9 Online Writing Rules I Learned in 2024 you should tattoo on your chest

In January 2023 I completed my Psychology studies (can’t believe it’s already been 2 years).

Followed by a 6-month backpacking trip through East Africa and a 6 months pursuit of trying to be a blogger (spoiler alert: don’t do it. SEO and the Google algorithm is a pain. But definitely go travel through east Africa! :D) 

I decided to start creating on social media beginning of 2024. I started writing on X (formerly Twitter) and then expanded to Threads and my newsletter.

33,000+ followers across platforms and 1300+ Email subscribers later I learned a ton about how to write content online that actually gets read. So today I want to share them with you.

Here are the 9 Writing rules you should ALWAYS follow:

1. Cut your writing by 20%

By far the best writing advice I ever received.

In your final edit, ask yourself: "how can I cut down my word count by 20% without changing the meaning of what I'm saying?"

It makes your writing clear, precise and powerful. And trust me - there's ALWAYS a way to shorten your writing. Look closer :)

2. Never use a complex word when a simple one will do.

In the words of Albert Einstein: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

I see too many people use complicated words to sound smart. Don’t.

The magic of online writing is to articulate a complicated topic into simple words. It makes it easier for everybody involved.

3. Adverbs kill your writing.

You use them to make your writing stronger but they have the opposite effect.

Avoid these words: a bit, a lot, often, might be, in a sense, kind of like, easily, usually, instantly, normally, generally, extremely, literally, completely, really, basically, quite, probably, mostly.

4. Consume Good Content

It's simple:

The higher-quality content you consume, the higher the quality your writing.

Now, this doesn't mean to copy others' content. It should inspire you.

A writer doesn't create something out of nowhere - they consume, reframe, and build upon what they consume.

Ever read the book “Steal like an artist?” If no - recommended!!

5. Educate!

Every post you write should TEACH your audience.

Most people write philosophical quotes, boring anecdotes, and fluff content. I don't - Instead, I focus on:

• showing my expertise (degree in Psychology, Writing)

• personal transformations (weight loss, from lost to purposeful)

• provide a ton of value for my audience (writing, growth, branding tips)

6. Speak Your Truth

Most online writing is generic, boring, and replaceable (especially those using AI). So stand out by voicing your deepest truth.

Voice the things nobody dares to speak about to make your writing immortal. You might encounter hate but you will also gain a true loyal following and trust within your audience.

2 quotes hold true here:

“If you’re liked by everybody, you’re liked by nobody”

“ He who dares not to offend cannot be honest”

7. Optimize for virality

Viral content is not luck - it’s research.

I save all the viral posts/hooks I come across.

So I created a “Viral Topic Library” for my clients to use. Once you know what topics to write about and how to phrase your hooks, your writing is almost impossible to flop (btw you can get my “Magnetic Writing Guide” with my hook templates at the end of this mail)

And if you’re looking for viral topics to write about, here are my 5 methods on how to go viral on repeat:

1. Turn high-performing short-form posts into long-form threads

2. Write about famous figures or popular creators in your space

3. “Steal” viral topics on Medium, Quora, Blinkist & Youtube

4. Show personal transformations

5. Controversial Topics

Focus on those and you'll never run out of ideas.

8. Show Credibility

I often start my posts by showing my credibility.

• Do you have a degree?

• Gained X followers in X days?

• Any relevant working experience?

I studied Psychology and I gained 8000+ Followers within a month. Of course, I'm going to leverage that:

9. Say 1 idea in 1000 different ways

Viral online Writing is about optimizing, refining, and recycling.

Whenever you have an idea that performed well, use this same idea to say it in many different ways.

Double down on what works, leave out what doesn’t. The more you do this the less of your posts will flop.

But that’s not all!

I focused here on the most important writing rules but I recently published my FREE “Magnetic Writing Guide” and I want to give you access to it. In there, I go in exact detail on how to become a magnetic online writer who connects with their readers and builds a loyal audience. You can check out the full Guide here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJbqUgryBR4sx9vqYC1MxhPtQda6oj9DNcHNqBlHwzg/edit?tab=t.0