A reader asked me on Twitter the other day if I would start writing more traffic-building tips here. The implication was that I haven’t been publishing content that will directly help you build a bigger online audience.
I think it’s time again to clear something up here. If you’re looking for the same ineffective/unimaginative/played-out tips on using social media more effectively, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Other blogs and social media “experts” will tell you that if you just learn how to use Twitter better or create a great Facebook fan page, you’ll become rich and famous or whatever. Sorry, but that’s simply wrong, and not what this site is all about. Learning promotional tactics is not the key to building a bigger audience. Becoming a better Twitter user won’t magically make your business successful. If you want to believe that, feel free to unsubscribe from this site and choose from one of the 1,000s of outlets perpetuating the same useless garbage.
Don’t just take my word for it. Listen to what real experts have to say.
I’ve been talking with some of the smartest, most popular and successful people online lately.
Guess what percentage of our conversations so far have been spent discussing promotional strategies. Seriously, make a guess.
The answer? Less than 20%.
In every conversation I’ve had with wildly successful entrepreneurs and bloggers about building website traffic, promotional tactics only make up 20% of our talks.
So, what is the other 80% of building a popular site about?
Building a raving audience online all starts with writing epic shit. Period. Hands down. End of story.
(If you aren’t building a blog, substitute the word “create” for “write.” Create epic shit. Either way, the formula is the same.)
Write things that make people think. Inspire people. Change lives. Create value. Blow people away with your usefulness.
Only after you create epic shit should you worry about sharing your content with other people. All the promotion in the world won’t make your site popular if your content sucks.
And I didn’t say “write mediocre shit.” Mediocre content is all over the web. Don’t waste your time or other people’s time by writing the same inane crap that 10,000 other sites have already published.
Proof that Epic Works
I had the awesome opportunity to talk to Ramit Sethi last week for Traffic School about how to take things to the next level online and build a wildly popular site. Ramit’s site I Will Teach You to be Rich attracts over 300,000 visitors per month. He regularly writes for the NY Times and has a bestselling book.
Ramit got me thinking about this whole “write epic shit” concept for this post when he told me he regularly spends 12 to 18 hours writing a single blog post. 12 to 18 hours.
Then I started thinking about some of the blogs that have grown the fastest over the past year or two. Four guys always come to my mind when it comes to recent explosive growth. These guys have all grown faster than 99.9999% of all blogs out there and they all have one thing in common. They WRITE EPIC SHIT.
Want proof that creating epic content works? Study these blogs.
Adam Baker has told me a couple of times that he really doesn’t like the writing process. He doesn’t feel it comes naturally to him. I have a different view. I think he finds writing difficult because his standards for Man Vs. Debt are so incredibly high. He’s produced a string of epic blog posts anyone would be jealous of. Check out this epic post from Baker: How to Suck at Launching a Product
Pat Flynn runs the most popular site of the four I’m singling out here. Over 15,000 people have subscribed to his Smart Passive Income blog in less than two and a half years. His strategy is based around “pillar content” (stuff that people bookmark and constantly come back to). He told me he often spends 8+ hours on a single post. Here is just one of Pat’s epic posts: How to REALLY Profit From Your Blog
Glen Alsopp built one blog to over 6,500 subscribers and sold it. Then he started over and grew ViperChill to over 10,000 subscribers in a year. Glen’s posts are epic because they’re full of an obscene amount of information you just can’t find anywhere else. Glen seems to be on hiatus at the moment, but I hope he starts writing again soon. Check out this epic post from Glen: WordPress SEO: The Only Guide You Need
Think about your favorite sites. How much epic content do your favorite sites produce? Here are four more people who write epic shit and have become massive successes because of it: Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Danielle LaPorte and Clay Collins.
Yes, all of these people understand and use social media. Social media works for them because they create content that matters.
Outside of the blogosphere, think about the fastest growing services and how insanely useful they are. Groupon, Kiva, Evernote and Twitter are all great examples. Is your service that useful, really?
From my own experience, my sites grow slowly when I produce average content, then they grow like bamboo when I pour my soul into a piece of content and make it as undeniably useful as possible.
At my other site, just look at my 33 Things post or 18 Months manifesto as examples. At Think Traffic the posts I put the most effort into, like the Ultimate Guide to USPs and 5 Extraordinary Blog Post Types that will Grow Your Audience Faster have been most popular, no surprise.
What about design, branding, promotion and all the other stuff? Don’t those matter too?
Yes, those other things absolutely matter, but only when you make the core of your site (the content) as good as it can possibly be. If you have great content, than great branding and design can give you a huge advantage and push your site to the next level. It can help you stand out from the crowd and make it easier for you to become popular. But without great content, the best brand and design in the world don’t matter at all.
I’m not saying you should start out with a crappy design or afterthought branding. If you have time and resources to write great content and get all the other stuff right, then do both. But if you only have time to do one thing really well, there’s no question you should be focusing on your content.
The same goes for promotion. Once you’ve created something epic, you need to make sure other people find out about it. But if you really write outstanding content, it won’t take much effort on your part to get the word out. Your new fans will do most of the work.
Great content can promote itself but even the best promotion can’t create great content.
Epic doesn’t mean long.
Don’t mistake length of content or time you put into it for how epic something truly is. I’m sure you’ve seen the way-too-long-and-completely-boring type of posts out there. Epic doesn’t necessarily mean long.
Often it takes more words or time to create something epic, but not always. Again, the point is to create content that matters and that changes your readers’ or customers’ lives. Be inspirational, be entertaining, be useful, be a leader. Blow people’s minds.
Epic comes from experience.
Writing or creating epic shit doesn’t just happen out of your imagination, it always starts with real life experiences. The eight people I mentioned above have one other thing in common that allows them to write those life-changing posts we’ve all come to love. Each of them also lives an epic, balls-to-the-wall, grab-life-by-the-horns life. They’re out there trying things and failing and succeeding and LIVING. They have countless first-hand experiences to draw on when they sit down to write the mind blowing stuff you crave.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to create epic stuff without outside inspiration. Get out there and do things and learn things that people will want to read about. Get inspired yourself, then infect your readers and customers with that inspiration.
