“Experience is what you get while looking for something else.” — Federico Fellini

If you’ve only done something for a month, you have no idea how valuable it might be to have done it for a year.

Once you’ve done it for a year, you have no idea how valuable it would be to have done it for a decade.

Nothing’s as consistently underestimated as the true value of experience because the only people who know it are the ones who have it.

Now, on to this week’s ideas…

1. How To Get More True Fans

“If your goal is to attract more fans, never limit the ability of people to see and share a great creation.”

It’s one thing to get people to discover your work, but it’s another to turn them into true fans who support you on an ongoing basis.

In this post I share seven ways to get more true fans including to share the spotlight, root every decision in what’s best for your audience, and use your experiences to solve their problems.

2. The Secret To Being More Productive Is A Checklist (Seriously.)

“The mind is good for so many things, but it’s a bad office. It’s a bad place to try and store things that you need to remember constantly.”

I know you’re probably not going to watch this video because you can’t imagine someone telling you to use a checklist is going to feature any big revelations.

But trust me, if you watch this eight-minute video from Matt D’Avella about why the secret to being more productive is a checklist it will absolutely change (and improve) your work.

And yes, this applies to the creative process as well.

3. The Marketing Genius Of Lil Nas X

“A lot of people like to say ‘a kid accidentally got lucky.’ No. This was no accident.”

Old Town Road might be a catchy tune, but the real secret to its success was the marketing mastery of its creator.

Marketing Examples breaks down the marketing genius of Lil Nas X and shows exactly how a kid in his bedroom used clever (and free) promotional tactics like memes to turn his song into a global phenomenon.

It’s a must-read if you recognize it’s as much your responsibility to market your creations as it is to create them in the first place.

4. You Don’t Need 1,000 True Fans: Here’s How To Succeed With Just 100

“This represents a move away from the traditional donation model — in which users pay to benefit the creator — to a value model, in which users are willing to pay more for something that benefits themselves.”

You’ve likely heard of Kevin Kelly now legendary 1,000 True Fans theory which suggests a creator can have a thriving career if they can attract 1,000 fans who pay them $100 a year.

Li Jin expands on that concept and explains how to succeed with just 100 true fans by shifting how you monetize your fanbase.

She breaks down how to segment your audience into tiers including a high-value tier that generates higher revenue in exchange for higher value offerings.

Btw, I found this in Jimmy Daly’s newsletter.

5. How To Write On Social Media

“Read what you wrote & cut it in half. Then cut it in half again. Because you prob wrote too much.”

Jen Hartmann recently posed a great question on Twitter:

What advice would you give to a writer who’s hired to write social media posts but has never actually used social before?

The resulting answers from hundreds of social media practitioners is essentially a guide on how to write on social media that’s well worth browsing.

It’s packed with tips about everything from what to say, to how to say it, to what not to say.

Three Quick Things Before You Go…

Want help accomplishing your goals? Check out my Creator Accelerator.

Last week’s most popular article was how to find the one decision that removes 100 decisions.

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