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The 5 Most Glaring Mistakes New Bloggers And Writers Make

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I’ve been writing as a large part of my professional focus since 2006 when I began work on my first book. Several years later, in 2011, when I began this Forbes blog as well as a Huffington Post blog, writing became an even bigger part of my life. And finally, last year, when LinkedIn offered the chance to write on their publishing platform, I jumped in with two feet, and it’s been a powerfully enriching experience, to share my ideas with an even larger potential audience (of 347+ million members).

Here’s a quick look at what I enjoy most about writing on LinkedIn:

Part of my work as a writer today is to stay abreast of critical developments in the areas I cover, and to do this, I read hundreds of articles a month. Researching the writing of others, and observing what it takes to engage millions (and making some serious mistakes along the way), I’ve observed five key mistakes new writers make – mistakes that push readers away, and repel positive opportunities and outcomes.

They are:

Always going for the viral

I'm always disappointed when I read the work of a writer who is obviously aiming for just one goal - "chasing the viral." I’ve been surprised to see so many writers recently, even on highly respected platforms, produce lazy, superficial content that’s clearly striving for attention, not for true impact.  You can tell that's the case when the headline is designed to shock you - so you can't help but click on the post - but the meat (meaningful material that is conscientiously presented with a unique perspective) just isn't there. The problem with "chasing the viral" as the sole focus is that great ideas won’t always engage millions of people. Some of the best ideas and insights are only going to be meaningful to a smaller audience. So does that mean we shouldn’t share these important ideas?

Gender equality, for instance, often doesn’t have the viral pull as a post on “10 Things Successful People Do In the Morning.” But thought-provoking, needle-moving ideas need to be shared, even if you’ll never see anything close to a million views.

In addition, sometimes the very ideas you think are “small” -- as I believed was the case with my LinkedIn post on 6 Toxic Behaviors That Push People Away (now at 2.9 million views) – can grab hold and begin to have a life of their own. I’ve come to learn this one thing about viral activity -- you can’t plan it, predict it or count on it. If you overly attach to that outcome, you’ll be sorely disappointed a good deal of the time, and you’ll become one of those contrived writers who constantly “works the formula” until they've lost all their readers (and their interest in writing).

Tip: Sure, follow the best practices available to help you engage as many readers as possible.  But more importantly, try to be the best writer and thinker you can. Offer the most intriguing, thought-provoking and well-conceived ideas possible. Edit your work, and edit again. And don’t focus only on what you think will go viral because you’ll neglect the more important purposes of writing – to share, inspire, educate and entertain.

Being overly promotional

New writers often share with me their beginning drafts, and I see a common thread – they’re overly promotional, working in at every turn how they are the best at their field or area of expertise and why you should hire them.

I have to admit, one person responded to an earlier LinkedIn post of mine with this comment, “Is this an ad?” She was referring to the fact that she felt my piece was written with the intent to generate coaching clients. While that wasn’t my conscious intent, in reading the piece over after her biting comment, I saw how she would think so. I’ve been much more careful going forward to avoid the mistake of using writing as a direct way to get more clients and customers. If your writing is good you’ll naturally gain more exposure. But if that’s your primary intent in writing, the opposite will happen.

Tip: Write from a heartfelt desire to be of service. Share yourself and your ideas courageously. Dig deep and do the work. When you do, you’ll naturally and organically create a following that will bring positive outcomes to you. But don’t start with that end in mind.

Talking about what you don’t know anything about

Another serious mistake I see in writers is pretending to be an expert, writing about something they don’t know anything about. For instance, if you’re an accountant who’s been working in a small accounting a firm with 3 people for the past 20 years, but feel the urge to offer a piece on how people can change careers effectively (but have never done it), you’d better draw on more than your personal, direct experience when you present your ideas. Don’t make it only about what you’ve personally witnessed. Incorporate interviews with people who are making a mark and a difference in the field, or embark on some critical research with career reinventers that will help you bring some new ideas and insights to the table about career change. Don’t give advice in areas where you don’t have the expertise. Write about what you know well, and what will move the needle in key discussions. Write something new and fresh that others haven’t already said or shared.

Tip: Pursue what you’re passionate about, but make sure you’ve done your homework. If you don’t know anything about the topic, research it extensively. Talk to people who’ve lived and breathed it for years. Get to know the topic intimately. Understand what people before you have said – then offer your views.

Presenting only your own perspective all the time

In looking back on my own process of writing, I realize that after about a year of continuous blogging, I suddenly became very bored with what I had to say. I felt I’d already shared my key messages in many different ways, and there was nothing fresh and new. I grew extremely tired of my own language, of how I conceived of things - my own way of looking at life. Then, I had an epiphany – I could interview national thought leaders and movers and shakers in my own field and areas outside my bailiwick, to expand my horizons and tap into a whole new world of ideas (and start having more fun again).

Interviewing others and exploring perspectives that were (and are) very different from mine has been the single most transformative thing I’ve done in my professional life. It’s opened up new worlds and exposed me to information and topics that I had no idea would enthrall (and teach) me as they do. Reaching out and tapping into the brilliance of others is key to our own growth. We’re not growing or learning nearly as much as we could be if we’re simply recycling our own ideas every day.

Tip: Branch out and start interviewing people you admire, who are 10 steps ahead of you in your own area of expertise or outside of it. Explore their thoughts, perspectives and ideas and build on (and highlight) those in your writing.

Sharing content that isn’t appropriate for the audience you’re reaching

Finally, you have to know your platform, your audience and the needs and interests of those you’ll be reaching in order to provide content that will resonate with your readers. If you’re on a platform designed to help job seekers find work, for instance, don’t present information on how to find a mate and achieve sexual pleasure and intimacy. It’s the wrong content for the wrong audience. Find a platform where your content is a great fit with the readers’ interests. This is a critical marketing principle as well – don’t try to force feed what you are passionate about onto readers who want something completely different.

Tip: Understand the demographics and psychographics of your audience. What do they care about, focus on, need to know? What are their deepest pain points? What keeps them up at night, and makes them jump out of bed in the morning? Discover the specific language they use about their problems, and what they’re clamoring for, and do your best to address their most burning challenges and issues. When you do, you’ll build a loyal following that will eagerly await every new post you write.

The bottom line is this: Do the work of becoming a conscious, dedicated and thoughtful writer who writes to be of service in the world, and make a difference with your ideas and perspectives -- not to win an online content marketing game.

For help to build your authentic thought leadership, visit kathycaprino.com and Best Work/Best Life.