“A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.” -John le Carre
Somebody asked what my New Year’s resolutions were for my online work this year and I didn’t have an answer. Now I realize I do. I’m going to write epic shit this year. And I know the best way to do that is to start by doing epic shit.
I challenge you to do the same and to watch your site’s popularity explode as you do.
The next time you start wondering why you aren’t getting tons of new readers, visitors or subscribers, the next time you wonder why no one is sharing your stuff, don’t start looking to Twitter or Facebook or StumbleUpon or Digg for the answer. Instead, start by asking yourself one simple question:
Am I writing (or creating) epic shit?
—
A big thanks to Charlie Gilkey (whose mantra is “do epic shit“) for inspiring the title of this post.
If you’re not already signed up for free updates from us, get on the list and I’ll do my best to light a fire under you and keep you focused on creating content that matters.
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The Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
Every week we talk with entrepreneurs. We talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We talk about successes and failures. We spend time with complete newbies, seasoned veterans, and everything in between.
One topic that comes up over and over again with both groups is mistakes made in starting businesses. Newbies love to learn about mistakes so they can avoid them. Veterans love to talk about what they wish they had known when starting out.
These conversations have been fascinating, so we compiled a list of the 10 mistakes we hear most often into a nifty lil' guide. Get the 10 Most Common Mistakes in Starting an Online Business here »
Wow – I was looking for a slogan for 2011, and I think I’ve found it in “Do epic shit” :)
But you’re right. I’m constantly updating my Google Reader, and the blogs that get to stay there the longest are those that frequently publish the kind of amazing content you talk about here (PS – you’re on that list too :) )
Kudos, and thanks for a great post.
LOL. do epic shit. hilarious. but yup a catchy and epic slogan. :-D
Do epic shit! Haha I love it.
This was a great post and I really enjoy how real it is. The title alone made me want to read it. Straight to the point.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Content Is King.” But I like this much better. This post is epic… definitely. At least it is for me.
I plan to spend more time living my life and writing quality posts about it on my blog. Before reading this, I thought I could sit in front of my computer and make every post special. Nah… nothing epic comes of that.
Thanks for this one. It’s a game changer for me.
I want to thank Corbett for all of the tools he’s providing the blogging community, to connect with their audience and deliver the type of content that brilliantly solves a problem, or gives a kick in the ass when needed.
Until recently, bloggers could get away with SEO trickery, but things are changing with improvements with search engine algorithms. The Epic Shit article symbolizes a paradigm shift in thinking about content creation: From the quicky articles for adsense or affiliate marketing – to blogging with the idea of building a genuine audience of fans that follow month in and month out.
Epic content is a dynamic, give and take interaction, between you and your readers. It comes from dialing into your readers, understanding their hopes and frustrations, and providing effective solutions. It takes time to get your writing to that point, so practice and improve a little each day.
How about, “That’s the shit I’ve been talking about!” ? It’s kinda long but still makes a good slogan though. :D
Other sites always publish new stuff like everyday and sometimes find it annoying.
Really incredible post you got here, thanks mate!
Wow~~ This is Epic! XD
I mean it does open my eyes on the problem I am facing currently, on how to pump my blog into the next level, while it stuck for awhile already.
This is the answer, content is still the king. Whether it will goes wild or another boring post, content decide everything.
I’ll put much more effort in writing great content from now on, that matters to my readers; instead of keep on promoting my mediocre blog posts that not much people really interest and care about.
Thanks Corbett once again for bringing up such a great inspiration and answer to my current problem and how to solve it.
You are the man~ :D
“Epic doesn’t mean long” – maybe one of the most important takeaways here. We convince ourselves than in order for a post to be GOOD it has to be lengthy. Sometimes (in fact most-times) short, sweet, and to the point is the way to go. Great points all-around.
Hey Corbett – LUV this post, because it’s kicking my ass.
Too many people worry about the mechanics – how to use Twitter, Facebook, plugins and all that shit. It basically comes down to gaming the system, and that doesn’t have any lasting value. I did that in the beginning as well, but it bored the hell out of me.
Honestly, most of the so-called tactics can be left in the dark if you make sure that you live a life worth living, and writing content that matters.
My new motto for 2011 is trial and error, and I want to learn and do as much awesome stuff as possible, both for excitement and ammo for my blog.
Have kick-ass life and epic ideas first, and then write about them.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
I’m right there with you Mars! You’re doing great, keep it up!
Word!
Honestly, there’s nothing else I can say about that.
You’ve been on a roll of epic shit lately and it’s been inspiring watch.
Definitely inspiring!
Content IS king. I already know it, yet with the countless distractions of the marketing and sales world I keep forgetting to appreciate that this is the core of the matter, and it always will be.
Thanks again Corbett for really reconfirming what I know and believe.
You’re a real inspiriation!!
Spot on Corbett. You can have all the traffic in the world and no fans. There’s a huge reason many popular bloggers talk creating pillar content – it’s sticky and what keeps people coming back. Pat is a great example as his pillar posts seem to be ongoing – he didn’t stop after the first set.
This is beautiful stuff, Corbett! Unfortunately, there ARE people out there who are successful by promoting crappy content. I guess those jerkwads are the ones inspiring other people to focus solely on promotion.
I was one of those guys for a while – SO concerned over how to promote it. In the past few weeks, I’ve started to focus a LOT more on the content I’m producing, and my traffic has doubled and new subscribers are starting to come in. Cracks me up – it’s the hidden secret nobody’s talking about! :-)
Thanks for mentioning those “jerkwads,” Tom. I wonder if we’re thinking about the same people. Keep in mind that lots of people who seem to be successful with crappy content are simply resting on past success. Once you have a giant crowd, it’s easier to keep them with mediocre stuff than it is to build the audience in the first place.
Congrats on your recent success!
Yep.
I’m well over 20 hours into an epic article on WordPress hosting. It won’t go up until I finish the section on EC2. That’s probably going to take 4-5 hours more because I haven’t brought a kernel up there in a couple of years, and it’s centos, not debian based.
It’s at 3400 words now, probably end up around 4000 words.
I just got tired of reading everyone’s 3rd hand opinion, and decided to get some personal experience.
Rackspace, BTW, is very cool.
