Top 5 Things We Could Learn from Justin Bieber about Marketing our work, articles and/or self

Justin Bieber is only 18 years old but he is already a certified platinum artist in the US.

He is the first artist to have 7 songs debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

His first studio album, My World 2.0, debuted at or near number 1 in many countries and was certified platinum in the US.


His song "Baby" has received more than 790,000,000 views since it was uploaded on Youtube 2 years ago.

When most people his age is just figuring out how to deliver pizzas without being late; or whether they should deliver pizzas at all, one simply cannot help but say:

Heck, maybe Justin Bieber's doing something right.


And below are 5 things he highly likely has done right:


1   He put himself out there

Justin Bieber liked to sing. He liked it so much he decided to share his singing skills to the world.  It didn't matter if 2 or 5 or 10 or a hundred or more people or no one were watching. Though it would be kool if people watched. He didn't mind if no one did. The point was that he shared his skill to whoever wanted to see it. Fortunately, a lot of people did. Still, he had to make the first step by putting himself out there.

You know what they said about poor advertising right?

It is like winking at a girl in the dark because you know what you're doing but no one else does.

Putting yourself out there helps other people know what you're doing, not just you.

This brings us to the second point. He didn't mind if one person or none watched him. The point was that he sang because he wanted to.

Ultimately, to be able to get people to go to your site or read/have access to your articles, you need to put your stuff out there.

Use all the means available to you.

The easiest is to have your own blog. This gives you the freedom to say what you want, when you want it. You have full control of your content. The downside is that you need to market your own content by yourself  either through social media, building links, etc.

You can also post your content through ezine sites or do guest blog posts to popular sites which receive large amounts of traffic.

The point is to get your stuff out there  - that's a good start.





2   He sang because he loved to

Justin Bieber sang because he loved singing. Getting rich or popular was not his initial goal. Though if it did happen, I couldn't imagine him not liking or wanting it. Simply put, he simply loved to sing.

He loved it so much he did it constantly until he knew he was good at it.

And the rest was history.

Specifically, Bieber was discovered in 2008 by American talent manager Scooter Braun,^[9] who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with entertainer Usher Raymond in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG),^[10] and then to an Island Records recording contract offered by record executive L.A. Reid.^[6][11]

The best way for work to not feel like work is to enjoy and love what you're doing.

This helps you look forward to it everyday. Plus, doing it feels like a breeze that any positive effects or success you experience simply serves as icing on the cake.





3  The show must go on

Just because Justin Bieber is in a place he wants to be in right now - a place other  people similarly want to be in and is even envious of  - that doesn't mean he can put his feet up and relax.

Though he could do more of that now, he still needs to work. At times, double the energy he used to.

Just because he could now be considered successful doesn't mean he could rest on his laurels.

Similarly, just because he threw up on stage doesn't mean the show can't go on.

Justin Bieber made sure he finished the show because that is what people paid to see.

"Will you love me even though I'm throwing up on stage? OK, I wanted to give you my best show ever, so do you mind if I finish it?"

And he did.

Professionalism is important whether online or offline.

If you committed to send an article at X:00 time at X date, do so. Unless there was an earthquake, flood or apocalypse on your PC, ensure that you send / complete it at the time you said you would.

Doing so speaks volume of what you're capable of as well as your work ethics.

If something does come up and you are unable to send or complete your work, do advise the reason before the deadline.


4  He accepts his flaws

Despite his success, Justin Bieber is not perfect.

And he knows this. He even accepts this publicly. He even admits mistakes he made and laughs about it - which is a kool thing to do because, ultimately, what can you do but make fun of yourself?

The fact that he could do so means he is not taking himself too seriously. When someone is not taking himself too seriously, one is highly likely not arrogant, controlling or tense. He just goes with the flow wherever life takes him.

Also, self-acceptance is healthy. It means you admit you're not perfect but you're willing to do the necessary work to change yourself for the better. Nothing wrong with that.

