Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of being a digital marketing mentor to a lot of MBA students and entrepreneurs.
I have always loved being able to help people who are just discovering what the internet can do for their businesses and how thinking asymmetrically can create growth and profits online.
In the process of mentoring a lot of these awesome people, I started to see a common trend and it profoundly affected me and has made me rethink everything about the way I teach digital business.
The internet is awesome.
It’s made it possible for an entrepreneur or a small team of people to create websites and online applications that compete against much larger businesses. This because they have mastered some skillset that is in demand and have figured out how to share it profitably with the rest of the world.
I used to believe that when entrepreneurs are starting to learn about starting an online business, they needed to learn everything about business, tools, terminology and technology.
While those are all important, there is one critical skillset that is often missed when people are learning to build digital businesses.
The ability to write properly and eloquently.
I have been stunned and shocked to see people who can master every other component of digital marketing be so intimidated by a blank screen or sheet of paper.
Lots of entrepreneurs are terrified of writing. They love building products, selling products, tinkering with website elements, landing pages and doing everything else but they are scared to actually learn how to write compelling content.
The irony is, they love consuming content from other writers!
My story
When I built one of my successful online businesses, it was based on Microsoft Windows. I realized that to really understand how to create compelling content around software, I had to learn how to write. Even about a topic I was only peripherally aware of at the time.
So I did.
I wrote over 7,000 articles in less than 8 years.
I wrote on websites, syndication sites, on financial sites, press releases, landing pages, editorials and more.
I started one article at a time and did it so much that it became second nature. I was edited by tough editors at sites like Seeking Alpha and had to rewrite content often to get it published. It was tough starting out but I learned.
Eventually, my content was so compelling that my website had 50,000 daily visitors and in 2010, I received a Microsoft MVP award for the Windows Desktop.
Me at the Microsoft Build Conference in Anaheim California – 2011
My ability to write got me into conferences where I met most of the popular technology writers I had always admired. I was a member of the press pool at Microsoft events – because I learned how to write.
That business made me close to a million dollars based on my digital marketing abilities BUT at the end of the day it all came down to one thing.
The ability to write and express myself.
It’s critical.
I learned this the hard way
When I would walk entrepreneurs through digital marketing basics and eventually get their sites up and running, I would find out that they either didn’t know how to write or hated writing.
That changed the way I teach.
Now I start off with a basic digital writing and copywriting class.
Once my students are able to write somewhat decently and properly, only then do we move to keyword research, idea validation etc.
My advice to entrepreneurs starting out
If you have an idea for an online business, you should take a writing class. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a product or a service, you should learn how to write.
You should head to online resources like Udemy and search for “writing”.
Yes, you can hire a copywriter to do some things for you but the truth is, even the best copywriters can’t replace you.
Customers and clients are drawn to YOU.
They come to your site, connect to you on social media and respond to your content because it’s YOU. This is true for every kind of business and it’s also why the most effective way to sell professional services online is with your blog.
The blog allows customers and visitors to see how you think and figure out whether your values are compatible with theirs. If they like how you think and express yourself, you’re more likely to make that sale or convert that visitor.
Also practice writing!
“I’m not a good writer!” – that’s a common refrain I hear.
No one starts out as a good writer. No one.
Some people do have natural talent but even that takes honing and practice until it’s perfected. Write one hundred articles in a month and I GUARANTEE you that the first and last article will be dramatically different.
The bottom line
The ability to express yourself is one of the most critical skills you can develop as an adult. It’s what gets you the VC money, what gets you the raise at work, the first date with a significant other and what gets your content to convert.
Learning how to write can change your life. I know this because it changed mine.
If you don’t know how to write, learn and if you’re a good writer, practice. This skill is often the difference between success and failure online.