The only framework you need (it’s two words)
Everyone’s trying to sell you the magic formula to writing stuff people want to read.
They’ll reveal their clever content frameworks or optimal posting schedules.
They’ll be the only person who discovered this algorithm hack that finally ‘cracks X wide open.’
These 18-year-old computer whizzes still living with parents want you to believe there’s some clever tactical wizardry you’re missing.
Like a secret finger-wiggle handshake that separates the nobodies from the influencers.
Stop that crap.
I’ve been building my online presence for nearly two decades.
Most of this has been by, if I’m honest, not really knowing what I’m doing.
I grew an audience through mostly FEEL.
I’ve watched thousands of people follow these ‘smart’ frameworks but stay stuck at 200 followers.
…And I’ve watched others, often less talented, including myself, build massive audiences seemingly out of nowhere.
The difference I see is captured in two juicy words.
Consistent publishing.
That’s really it.
I would also throw in (with awareness), but I know you’re smart enough to know when your writing is working and when it is not.
The insights you are looking for are captured here, in the consistency of publishing.
Sure, there are things you can do to tweak your language and topic choices to do better.
Learning about how to resonate with readers certainly helps.
But the real shifts in my own work happened, not because some guru taught me a formula, but because I wrote more than most.
It’s in the regularity of output that you begin to see what many do not.
Write and share something daily, and don’t stop, even during your vacation. That’s your hack.
Even if it’s 50 words. Even if it feels insignificant, and even if you think ‘this probably won’t work’ and you want to strangle a stranger.
You learn a little by studying (20%), but you learn the most (80%) by doing.
Sometimes that thing I thought was pure genius gets nothing but one like from my distant cousin, and that random observation I shared while on the train gets 50 replies.
That’s how it is, and we can learn from it all.
You take notes, adjust, and keep going.
That’s the barometer: your readers’ response + your own sense of energy.
You don’t need the proven 3-step system.
You just need to get more out there, and honour the consistent, creative act.
When you publish daily (or close to it), you accumulate reps.
Reps teach you things. They teach you which topics actually interest people versus which ones you think should interest them, which platforms or posts feel natural and work for your voice, what time of day your audience is most engaged, how to spot a good idea versus a mediocre one, and when to double down and when to pivot. Etc. Etc.
You become a craftsperson who understands their craft through thousands of hours of practice, not a strategist paralysed by analysis.
Most people get that itchy feeling in their stomach when they know they should be writing more. They have things to say that they know others would like.
They want to build their audience, especially now, as personal brands become the most important asset to build for the coming years.
But they continually find seemingly better things to do..
Like cleaning under their bed.
Or replying to Nathan, your bossy accountant’s ‘urgent’ email.
The clouds will part, and they may go hard for three days, but then add nothing for two weeks.
They’ll draft something great, then never publish it.
They’ll plan an ambitious content calendar, then abandon it by Tuesday.
I learned this isn’t a discipline problem. It’s a belief problem.
For years, I was running invisible software that made me feel weird and icky about writing and exposing myself. I’d worry about ‘what others would think’ or I’d deduce that I ‘simply don’t have time.’
Yeah, sure, bud.
These beliefs operate in the background, sabotaging you before you even start.
The solution is simpler than it seems.
You just need to challenge the beliefs so their lies are exposed.
For example, are you really that bad a writer?
You sure as shit create other things well.
You talk well in conversations with friends.
You’re good at telling jokes.
In other words, maybe you’re a better writer underneath it all than you think.
When you challenge beliefs, you rewire your mind.
Your insanely consistent writing habit may therefore be one or two beliefs away…
Need help with this?
I’ve distilled the exact belief-rewiring process I went through to transform from a chronic procrastinator to an author of eight books in six years into a 2-hour course: The Procrastination Cure for Writers.
It’s usually $279, but until tomorrow (Sunday, 16th November, 5pm ET), it’s $79 for this special winter sale.
Get The Procrastination Cure for Writers (closes shortly)
The formula is annoyingly simple: write more, share more, pay attention to what works.
But you can’t do any of that if you’re stuck before you start.
Alex