No one is perfect. Everyone has flaws.

The least anyone could do is accept these and work with what you have in order to better yourself. What else can you do anyway?

If you don't accept your flaws, how can you change them? How can you improve or work on something you can't or don't want to see?

Accepting them, being friendly with your flaws is the first step to changing it for the better.



5  No amount of glass doors can stop him

Justin Bieber has gone through numerous glass doors in his young life but he didn't allow these to stop him from doing what he does best: sing, have fun, entertain.

Let's say glass doors are obstacles.  I heard that obstacles are there to help us know how badly we want something.

So if you see a glass door on your way up, relax. This is temporary. With hard work, perseverance and an openness to challenges, you will easily go through these glass doors.

Below are more helpful tips and links to marketing your self to success.

8 Steps to Marketing Yourself in Today's Economy

On the Job: You need more than skills to get ahead

What we can learn from Freddie Mercury, Madonna and Jerry Seinfeld about writing well

How to write well? Let us learn from the stars.

Now I am not referring to "stars" who are famous for being famous or famous for being controversial - sans talent.

I am referring to those stars who have talent (mediocre or excellent), who developed their talent and did not stop honing their craft.

All the legitimate stars we know now (by legitimate I mean their career spans more than a decade)  had to work at becoming one.

None of them started out immediately as a star.

They had to earn it. 

Let's look at three of them. I chose them not just because they're my favorites but because I researched enough of their evolution to know how much they changed for the better - talent-wise - compared to how they started.

Freddie Mercury

Believe it or not, Freddie Mercury used to sound like a sheep according to Queen's drummer Roger Taylor.

Listen to him perform the song Rain when he was a singer for the band Ibex (during his pre-Queen days)

and compare that recording to his vocal performance during his later years in the below clip.

Now his voice didnt just change overnight. Freddie Mercury didnt just become the lead singer of Queen. He was a lead singer of the band Ibex first, and then met fellow band members Brian, Roger  John in college second, and then later on --- well, the rest was history and it involved lots of practice, singing, performing, touring.

We can compare Freddie Mercury with Madonna. Though Freddie Mercury could flinch on his grave and his fans could throw tomatoes at me when they read this, please note I am referring to - not just their penchant for dramatic attention-calling stage performances - but the evolution of their voices.

Please know that I know the difference of their voices - Freddie's is amazingly operatic and powerful!!!

and Madonna's voice is nothing compared to Freddie's. But understand that I am referring mostly to their energy and how they give their all for the craft.

Madonna

Madonna's voice during her early years was touted to be akin to Minnie Mouse on helium but Madonna was unperturbed. Instead, she used other people's criticisms to better herself.

Madonna:  "The ones that said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn't sing, that I was a one-hit wonder. They pushed me to be better, and I am grateful for their resistance." 

Listen to the evolution of her voice below.

Both were driven. Both wanted to sing. And they did. 

They practiced a lot. They performed a lot. They sang a lot.

They didn't let anyone's opinion affect their performance unless it would be for their betterment. They took those which would help them be better and they chucked out the bad.

Jerry Seinfeld

Seinfeld admits he was neither the funniest in his high school nor when he was growing up (he says he's father is the funniest). 

From this self-knowledge and from his awareness of his own limitations, Jerry Seinfeld taught himself comedy by watching shows each and every day - until night - until he developed his unique observational style of comedy.

Still, this did not guarantee him instant success.

Seinfeld was fired at his first sitcom job (and no one told him he was fired, he only realized he was when no one gave him a script to read).

He had to hone his skills for more than 10 years in comedy clubs.

His first attempt at stand-up did not do well as all he could do was "blurt out his list of joke topics: the beach....driving.....your parents."

Seinfeld's joke about husbands could also be used to refer to online writing:

"Being a good husband is like being a good stand-up comic - you need ten years before you can even call yourself a beginner." 

