The Sad State of Web Content

You don't have to have listeners to flap your gums on the web. You are in fact, encouraged by a whole pack of gum-flapping marketers, authors, and publishers to join the noisy pack. You might even expect to be rewarded for your efforts. But it's a shame. Unless you have something meaningful to say, your work will likely go entirely unappreciated.

Think how productive our society might be if the segment of the population that focuses on spewing useless dribble onto the web would just shut up, take a moment to ponder where their passions lay or where they might actually add some value, and begin taking steps toward that end. It's no wonder that these marketers — so-called "content marketers", to be more specific — tarnish the industry's image.

I say buck the trend and the advice that tells you to repurpose your content in 15 different ways. Stop the mindless curation that fulfills the need to post something, anything, daily in your LinkedIn status field. Stop. breathe. Take the time you spend trying to stay ahead of this impossible race to publish more than your competitor, and spend just a fraction of it in peaceful meditation. Center yourself frequently, a move toward tapping into the creative force that will guide you toward your passion and your authentic voice. That's the only voice people care about. And care they will. But you have to find it first. That's not always easy, especially if you haven't heard from it in a dozen years.

Be original. Have an opinion. Publish it. That's all good. But if you don't have anything worthwhile to say, that's okay, too. Better to be quiet than add to the cacaphony.

[Image: Loozrboy]