November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo). Each year, thousands of aspiring writers (and some successful, published authors as well) sit down in front of their computers and try to crank out a 50,000 word story. Completing a 50,000 word story in a 30 day span of time is not easy, and many participants fail. For marketers, there are quite a few lessons that can be learned from NaNoWriMo participants.
Marketing Lessons From National Novel Writing Month
The Work Is Not Always Fun
When you participate in NaNoWriMo, there are days when the words flow right out of you and onto the page or screen. On these days, writing is easy, and fun. However, there are also other days when you feel like you’ll never have a good idea again, and it takes you hours just to type 250 words. The lesson here is that you have to do the work, even when it’s not fun. Even when you don’t feel inspired, you still need to get your 1,667 words (average) a day if you want to hit that goal.
Sometimes You Need Help
NaNoWriMo can be a lonely experience. You sit at home alone, or a coffee shop, or a library working quietly by yourself. Sometimes when you’re working in a vacuum like this, you just can’t figure out why your story isn’t working. Finding a NaNoWriMo writing buddy- someone you agree to meet up with to write, or even just someone who will give you advice and help on your story, can make a huge difference. Marketing work is the same. Sometimes, to get a project done, or done well, you need to ask for help, or bring a partner onto a project.
Don’t Be Afraid of Failure
The vast majority of NaNoWriMo participants do not get to 50,000 words. Yet they start the project anyway, even knowing that it will be hard and they might fail. Marketing is the same way. Even if you think a project is challenging, you cannot let the fear of failure prevent you from taking it on.
Learn more with “Storytelling 101: What Content Marketers Can Learn From Novelists.“