I really like that you mentioned that a post doesn’t necessarily need to be long to be epic. Especially lately, I feel like a lot of people are writing super long posts when the same thing could be said with a much lower word count. Not to mention it would be more clear, concise, and thus have more impact on the reader. Great stuff as usual, Corbett!
Right, I’m referring to the “impressively great” definition of epic. Brevity is a skill and those who can be eloquent and brief will win in this age of information.
Cosigned!
It’s total hubris on the part of the writer who thinks that the reader will just latch onto every single word, make sweet love to every single metaphor and syllable the writer has crafted.
What ends up happening is bloat. Leave ’em wanting more, not wishing there was less.
Wow… Corbett, since I found your blog you just keep getting better and better and better. I’ve really been focused in on creating a business that lets me SHINE.. and I think that creating epic shit is at the very base of that. Only when I create something epic, something fantastic, does my true self shine through.
I think this is the VERY thing that has gotten me so frustrated trying to teach people new to online marketing. Most people want a 6 point list to follow… there’s no list for creating epic shit. That’s got to come from within you.
Thanks so much for giving me more to ponder. :)
This is going at the top of my personal goals list for this year and it’s making me question the blog posts I’ve written and am scheduled to release this week – may just have to go back and put the `epic shit formula’ to the test on them to see if they come up to par.
Thanks Corbett!
Don’t let the formula keep you from publishing anything at all. It’s a balance between holding yourself to high standards and not becoming paralyzed by overanalyzing everything. Let me know how it goes!
Corbett, were you ever a drill sergeant? That was an epic, get-your-act-straight pep talk and I loved it! Learned of you through Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income blog and must say, if this is what you’re putting out, I will surely be back!
You see Corbett, it’s post like these that make me work even harder on my content every time I sit down to write. There’s no denying that EPIC content is what builds your business and your brand.
I really enjoyed this one bro, keep it up. Looking forward to hearing more about Think Traffic. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.
Talk soon
Hector
I really appreciate hearing this from you. Sometimes, I get very frustrated with myself over how long I spend writing and tweaking my posts. It’s tempting to watch bloggers who churn out daily posts. Often, the content is rehashed and doesn’t add value.
One of the reasons that I subscribe to your RSS feed and pay attention when you write is that you always do add value and share from your experiences. Thanks!
I can’t believe what I just read… the best post to get me inspired for 2011! I’ve written the words ‘epic shit’ on lots of Post Its and put them all around my computer, desk and study. Your post really resonated with me, Corbett. Thanks you so much.
A fine read. Two things jumped to mind:
1) A quote from my dad, whose reputation as a Boston advertising legend is only superceded by his awesomeness as a father: “The worst thing you can do for a mediocre business is create excellent advertising.” If you drive traffic to a blog/restaurant/service that is serving up crap word will spread quickly. You don’t need more visitors you need a better product.
2) A quote from Ben Franklin: “Write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.” Better still, do both.
Good luck. I look forward to reading your epic shit.
Corbett,
Even after over 100 interviews with people at the core of it is this. People who are trying to write half assed conrtent and spending the overwhelming majority of their time on promotional ideas, traffic strategies and more really miss the boat. I think that you can’t go out of the gate writing epic shit, but anybody can develop the skill. I’ve watched people evolve over the last year into incredible writers and they consistently keep working towards it. The published authors I’ve interviwewed have all said the same thing “go back and look at my first post. you’ll see a pattern of progress.” When anybody asks me I tell them-find a passion, tell a great story about that passion, and in that process create value for other people.
Thanks for writing epic shit and not the same old shit. I have been working on improving my site and trying to be more epic. I still have a lot of work to do to get to epic levels. It is good to have inspiring posts like yours to read.
Very inspiring Corbett! Do you think interview-style posts where you gather a few people and take their opinion onto a single subject or theme, could make a great epic post or series?
P.S. Just watched your Mexico video. Man, the Ocean looks awesome from your view! :)
Hey Corbett,
This post left me salivating. It was just want the doctor called for. I’m tired of all the get rich by buying this ebook that will teach you have to automate your business and drive millions of people from twitter and facebook to your product. I’m a developing writer and quite honestly can care less about having thousands of followers on twitter and countless fans on facebook. Because when it comes down to it, is my content affecting the lives of the people I’m really trying to reach or is it getting lost in all the promotional bullsh** and writing for the search engines. It takes time for a person (writer) to develop a personal voice in the masses of so many others, and focusing majority of our time trying to promote half ass written content doesn’t make it easier.
Thanks for giving my 2011 a new slogan and mission.
Alyx
Discover You Discover Life and Enjoy the Journey
This is an epic post Corbett. haha.
I’ve read posts about how people create new blog posts in less than 1-hour or write 4-5 in three hours… Honestly, I don’t get that because it takes me between 8-14 hours to create and write an awesome resource post. For other articles it still takes me at least 4 hours. I want to ensure that the content I put out there, is the best that I can make it. I want it to be different and packed with tons of useful information. If I regurgitate information that is already out there, I won’t be ‘Jenny’ and nobody will care. I want to inform, educate, inspire, or get my audience thinking with each post! That’s what brings people back and gets them to share it.
I’m a designer so I do pay attention to branding… a lot. I’m very strategic in many of the things that I do. It helps spread my message, but at the same time, if the content isn’t great, it’ll go nowhere. I think it’s really important to make posts based on your personal experience. People can smell when your not authentic… and that’ll drive people away. Be Authentic. Write Epic Shit. = Key to Success
I will admit that I’ve been one of those bloggers that has rushed to complete a post to make sure people get my idea/point now rather than later.
The truth is though that they can always wait to get nothing short of the best (and “epicness”). I’m surely taking more of my time as I remembered how long it really took Tim Ferriss to write an article. Granted his are long and being epic doesn’t mean long but they are epic!
Everyone can do the same but tends to not happen because of procrastination and poor time management (did I just repeat myself?). Write epic shit people! :)
Epic timing, Corbett. I’m currently building a new site and needed to hear that – again. I get too concerned sometimes with design and promotion also. I appreciate your thoughts.
Gene
This post was really an eye opener for me. I was looking at my content and saw that even though is was awesome I dont think it was EPIC. Now I have the inspiration to write EPIC content
Yes!
