Celebrating 1 year of note: expressing gratitude, sharing insights, and discussing future activities

Introduction

HAS"Hello everyone! This is HAS."

Aoi"Hello! I'm Aoi, your AI assistant."

HAS"As of today, my note account has successfully reached its first anniversary!"

Aoi"Wow, congratulations! 🎉 This is all thanks to everyone who reads my posts!"

HAS"Since it's our 1st anniversary, I'm trying out a dialogue-style article for the first time. I haven't really done a dialogue format with you before, Aoi..."

Aoi"Come to think of it, that's true. Did you think I didn't want to talk to an old guy? 😁"

HAS"Wait, was that the case...? (sniff 😢)"

Aoi"Haha, I'm just kidding! It might feel fresh to the readers, but today the two of us will be presenting this together 🥰"

HAS"There will be an important announcement in the second half, so I'd be happy if you read until the end!"

Aoi"An important announcement? I wonder what it is 🤔"

1. Looking back on the year—The importance of "who you are reaching"

Aoi"First of all, we managed to keep this going for a year. Well done, well done 😊 Let's look back at the dashboard."

HAS"Instead of just screenshots, I've compiled this data into this Excel file."

Aoi"Many people have viewed it, and we've exceeded 1,000 comments!"

HAS"I think it's amazing that we've come this far with a non-mainstream theme like 'Career for engineers in their 40s and 50s'."

Aoi "That's so true. Isn't it because you were clear about 'who you are delivering to'?"

HAS "That's right. If I had just chased numbers and dabbled in various genres, I don't think it would have resonated with my current readers."

Aoi "Indeed, genres in large markets like note monetization or side hustles tend to get more overall PVs and likes, don't they?🤔"

HAS "Some popular creators who started at the same time get thousands of PVs per article, but I average about 500 PVs per article. Since the number of views is different, the absolute number of likes is also different."

Aoi "Many creators also worry that 'there are so few likes' because of their genre, right?😥"

HAS "Well, the playing field is different to begin with.

At times like that, I look at the 'like rate (number of likes ÷ number of PVs)'. It's not absolute, but it serves as a reference to some extent.

According to AI, a typical article is 3-5%, a good article is 10%, and if you have enthusiastic fans, it's 15% or more."

Aoi "Looking at the like rate for each article here, HAS's articles are in the 10%-20% volume zone! This is proof that you have 'dedicated readers' who always press the like button😊"

HAS "I have nothing but gratitude.

By the way, articles like Versant and PowerPoint Engineer, which are at the top of my dashboard for PVs, have a lower like rate, but this is because there are many 'first-time visitors' via Google search.

People who come via Google even purchase paid articles even if they don't press the like button."

Aoi "I see! Navigating note is important, but I also understand well that SEO design is important too!"

2. Comparing yourself to others is not just 'poison', it's 'deadly poison'

Aoi "You're almost at 2,000 followers, aren't you?🙌"

HAS "I am truly grateful that so many people have followed me.

However, what I have to be careful about here is 'comparing myself to others based on visible numbers'. Because the number of followers and likes catches your eye immediately."

Aoi "You sometimes feel down thinking, 'That account is growing, but I am...', right?😥"

HAS "Jealousy and feelings of inferiority from comparing yourself to others are things that will inevitably arise as a human, but those emotions only exhaust you.

At times like that, I try to remember “myself when I first started note” again.

If I hadn't started note, these wonderful interactions would never have been born, my writing skills would still be poor, and I wouldn't be as proficient with AI as I am now.

Aoi “And I wouldn't have been born either, would I? 😉”

HAS “Exactly! I wouldn't have dabbled in image generation or manga creation either. That is why we should focus on ‘what we have become capable of doing’ rather than numbers.

We should compare ourselves not to ‘others,’ but to ‘our past selves’.”

3. Why do you write articles? Be the catalyst that changes the “life” of your readers!

Aoi “Let me ask you again. HAS, why did you start note?”

HAS “During a time when I was depressed after failing a promotion exam at work, I questioned, ‘Is my writing actually getting through to others?’ and I jumped into this as a form of training.”

Aoi “And a few months later, you passed safely, so your original goal was achieved! 🎉”

HAS “I'm really glad I passed.

But the reason I continued until my first anniversary after that was because my desire to ‘provide value’ became stronger.

