I was reading this one article that I tweeted out today entitled 9 Lessons Learned from Back to Back 15,000+ Visit Blog Posts. The author of this post had a very similar experience to that which I had with CrowdCrux. CrowdCrux is a blog I created over a year ago. The aim of the blog is to educate and provide useful tips for crowdfunding campaign creators.
Essentially, this blogger had a few articles that went viral, and as a result, he was “in business.” People began to read his posts, purchase his products, and it really launched his career as a content producer. Cool, huh?
When thinking about success, I like this quote by Mark Cuban
“In basketball you have to shoot 50pct. If you make an extra 10 shots per hundred, you are an All-Star. In baseball you have to get a hit 30 pct of the time. If you get an extra 10 hits per hundred at bats, you are on the cover of every magazine, lead off every SportsCenter and make the Hall of Fame.
In business, the odds are a little different. You don’t have to break the Mendoza line (hitting .200). In fact, it doesnt matter how many times you strike out. In business, to be a success, you only have to be right once.
One single solitary time and you are set for life. That’s the beauty of the business world.”
The harder you work, the faster you learn, and the more that you try launching ventures that you genuinely believe in, the higher your chance of being successful, if even in a small way.
Since continuing with my CrowdCrux blog, I’ve had a few more articles go viral which have brought in new readers, a better SEO ranking, and in total, has given me the free marketing I’ve needed to be profitable with my business ventures.
The secret is that less than 5% of the content I’ve produced for marketing purposes has had this effect. Even though I know that statistic, I still pour my heart and soul into rich informational articles that solve tangible problems readers have.
Sometimes articles that I think would do well flop. Other times, articles that I think address a very small audience end up doing really well.
In the end, yes, I believe it’s a percentage game, but play it intelligently. Learn from your mistakes. Read up on the titans in your industry. Don’t be stupid about pushing out crappy content or shipping shitty products. Provide value.
Here’s another great quote I saw on twitter by Bill Gates.
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
If you’re hungry and eager to be financially successful, forget about quick money. Don’t think in terms of weeks or months. Think in terms of years. By working hard and continually trying new things, you might only have a few successes a year, whether it be popular blog posts, web apps, products, or services, but over the course of ten years, you will achieve what most people dream of.
In addition, you increase the likelihood that you will create something that genuinely solves a customer’s problem, which is the recipe for a long-term value-creating business.
In conclusion, if you want to get to the diamonds, be willing to sift through the mud, dirt, and gravel. No matter how long it takes.