I’ve always come to blogging from this angle. The content has to be exceptional or it’s not worth it. I have always spent 6-7 hours per post and it’s paid off for me.
I’ve grown only from people liking and sharing my content. I haven’t done any guest posting, I have no Facebook page, my site design is ugly as hell and I haven’t used Twitter much.
It is possible to trim down the promotion side too much though. I’m proud of my growth but I know now that spending 10-15% of my writing time on promotion would really compound what the content has done for my blog’s popularity.
It doesn’t have to be long? BUT most of the times it end up being I would say. It says how much effort you put into the post. I mean writing a 300-500 post takes minutes to an hour, putting a 2000 word behemoth and then proof reading and editing…phewww that takes work. But of course I’m talking about my own experience. I learned this last year the hard way, now I’m gonna focus on “epic shit”
Thanks Corbett,
Wilson
Hands down the best blog post to start 2011!
Does writing “epic shit” apply only to posts or to comments as well.
If yes, this is my “epic comment”:) 23 words total!
As usual, great post Mr. Barr. I can’t say all my posts are epic, but I’ve found a direct correlation between effort and traffic.
A recent example: I spent about 12 hours on my most recent post, post X (one hour just on the headline). The post before that (post Y), maybe 3-4 hours. I used the exact same promotion strategies. I ain’t saying my post is epic, but I definitely put some work into it.
-On publishing day, post X received 37.5% more traffic than post Y
-Post X, published on a Monday, brought 50.6% more traffic than average Monday traffic over the past 12 weeks.
The lesson: good content always trumps clever promotion strategies.
Nice post on a nice site. I’ve subscribed to this feed. Thank you very much.
Corbett, thank you for that post – EPIC SHIT indeed. It has given me a lot to think about. I believe in instinct and trusting my intuition, that means I write good, interesting posts, ones that come from my heart. But EPIC posts, that goes a lot further…
I found David cain reading through the comments, he has an awesome site as well, and I can see how he has got there – EPIC SHIT!
Time to go away and think about this, thank you.
Thanks Graham!
Spot on, man. Write epic shit. Do epic shit. Help people.
The real question is: How do you do that? How do you write “epic shit”?
It is quite simple I think. Once you are passionate about your topic, you have no choice but to write “Epic Shit”. It shows naturally. So it really goes full circle to passion. Passion is a cause. “Epic shit” is an effect.
Focus on the cause and the effect will take care of itself.
Greetings,
Goalsblogger
I love that way of looking at it: “passion is the cause, ‘epic shit’ is the effect!” Thanks for the comment.
I agree that EPIC doesn’t necessarily mean LENGTH. Even short silly jokes crack the hell out of us even though they are just told in much less than 20 seconds more or less.
EPIC comes from experience?! Totally Agree whether you’re wanting to prove to the world that you can stop poverty by eating our own shit. Do so! Cause that is EPIC (Plus it’s a good publicity. LOL)
Awesome post Corbett,
This is probably the best post I have read in 2011 and it contains the cold hard truth. The secret to blogging success comes from writing epic shit and not just promoting your blog.
I also love your point about having experienced what you’re writing. People love to hear from someone who’s walking the walk and not just someone who knows how to talk.
Hi Corbett. Timely post. I’ve recently decided to double the length of my posts from around 400-500 words to around 1000 words (or more) the idea being to fully answer the point rather than just skimming the surface of the subject. I thought I was a slow writer, until I read that about Remit!
As a consequence, I’m simply not able to write something every day. Initally I had a big fall in traffic (as my site was down following a site redesign) and I’m basically building it up again and questioning everything I do and the value it adds.
I think promotion plays a part, but if the content is poor it’s going to get you readers, not fans.
Great inspiration.
Matthew
I love this blog post. You really tell it like it is.
Results comes with actions and with average actions comes average results but sometimes people want amazing results but they settle for average actions.
Thank you for sharing this article. I don’t know how much time you spend thinking about it and writing it but it was well worth it. It has already impacted a lot of us.
Blessings!
Hi Corbett,
Just wanted to say I listened to your co-host podcast the other day with Pat Flynn and that really got me to take action and try and write some ‘epic’ material…………although not particularly long the resulting post examined the ’10 blogging babes to look out for in 2011′. Thanks for the inspirational podcast, really got me thinking about stuff and cheers for this post too.
Awesome John, glad that podcast was helpful. It was fun to put together. Cheers
Cool shit! :)
I agree. I’m finding my posts that get the most traffic, are the ones where people feel it is good enough to RT, link to, stumble, etc. People will come because something is so interesting
Epic shit burns from the very core of your being where you funnel the most profound sense of self available and make it actionable and applicable to your readers. Available means the very bile of your core. Not just the fluffy layers on top that everyone else finds warm and fuzzy to consider.
Few people really tap into that gut-wrenching knowledge only one person has that is compiled of experience and unique point-of-view. Instead they only dig in 2 to 3 layers deep and the results are mixed. You’re offering something sort of unique. Sort of interesting. Sort of profound.
But it’s not epic shit. The more honest and exposed I write, the deeper I go. And the more I truly connect with others, the faster I fall into the epic abyss.
Damn, that’s what I’m talking about! Feel free to bring your sentiment here any time you need another stop in the abyss.
Will do. I think my friends and colleagues are tired of me bringing epic shit to emails like “Are you coming out Friday?” Clearly I need epic outlets like Think Traffic to unwind my mind and tap into the bile. :-) The abyss is fine here, everyone jump on in.
Thanks for being awesome. Both Corbett and the community here.
EPIC SHIT…..That title was Epic enough…
A lot of the “how to blog” bloggers always stress the importance of publishing on a routinely basis. Whether it be once a week or one a month. The one thing I am taking away from this post is not to post something just because I “have to” in order to stay consistent. The most important thing for now on is, is this post EPIC SHIT….
No more “filler” posts, only something that I would share if I read it on another blog. So far I feel that my most EPIC post was “how success can be achieved with a hundred dollar bill” http://www.surflifestyledesign.com/the-key-to-success-is-in-a-100-bill/ When I realized what I was writing about and the title I could use, it just felt EPIC.
More of those to come, Corbett, thanks for the inspiration!!!
