Being OK with Zero ROI for Two Years
And Why Most Creators Quit Too Soon
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 200
If you’re a new content creator—whether you’re a writer, a YouTuber, podcaster, whatever—there’s the hard truth that you need to hear right now:
You may not see meaningful results for a while … maybe as long as least two years.
Not six months.
Not a year.
Two years.
Minimum.
Sorry to be the one to break this to you.
While I know there are content creators out there who are pulling in subscribers left and right, at the moment, you’re not one of them (and neither am I, just so you know).
If this news discourages you, good.
But unlike a good many other people, you’re not going to quit, are you?
ARE YOU?
The reason you’re not going to quit is because it’s the ones who stick around and who stick it out who are the ones who eventually break through.
Break through?
Break through what?
The 50-article quit point
Most creators give up around article #50.
Why?
Because they’ve been grinding away, posting consistently, and … nothing.
No big audience spike.
No viral hits.
Just crickets.
So they assume they’ve failed.
I know this because it’s happened to me back in 2011 (and I quit because of it, at right around the 50 post point).
But here’s the reality: 50 articles is NOTHING!
It’s a warm-up. A trial run.
By 50 articles, most of us are still figuring out our voice, our niche, and how to actually deliver value.
Enter the second marker … the 75-article frustration point!
By article #75, a few creators are beginning to see some sort of traction—maybe a couple of shares, a small email list, and who knows, maybe a teeny-weeny trickle of revenue.
Woohoo! Break out the Champers!
But not so fast.
At the 75 article point, most writers look at the numbers and they think: "Really? I’ve put in all this work, over all these weeks, and this is it? Are ya kidding me? WTF man!"
So they quit at the 75 article point … or pretty close to it.
But what they don’t realize is that they’re right on the edge of something real.
They’re super close to something tangible.
All of which leads to … drumroll please: THE 100 ARTICLE DELUSION!
At 100 articles, creators generally fall into one of two camps:
The optimists – They’ve seen just enough progress to keep going.
The defeated – They expected way more by now and walk away.
The difference between them isn’t talent. Or skill. Or luck.
No.
It’s endurance.
It’s commitment.
Because only through consistently showing up, week after soul-crushing week do we turn our fledgling efforts into HABIT!
And habits take time to form.
Sometimes, as habits can take as long as two years to stick.
Why that amount of time? Because:
Algorithms need time to trust you – Google, YouTube, and social platforms don’t reward newbies. They reward persistence.
You’re still bad at what you’re doing (and that’s OK) – Your early work is practice. You don’t find your voice until you’ve lost it a few times.
Audiences take forever to build – People don’t magically discover you. It takes repetition before they remember your name, let alone before they click on your links or before they subscribe to your list.
BUT DO NOT FEAR … because there is hope!
Around article #150, something clicks.
Your writing sharpens, tightens, and gets easier.
Your ideas seem to come more freely, they resonate more, and they show up in clusters.
More people start paying closer attention.
But here’s the catch: none of that happens if you quit at 50, 75, or 100 articles.
The only way out is through
I know it’s hard getting started. I know you want everything to happen RIGHT NOW.
I get that if you’re still early in the game that you’re frustrated.
But ask yourself:
Am I getting slightly better with each piece I write?
Am I learning what actually lands with my audience and what just falls flat?
Can I accept that this is a long-term play?
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, KEEP GOING!
If not?
You might want to save yourself the time, effort, and heartache and quit now.
But you’ve got this far in this article, which tells me you’re make of sterner stuff.
Because ultimately, the creators who stick it out and who succeed aren’t the most talented—they’re the ones simply who outlast everyone else.
As always, thanks for reading.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Why you must NOT quit on Substack
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.