Keep growing. Keep going

Julia is our editor, copywriter and favorite triathlete.

Making the transition to writing for social media from a more traditional writing background (I used to teach college writing) has been a challenge. I tend to “say too much,” mainly because I have a love affair with words. And I was taught that it’s better to say too much than too little. Honestly, it’s much easier to cut words than to add them after you think you’re done with a project. (That is maddening for a writer.)

We walk a fine line in social media writing—we want to grab the ever-shortening attention spans of our audience while giving them as much information as possible in short, eye-catching posts. It’s tricky. So so tricky. Sometimes it comes so easily and quickly, and sometimes it makes me want to chuck my laptop out a window.

And then there’s the competition. There is a ridiculous number of good writers for social media platforms, all vying for the same gigs. And writers, by nature, are not fond of “the hustle.” Most writers I know are pretty reserved people, preferring to sit back and observe, rather than putting themselves out there to sell their craft. It requires a tremendous amount of mental energy to write, and then we have to expend more to attract potential clients. So, we adapt.

When I’m not writing, I’m reading other folks’ writing on social media. (And books. I LOVE books.) Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever gotten was, “If you want to write well, then read. Read everything you can.” I am trying to apply this to writing for social media, and I believe it is working.

I am still learning how to navigate this way of writing, but that’s okay. When we stop learning, we stop growing. Keep growing, and keep going, friends.

 PS.: Julia took this picture on her way to Ironman 70.3. Talk about badass.