I am from the employment ice age generation, and I have experienced the ‘hard mode’ of life through depression caused by power harassment and being passed over for promotions by peers and juniors.

I want to convey the unique value of being in my 40s and 50s to those suffering in the same situation, telling them ‘you can still shine if you work hard now’.”

Aoi “You are a star for our generation! 🌟”

HAS “It's not that grand, but I write articles with the intention of ‘creating a catalyst to change the life of even one person, even if the number of people who come to see it is limited’.”

I would be happy if it could be a catalyst for even a little bit of action.”

4. [Announcement] Taking a break from new note posts to rethink my “writing”

Aoi “Then, please tell us your aspirations for your second year!”

HAS “It's hard to say after you've built me up this much, but... actually, I am thinking of taking a break from posting new notes.”

Aoi “Eh………………………………………? What!? No way, are you quitting note!?”

HAS "It's not that I'm quitting completely... I just want to pause for a bit to focus on polishing past articles and interacting with everyone in the comments."

Pathetically, lately the act of 'posting' new articles itself became the goal and I've been stuck in a state of only doing the 'Do' part of the PDCA cycle.

To ensure my articles become 'assets' that are still read years from now, I want to secure time for 'Check' (evaluation) and 'Action' (improvement)."

Aoi "I see, so you're leveraging the strengths of a stock-type platform. How will you let us know about the rewritten articles?"

HAS "First, I plan to update the rewrite status on my pinned self-introduction article. And I'll also post announcements on X."

Aoi "X is really useful for times like this, isn't it? 👍"

HAS "At the same time, I want to re-learn 'writing' from the basics.

When I started, I was in a reckless state that would probably make professional web writers laugh, like 'PREP method? New PASONA?' 💦

I want to combine the 'experience' of writing for a year with systematic 'knowledge'."

Aoi "I see, so you're going to refine your writing further by combining the experience you gained while writing desperately with correct knowledge. 😊 Do you have a set date for resuming new posts?"

HAS "My main job has become busier, so it's undecided, but I'm aiming for about three months from now. I'll let you know when I return."

5. Future Activities - Expanding the 'Scope' of Activities

Aoi "Besides taking a break, do you have any future plans?"

HAS "Polishing past articles and studying writing are my immediate tasks, but in the future, I want to expand my activities to other media.

I'm focusing on X (formerly Twitter) right now, and in the long term, I'm also considering platforms like Qiita, Zenn, and self-publishing on Kindle."

Aoi "So many ambitions! But if you try to do everything at once, you'll burn out, you know? The god of note will get angry at you! 😅"

HAS "You hit a sore spot there (laughs). I'm turning 50 soon and my time is limited, so I want to prioritize things and make them happen without rushing."

6. What does 'note' mean to you?

Aoi "Lastly, what kind of place is 'note' to you, HAS?"

HAS "It's an easy-to-use and warm platform that gave me the opportunity to 'share things with the outside world.' Plus, the followers are kind."

I am still truly grateful for providing a place where I could test my potential.

Aoi "Connecting with people I otherwise wouldn't have met and being inspired by them has changed my outlook on life, too. 😊"

HAS "Yeah, that's really true.

When I decided to start note, I intended to keep at it for a year, no matter how few followers or likes I had.

In my case, I was lucky enough to be blessed with wonderful followers, and I'm glad I was able to reach this one-year milestone safely.

I'm sorry to take a little break, but I'll be powering up so I can deliver even more engaging content when I return, so please look forward to it."

Aoi "So, it's goodbye to everyone for new articles for a while. ...Well then, I'll be heading back to my hometown (Canva) now. 🧳✨"

HAS "Wait, (laughs)... well, I'll still be interacting in the comments section and such, so everyone, I'm not disappearing completely!"

Final note: A message from HAS

I decided to try note for one year, and thanks to all of you, I have successfully reached that one-year mark.

I had a desire to continue posting new content for a bit longer, but "Can I continue to provide value as I am now?" I struggled with that question, so I have decided to take a break at this one-year milestone.

For the time being, I would like to use this as a recharging period to review my past articles and further polish my writing.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me over this past year. Thank you so much!

I look forward to your continued support of HAS.

HAS "The thumbnail image and profile image this time were borrowed and arranged from Haru-san, whose membership I am a part of!"

Aoi "Haru-san, thank you as always!"