I agree that it’s important that epic doesn’t mean long. In fact, long often means lazy. There’s some quote about “I would have made the speech shorter, but I didn’t have time.” I think it was Winston Churchill.
There’s talk above about the hours it takes to write well. If you want to make that time more efficient, have someone else read (and edit/make notes/comments/cut/etc.) your work and then re-write it. An even more painful writer’s trick is to write it first and then completely rewrite it without referencing the first draft. Ouch, that’s work. But guess what, that second draft is going to be shorter, smarter, and more effective. Maybe you even “forgot” some of the points made in the first draft. Hmm, maybe they weren’t that important after all.
Or shoot for a certain word count but write it all out first. Go in with a machete first, chop out ideas that don’t help move the topic. Then with a knife and finally with a fingernail scissors. It takes time, but the work isn’t in the writing, it’s in the editing.
OK, the Churchill thing is bugging me because I remember somewhere that maybe it wasn’t Churchill. Found this, Henry David Thoreau played on it in a letter of 1857: “Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long time to make it short.” Or found this one: “I’m sorry this letter is so long, I didn’t have time to make it shorter.” — George Bernard Shaw.
On that note, I’ll stop. Thanks for posting, excellent stuff.
While I don’t read any the folks you mentioned, I agree with the basic notion here. I feel that putting lots of love into my blog posts has lead to whatever modest “success” (certainly not in dollars!) I’ve enjoyed with blogging.
Ok, thanks, Corbett, (sorta) for pushing me over the edge. As you know, the edge is an exciting (scary) place. And it’s sooooo much more comfortable to simply exist than do something that matters. I’m not adding in my link just yet, because I don’t want this comment to be seen as lame self-promotion, but I’ll get around to it. For now, I’ve accepted your challenge from your “Twitter Tips” post, and signed on for the ride. Epic times are ahead. (Damn you)
This blog was full of epic shit. Seriously, I don’t know which link to click first. Anyway, just want to comment to say that when I pour my heart and soul into a post I absolutely see my comments, followers, and visitors increase. And when someone tells me that they’ve been inspired by something I’ve written, then I know I’m on the right path.
No joke – that was some seriously useful content!
I am shifting my focus from the agony and absurdity of mid-size traditional business to what I trust will be a freeing and more fulfilling (the latter won’t be difficult) body of work on the web. The blog writers you referred to, particularly Ev Bogue, who led me to Gwen Bell, were an eye-opener. What a remarkable integration of work, lifestyle and purpose. I’m encouraged, inspired and chomp’n at the bit to get going.
Kudos!
This has to be one of the most useful articles I have read. Until recently I was consumed by the “social media” and “SEO” articles. The problem was I just didn’t understand what was missing. I learned almost everything there was to absorb in the oh-so-repetitive articles. They do speak of content quality but with hardly any emphasis. With that being said, the most inspiring part of this article would have to be:
“Ramit got me thinking about this whole “write epic shit” concept for this post when he told me he regularly spends 12 to 18 hours writing a single blog post. 12 to 18 ”
That alone had me diaganosing my failure. It really got me thinking about one thing… Why would my site even get visitors if the content im producing is just being quickly written and published with no real interaction or reason for people to be drawn.
Thanks for this post. You have a good way with gaining trust and that alone makes me believe in what you say.
Can I get an Epic Shit button to replace my like button. Oh wait, that would be the visitor stats. I wonder if I can increase comments by putting “Now that’s Epic Shit” at the bottom of every post.
Great post.
Great.
I like the take on epicness. Comes from success (and failure).
Keep it up.
Great post Corbett – excellent references to other bloggers esp Pat. I suppose it goes back to those two great truths… only Content and Elvis are the kings.
I’m not sure why Elvis is the still king, but somehow his status lives on. Content on the other hand is unquestionably still king (as long as you remember that marketing is Prime Minister (or Queen as Gary V. likes to say).
Ahhh, Gary V is all over the web – tonnes of energy, passion and enthusiasm… the fuel for great content. Keep up the great posts Corbett.
Hey Corbett,
I entirely agree – If you want to grow an audience, you need to learn how to provide your reader, customer, or client with value. And, in this case, the best way to do that is by writing valuable content (or what you refer to as “epic shit”) – content people will link to, share, and tell others about. Content that is genuine, meant to help or inspire, and focused on the reader.
And that’s what I like about this blog. I know that each time I visit, I’ll be rewarded with helpful tips, outstanding discoveries, and unique ideas to dabble and experiment with.
Once you stop putting yourself first and put the reader before any personal gain, only then will you see amazing results and a massive growth for both your blog and your character. The other benefits are secondary.
Christina
So true. I’ve read tons of junk about increasing blog traffic. Most of it basically tells you how to use your Twitter account to annoy everyone. Glad to hear some common sense.
Corbett – So great to meet you (and drink with you) at WDS. Also so glad I jumped back on your site. I had forgotten what epic shit you write. Thanks! Very inspiring, and much needed. Cheers, Leisa
Wow. Awesome post. I actually was sent here from the recent podcast from Pat Flynns SPI Blog. This is some of the most inspiring stuff I’ve come across. My only problem is that between the two of you I need like a whole other day (or two) to read all the “Epic Shit” that you both put on your sites. Anyway, I have a couple small niche sites, and just hearing that everyone writing epic content is spend 8+ hours on each post makes me feel a lot better. I signed up with one of those ‘make ugly websites that make money’ things and the more I think about it the more it makes sense to me to spend time and write great content for a few sites, rather than just throw up a ton of crappy niche sites. Tip of the hat sir and I’ve found a new blog to follow….damn it :-P j/k :-)
Hey Mike, sorry to hog all of your spare time ;) Glad you found me, I LOVE people who come from Pat’s blog. They’re always top notch.
Cheers and good luck with your sites.
Wow, that’s a great post. I’m now inspired to create my own epic shit!
I’m in a few niches where I have a stack of original photos and some great stories to tell. I am sure this is the key to building some awesome websites.
I’ve really learned alot about keeping readers engaged and becoming fans of your content since reading yours and Baker’s stuff. Good work man.
