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.
Optimize for the content binge
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Hey Reader, Have you ever discovered a new TV show, got instantly addicted, and then saw it already had several seasons out? Remember how happy you were? Wondering how you hadn’t heard about it sooner, but also thrilled because now you have a bunch of episodes to binge watch. This happens on YouTube too: you come across an amazing video and fall in love with the creator. Next thing you know, you’re watching all of their previous videos. Netflix releases shows intended for viewers to binge watch and YouTube’s algorithm feeds you an endless stream of videos they think you’ll like. But podcasts, newsletters, and blogs all have the same problem: they don't have a recommendation engine for suggesting what you should consume next. That’s why you need to optimize for the content binge. It’s easy to get caught up in just releasing the next piece of content for your existing audience. You assume they’ve seen last week’s episode, or read last month’s issue, but what about the people who just discovered you? What about the people who won’t discover you for 2 or 3 more years? Your back catalog of content likely has a lot of gems, but because podcasts, newsletters, and blogs don’t have a built-in discovery engine, you need to do the work of curating. Most of your content may not be binge worthy. But for the 20% that is, create a pathway that makes it simple for new people to follow and discover some of your best work. Make it easy for them to get addicted to your content. “Enjoyed this? Here’s what I recommend next…” For example, if I’m writing about personal finance or wealth building, a good piece for me to recommend next would be my Ladders of Wealth Creation essay. It’s one of the most popular pieces I’ve written, but every day, someone new joins my list who hasn’t read it. You might already do something similar by recommending your top pieces of content, but what should people consume after that? And after that? The best way to increase someone’s session from consuming one piece of content to two (or more) is to recommend something relevant to check out next. By optimizing for the content binge, and giving people rabbit holes to go down, you’ll quickly turn them into fans—and likely customers down the line. PODCASTThe risks of ConvertKit’s rebrandIf you enjoyed today’s newsletter topic, it’s actually one of many I discussed about with Jay Clouse on episode 200 of his Creator Science podcast. Among other things, we talk about:
VIDEOHow to do more in 12 weeks than others do in 12 monthsThis video summarizes The 12 Week Year, which is a great book if you haven’t read it. The main concept is the idea of replacing annualization with periodization. But even if you have read the book, Ali’s video is still worth watching as he shares a lot of his own insights and interpretation that will likely spark some ideas for you. BOOKConspiracyRyan Holiday is best known for spreading stoic philosophy, but one of my favorite books of his is about the dark side of Silicon Valley. Conspiracy tells the story of Peter Thiel's takedown of Gawker and explores the themes of power, revenge, and privacy in the digital age. If you’re looking for a compelling read, add this book to your list. Have a great week! —Nathan P.S. If you happen to find yourself in Boise, Idaho next week, we’re hosting a Happy Hour at our new Kit Studios. I’d love to see you there. |
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.
Hi Reader, One benefit of founding ConvertKit (soon to be Kit) is I get a front row seat to what’s working for the most successful creators. There are so many different kinds of creator businesses and various strategies people use to grow, but there’s one thing they all have in common: Successful creators don't go on this journey alone. I’ve yet to see any successful creator “make it” without connecting and collaborating with others in their space. It’s certainly true in my journey as well....
Hey Reader, Have you been considering building a personal brand but never seem to get around to it? Part of the reason may just be that it feels like too much work. But it may also be because you: Lack clarity - What will your brand even be about? Procrastinate - Will you get around to doing it next year? Fear being criticized - What will other people think of you? Don’t have enough time - Will you ever get a spare moment? Want everything to be perfect - Will things ever be good enough? If...
Hi Reader, As a natural introvert, I was someone who went to conferences and talked to no one. So it’s kind of crazy that now I regularly speak on stage in front of large audiences. Sometimes, that audience is my own company. This week, I’m on a team retreat with most of our 83-person team. At ConvertKit (soon to be Kit), we host two annual retreats every year. It’s an important part of our company culture, especially as a fully remote team. I was thinking back to our first retreat in 2016...