Welcome to the first post for Seven Takeaways. I expect to play with the format quite a bit in the coming days, but starting is better than fiddling, so here we go. (In order to align with an expected publishing day of Sunday, this first item will have only five takeaways.)
A Unique Type of Content That Will Generate You 100,000 Visitors Per Month – Neil Patel (YouTube)
In a phrase: “downloadable digital assets“. The idea here is to augment the value of posts by including something for people to take away (ha!) with them when they’re done. He also recommends courses, but the value of literally giving people something right then-and-there is intriguing.
How to Decide What to Highlight in Ebooks – Tiago Forte (YouTube)
This goes into quite a bit of detail which I found interesting, but my big takeaway was that surprises while reading are literally note-worthy.
Why You Can’t Read Right Now – Sarah Olson Michel (Medium)
“Why are people having difficulty concentrating? They’re trying to resolve an uncertainty that is unresolvable.” – Neuroscientist Oliver J. Robinson via an interview “Why it’s so hard to read a book right now”, which I discovered via this post. (Full disclosure: I’ve only read the former, which quoted the later.)
It’s a combination of relief, that I’m not the only one feeling this way, and understanding that it’s not necessarily permanent. While the big uncertainties currently holding our attention are very real, and by definition uncertain, we know there’s an end. Perhaps there’s even an end in sight. Taking steps to read more, as I’m doing, is one concrete thing to do, but it’s also important not to beat yourself up — as I kinda was — about the perceived failing. It’s not a failing at all. Perhaps it’s a coping mechanism, but at the very least it’s human.
“The only thing certain is uncertainty“. This second takeaway coincidentally came up in a conversation with a neighbor whose travel plans kept changing at the last minute. This particular read made me feel better about my lack of reading, and is part of what prompted me to start this project.
5 Small YouTuber Tips You’re (Probably) Not Doing // Why You’re Not Growing on YouTube – Roberto Blake (YouTube)
I’ve discovered that a lot of advice for YouTubers applies to much more than just YouTube or video production, even though that is something I’m also working on. The takeaway: “structure videos properly to grab interest, and keep people viewing while giving them what they are looking for.” Something that’s easy to overlook.