“Continue to take care of each other.” — Floyd Martin
Every day, millions of people do something nice.
Not for fame or Instagram likes, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Their actions rarely get attention beyond the small circle of people whose lives they touch.
But every once in a while they do.
Here’s hoping it inspires others to follow in their footsteps.
Now, on to this week’s ideas…
1. HOW TO COME UP WITH A GREAT IDEA FOR YOUR NEXT BLOG POST
“Just like you can vertically expand on a post by drilling deeper into its core ideas, you can also expand horizontally by considering the challenges readers encounter before or after the idea contained in the original post.”
No matter how talented a writer you may be, to create a successful blog post you first need to figure out how to identify a strong idea for one.
In this post I explain how to come up with a great idea for your next blog post by analyzing reactions your previous posts, considering how to expand on a topic within them, or explore an adjacent problem.
RELATED: 10 quick tips for bloggers.
2. HOW TO WRITE YOUR MONEY RULES
“Money Rules can provide a ‘bridge’ between the day-to-day practicalities of how you earn and spend with your future self. A compass, not a map.”
This is like two valuable posts in one.
Inspired by Ramit Sethi’s Money Rules (which include things like no limit on spending for health or education, save 10% of gross income, and invest 20% of it), Khe Hy explains how to write your own money rules.
He also shares hos own money rules including to prioritize adventure over stuff and build a life and career around teaching.
RELATED: Gary Vaynerchuk on happiness vs. money.
3. FOUR WAYS TO OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME
“Many of us have an inner voice telling us we lucked into what we have or we’re a fraud. That’s normal; the problem is when we believe it.”
Several people recently told me they struggle with imposter syndrome which leads me to believe the issue is way more prevalent than you may realize.
Tania Katan suggests four ways to overcome imposter syndrome including to stop underselling yourself, assemble a legion of superheroes, and gather evidence that proves the unique value you bring to your work.
RELATED: People think I’m confident. Here’s what they don’t understand.
4. HOW TO WIN AT PODCASTING
“If I was to start a podcast today, I would focus on transparency as the key theme and emotion. I would start a podcast that is violently interesting, and violently transparent, and that makes you feel uncomfortable.”
This is some of the best advice I’ve heard about how to launch and grow a podcast — especially if you don’t have a pre-existing audience.
Steven Bartlett breaks down how to win at podcasting in a two-minute video that explains exactly how to create something people will tell others about and shares a brilliant hypothetical show concept as an example of how it could work.
The advice can also be applied to a video series, blog, or newsletter.
Speaking of which, if you write a newsletter I invite you to join my Newsletter Creators Facebook group!
RELATED: Nine marketing lessons for podcasters.
5. HOW TO READ BODY LANGUAGE LIKE AN FBI AGENT
“We may think we’re very sophisticated, but in fact we are never in a state where we’re not transmitting information.”
Whether you want to figure out if somebody is a spy or just if your spouse is annoyed with you, this will help you crack the code.
A former FBI body language expert breaks down how to read body language in this 14-minute video and debunks some common myths about it.
For example, when a person crosses their arms it doesn’t mean they’re blocking you or combative — it means they’re self-soothing.
RELATED: How to remember information without writing it down — like a spy does.
6. MY INTERVIEW ON THE “SHOW THIS THREAD” PODCAST
“It’s arguably the biggest benefit of this whole thing, but nobody sees it or realizes it except me.”
Want to hear me talk about stuff like who to follow on Twitter, what went on behind the scenes the night of the Oscars Ellen selfie, how I approach this newsletter and what I’ve learned from creating it?
Well, you’re in luck because I discuss all of that in my interview on the Show This Thread podcast.
It was a fun 30-minute conversation with host (and FTI subscriber!) Rob Gillett and even if you don’t want to hear my ramblings, I recommend you subscribe to his podcast to check out other episodes featuring interviews with some of Twitter’s most interesting people.
RELATED: My interview on the Imperfect Action podcast.
7. HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST $4,000 AS A FREELANCE WRITER
“You’ve got to approach your writing with a business mindset. You’re an entrepreneur first, and a writer second.”
When Kayla Lee set out to pursue a full-time freelance writing career, she put the expertise she had from seven years of working in marketing and business development toward her new goal.
She breaks down the tactics she used to make $4,000 in her first month as a freelance writer including the marketing plan she used to attract clients and how she upsold them into premium services.
RELATED: Want to make money from your expertise? Start here.
8. THE DARK FOREST THEORY OF THE INTERNET
“The dark forests grow because they provide psychological and reputational cover. They allow us to be ourselves because we know who else is there.”
There are major shifts happening in the way we use the internet and this post does a great job explaining them.
Yancey Strickler introduces the dark forest theory of the internet which is that the poisons of public spaces — trolls, ad tracking, predatory behavior, etc. — are leading people to retreat to safer, closed spaces such as private messaging, groups, newsletters and podcasts.
RELATED: The end of the real you online.
9. THE MYTH OF THE NICHE MARKET
“If you want to increase your chance of catching some fish, you need to go where there are many.”
Conventional wisdom suggests a key to launching a successful business is to aim for a narrow niche and that the internet has made it so that almost no niche is too small.
But what if that’s wrong?
Justin Jackson explores the myth of the niche market and explains why businesses need a larger potential audience than they realize to ultimately succeed.
RELATED: How to reverse engineer your niche.
10. SOCIAL MEDIA IS A $1 BURGER, NOT A $2 SODA
“Your investment in social media isn’t designed to pay off ON social media. It’s a loss leader.”
People who think there’s no return on investment when it comes to social media are likely looking at it through the wrong prism.
In this post I explain why social media is a loss leader as opposed to an end goal itself.
The return on your investment isn’t likes, comments, or shares — it’s where those things lead offline.
RELATED: Read this before you hire a social media expert.
WHERE I FOUND THIS STUFF
I got some of this week’s ideas from Thomas Oppong, Media REDEF, Wes Kao, Ryan Robinson, and Dan Knowlton — they’re awesome and worth checking out.
Image via Jennifer Brett.