The problem with having multiple options is that you think you should have them all just because you can.
I totally understand the urge to make a service of social media graphics design that shows you are on seven social media accounts because you want to look trendy but it is not realistic most often.
Every account you create is a new responsibility. If you decide to focus on LinkedIn for example, you will realise LinkedIn posts are considerably different from LinkedIn newsletters and those are different from LinkedIn articles. That is a comprehensive package.
If you do decide to focus on Substack, you will realize Substack sends your emails out using an RSS mailing system so, all your subscribers instantly get each post as a newsletter.
Consider the frequency with which you want to post. If you intend to populate your blog daily, will the average follower be able to receive your work daily without feeling like you are spamming them?
This is why this month’s episode is important. I want you to choose a platform but I want you to choose a platform strategically.
List your top three favourite platforms
These are the platforms you typically visit to read, listen and watch. For me, that would be Google search blogs, YouTube and Instagram. For Images, it will be Pinterest every day.
How does this affect your content curation? You are more likely to consider posting on platforms you enjoy consuming content from because you understand their potential for success than you are likely to create content for platforms you cannot stand.
For me, the platform I struggle with the most is Twitter – very powerful but not for the slow burners. Every few hours, there is a new trend and those trends go away really quickly so if you are looking to trend on there, you need to enjoy other people trending so you can know how to recreate viral content.
Why does this information count? You need a platform you are at least comfortable with even if you do not love it absolutely.
Analyse your platforms
This is where your sentiments die. Your love for a platform does not mean it deserves the energy long term. I create content because it is good for marketing but I also create content with a certain lifespan in mind. I intend to stop creating certain content types at 35 and I have some targeted for 50. When I create content, I am projecting longevity and I am thinking of repurposing them.
I realized the platforms I love do not necessarily give me that coverage so I had to set my goals – I only focus my energy on platforms that have the potential to be content libraries, that have great search engine optimization and require no sign-in to be used.
Until very recently, Instagram did not meet all three criteria even though it was my comfort zone. Instagram would show you have an account on Google but it will not let the users view your content without sign-in. It also was not as visible on Microsoft Bing and other search engines. LinkedIn on the other hand showed on other search engines even if it required a sign-in.
If you want to write, Instagram is not a primary writer’s platform which means you spend more energy designing instead of writing like you would have on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Medium on the other hand had all three functions as readers never had to sign in and a simple Google search of your topic will add your host to the search page.
If you went above and beyond to create video content, no social media can recall your topics as quickly as YouTube would because each video is given tools to be recognized as a separate entity instead of hidden in the shadow of the account name.
Be factual in your research, and decide your goals and which platforms meet those goals without sentiments.
Choose where you can be consistent
It is amazing to jump on a platform because it works but is that platform one where you can be consistent? You need to be honest with yourself and decide if it is.
In January of 2022, I started daily affirmations on TikTok and the affirmations were beginning to gain traction however, it required me to log into TikTok every morning as the scheduling tool was not yet functional on mobile and the song selection option did not work on desktop.
This meant I spent the weekends scheduling by desktop and then deleting them on the appointed day (if I was unavailable at 5:00 am) to repost them with sound. It was messing up my day’s schedule and I started to change the timing and it was no longer fulfilling what I wanted.
I made three mistakes:
- I should have used my sound list so I could still schedule with the desktop regardless after all, TikTok would always highlight the title of the sound I am using.
- I could have chosen a different time – the night before people went to bed so I also did not mess up my schedule and resent the new task.
- I could have used YouTube shorts and Instagram which I was familiar with temporarily to test the workload.
The only thing more annoying than an invisible creator is an inconsistent one.
I am writing for WSA Magazine because this is my home brand as a writer but I am also writing for them because they have a schedule that will keep me consistent when I am fatigued.
Build a consistent plan
You would naturally think every creative is looking for an opportunity to show up well but that is not true. Most creatives just want to enjoy their work and do not like the administrative part of things which is where this fails.
There are three ways around that:
Hire someone who loves the administrative work to do it for you. They will show up online and make you look phenomenal; they will bring all proposal suggestions to your table and tell you what types of portfolios are trendy so you can recreate yours.
Join a platform that keeps you on a schedule to deliver, like I am doing right now. Apply to be a columnist on a couple of magazines and blogs. Do not just submit an essay and walk away – apply for a one or two-year slot to build your visibility and strengthen your consistency muscle.
Create a new routine for yourself – an easy-to-follow one. This is exactly 4:12 am in Nigeria and it is the writing time slot on my calendar for the first quarter of this year. I have not written consistently in almost three years and I am just now pushing myself. As of this morning, I realized I have churned out 30, 558 in 10 days by attempting to write just 4,000 words daily. It is not much but my writing muscles are returning and my grammatical errors are reducing drastically.
Do more than merely writing for writing’s sake, rather write visibly and consistently. Until next month, stay visible.
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Read – How Do We Find You? – Affluent Authors Column – Liza Chuma Akunyili
