Hi friend,
If you've attended my webinars, courses, or DMed me to give you feedback, you've probably heard me say:
"It takes 100+ pieces of content to get good enough."
Today, let's actually talk about it.
Nobody tells you this number
Everyone talks about "finding your niche" and "posting consistently."
Nobody tells you the actual number to get the needle moving.
So here it is: 100.
When I was freelance writing on the side of my 9-5, I used to write 17-20 long-form articles a month on Medium. It took me a while to attain that frequency, but it started by just... writing and hitting publish.
It took me 7 months to make substantial money on that platform (I made $3300 on Medium in April 2021).
Why 100 and not just "be consistent"
Consistency is the most important. My cohort-based course, Summit 21, ran 12 rounds over 3 years, during which I taught consistency.
You can't do without it.
However, I'll add that you use consistency to create high-quality quantity.
Posting once a week for 6 months is consistency. But if you don't increase your frequency over time, it won't help you build an audience.
Here's the math:
- 1 post a day = 100 posts in about 14 weeks
- 3 posts a week = 100 posts in about 8 months
- 1 post a week = 100 posts in about 2 years
I don't advocate publishing once or multiple times a day.
What I recommend is 3x a week, where you can start with once a week and slowly move up.
100 posts isn't a magic number because the 100th post goes viral.
It's the number where you've made enough mistakes, tried enough formats, and shown up enough times that your writing finds its shape and tune.
If you have any questions around writing ("what's my niche?", "how to find my voice?" -> doing this will answer them all!
What actually happens in those 100 posts
Nobody's first 10 posts are good. Mine weren't.
Yet I have people send me their very first draft 'to edit'!!!!
100 reps are buying you:
- You stop sounding like everyone else. The first 20-30 posts, you're basically doing impressions of creators you admire. Somewhere past 50, your actual voice shows up.
- You find out what you don't want to talk about. If you don't know your niche, write about everything you want. Eventually you'll find out what isn't as exciting.
- You build proof before you need it. By the time you're ready to pitch a client or a brand, you're not showing up empty-handed. You're pointing at a body of work.
Do this by...
- Pick one platform, one format. Not newsletter + LinkedIn + YouTube + a course. One. Go all-in for 90 days before you even consider adding a second thing.
- Progress > Perfection. It doesn't have to be a perfect post. Write, edit, hit publish. As long as it's valuable to others, hit publish!
- Deep work. Read this book by Cal Newport. Block distraction-free time to do your writing.
- Track the number, not the metrics. Constantly refreshing to check likes doesn't increase them. Publish and move on.
Finally
If you've read it this far and have published under 10 posts, here's an offer.
Reach 100 in under 9 months and send me your 100th post for feedback. Reply to this email whenever you're ready with that.
I promise I'll do it for you.
All the best!
Love,
N