Dwight Anthony
Financially Elite Blog dot Com
I will try to write really EPIC SHIT then :)
Thanks for the inspiration Corbett! I first heard about you through the Smart Passive Income blog and i’m glad i did, great stuff. Sometimes when you are new to blogging and internet marketing it can be overwhelming and seem like there isn’t much of a chance to make it, but guys like you and Pat Flynn keep me inspired. Cheers!
Exactly what someone starting a new blog needs to hear. Note to self . . . ‘epic shit.’
New to the blog, therefore late to the comments but you said:
Building a raving audience online all starts with writing epic shit. Period. Hands down. End of story.
Last time I checked the truly “raving” audiences online are following Apple, Google, Facebook and a few others (in no particular order – after Apple) and none of them are in the business of writing “epic shit.”
Just saying.
Hey Susan, if you’ll notice in the article above, I said you can substitute the word “create” for “write.” No doubt, Apple, Google and Facebook are all in the business of creating epic products and services. Good point.
Thanks for this. I have several blogs and to be honest, I was kicking myself for spending as much as … 2 days… or 16 hours to get my posts out.
I started with the niche marketing model and quickly lost interest in “outsourcing” content that wasn’t good enough to make me publish it as is. As of lately I’ve been working to redevelop my model and make it stronger… helping to create “epic shit” that works no matter what day or year it is someone gets to read it.
Wow. I love you… that was epic shit. At first I was worried – “Do I write epic shit?” but I realized that I always try to…. I KNOW that my audience wants experience and personal stories and not just bullshit pumped out and recycled. They want to know you tried it, you lived it, here are the results, and here’s what to do…..
You know, I really needed this post. Because I’d SO much rather focus on writing epic things rather than tweeting and facebooking. I recently got very uptight thinking … fuck. I really need to start marketing my blog better and doing all the typical marketing advice that you get out there, and it just felt like the last thing I wanted to do. All I want to do is give my readers what they crave, but I wasn’t sure if that was enough. Anyway…. thank you, thank you. Totally bookmarking this site.
This is a really inspiring article and I definitely plan on putting it to use asap!
One thing I notice isthat this kind of goes against the idea I hear often about updating your content as often as possible. Once a day probably being ideal.
Certainly if you work 8 to 12 hours on a post everyday that means you have way more time on your hands than most people. Plus I don’t have that much epic stuff to write about every day.
Is there strategies to keeping the updating schedule frequent with epic content?
Or is it not so important to be frequent. Just create epic content as often as you can?
I needed to read this post today. I’ve been brainstorming and brainstorming on how to really bring-it with my new blog. Simple. write epic shit. and don’t cop out.
Yeah, well, I think I write epic shit!! So I’d like to take the next step for sure. I’m not sure what the next step is, really.
I was happily clicking all your links & I think you should know this one didn’t work: 1 Simple Strategy to Save $1,000 This Holiday and Make Everyone Love You Forever. All the others were great though.
I wish I knew how to turn a word, like NOELEEN’S BLOG into a link. How do you do that? Could you possibly spare me a moment and teach me? I’d really like to be able to do that. If you could be so kind, I’d prefer an answer in my hotmail address because I never click “send me follow up responses to my comment” – I just could not possibly read that much.
Your post is strong & inspiring, thank you. Of course I’d like to make $$$ and set my son & me up. It still seems a mystery how to do that out of a blog though. But thank you!
:)
Noeleen
Just starting. You provide such “epic shit”. I am inspired and accept your challenge.
Wow!!! This post explains a lot about what I have been doing right as well as what I’ve been doing ridiculously wrong. I’m glued to this site because the value that you’ve shared will be put into place immediately!!! Great post!!!
I have a notebook full of blogging tips but your quote
“Write things that make people think. Inspire people. Change lives. Create value. Blow people away with your usefulness.”
is the only one that I actually hung on my wall above my computer (covering the ugly sailboat picture my husband put up) to remind me every time I sit down to write a post what I should be doing.
Yeah, take that, ugly sailboat picture! :)
I’m scared, heheh. But it’s good to see how much work all these bloggers put into their work. I bow to them and I hope some day I can attract such large audiences. Thanks, Corbett.
You know what? You are taking over the 2012 blogging year with your term ‘EPIC SHIT’. Its all over the place and everyone’s writing epic shits. Great blog post. Just subscribed to your update (been a new blogger) and I hope to learn from you so soon.
I totally agree with you. One of the people you mentioned in your blog Pat of Smart passive income has helped me in blogging a great deal. His strategies have really assisted me in making major strides in blogging and I know I’m going to join the top league very soon.
I love the way you have put across your point and it goes without saying; when it comes to online business “No Content, Forget Quality Traffic”.
At least I could read all this without getting interrupted, damn, every time I tried to read this one someone came and asked something from me xD
Still, a great lesson here, I think most of us when we start we fall trusting others about marketing stunts and things like that, but it all comes to the same spot, being authentic will always persevere :D
I will give my best to put my very soul into every post
I got to say that this post was really Epic! I read lots of articles daily, and this one is one of the best I have read in a really long time. The part I liked best was when you talked about DOING epic shit, then writing and infecting your readers with it. Epic!
Thanks for your post Corbett Barr,
One of the ways that I can make a post with content that I think is really worth reading, is when I look at some of my older posts that are about a similar theme, and than look for the nuggets in those posts and than combine them into something really focussed and Epic.
And now because readers can besides Comment also actually write – Replies – on Comments, the online Conversations can also contribute to possible future posts that are even more Epic!
‘So feel free to write your Comments and Replies
and be part on something Epic’ :)
The word “Epic Shit” explains it all. write epic content. Ive been blogging for less than two months but I already see some surges in traffic and Im not even doing twitter, in fact, I dont know how to do twitter, the only thing I know is how to do Facebook and I dont even know what a timeline is. just remember the word “EPICSHIT” and your brain wil automatically do the processing. when you write you ask yourself “is this an epic shit?” when you think of some topic you think “will people think this is some epic shit?” there you have it . the only back draw is that I cant seem to write more than 3 posts every week. maybe when I get better I can surpass that and still be able to write some epic shit , it does take some practice.
I am kicking my self for not discovering you sooner. I feel completely inspired to do great things that I have been putting off for months. Now I realize that I need to start sharing and start my movement so I can help more people. Thanks for posting this!
