The Art and Business of Online Writing

You are writing for someone whose eyes are flying across the page at lightspeed.

You are writing for someone whose eyes are flying across the page at lightspeed. Write for existing audiences. Instead of starting your own blog, begin by writing on platforms with established audiences like Quora, Medium, or LinkedIn. This allows you to tap into existing readership and receive immediate feedback on your work. Focus on creating content that resonates with readers rather than worrying about building a website or attracting traffic. Leverage social platforms. Social writing platforms offer several advantages: Easy discovery by readers Built-in credibility metrics (views, shares, comments) Opportunity to build relationships with other writers and readers Ability to build an audience faster Ownership of your content Higher likelihood of content being shared By starting on social platforms, you can gather data on what resonates with readers before investing time and resources into your own website.

Categories are how we organize information in our minds. Know your category and you'll know where readers "fit" you into their own minds. Play consciously. Approach online writing as a game with specific rules and levels of success. The seven levels are: Conscious vs. Unconscious playing Choosing a category Defining your style Optimizing for speed Mastering specificity Engineering credibility Creating your own category Master each level. To succeed, writers must understand and master each level. This involves: Deliberately choosing a writing category Developing a unique style within that category Optimizing content for quick consumption Being specific in your writing to stand out Building credibility through various means Eventually creating your own unique category By consciously playing the game and progressing through these levels, writers can establish themselves as authorities in their chosen niche.

The internet favors what's fast. Select the right platform. Choose a platform based on its current lifecycle phase: New platform with early audiences Gaining traction with emerging influencers Established and beginning a journey to profitability Launching advertising model Established business model with throttled reach Platforms in phase 3 often provide the best opportunities for growth. Write for speed. Optimize your writing for quick consumption: Use short paragraphs and sentences Employ a high "Rate of Revelation" (introducing new information quickly) Utilize white space and visual breaks Incorporate subheadings and bullet points Vary sentence and paragraph length for rhythm Remember that online readers skim content, so make your writing easy to digest and navigate.

What makes a great headline is getting someone to understand three things at the exact same time: What this piece of writing is about, Who this piece of writing is for, The PROMISE: the problem that will be solved, and/or the solution being offered. Craft compelling headlines. Create headlines that: Clearly state what the…