I can't believe they're laughing at me.

I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I scroll through their comments.

I hoped I had read it wrong, but my embarrassment was justified. Two of my favourite writers were mocking my recent viral post.

My ego shook its ugly head:

"What do they know?" I thought to myself. They were probably just jealous of my success. I'd been writing for two years and recently discovered how to go viral on repeat.

But there's no smoke without fire.

When I cooled off, I read my content through their eyes.

I couldn't believe it—they were right.

My writing was a joke. It was generic, boring, and bland. There was nothing new, nothing exciting. I was just another audience-builder brainfarting in public with no care about long-term reputation.

I was blinded by the likes.

I wish someone told me this when I started:

Making an impression is more important than the number of impressions.

Generic content might help you grow faster.

But the price is not worth paying.

For two reasons:

• You lose fans. And one fan is worth 10,000 followers. They invest more and spread your name (word of mouth marketing is king)
• You lose respect. Nobody serious will network with you if your content is a joke. And as the saying goes, your network is your net worth.

Now I ask one question for everything I share:

Would I be a raving fan of this piece?

If no, rewrite it until it’s a yes.

Content is a magnet. Don’t attract crap.

Kieran