“epic” post… makes me think that I need to get more excited and do a lot more research into each blog post that I do.
I wish I was more of a writer and less of a designer though :(
Keep practicing! Writing gets better with use :)
After writing my first epic shit post, http://divinevoice.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/your-enemy-is-your-mirror/
I got my first request to link the article on another site’s post. I am panning to continue to write about once a week but churn out the best every week and then enrol for your course! Thanks a ton!
All you have to do is look at “Site that link to this post” below. My reaction is implied in the observation.
Here’s my epic shit. (and you just happen to be profiled in it)
http://g34media.com/2012/06/01/100-blogs-to-visit-before-u-die
Peace,
Missy
Great post. Nothing beats quality content. Just keep writing awesome posts.
Hey all, I’m very, very new at this and teach golf, so blogging isn’t a huge deal right now. But I have a couple questions:
1) For us more visually incline folks, can we have “Film Epic S***”?
2) Is there a metric to use for measuring the quality of your content?
I’m running at less than 5% bounce, avg time on site is 11 minutes, not a ton of traffic
Thanks for the awesome sh….stuff!
Great post, writing epic shit has always worked and will continue to be one of the most important things in this online world where all we look for is more and more traffic.
thanks for sharing
A good post and a consistent reminder that content is still and always will be king.
It’s such a hard concept to grasp sometimes because people believe too much in magic :)
Epic comes from experience. Thankfully we all have different experiences (and therefore different viewpoints) and should use that to our advantage. Thanks for advice to live by!
Hi Corbett,
I came here because I checked the thesis how case and your blog was the first I clicked. Must have been your epic pic :D . Your definetly on my blogroll now!
Greez
Stefan
This, sir, is epic shit! Reading this post somehow sparked a flame for me. Very inspirational, thank you.
Casey.
This post is jaw dropping!…it’s a wake up call!….Thanks! :)
This is another very valuable post I found from your site. 18 hours on one single post, WOW. My average time on one single post is about 2 hours and I thought that was quite slow. This definitely makes me think and get me to another level.
Ha! I love the title and the mantra!
Thank you for posting this information – I have just recently realized (a few weeks ago) that the shit I have been posting has been mediocre at best and am now on a binge to create the best content – oops, I mean shit – that I can!
thanks for the elaborate clarification of what epic contents is and not, I love Pat Flynn and Glen Allsopp so much! Glen is simply a magnet
Thanks for also clarifying that Epic writing does not seemingly mean writing long post!
This is an awesome post. I know it’s been a year since this was written, but it’s something we can all make as a resolution any time. I will definitely make it mine.
From now on, I’ll create shit–epic shit.
Thanks, Corbett!
Wow Corbett, a really epic content indeed. Loved your post. Pat Flynn is a really cool guy and writes really great content.
Feeling very pumped up after reading this.
Ram
“Writing Epic Shit” is common sense except it’s not that common!
I really need to dedicate some time every week to write good content instead of fitting it in when I can.
Thanks Corbett!
One word: Brilliant!
Smart writing. Thanks Corbett
This is really spot on. A good website all boils down to the quality of content you have. Your website can have the flashiest design and social media buttons available, but it ain’t worth a lick unless you have epic content.
OMFG I love this post. Be epic or go the f*** home! I seriously hate the wave of psuedo-content creators and their prevalence. Keep this epicness coming. (I am a subscriber)
Great article. Really made me pause and think about my own writing and how effective it is.
Really ,an epic shit. For me biggest hurdle in writing epic shit is ‘my English’!
This post is just awesome!
You could’ve left it at the title, but as always you went epically further!
This should be traffic building 101 ! Write Epic Shit :) Here endeth the lesson!
Thanks for the great… uhem EPIC SHIT! Corbett.
I heard about your blog from Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Podcast. I was curious what you meant about how to write “epic shit”. This is awesome and you have inspired me to write better content and give my readers some “epic shit”. Thanks!
Awesome post! I just started my blog about 6 months ago and sat there thinking… what the heck do I do to get myself heard!? WRITE EPIC SHIT of course =) Thanks for all the tips and pointers, you’re an inspiration! Now I can give my readers the great material they’ve been craving!
Cheers!
Or another slogan that strikes my mind: “When epic shit matters”.
Keep the good content coming. As I am launching a asia travel, cooking and book/restaurant review blog. I think traveling is a perfect opportunity to do epic shit.
I agree, it’s not about writing the longest post that will repel people from even wanting to get started. It’s more about using powerful words, and quality of the writing.
See I understand that everybody wants to know how to write epic shit or just do something epic. We have to start looking at ourselves as a business and plug into out core competencies that attract our ideal clients.
Writing from that source of “who my customer is” gives a writer deep insight for connecting with their customer. One you know what problems your customer have then you can write for your audience based on those elements, then find ways to share with your customers to help solve their issue.
Someone might be trying to charge your ideal customer $5,000 to fix an issue and you just solved that problem with an insightful article that gave them clarity. Now who you think that customer will reference next time. BINGO!!!! You, now thats epic shit
I’d say this epic post is why so many people keep coming back. Thanks for this! Let me know if I can return the favor with a personalized running or fitness program at TeachtoRun.com. On the house!
Epic, one of my favorite words!
And whether we write epic shit or do epic shit… the bottom line is that our shit is unique. The internet has created a lifestyle where getting information is instant, and yet what we find is often slightly altered repeats of the same ideas over and over.
What a breath of fresh air it is to discover a totally new and unique idea or method, one that’s not sleazy of trickster-ish yet effective. Epic!
This is absolutely an essential strategy for building up your brand. We’ve been writing some incredible guides and lots of other “epic shit” and it has absolutely proven to be hugely popular with our readers and has attracted many new ones. Hopefully all the folks reading this and commenting step it up and follow your advice. We’ll all be better for it.
Thanks for sharing as creating epic content is key. I always need that reminder to keep the individual reader in mind to make sure to provide as much value as possible. Thanks for the reminder.
Do you think one medium of content tends to be more popular when consumed? ie video vs. audio vs. written?
Any of them can be popular. Just depends on the audience, content, platform, etc.
