I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
The best platform to start on in 2024
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Hey Reader, If you want to build an audience in 2024, where should you start? You might think because I own an email marketing company, I’m going to tell you to start a newsletter. While there are many benefits to an email list, you still have to figure out how people will discover your newsletter. That’s where creating content and being on social media comes in. But if you’re starting a content channel today, which one should you go with? Should you go all in on TikTok? YouTube? Instagram? X? How do you know which platform to start on? The answer depends on where YOU like to consume content. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out. A good friend of mine saw people who were really taking off on X and growing their accounts to 100,000 and 200,000 followers in a year or two. “You know,” he thought to himself, “I should do that too.” How many times have you seen something similar and thought the same? Well, my friend actually set out to do it. He went all in on X, and worked hard every day following all of the best practices and tactics for a month or two. But then he discovered something. “Wait a second,” he realized. “I hate X. Why am I on this platform?” The biggest risk is seeing success that someone else has and saying, “Oh, I'm going to copy that playbook.” But is that platform really where you want to be? And I’m not just talking about X. I’m talking about TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. It doesn't really matter what other people are doing so much as what is the best fit for your niche and which platforms you actually enjoy participating on. If you don’t enjoy consuming content or interacting on a platform, you’re probably not going to invest as much as you need to in it. I’m sure you’ve heard the idea that you should be everywhere. Be on all of the platforms at once to reach the maximum number of people. You’ve probably seen people on Instagram figure out a style of content that works, narrow in the format, and pump out content consistently to get predictable results. And you think, “I could do that…” Then, you see someone blowing up on LinkedIn. Then, you see another person getting traction with their YouTube channel. It’s all so inspiring, the next thing you know, you’ve spread yourself thin trying to grow in too many places at once—and on platforms you don’t even enjoy participating on. I want to give you permission to start with just one. I’m not saying you can’t branch out to others eventually, but just start with one for now.
What’s one platform that fits well with your niche, members of your audience actively participate on, and you actually enjoy using?
Optimize for that rather than a strategy you heard on a podcast that’s working super well. PODCASTEx-YouTube Employee on How to Get 100,000 Subscribers FASTIn just a few days, this episode has already shot to #1 in all-time views on our YouTube channel! Jon Youshaei, who used to work at YouTube, joins me on Billion Dollar Creator to share how to get 100,000 subscribers the fast way. We talk about how to:
Many creators aim for fame, but only a few build lasting careers while others quickly fade. What sets the long-term successes apart? Watch or listen to episode » JOBDirector of Marketing at ConvertKitThis is an opportunity to lead the Marketing team at ConvertKit, a company dedicated to empowering creators. As the Director of Marketing, you will play a pivotal role in driving awareness and attracting new ConvertKit customers and driving new customer adoption to our Creator Network. Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, this role requires a dynamic and proactive individual who can contribute to ConvertKit's mission of helping creators earn a living. Do you know someone passionate about fostering success for Creators? If that’s you, I invite you to apply. BOOKCrypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of FinanceHow many times can someone double down before they eventually lose everything? I read this book by my friend, Nat Eliason, while hanging out in Colorado over the weekend. It’s such a fun read. “Nat, someone found a way to hack us. It sounds bad. All of our funds might be at risk.”
This was the absolute worst-case scenario. The one I’d pushed to the back of my mind. The one I pretended was impossible so I could sleep at night. I’d always accepted the risk that I could lose all of my money. But if I lost a hundred million dollars of other people’s money…
I couldn’t let myself think about that right now.
Have a great week! —Nathan |
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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