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jerry_seinfeld.html#rDPy4KG3SRwZK1xH.99 

Here is Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up comedy bit during the early 80's.

And here he was in his show Seinfeld. See how more confident he is below - highly likely matured by time and constant practice. 

Their evolution could help us learn that good work, quality work requires just that -  WORK! 

We need to spend time and energy bettering ourselves.

It's not enough we have talent, we must constantly develop it.

It doesn't matter if we have mediocre talent, we can nurture our desire; our potential and eventually excel.

Some have the talent for singing but not the patience to tour or go hungry once in a while.

Some have little singing talent but have the drive to tour, go hungry or do anything for the craft.

It's not enough that you think you're funny. If you want to make people laugh, these people must also think you're funny. To be able to be funny, you need to be aware of slight nuances in tone, language and words. These could only be possible if you have practiced long enough, and made enough mistakes to make you definitively say you now know better.

Similarly, it is not enough that we can write. We also have to be willing to spend countless hours honing our skill; and doing actual writing. We must also be prepared to face a lot of alone time and a few penniless days.

But that doesnt mean we cant have fun.

Work is great only if we can stand back from it and see how much we have changed - or not and then do the appropriate to always evolve ourselves.

In the long run, everything will turn out fine. We get what we think we deserve so it is best that we think positively about ourselves and then match our positivity with action.

Afterall, we too are stars in our own right.

How to write online the easy way (specially when you're just starting out)

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to writing online. If you are new to this game, there are guidelines you can follow to make it easy for you to start. A few are written below. But remember, use only those which apply to your situation and experience.

Why?

Because no one knows you better than your Self.

If someone's suggestion, tip or advice does not fit your situation or experience, you need not force it.

Online writing need not be hard - unless you make it so.

Though you need to possess the minimum requirements so you can pursue online writing as a career or income-generating option, no hurdle is big enough to make you stop as long as you know this is what you want to do.

Fortunately, the technical stuff - grammar, punctuation, comprehensibility, fluency - could all be easily learned by anyone. That's the easy part.

But the following requires some internal work.  Once you take the below suggestions and apply these to your online writing efforts, the rest will be easy and breezy.

Surprise! These tips could be used on your offline life as well.

1  Don't take yourself too seriously

No one's going to think you're a loser if you confuse your "it's" with "its." Online writers should know this distinction though, but don't beat yourself up if you have done this in the past.

Remember, don't ever once consider calling yourself a loser. If you do, what would stop others from doing the same?

And if someone thinks your a loser, who cares?!

No one's perfect.

The least  and best everyone of us is doing is working on the level where we currently are.

The important thing is that you're learning from your mistakes, owning up to it and doing what is necessary to correct these. And then, better yourself.  It helps if you accept your flaws and your best Self all at the same time.



2  Write with the intent to convey, not impress

Janine Driver, President of the Body Language Institute and an expert in detecting lies, says that "Truthful people convey, liars convince."

All you need to do is write with the intent to tell, to share as if you're describing something to a friend.

Tell it as how you would tell it. Not like how someone else would tell it but how you would tell it.

You could only do this if you are comfortable with yourself.

How can you be comfortable with yourself?

It's a process. A good start would be to see things from your perspective. Describe things as how you would see it - minus the cliches and opinions of others. Just see it from your own eyes. And write them down. Now see something from someone else's eyes and check out how they would see it. This helps balance your perspective.

Doing so helps you to NOT underestimate your readers. It also helps you avoid overselling  something to them.

Readers are smart enough to smell bullshit from a mile away.

Do not fool your readers to think you're better than them or think they're better than you. Though both could be true.

It really isn't about them or you.

It's about the content and information you're presenting. This is what you're trying to get through to them. Focus on that and less on yourself and you will see your anxieties dissolve on their own.


3   Start now

It doesn't matter whether you start big or small. The important thing is that you start.

