The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention by Nicolas Cole

Author:Nicolas Cole [Cole, Nicolas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Online Writing, Online Publishing
Publisher: Nicolas Cole
Published: 2020-08-27T23:00:00+00:00

Credible Talking Head

And finally, there are things on the internet that get read simply because they’re “the most credible.”

When a news story breaks, people want to know what the New York Times has to say about it. When the NBA announces they’re going to change a rule, the world wants to know how Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal, and other former professional basketball players feel about “how the game has changed.” When a new pharmaceutical drug hits the market, readers want to know what doctors have to say about it. And when you want to know how to start writing online, the first question you ask yourself is, “Who should I turn to for advice? Who is the most credible?”

Your goal as a writer is to always be looking for the topics, subject matters, and categories you are most qualified to write within.

“Write what you know,” as the adage goes.

Sometimes, your credibility informs what it is you write about (you’re the Head of Marketing for a startup, and so you believe you’re qualified to write about marketing). Other times, what you write about informs how and where you need to build your credibility. For example, I started writing about personal development on Quora when I was 24 years old. I wasn’t some highly qualified life coach or esteemed motivational speaker giving advice. I didn’t have any credibility at all. But the more I wrote, and the more people read my writing, and the more publications republished my work, the more I “grew into” my credibility.

Techniques for making any of your writing that leans on Credibility “better” than the competition (in addition to all the other techniques described above) are:

“Better” Association: If everyone else is writing only about their own personal experiences, write about your personal experiences being surrounded by or spending time with Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, or whoever else is seen as credible in your chosen category. (Name-dropping is one of the fastest ways to tell a reader, “I know what I’m talking about.”)

“Better” Context: If everyone else is giving advice or sharing their opinions, you should be the one to give context as to why your advice, opinion, or story is different. For example, it’s one thing for me to say, “There are 5 things you need to know about ghostwriting for executives.” But, it’s much more powerful if I say, “I learned a lot building a multi-million-dollar ghostwriting company, and let me tell you, there are 5 things you need to know about ghostwriting for executives.” That one small addition of credibility completely changes the context of everything that follows.

“Better” Arguments: If everyone else is just stating the facts, or shooting opinions from the hip, you can be the one to challenge conventional wisdom. Instead of writing about what to do, write about what not to do. Instead of talking about things people should learn, talk about what things most people never learn—and fail as a result. Reframing a topic is

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