Editing Existing Work to Add Depth

In light of some recent conversations around content creation and writing for substance, I have finally given myself permission to edit Facebook posts and blog articles after they have been released for public consumption. Up to this point, I was adhering to some "internal guideline" that restricted my updating of past articles. Instead of doing what I introduced above, I would maintain existing contributions as-is and then create a new article or add related thoughts to the comment section of the post. While that's not a bad practice, it's not efficient.

For blog articles, search engines are already directing traffic to the page in question. Why not maximize on those pre-existing readers? Additionally, you can save time by simply updating sections of the article with new and more relevant information versus starting from scratch.

Now, you may be reading this and thinking, "Duh! This is just common sense. Editing is not a new idea." You're right, it's not; however, for people like me who see and record a lot of information in small chunks, versus all at once, this could be a game-changer.

Why a "game-changer?" you ask.

In my everyday life, I already take copious amounts of notes inside of Google Keep and Google Drive. Unfortunately, those notes often feel like random disparate thoughts and ideas gathering dust in a folder that will never see the light of day.

To avoid losing any more good ideas, I've decided to try revisiting my notes, articles, and now Facebook posts to update them with new thoughts.

Remember, because this content is available to the public, I also have access to the comments and questions offered by its readers. As a result, their feedback helps me to better refine and connect the message with them.

While it's still too early to claim victory, I am beginning to see both an increase in depth and breadth in my writing. That's exciting!

In the future, I would like to write and publish a library of books on various subjects. I believe that by allowing myself to adopt this one strategy, I may have found the secret sauce that's been eluding me all along.

Just wanted to share some personal random thoughts with you. If it's helpful, feel free to use.

Until next time...