You can write to hone your skills eventually learning as you go along. You could also write a few samples on your own before you feel confident to take on jobs or offer your services.

What I did was to do low-paying writing jobs first and then used the articles I made from these as samples to get higher paying writing jobs.

Initially I was getting paid low rates. But I needed the experience and the knowledge. I also didnt know about SEO then and could not understand how keywords worked. I just did the job I was told. Now that I know better, I am also paid better.



4  Build it and they will come

This is also a cliche' but its power still works.

Once you get the ball rolling, situations / circumstances / events that support your goals will come on its own accord.

You have to be patient though.

Thus it is important to like what you're doing; that what you're doing is something you want to do as this takes away the idea of "struggling," -  though the feeling might still be there. Your focus is on the process. You are enjoying the moment as it is.

Only then will you see your efforts - whether the outcome is favorable or not - as worth it.




As an online writer, you have to take all these into consideration yet at the same time have the self-assurance to write what you know and what you think your target audience wants / needs to know too. Essentially, you have to see your content from your eyes as well as theirs. Only then can you have the confidence to put your stuff out there.

Basic questions you need to ask yourself before you start to write online

So you think you can write online.

What made you think you can write online? 

Are you prepared to write online?

These are a few of the questions you need to ask now that you have made the decision - or probably mulling over the possibility - to write online.

First, is this what you really want to do?

Do you want to write online because you heard it’s lucrative to do so? 

Or maybe you’re thinking of earning a few bucks. 

Or maybe you have a lot of free time on your hands.

Whatever your reason is, know that online writing requires the following:

patience,

tons of research,

basic knowledge on grammar,

an ability to organize words enough to make a sensible sentence / paragraph / set of paragraphs,

awareness of your target reader’s perspective,

and the openness to learn from and make mistakes.

If you think or feel you do not meet all or some or most of the above criteria, relax. You can learn all of these along the way  ONLY if you’re willing to stick to it long enough to actually learn them.

So the next question you need to ask yourself now is,

“Is there something else I can do to earn money besides online writing?”

If your answer is yes. It is best that you go ahead and do that. Online writing, similar to other forms of writing, is demanding - time-wise.

You don't choose online writing, online writing chooses you. More appropriately, online writing needs to suit you - your lifestyle, your personality, your needs and your wants

Unless you have been doing it long enough to know how to balance your time, expect long hours of practicing and honing your skill by actually doing some writing.

If you could not think of doing anything else; if you really love to write and want to be good at it, then online writing is for you. If you are willing to do anything and everything to make yourself better, nothing anyone says - including me - could discourage you. If you are not easily discouraged, then you are ready to start.

What are your expectations?

What did you hear about writing online that made you decide to try it out?

Did you hear it will be easy?

Did you hear it will be a walk in the park?

Did you hear that money grows on trees?

Whatever your expectations are, it is best to leave them be and experience online writing yourself. Doing so keeps you from feeling frustrated. Plus, it helps you be open to all the good things writing online brings (and the bad things too but you will eventually learn to avoid these most of the time).

Know that online writing pays – at times a lot and at times none at all.

You could earn $25 for a 250-300 word article or $5 for a 500-word article.

Nothing is set in stone. As long as you’re willing to do the work, your earning potential is limitless.

What are you prepared to do?

Are you prepared to spend your time and energy to write online?

Are you prepared to sit for more than 4 hours on end to churn out online content (articles, blog posts, reviews, etc.)?

Are you prepared to sit all by your lonesome most days in front of the computer?

If you answer yes to all of these, continue reading. If your answer is no, stop right here.

Online writing requires persistence. 

Persistence becomes effortless if you like what you’re doing or at least want to be good at it for its own sake. Remember that your time is precious and so is your energy. Necessity therefore requires that you spend your time and energy in activities you want to do.  There will be frustrations along the road, this is normal in any endeavor both online or offline. But if you are intent to grow – financially and personally – through online writing, then you’re ready to start.