I’ve always loved writing and often find solace in expressing my honest thoughts on paper – virtual or otherwise. When I started my own business in 2014, I once again leaned on writing to not only help guide me, but to share my candid thoughts about sales, marketing, branding, promotional products, and other topics. I felt very strongly (and, still do, by the way) that blogging for business was a way to establish myself and to give first to an audience I felt was hungry for content to help them grow. When I first started back almost six years ago, I published a blog every Monday and every Thursday without fail and did that for almost three years. That’s right, for those of you who have been reading my ramblings since the beginning, that adds up to a LOT of Bill.
When summer turned into autumn in 2016, I realized that I needed to scale back on the amount of content I was creating. Since I started blogging for myself, I added a weekly podcast (unScripted), was producing content for PromoKitchen, and writing a second blog for the company that now employs me – PromoCorner. When I did the math, I realized I was producing a new piece of content at least 17 out of an average of 22 working days each month. I don’t care how awesome someone is, that’s just way too much of one voice. It was then I decided to stop writing specific content for PromoKitchen and say goodbye to my Thursday blog. While it was a difficult decision, it was the right one as it both re-energized and refocused me.
As I write this blog on December 11, 2019, I feel I’m at another crossroads with my content creation – especially this blog. How did I know it was time to take a hard look at the content I was producing? The moment I started looking at my self-imposed weekly blog deadline as a chore and not catharsis - and that deadline has been a sword of Damocles for the past few months. In other words, it’s time for me to scale back again.
I’m a big believer in assessing oneself in all areas and doing so often. As I conducted my appraisal, I realized that many of my recent blogs are, well, derivative. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh, but I have noticed a distinct lack of passion in many of them which means that the effort in writing some of them is showing on the virtual paper. And, it is effort to produce the amount of content I do – feel free to ask anyone in or out of the industry how much time it takes to produce consistent and (hopefully) quality content. While it may take the reader four minutes to read a blog, it likely took me at least an hour to write it. This is one of the reasons why all of us creators of content are always seeking feedback, but I digress.
In addition to looking at writing the blog as a chore at times, I also feel like the quality of my writing has declined. And, no, I’m not looking for anyone to fill my inbox extolling me with kind words and flattery as I know the quality has dropped off a bit. I’ve documented in this blog before how I’ve repurposed some of my older blogs from my brandivate days and I’ve found myself doing that again. Even though I’ve been very upfront about it, I still feel like I’m not being as authentic as I strive to be when I’m usually just changing a word here and a phrase there to create a “new” blog. More than anything is the fact that I oftentimes feel like I’m “fighting” with my blog. If you’re a writer, you know exactly what I mean. If you’re not, suffice to say that there are times I just can’t get what’s bouncing around my Bill brain to flow through my fingers and onto the keyboard in a coherent, let alone relevant, manner. I still have a lot to say – just ask anyone who works with me at PromoCorner – but it’s time for me to be a bit more selective in how often I say it.
That all being said, beginning on one week from today I will be publishing my blog every other Monday. Just writing that makes me feel liberated.
To be clear, I am just as passionate about the importance of consistently creating consumable content as I have always been. However, I also know that it’s taking away from other things that I both need and want to do. If you’re a regular reader of this blog or listen to me on the podcasts I host, you know I don’t believe in the word “busy” – mainly because everyone I know is busy. So, let’s put that term aside as we can all assume that, just like you, I am busy.
It’s just time to scale back a bit and recharge my creative batteries. My sincere hope is that this decision will result in better writing, deeper meaning in the words I do write, and provide additional value to you, the reader. Yes, I know that last part sounds trite, but I mean it. Writing, just like any art form, should connect with the audience and it’s time that I do that as consistently as I used to.
With all that said, there will be a blog from me next week, but it won’t be a new one. I’ll be updating one of my favorites – one that I think will resonate with the people who take the time to read this every week. After that, I’ll be taking the next Monday off and moving to the every other week schedule with renewed vigor.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, a digital marketing, media, and advertising agency, and has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@promocorner.com.