of your favorite blog posts, but instead I am pointing out the fact that there should be a balance between how much time you read and how much time you allocate to writing.
Reading –> Ideas
Reading posts from other respected individuals in your niche can provide you with insightful ideas. You might write a spin off about something they discussed, call them out on a falsehood, or just get the inspiration you need to talk about something that no one else has yet touched upon. Reading quality posts or content is a useful tool in triggering your own thought development.
One thing to avoid while reading is to steer clear of mindless or rehashed content. Don’t waste your time reading the same concepts over and over. If you do that, then you blog posts will reflect just that; they will lack any uniqueness and spirit. You might not realize it initially, but a few sentences into a post your mind will click and say this looks all to familiar. Too many time are the same points bashed again and again or content that isn’t worth reading is posted. I don’t mind the occasional rant, but sometime enough is enough – people just need to learn to put a cap on it. If you find yourself reading something that isn’t different and or lacks true creativity, move on to the next thing.
Once you read a few post from someone, you will know what type of content they are pushing, which will drive you away or will leave you wanting more. There will likely be plenty of places that you will never return to. However, after a while of cutting your way through the jungle of rehashing, incompetent, or just plain monotone writers, you’ll find a few diamonds in the rough. Their content will subsequently generate ideas that you can run with.
Writing –> Recognition and Reputation
Quality writing will allow you to create a reputation and gain you recognition as well. If you just mimic your favorite posters, then your content will suck. Consider using a text spinner to save yourself some time if you plan on rehashing old news. Don’t turn into the blogs that you read a few lines from and proceed to leave.
What you want to do is build upon a concept someone else started or better yet discuss something that is lacking a perspective or any information whatsoever. To gain recognition and reputation your posts should
- Be original – Stand out from the crowd
- Challenge people – Have merit to your argument though
- Have purpose – Don’t write for the sense of needing to create something new
- Have personality – Express yourself as who you really are
Writing exceptional blog posts by itself is not enough; you need to do more than that. Writing encompasses more than creating a new blog post.
When I refer to writing, I am not solely talking about writing articles or posts. Writing also includes commenting on the thing that you have been reading about. Interacting with the authors that inspire your posts or just make you think is a favorable thing to do. By challenging their ideas or adding further input upon the topic, you demonstrate your interest and knowledge. Ideally, this will help you create a network and encourage them to visit our blog to see what you are writing about. It might also open the door for guest posting, which is an excellent way to increase your exposure.
Not only should you be commenting on the content you read, but you should be interacting with the commenters on your own blog. This lets your readers know that you care about their opinions and shows that you’ll take the time to develop the discussion and answer questions beyond your post.
Managing and utilizing the available time you have to the maximum is a challenging task, but by doing so you enable yourself to increase your productivity. By balancing the time you spend reading and writing, you are better able to create quality, original, and provoking content while expanding your reach.