I finally did it.
After years of presenting examples of great content I’ve found while feeding my YouTube habit, I stopped only consuming and started producing.
In the beginning of May, I launched two channels (one’s for writing tips on YouTube.)
I have very few subscribers.
And I’m over the moon about it.
Here’s why.
You’re not entitled to anyone’s attention
Just because you’re excited about something you’re doing, it doesn’t mean anyone else is.
It doesn’t mean they’ll pay attention.
It doesn’t mean they’ll share it.
So, when someone does care — even if it’s one person — it’s a reason to celebrate.
Everything has a micro start.
The content creator who’s preoccupied with 100, 1,000, 10,000, or some other magical number of subscribers, takes what’s right in front of them for granted.
And reaching some ideal number is never as satisfying as you think it will be, so you’re forced to begin a new fantasy about a new number.
Placing your head in the clouds is not as light and fluffy as it may seem. It’s depleting.
Instead, funnel your energy into doing exceptional work for the people who are currently a part of your community.
Obsessing ruins all of the fun
These are my first big personal projects since I’ve made significant strides in overcoming perfectionism.
I think anyone who wants to do a good job will always have some perfectionist tendencies, but it’s freeing to build new content hubs without obsessing about every little detail that could make me look bad.
Since I’m publishing videos weekly, I simply just make the best video I can at the current hour on the current day of that particular week.
If I make a mistake, I’ll create another video at a different time that clarifies my point or explains the subject further.
For instance, I could have given a sample sentence in this video about how to use a semicolon correctly.
No worries.
At some point in the future, I’ll make another video with a quick recap of the semicolon lesson and add an example.
This flexible attitude is super helpful when you publish content regularly and always need a new idea.
Someone who discovers the second video may have never seen the first one — and they’ll then have two to learn from, since I’ll mention and link to the first video in the description box of the second.
When you’re in the micro stage and work with a “building mentality,” you have an incredible opportunity to experiment consistently without the pressure of tons of eyeballs dissecting you.
With all of those eyeballs, you’d be more disappointed if you forgot to include a part you intended to cover.
Plus, you’re more than likely going to address the topic again in the future anyway, and your “new” insights probably won’t be all that different from your original thoughts.
You’ll have the same mix of content hits and misses when more people view your work, but when you have a larger audience, there’s additional pressure to top your last piece of content so your community stays engaged.
Appreciate the low-pressure situation while you have it.
The key is actually doing it
Have you ever had something not go as planned?
It’s a ridiculous question. I know for certain (and there’s so little we know for certain) the answer is “yes.”
However, remember that question and answer when you start something new.
In your mind, you can envision every winning detail — and even attempt to prevent mistakes and failures — but you only see what the unpredictable environment truly looks like once you take action.
It’s the difference between planning a road trip from a map and actually experiencing the landscape on your journey.
A solid foundation before you embark on your trip gives you peace of mind and confidence for sure, but if you want to learn faster, start doing faster.
I had to begin recording before I could effectively fine-tune my production process and strengthen the quality of my videos. (Still fine-tuning and strengthening. It never ends.)
Content that nurtures a healthy sales environment
It doesn’t matter if you have one subscriber or one million.
The quality you aim to produce should be the same, because your single focus is building a relationship with one potential customer.
That’s it.
You speak to one person, not a crowd.
So, a small platform is the perfect space to nurture a healthy, ethical sales environment. And a great place to practice for when you have a larger audience.
Copyblogger’s Content Writing Masterclass
Starting Monday, March 23, 2020, Stefanie Flaxman will be hosting a live learning experience called the Copyblogger Content Writing Masterclass. This is a live, interactive, 5-day workshop that is built for all types of content creators who want to build an audience of interested prospects.
This article's comments are closed.