We were tired of the content we were reading. It seemed so bland, and we knew that had to be more to it all than just reporting. We set out to do a better job of creating content for entrepreneurs from all over the globe. As full time employees and students, we decided to start writing a handful of the content before going live. It seemed easy and for the most part enjoyable. Finally, launch day came in early October. Today we can say we are on the right road, one that we have created for ourselves, but we have to admit that we got hit with a few slaps to the face.
1. It’s Never too Early to Go Social
We chose to start using social media only after we launched the site. Little did we know that it would lead us to playing a game of catch-up. We were sharing our first creations with no one.
Now, had we started being “social” before the launch, not only could we have begun to create meaningful relationships at the right time, but we could have picked up some tips and feedback that could have helped us with content, and so much more.
Is it the end of the world? No, it was simply underestimating the efficiency and results that social media could offer. Now we are “socially”, where we should have been a month ago. It’s not where you’ve been that matters, rather where you’re going.
2. Content is King. Distribution is Queen
It’s been said that behind every successful man is a successful woman. Well the case is no different when it comes to working online. Content is king, but it won’t get anywhere without the proper distribution (which brings us back to point one). Content doesn’t have to be an article; it can be anything from an app to a service – it is still your “content”, and it won’t hit success without a strong woman behind it – your distribution.
Growth hacking, heard of it? Well make sure to become a part of the movement. Create infographics (there are plenty of online platforms or Fiverr), guest posts, digital presentation, and so much more –and do it sooner rather than later.
3. Execution is Key
We entered a field that is full –to the brim. There are thousands of sites that try to do the same thing as we do –create engaging and meaningful content for entrepreneurs of all kinds. Entering and just executing was not enough. We had lost sight of why we got into the field, and had no competitive advantage. During a meeting we said something of the sort:
“We don’t have more money than they do. We don’t the leads. What we do have is knowledge from different experiences in life and those we know –we need to work around that. If our content isn’t better than our competitors, we will be knocked out fast”.
We made a turnaround, and now we make sure that we never ever post another “average” article, because mediocre execution won’t cut it today or tomorrow.
4. Don’t Give Up
We launched and hoped for instant success. Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox and many others became overnight hits. Right? Wrong! Read up about any successful startup, success never came easily to any of them. Why did we think we would be any different? After all, we all know that there are no shortcuts to any place worth going. Why did we think we could take a shortcut? When the numbers we were hoping for didn’t prevail we were disappointed. This is the defining moment in any venture, it is absolutely crucial to keep positive and keep going. Pessimism and negativity are self-fulfilling prophecies that reproduce themselves and cripple our willingness to act. Don’t let that happen to you.
Stay positive, stay determined, keep working and remember that success doesn’t magically appear overnight.