Why the 'Most Well-Written' Notes Don't Sell
I am in my fourth year of using note,
and until now, I have written everything from how-to guides to essays,
including individual articles, paid magazines, and monthly subscription magazines,
and I have subscribed to note articles myself.
Also, on this account, I have sold a total of 700 articles.
This time, as someone with experience as both a reader and a seller, I will briefly analyze the characteristics of note articles that don't sell.
There are too many paid articles
SNS is not being used strategically
The content cannot be understood from the title alone
Putting all efforts solely into note
Lack of a sense of nurturing a note account (no endurance)
There are too many paid articles
While I can't say this is unconditionally bad,
if you visit an account page and see nothing but paid articles at a glance,
you won't know what to buy.
At worst,
“It’s easy to think, ‘This person is just in it for the money.’”
That is how it is easily perceived.
I feel it is better to keep paid articles focused on a single topic as much as possible.
Or, it is better to clearly distinguish between 'series' and 'compilations'.
Failing to use social media strategically
Instead of focusing on the themes you want to convey on social media,
you are mixing in daily life content (talking about the weather, where you went, what you ate).
You should properly separate your daily musings from your side hustle account.
If you are aiming for a side hustle using social media and Note, removing noise for the reader is a must.
If you don't maintain consistency in your stance and content, you won't build trust with your readers.
The content is not clear from the title alone
A characteristic of Notes that don't sell is that,
the keywords in the title are converted into 'personal jargon' so much that the intended message is lost.
Example:
『[Realization] What I found after deciding not to lie to myself』
『[True Story] What I think about side hustles after not stopping even while feeling lost』
『[Exposure] Everything I thought about before I stopped being pushed around by side hustles』
Something like that.
Even after reading the title, it's not quite clear what is written inside.
Who
does what
and what happens as a result
However, if the content isn't clear from the title, the article won't sell.
Only those with a fairly dedicated fan base can succeed by putting their worldview front and center.
Those who have just started selling should make sure the content can be imagined just by looking at the title.
Going all-in on note
Note doesn't yield results immediately.
That is precisely why a certain sense of distance is necessary.
If you are always thinking about note, you will end up being swayed by every little result.
'I wrote what I wanted to write, and the revenue followed'
Writing with that kind of mindset is the best way to keep going for the long term.
A lack of sense for nurturing note (low tolerance/resilience)
This overlaps with the previous point, but paid note articles don't sell immediately upon release.
The people who lament that they aren't selling are often the ones who, even though not even 24 hours have passed since release,
conclude that 'not selling = failure'
and become discouraged.
There are various factors involved, so it cannot be said unconditionally, but
note is not something that produces an immediate reaction,
and it requires a mindset of nurturing it carefully over time.
Don't be swayed by the numbers.
Don't be swayed by reactions.
How to keep returning to what you want to convey.
If writing notes stops being fun, that becomes fatal.
From here on, we'll dive even deeper,
I feel that people who lament that their notes don't sell are, for better or worse, overly self-conscious, or driven by a strong sense of anxiety or fear.
In addition, if you have strong complexes or feelings of inferiority,
you end up becoming a know-how collector and just wasting your money.
'I'm working so hard to post, but my articles don't sell'
This is a common occurrence in the note side-hustle world, but
the fact that they don't sell is not the problem.
What is the problem is
《 Selling = I have value 》
the assumption that this is true.
As long as you have this assumption,
even if your articles do sell, you will immediately become anxious.
No matter how much you sell, the moment you achieve it, you will feel worthless,
You cannot escape the state of mind that is forever chasing profit.
In other words, the starting point is different.
《 Selling = I have value 》
《 Not selling = I have no value 》
Instead of that,
I am loved, I am accepted
Therefore,
Writing articles is fun
If there is someone who receives this with the same warmth, I am happy
It is only through this internal cycle and sharing that
a note truly sells in the real sense.
For those who are worried that their notes aren't selling even though they are working hard on them,
I hope you will take a moment to look back at the items introduced here.