16 August 2021, Somewhere in the Metaverse - UplandDood (@Just1Dood)
This was written a while back but kept getting pushed out from being published for one reason or another. I'd written this on 5 August 2021. It's been almost two weeks since then and I'm currently doing some addition and editing before publishing it today.
The Captain says, "Engage!"
The original title was the heading of this paragraph. I'd just changed it to give it a better "one-sentence description of this article".
Some of you may know this, this word, "Engage" is borrowed from one of my favorite Sci-Fi series - Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's Captain Jean Luc Picard's trademark command from his Captain's seat whenever they start on a new adventure.
If you were a fan of the show, you'll know that once the "Engage" order has been given, an exciting adventure is in store.
This article is not about space adventures but we will explore the benefits of following this command to "Engage!"
Limited Resources
As you may also know, each of us has a daily bank with a finite time resource we need to manage.
Since time is a finite resource that we work with daily, it would be irresponsible of us to mismanage it. Those who are set on achieving their goals would have a strategy to maximize the return for each second spent. Well, that may be a little exaggerated but may be based on hours or as a whole, how the day was spent.
Unlimited Stock
In my Take Stock, I mentioned that there is a Par Stock that I can clear on a daily basis. These are committed quantities of article/s I post, write and read per day. Sooner or later, we will come to a point that we feel our stock management has grown beyond control. We need to trim back to a manageable pace.
We are no longer able to cope with committing to a sustainable Par Stock. We will fall behind. We may have committed to still write and post one article per day but our quantity of articles to read may have gotten out of hand because we are now engaging with more writers. To you, it will seem that everyone is jostling for your attention though that may not be the case. You'll feel that way, nonetheless.
Preferred Stock
Not what you think. This article has nothing to do with investment.
I'm still referring to your daily commitment. It will come a time when this gets out of hand that you have to prioritize. If all you can handle is a maximum of 5 articles to read per day, and I mean not scan through without doing justice to that article, then you have to make a decision. Articles 6 and above will have to be pushed out to another time or may end up being the latest victim to the 'reset button' we all are so familiar with. LOL.
This shortlisted maximum of 5 articles will be your preferred stock. Do you want to know where these come from? Yes? Good. We move on to the next point then and I'm switching gear to address new writers from here on.
Network = Net worth
Recall what I've also mentioned in my Network = Networth article, the relationship we build with another person in the business setting is critical to one's success.
The better your engagement is with a particular writer, the stronger your VIP membership is with this particular writer. It's all about relationship building. I'm sure if you recall your childhood days, you'd prefer (there's that word again) to play with your closest buddies, correct? When you grow older, you have close-knit BFFs that you may (the operative word here is 'may') go skinny dipping with. You just don't do that with those you don't know so well, right?
Well, wouldn't you know it? It applies here. Whose articles do you think get read and whose get put on the sideline? Those who have a close relationship with the writer get read. Simple as that.
If you are new here, do you see why it is important to invest some time to build good relationships with other writers? Yes, that's why the Captain says, "Engage!"
So, please make it a point to develop relationships with writers here, especially with those who've been around for a while and are very active. Give them a reason to include you in their daily read commitment. Let them figure out how to make that possible without resorting to using the reset button.
The above is a simplistic way of looking at getting your article read. It has not touched on other important factors such as the following: an attention-grabbing title that relates to the article and of course, good content that the readers can tell you've put your heart into it; just to name a couple.
I hope this article has been helpful in providing you some pointers to be successful on this platform. Everyone can be successful here. The question is are you willing to invest your time and efforts to see to your success.
Good luck and let's "Engage!"
Stay safe and see you in the next article.
Sources:
Header: unsplash.com - Roy Javier
Image 1: unsplash.com - Nicholas Green
Image 2: unsplash.com - Victoriano Izquierdo
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Being an avid trekkie myself, I love the reference here. And, it fits marvelously with the context of your article as well.
Win, win.
I am actually thinking about writing an article about writing on the Internet that I think will offer at least a bit of a different perspective about what we do in places like this, and what other writers do necessarily when they write a novel, or write an article for a major publication.
But engaging with other writers here (and any other site like it) is definitely key to the whole thing. It's the interaction, stupid, to borrow from a political message that won an election in our past history. I also like the way you incorporated the relational aspect as well. Because that TOO is very important.
It makes me think of my current job in sales. What makes me a good salesman? I mean, sure. I can help to solve problems for my customers. I can make sure they are taken care of. I can make sure their parts are delivered correctly and on time. But what REALLY sells my products?
How I interact with the customer. It is what I do, and what we do together that makes that customer dial me up before he dials up another vendor. It's the relationship that makes the difference ultimately.
If we engage in other's writings, and if we take the time to not only read (and as you said, not simply SCAN) the posts, it shows in the way we comment on them. It says, "I have taken the same care and time with what you have worked so hard to write as you did."
It also says, I don't just want your pennies. I want your time. I want your interest. And I want your interaction.
Granted, you can't just write crap and give a lot of attention to other people's articles. You still have to provide some value to REALLY capture a true audience. But if one does nothing to BE engaging as well as TO engage...
Then the only sound you are going to hear when you click to your bank are crickets chirping.