A new platform isn’t just a way to be heard, it’s a way to represent a new voice for yourself. I don’t just write for money, I write because I love to do so. That being said, I still need money to live.
Each platform and distribution method is going to have a different audience and a different niche. Everything from the user base to the management is going to impact the profitability and success of the platform for you and in general. Some platforms nail the formula, others don’t nail anything but registering a domain.
Not all platforms are created equally. Reddit is a different landscape than Slashdot, and the news is different than a forum. As you begin to branch out and explore platforms, you’ll find that even though the grass is greener, it isn’t always better. Let’s look at what to look for in a platform, how to measure success (without doubling down each time), and how to split time to make the best of each platform.
What to Look for in a Platform
Different platforms have different strengths and weaknesses, but not all platforms are created equal. The first thing to consider is whether the platform can even be profitable or not. Is it even legitimate, and if so, can you fit in and is there even an audience for you? I’ve dealt with my fair share of scams and less than legitimate writing jobs. Be objective when you look into what they offer and how they work. If the platform is questionable or there’s no real audience to reach, it’s rarely worth it.
Platforms like Medium are going to make money for anyone who can write well enough (though how profitable is another discussion), while a blog depends on your marketing as well as your writing to even potentially break even. Some platforms will offload some (or all) of the marketing to you but help you with reputation and convenience. Any legitimate platform is going to have a mix of strengths and weaknesses.
Evergreen content and an ability to “read the room” get you far on most platforms, but every platform is different. Some platforms won’t let you outside your comfort zone while others requireit. How much do you want to put in and how much will the platform help you grow? The same platform is going to be more or less expensive depending on what works for you.
What do people say about the platform and what can you tell about the audience and the writers? Some platforms just don’t work. It can be their business model, their management, or the niche they occupy, but the result is the same: a failure to launch. What does the platform do, how do they do it, and is it even worth it? The answer depends on you and the platform.
How to Measure Success
A new platform offers new opportunities, but it also tends to have its own learning curve. You have to start over each time you change a platform. Your branding and marketing might inject its own life into the process, but growth still requires adaptation and learning. Success is harder to measure when you go from a professional on one platform to a novice on another.
When I move platforms, I try to compare the early growth of one platform to the growth on the newer one, but not at the expense of common sense. If it just doesn’t get traction within a few tries, I’ll jump ship unless there’s still potential. This doesn’t always end up with a dollar to dollar assessment, but a comparison of effort to results. Some platforms may not pay money, but can still pay dividends for brand growth and success. Success is subjective, why are you using the platform?
Most businesses don’t use Forbes Councils program to make money directly; they use the platform to build their brand. Whether this development works or not is the first question to answer, but you also have to know how to measure what you’re getting out of it.
Success isn’t defined by a single variable or equation. Why are you using the platform and what are you getting out of it? It may just be the grass is greener or boredom, but know your reason and what it means for your success.
I measure success by comparing the effort put in and the results out of the process. If you absolutely love writing about a topic and it’s a niche on a platform, your perceived success is higher there than something which makes you more money but isn’t enjoyable. Why you picked the platform will affect how you should measure success. Passion is enough sometimes.
How to Divide Resources
An easy platform which is rewarding is worth more than a platform which takes more effort for less pay obviously (and lacks intrinsic value), but how do you compare the effort and the reward? When a hobby becomes a hustle, you get a crossover of residual enjoyment and profitability. I don’t write just to make money, but I want to make money when writing.
You need to balance the reward with the work. A reward can be intrinsic or extrinsic depending on the individual, but the work on a platform is usually consistent. What I write for Medium may vary on an article by article basis, but the process is largely the same. My blog is the same work but with more marketing. News aggregation platforms and similar are platforms I’ve learned not to bother with.
Profit isn’t just financial; do you get something from the platform at all? Resources for side work are best distributed between passions and finances, but how far “to the side” determines the balance. If this is your main gig, you want to focus on finance or risk burning out having to do too much. Any hobby can wear on you when it goes from an excursion to a requirement. I even used to like tech.
If this is your passion, focus on what keeps you going. Blogs started as passion projects, and not ways to make money. A hobby doesn’t have to be profitable, but it makes it a lot more justifiable if it is. How you divide resources depends on why you’re reaching out. Just why are you really looking at a new platform? Is it for fun or is it because you need money?
Application
A new platform is a gamble, and you need to know why it’s worth taking. No matter where you are in the process, using a new platform results in new responsibilities. You need to know why it’s worth doing or else it risks being done wrong.
You’re not going to break even in the beginning, but it’s like hiring a new employee. A new employee is always a net negative in terms of productivity for any non-trivial work. If they’re good, the productivity catches up and surpasses the original quickly. If they’re not, then they stagnate or continue to be a detriment until they’re terminated.
Your new platform is your new employee for content. It will take your time and your effort for basically nothing in the beginning. How it evolves over time either makes or breaks it.
How does it grow and is it something which is a positive for why you’re doing it? If you’re blogging as a passion project, success will be grossly different than someone trying to make it as a writer. Art as creative expression is different than art for money. There’s not a diminishing of artistic expression between the two, but there is a level of revocation to the privileges of artistic license.
A new platform is a new opportunity, but only if it will work for what you do and what you want to do. What are your expectations and how can the platform help? Every platform is different, so it’s up to you to weigh how their unique makeup fits in with your long-term goals. Keep all of this in mind when you decide to test new platforms.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay