If Walt Disney Had Been A Blog Writer

Walt Disney would have been a great freelance writer.

Walt Disney would have been a genius blog writer.

Unfortunately, Walt Disney died in 1966, some 28 years before blogs became more than bulletin
boards and discussion forums. Mr. Disney was a genius and there is no doubt that he would have turned the world of blog writing upside down. Through his work he brought the world joy, happiness and a universal means of communication for all people.

Even though Mr. Disney is no longer with us, his life and his experiences can help every blog writer become better at writing and communicating.

Walt Disney Believed In His Goals

If Mr. Disney had been a blog writer, here’s how he would have approached blogging:

“When we consider a project, we really study it–not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. And we work hard to do the best possible job.”

It’s amazing how these words, spoken almost a half century ago, are so real and important to blog writers today. All blog writers must take this valuable advice and have clear well-defined goals for their blogs or freelance careers. Believing in those goals and approaching them with your best foot forward is the only way to achieve long lasting success.
Here is one of Mr. Disney’s first descriptions of Disneyland:

“I first saw the site for Disneyland back in 1953, In those days it was all flat land – no rivers, no mountains, no castles or rocket ships – just orange groves, and a few acres of walnut trees.”

Walt Disney’s First Concern Was His Audience

Mr. Disney would have never written a blog article for the sole purpose of self-promotion or to try and trick someone into buying anything. Here’s what he said about Disneyland:

“Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.”

Some blog writers today seem to feel they have only one chance to make a sale and they transfer that feeling into every single blog article. Quality blog content must deliver something of value to your audience first; the sales will come later. This is the type of content that people and search engines like to read, share, and link to.

Walt Disney Was The Essence Of Perseverance

Have you ever watched the movie “Mary Poppins”? Did you know that it took Walt Disney almost 20 years to convince author P. L. Travers to allow him to make the book into a film? Everyone thought the idea of a Disneyland Park was a bad idea and it became known as “Walt’s folly”.
Blog writers, like politicians, seem to ebb and flow with what’s popular at the moment. If a certain writing style doesn’t show results in three days, they change styles. If someone tells them their posts are too long, they write shorter articles. Great blog writing takes a certain amount of consistency and persistence. No one will become a successful blog writer in six months. It takes time, patience, and commitment.

Walt Disney Was Social Media

Mr. Disney would probably laugh at Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and the rest. Here’s what he once said:

“Or heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.”

Social media is becoming a dumping ground where people post things they can’t post anywhere else. Blog writers who want to promote their work in social media must learn to be more social. A billboard or a sales brochure is really the last thing most people want to see. Social media is a great place to establish trust and credibility, but writers must understand how to “exchange ideas and feelings”.
You may have thought that posting images on our blogs and in social media was some new idea presented by Google or a social network. Here’s what Mr. Disney had to say many years ago:

“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.”

Walt Disney Seemed To Thrive On Rejection

Walt Disney was rejected by the U. S. Army. His first animation company failed. His first real cartoon animation “Oswald the Rabbit” was stolen by Universal Studios. The “Three Little Pigs” was rejected because distributors said it needed more characters . Pinocchio had to be shut down during production and he had to completely rewrite the storyline. He was told that “Mickey Mouse” wouldn’t ever be popular because the mouse would frighten women. He was fired from the Kansas City Star newspaper for his lack of creativity.

Some blog writers seem to have a thin skin. The very first rejection and they’re gone. Rejections must be viewed with a positive frame of mind. Rejections can help writers become better, attract new customers, and even open the doors to new and exciting opportunities.

Had Walt Disney been rejected on an article, he would have laughed, took a ride on his train, and just kept on writing.

Had “Oswald” not been stolen, there probably wouldn’t have been a “Mickey Mouse”. All of Mr. Disney’s characters went on to be huge successes. Despite being known as “Walt’s folly”, Disneyland opened in 1955 and continues to attract millions of visitors from all over the world every year. In 1996, The Disney Company purchased the Kansas City Star. How’s that for turning some little lemons into some delicious lemonade?

The next time you get discouraged about running out of ideas for blog articles, a customer has rejected your work, your blog hasn’t reached 1,000 visitors, or someone has made a negative comment about your article, just ask yourself the question – “What would Walt Disney do?”

This article will hopefully allow serious blog writers to view the art of writing from a different angle. Blog writers are no more and certainly no less than any other type of “author”. Writing can be a profession and you can make a decent income as a writer. If you want to become a better writer, join my group “Blog Writer’s Cafe” on LinkedIn and connect with me on Google+.

If your dream is to become a successful web content writer, you owe it to yourself to let professional writers like Ken and Deborah help you. Whether you are a new blogger or a seasoned freelance writer, reading and following the principles in “Freelance Blog Writing: Writing Better Web Content” will enhance your skill set and help you build a faithful readership that will keep coming back for more.