Why I Ignore My Most Magnetic Posts

Why I Ignore My Most Magnetic Posts

Garth Beyer

Metrics Match The Message

The posts I’ve written that have gained the most traffic in the shortest amount of time were all how-to posts. Going through my archive of more than 1,200 posts, you’ll see I don’t write many of them. Why?

It’s easy to write posts that guarantee a spike in traffic, that have a giant (and often vague)  promise to boost your website analytics.

“How to attract a thousand unique visitors a day” and “How to start a multimillion dollar online business” are great examples of instant traffic posts.

I could write how-to posts every day for the next month and gain more traffic than I have had in the last year, but I don’t. I only write them when I can expand on the meaning of each step, when it’s pure fun for me and when it involves more direction than actual steps (because of reasons here).

Let’s point out that there is another type of post that may have less views, but is far more “successful.” It’s a type of post that gains a lot of attraction over a longer span of time because people are interested more in the story being told than the quick turnaround tips so many ego-centric writers present.

These popular posts are written as evergreen content. Content you can come back to, play off of, learn from again and again. When writing about steps, they are steps that can apply to business, to relationships, to work, to art, to life and so on.

These posts are often work to read and process because they challenge the reader to think differently, to try something new, to push themselves. These posts arn’t so much a read and then click over to my next tab… they are a read and come back again later to read again and think about again and play off of again.

The best art and relationships come from the blog posts, the ideas,  the pieces of work you ship into the world that one person views and then interacts with, not that a thousand people view and don’t interact with.

I ignore the most magnetic posts because they don’t represent the story I’m telling.

 

Stay Positive & Make Sure Your Metrics Match The Message

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Build Talkability Into Your Design

Build Talkability Into Your Design

Garth Beyer

MillerCoors Rooftop View

Pumpkin patches and apple orchards do a wonderful job of adding talkability factors into their design. They have the picture of a farming couple that you can put your head into and take a photo or the turkey that’s begging you to stand behind and show your face where its face should be. They add simply interactive designs that a majority use to share and talk about their experience.

I went on a three and a half hour private tour of the MillerCoors facility in Milwaukee today with a friend. I was too busy listening to the guide and chatting about how to brew beer to take dozens of photos, but there was a moment that was irresistible. As seen above, we’re on the roof of a 12+ story building and it’s clear they’ve designed this rooftop experience as a talking point. You have the shipping carriers, miller park, the brewing facility and the giant Miller sign all in one photo. MillerCoors figured out a way they could add talkability into their design.

I’ve been guilty of trying to make an entire experience worth talking about instead of focusing on a few little points that tell the larger story, that are easily talked about, and that people can’t help but share.

Consider how you can design talkability points into the experience you’re providing people.

 

Stay Positive & Better To Guide The Points Than Have Others Decide What’s Worth Sharing

because in most instances, they’ll choose not to share.

If I Told You Exactly How

If I Told You Exactly How

Garth Beyer

Follow Instructions

If Milton Glaser walked you through how to create a masterpiece, step by step, every minute detail by ever minute detail, your art piece couldn’t make the same impact.

If Taylor Swift held your hand throughout the entire songwriting process, your finished product won’t feel unique.

If I told you exactly how to write with voice, you would feel like your writing is a cheap knockoff.

How others feel using your product or service, looking at your art, listening to your songs starts with how you feel using your product or service, looking at your art, listening to your songs.

If you paint by numbers, color within the lines, and follow every “how-to” guide, you’ll ship work and you’ll learn a thing or two, but it won’t feel right.

And the feeling is why we make art.

 

Stay Positive & Make Remarkable Art, Not Remakable Art

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You’re Surrounded

You’re Surrounded

Garth Beyer

Surround Yourself With People Who Care

There are people all around you. To your left. To your right. You’re surrounded.

How do you feel about it?

It pays to really think about the answer because you’ve decided who you’re surrounded by. It’s your decision to work with people with low standards. You’ve decided the friends you will hangout with are the ones who don’t inspire you to work creatively.

We’ll never stop being surrounded by people. Whether we succeed in our endeavors or screw up, there will be people all around us, prodding, interacting, asking questions.

We owe it to ourselves to surround ourselves with people who will challenge us to go to the next level, to think differently, to answer the tough questions.

You’re surrounded. Is it a good feeling?

 

Stay Positive & If Not, Change The People

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Why Wait Until Thanksgiving

Why Wait Until Thanksgiving

Garth Beyer

Garth Beyer Blogger GarthBox

Today is my 3rd anniversary of blogging.

1,214 blog posts

20,475 page views

and a ton of online interaction and offline discussion from what I’ve written

Words, no matter how much I practice my craft, are not enough to express how thankful I am for you, my readers. Although I write daily, I don’t expect you to stop by everyday and read, but to simply stop by when you feel the need, when it’s time to remind yourself to switch things up, when you’re craving some motivation.

I can’t say that without you I wouldn’t be writing, because I still would be, but you certainly make this experience a grand one.

Thank you.

 

Stay Positive & No Day In The Future Is As Special As Today

The Machine Won’t Let Me

The Machine Won’t Let Me

Garth Beyer

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Most businesses, particularly franchises, attempt to streamline success with the implementation of machines. It makes sense given machines speed up most processes, cut overhead costs, and typically make math easier. Yet, when configuring your business to move faster, cheaper, easier, you’ve got to analyze how much control you’re giving to the machines and how it may affect customer satisfaction.

Chili’s, for instance, now has handheld computers at each table where you can play games, add dessert, and pay for your meal. Chili’s quickened the transaction time of paying for a meal, but at the expense of a possibly higher tip for the waitress, at the expense of leaving a final human impression with guests, at the expense of reminding patrons the business carefully choses who they hire to work.

Earlier today at Buffalo Wild Wings I attempted to order a beer. With five minutes left for Happy Hour, I ordered a beer. Moments later the waitress came back and said, “the machine won’t let me.”

Perhaps the machine forgot to account for daylight savings time or maybe management forgot to give priority control to waiters and waitresses over the machines.

When you seek fast, cheap, and easy, it always comes with sacrifices.

 

Stay Positive & Is What You Sacrifice For Machines Worth It?

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