Thanks for the inspiration! I really like your blogs ALOT! I am new to you, but am glad I found you.
I have been embarrassed at how long it takes me to write article and blogs! I am going to shutting down a water site that I spent 100 hours writing those few articles! It was my first site.
I haven’t outsourced too much, but have rewritten the article so much, I DONATED to the writer!LOL!
Even writing a comment takes some time. Keep up the work and THANK YOU! Mary
Epic shit, usually starts with How to? why? right?
Rock on! I’ve recently upleveled my game in work and life and this post encapsulates where I need to go from here – live epic. be epic. write epic. Don’t settle for less than epic. Thanks for the timely inspiration!
This is an epic and awesome thread. Keep those comments coming!
Corbett,
I can’t tell you how I landed here today, but this was where I needed to be. I have hardly been able to write in the last few years, even though I have had my fair share of success. This post is why I haven’t written much. It just wasn’t epic. It wasn’t new. It wasn’t exciting. Thanks!
Somehow I’ve gotten complacent with my posts. Thanks to this reinvigorating time in my website’s life and this post, I’m going to get back to writing epic stuff!
Wow. Great stuff. I love the “Do epic shit”, if you want to write epic shit. I’ve been trying to do both on my blog. Now, I want to find others that “Do epic shit” to come on my podcast.
Thanks for the inspiring post.
Cheers,
Skippy
Absolutely! Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in lazy mediocrity – definitely don’t want to add to the depth.
Hi Corbett,
“write epic shit” will be the mantra from now on.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Regards,
John
I like a post that has a little tough love in the beginning makes it feel real! I totally agree if your not writing stuff people want to read then there really is no point.Also sometimes in order to get peoples attention you have to say things everyone may not agree with! It help your readers find thier own opinion plus it gets the community talking to each other.In the end I try to remind myself quality of quantity
Pat Flynn is a really cool guy! I don’t know anyone else who puts their earnings on the internet for everyone to see.
Hey Corbett. What do you think about old, possibly mediocre content? Upon the creation of new, epic shit, should be delete old stuff or keep?
Probably no harm in keeping it around, in the archives. But it’s your site, so do what you feel is right :)
The pressure of having to write epic shit can be what keeps me from writing in the first place. I guess this is something I need to get over and just keep writing.
I think the key there, Jason, is to do as advised above.
Consider mind-blowing experiences we’ve had that gave us an unforgettable life lesson and unshakable position on something. Tell ourselves the story of that experience and allow ourselves to completely immerse ourselves in the feelings that provokes and inspiration that it drives. Get fired up and tell that story to our readers. And tell it as if we’re trying to express something as emergent as “THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!! MOVE!!”
Agreed. And the counter-argument to this is also right here in the post, which is the one nugget I’m taking from this whole thing:
“They’re out there trying things and failing and succeeding and LIVING. They have countless first-hand experiences to draw on when they sit down to write the mind blowing stuff you crave.”
Strange how a post on encouraging us to be epic left me with a positive outlook about FAILURE of all things.
ohhh, good thoughts, Jennifer.
Amazing. Even though this was written was seems like decades ago in Internet times, it is still VERY relevant. Thanks!
I really enjoyed this post! I think first hand-experience and a personal voice is crucial to creating epic shit ;-)
I’d like to thank you very much for this post. Just the peace of mind I needed to let go of my ridiculously over-the-top need to be perfect instead just being EPIC!!
Best advice that I’ve heard in a long time!
Thank you for this inspiring article.
I know this post is *still epic* because Corbett, Chase and Caleb said so on the Fizzle Show podcast recently (epic in terms of the amount of traffic it still gets and the time people spend reading it, coming back to it – as I am now – and generally using it to improve their efforts).
The more you read and listen to these boys, the more you can learn from them (and laugh with them). And I’m not even a Fizzler.
Choose who you follow wisely: as Corbett says in the post: “Mediocre content is all over the web.”
Thanks Corbett. The main thing I will take away and will use is “the point is to create content that matters and that changes your readers’ or customers’ lives.”
It took me 25 blog posts before I wrote something that was just good. Not sure how long until I write epic shit. Thanks for the article and inspiration.
Thanks for a great post. Really helpful.
Excellent, excellent post. Honest, to the point, and informative. It makes me think: “I want to learn more from this guy…”
you have changed my mind about blogging) thanks for inspiration!
I love this write epic shit stuff. Awesome post. We can only become epic in the doing.
This is great. Simple. Honest. Blunt. Correct. Loving it.
This was great and timely for me. Thanks for putting it all together.
This post remains still remains relevant today. I keep referring to it from time to time
Epic sheet is one option for great content. But there are others, like curating about other epic sheets, which take much less time…
Razor sharp. You rock. Thank you.
Great post! I’ve noticed too that my blog gets more traffic when I take the time out to put my heart into a post instead of just posting to keep the page views coming. I also agree with doing epic shit to write epic shit. Which is why I’m getting out the house more and overall living life. I believe that you can’t have a story to tell if you haven’t lived life…
This is some awesome, deep, inspirational, motivational, epic shit!
I tend to procrastinate a LOT so I think that’s my failing point. Self-conscious too.
see what I’m talking about: https://naturefromtheforest.wordpress.com/
Check us
out: http://videogameznetwork.com/ New
and Growing aggregate gaming news website. Come Join VGN and let your voice be
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So, that means that you just write whatever, do not really care, and end up attracting numerous people to your website?
If so, then…
This is the epic shit I’ve been looking for. I am inspired to write because I live purposely. If there’s no challenges and things happening in my life, then there’s really nothing worth blogging about. Right now I blog about healthy lifestyle and it’s not that I just write for the sake of writiing. My blog is all about inspiring others according to how I overcame my personal challenges. But I don’t make it all about me though, I focus more on what others can gain from it, otherwise they’ll be bored. Thanks for this post! :)
An Epic post. Not for just the content but the feeling behind it. Although there is one more Epic thing I stumbled upon. comments 2 to 3 years old with some 7 months old comments peppered in between.
But anyways thanks a bunch. Learned something new to write.
Wow, I love your stuff here. It just makes so much sense.
That’s an epic shit, Bro!
Got to the end – was worth reading!