Expert author Obstacles

Follow the Article Writing Signs

Anyone will tell you: Success is not an overnight endeavor.

When you're traveling across country, in unfamiliar territory, you watch for road signs to help you navigate to your destination. "Exit 181" may not seem like much, but it's a milestone in your journey - you're almost there.

Article writing has these signs too; however, they aren't your typical roadmaps or highway markers. If they were, these milestones would likely include signs like "Patience at Next Right" to remind you that success often requires endurance. If you find yourself searching for a sign to help you navigate out of writing stale content, "Detour Ahead to Avoid Repetitive Content" is just on the horizon.

We've gathered the top 3 obstacles our most successful Expert Authors have met and will share how they overcame those obstacles to reach their destination: Success.

Slippery When Complacent

Whether it's lack of time or loss of momentum, complacency may settle in. This may include a lack of proofreading, not fact-checking, and using disreputable shortcuts. The attitude of "Meh, it's good enough," is the number 1 credibility and success killer. You don't need to write earth-shattering content that could win a Nobel Prize, but you should enjoy what you do - readers can sense it.

Strive to be engaged. Find those areas of your niche that you are passionate about or fascinate you. Stay up-to-date and maintain your authority in your niche by getting involved: Dig deeper into issues to find the truth, kindle discussion with peers in your niche, and ask your audience questions. Continue building on your experience and cultivate more unique insight. If you're engaged, your readers will be too.

Patience at Next Right

Having patience can be tough. Everyone would like success immediately; however, it rarely works that way. A musician practices. An athlete trains. An author writes. The best way to build your credibility platform and amplify your exposure is to keep writing and keep developing those article writing skills to reach and engage your audience.

Set aside time to write and then dedicate your full attention to the task to maximize your time. Organize your ideas and then begin. Your style and skills are a work in progress - keep refining, keep building, and keep up your momentum. Have patience with your success - it's just around the corner.

Audience Crossing

Are your articles relevant to your audience? Writing articles irrelevant to readers is like barreling through a pedestrian crosswalk.

Ask yourself: "So what?" with each article. Every one of your articles should matter and influence someone else positively. Leave your ego at the door and reread what you've written to consider how your audience will approach the topic.

Also, consider the keywords you are using. For instance, "write an article" has less competition than "writing articles," but they both have the same search rank. If I use "write an article," I have a better shot at actually reaching readers. Incorporate keywords naturally, so your articles read fluidly and reach your audience.

Derivative Roundabout Ahead

If you find yourself writing and rewriting the same topic, your readers will view you as a one trick pony, i.e. you're only knowledgeable on one topic.

Overcome this by expanding your niche and then discovering what information your audience wants. Approach topics from different angles and consider exploring areas you've always been curious about to expand your expertise. Either way, you will discover you have a lot more to say than you initially thought.

Broaden your horizons by broadening your niche and then narrow down areas of your niche in your articles to target specific segments of your audience. Keep up with your reader's interests! Write fresh articles based on new events in your niche to keep your articles relevant to your readers.

As you round your next turn in your article writing efforts, remember this: You can't say you're an expert on horses just because you've rode a horse once. Success takes practice, development, and respect for yourself and your audience. Use these tips next time you're feeling a little complacent, losing patience, letting your ego lead, or find yourself stuck in a topic. Leave these obstacles in the dust and get on the road to success.