I started publishing content six months ago. I am by no means an influencer - I typically post 2-3 times per week - but I have learned a few things along the way.

My top 10 lessons from 6 months of writing online

You just have to do it. There is no practice run, you just have to hit publish. And then months later you look back and cringe a little. It’s all part of the process.
No one is paying attention at first. This feels protective and then frustrating because you want people to notice what you’re doing!
Sometimes you say something wrong and people tell you. Get over the defensive reflex, be gracious, and do better next time.
Learn from people who have done it. There are plenty of systems and programs to follow. None are perfect, but it is better to start with a framework than a blank sheet of paper.
People will unsubscribe from you. It stings the first few times. I tell myself it’s just a mismatch and not an indicator that I’m doing something wrong.
You have secret fans. These are some of my favorites. They never interact digitally but when you speak they say ‘that thing you published back in October really helped me’. What?! Amazing.
People gravitate toward the ‘real stuff’. It’s the hardest to write, and the hardest to publish. Sharing pieces of your own story (in addition to thought leadership) makes a big impact.
You need a schedule. If you want to publish regularly, you need a system that keeps you consistent. Maybe it’s writing the content for an entire month in one day. Maybe it’s writing one day, and publishing the next. Figure out your strategy.
You will guess wrong about what’s going to be a hit. The things I think will be great end up flopping. The random thing I wrote quickly gets reposted dozens of times. I haven’t built a predictive algorithm yet :)
It can be so gratifying. This past week, I published something that had people saying ‘this is EXACTLY me’ and ‘I feel so seen’. That makes it all worth it.

Challenge : If you had to write something and publish it in two days (meaning, it has to be something you already know about) – what is the headline and who needs to read it?

Now, what’s keeping you from taking that first step?

Tip: If hitting publish on your own content feels daunting, start with a re-post. Find a piece of content that resonates and share it with your own network. Add a few additional thoughts or your reaction. (ps. writers LOVE when you do this!)