I really love it when people get all worked up about something I’ve said or something I’ve written. Not because I’m a sadist, but because it means they give a damn.
I don’t care if they agree or disagree with me. I will often learn more from those who don’t share my opinion. They make me question myself in new ways, and they force me to explain things better so they will hopefully understand me better.
One of my recent critics thought I was becoming repetitive because I was posting so much about NAVA, the NAVA VP, and Fiverr. Enough already, Mr. Strikwerda We get your point. Stop repeating yourself. You’re just doing it for the clicks and the views, he said.
MANY PLATFORMS
Here’s the thing. Because I’m active on many platforms, you may see the same story multiple times. That’s why I was initially hesitant to repost my Instagram content on my Facebook page. But some colleagues convinced me I should give it a try, and I’m glad I did. It turns out, not everybody who’s on Facebook is on Instagram, and vice versa. Since I started cross posting, my Facebook page engagement has grown every single day!
When I first started blogging, I thought publishing the story on my website only would be enough. The content should speak for itself. But that would require my readers to already know about me and come to my site. It turns out that by posting my story where my readers are, such as on social media, I got way more traction.
Not everybody belongs to the same FB groups, so I usually publish a new blog in different groups as well as on LinkedIn. That may be repetitive for some, but not for the people who see the story for the first time.
FRESH CONTENT
But is it really smart to repeatedly hammer on the same issues like NAVA and Fiverr?
First off, I’ve been writing a new Insta-post every day, and that’s a lot of fresh content. Most people who start blogging or podcasting give up after a few months because they’re running out of ideas.
But here’s how our memory works: what people hear the most, they will remember. Every new toastmaster student knows you’ve got to emphasize your main point several times.
“Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.”
Do you have time for a quick story?
There once was a minister who preached the same sermon, Sunday after Sunday. The elders got worried, and told him:
“Do you know that you have been preaching the same sermon every Sunday?”
“I’m aware of that” said the minister.
“Can you please stop that?” asked the elders. “That’s not what people want to hear!”
“I’ll make you a deal,” said the minister. “I’ll stop preaching the same sermon, as soon as our community starts listening to what I have to say, and really do something with the things I’ve been telling them.”
CLICKS AND VIEWS
Back to me… Am I doing it for the clicks and views?
Name me a writer who doesn’t want to be read. Name me a musician who doesn’t want people to listen to his album. Name me a director who doesn’t want people to see her movie. Otherwise, what’s the point?
I don’t do direct mail. You’ll never receive an email newsletter from me, and you’ll never get a cold call from Nethervoice. What I do is content marketing.
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain an audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
In the most recent NAVA poll, only 30% of respondents say they get clients from their own website. Why have a website if it’s not attracting any work? It’s like owning a store with no one coming in the door.
I get 80% of my clients because they found me online. How did they find me? It’s not because they stumbled upon my contact page. It’s because of my Google ranking which is largely based on traffic and relevance. How do I get so much traffic?
You guessed it! It’s my blog!
THE POWER OF BLOGGING
For me this is a win-win. On one hand I get to write about the topics that are relevant to my community, I give tips and tricks, and I hopefully inspire a few people with my stories. And through these stories my readers get to know me. All my strengths and many weaknesses are all out in the open.
On the other hand, all these visitors to my website are a signal to the Googles and Yahoos that my site stands out from your average voice over website where nothing ever happens. And I get rewarded for that big time. If you don’t believe me, ask Joe Davis of voice actor websites. He knows everything about SEO.
Content is king!
But it’s not just about the numbers. The BEST thing is that, because of my content, I hear back from people like you. And people I’ve never even heard of start following me on social media, and they reach out:
Opera singers, ballet dancers, photographers, script writers, on-camera actors, translators… fellow freelancers with whom we have so much in common and from whom we can learn.
It has enriched my life in so many ways…YOU have enriched my life in so many ways, and that’s one of the reasons I keep on writing blogs and recording videos.
And if you think I’ve become too repetitive, just move on and watch something else.
There’s plenty of terrific content to choose from, don’t you think?
It is never a bad thing to cover essential topics regularly. News organizations cover important stories whenever new information comes to light daily. It’s called reporting. Learning is a process, not a one-time event. Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks, Rich. I agree with yo. Certain topics seem to persist in our line of work, and I will keep writing about them from new angles.
Keep hammering away at your other topic, too: artists need to be PAID.
If you’ve never seen it, google Harlan Ellison Pay the Writer on Youtube as he demolishes, among other things, the artist being granted ‘exposure’ instead of payment.
I submitted my novels (two novels, 23 years of work) to an organization that is running a special week in libraries and other places for disabled writers and writers of disabled characters.
Last week someone there decided that, for the FIRST time, this year they would kindly provide a page where WRITERS could make their work FREE for anyone who wants to download them.
Where do you think this leaves 1) the writers who DON’T put their book up for free? And 2) the writers who DO?
The first bunch now haven’t a prayer of someone buying their book, because, hey!, you can get a book on the topic for FREE; and the second bunch – one more slap in the face where they’ve gotten EXPOSURE out of a submission process that wasn’t easy or short, and no MONEY.
Out of a once-a-year, minimalist, effort to educate the public.
I posted this on their FB page; I have yet to see an answer from the organizers. I’m furious.
Keep preaching – every new generation needs to hear what you say, and they certainly aren’t learning it from their elders.