You Are One Article Away From Hitting The ‘blogging jackpot’

Could it be your next one?

Sixty-four hours ago, I received an email that many of us often daydream about.

“Congratulations! Your story has been selected for a Boost!”

Needless to say, I was excited beyond words. Especially since it is only my fifth week sharing my thoughts here on the platform. I had no idea what to expect.

However, the story that was hand-picked for a boost, I honestly didn't think much of it.

I remember writing it and keeping it in my draft for the rainy days. I set myself a challenge when I first joined that I would publish at least once a day. So, I kept this story as a reserve.

Somehow, in my mind, it was never good enough. Somehow, I was hoping I would never have to use it.

But then, life happened.

And as it seems, someone else had a different idea. I don’t know how this story even got found. When I first published it, it didn’t do that well. For days, I kept comparing it with my other ones.

I remember I wanted to take it down. I planned to rewrite it and work on it a bit more so that it would be good enough, or at least make it better.

I had a message to share, but when I wrote it, I was tired.

And then life happened.

I was left with only two options. Break a promise I made to myself, or publish this one article that didn’t live up to my expectations.

You see, I write every story with four questions in mind, and I only hit publish when I answered at least four of them. I don’t follow the system requirements for a boost. In fact, I didn’t even know what they were until I received this email.

The Process That Got My Article Boosted

Like I always do, I wrote this story for one person only. In my head, I created a persona. (I’m not crazy btw. It is a standard process in UX design)

She was a busy, single mum of two. Tired of her everyday job. Exhausted from working but not having much to show for it. (the old version of me)

She’s been experimenting with some side hustles but has yet to find the golden nugget.

She’s been thinking about blogging and read many contradicting articles on the topic.

Being short on cash, she was struggling to commit.

As she came to me, asking for advice, I did what I always do — I started with the basics.

And this is when my now boosted story: ‘Is this the end of personal blogs’ was born.

Takeaway

Do I believe my story could help my imaginary persona, (aka my old self) decide whether blogging is for her?

Does it give her the clarity she needs to make an informed choice about something she has very little knowledge of?

Does my story include facts, or is it a compilation of my personal opinions and biases?

Will my story benefit anyone else who has also been reading confusing information about this topic on the internet?

What do you think?

I’d love to know if you write for a specific persona in mind, or do you write your stories for the masses?

And with regard to your work, don’t be harsh on yourself. We all have good days, and we all have bad days. I suffer from this. A lot.

Just because you think your work isn’t good enough, doesn’t mean everyone thinks the same. Don’t let your inner critic stop you or take this opportunity away.

You too are one article away from hitting the ‘blogging jackpot’. And I hope that this little story will help you a step towards it.

Thank you for reading.

If you like this, don’t forget to subscribe for more stories here.

Namaste,

D.