avatarSergey Faldin 🇺🇦

Summary

The article emphasizes that successful blogging is not about the number of followers but the quality of engagement and loyalty of a smaller audience.

Abstract

The blog post argues that aspiring bloggers should shift their focus from amassing a large number of followers to cultivating a dedicated group of loyal fans. It suggests that with just 1,000 true fans who are willing to spend money on content, a blogger can achieve financial success and creative fulfillment. The author uses the example of Farnam Street, a niche blog that has found success by targeting a specific audience and delivering high-quality content. The article also references Kevin Kelly's concept of "1,000 True Fans," which posits that an artist can thrive with a small, dedicated audience. The author encourages bloggers to concentrate on the quality of their work and the value it provides to their existing audience, rather than obsessing over follower counts. The piece concludes by advising bloggers to fulfill their promises to their audience, to get out of their own way by focusing on their mission, and to create content for the people they have, including themselves.

Opinions

  • Blogging success is not defined by follower count but by the depth of engagement and loyalty of the audience.
  • Quality matters more than quantity in the competitive social media landscape.
  • Creating a community around your content is more valuable than having a large, passive audience.
  • Blogging as an art form requires dedication to the craft and the audience, not chasing numbers.
  • The concept of "1,000 True Fans" is a viable model for sustainable blogging income.
  • Focusing solely on numbers can lead to a decline in content quality and authenticity.
  • Blogging should be approached with the mindset of a hobby, where the process is enjoyed regardless of the outcome.
  • Delivering on promises made to the audience is crucial for retaining followers and building trust.
  • Personal growth and maturity, such as getting one's ego out of the way, contribute to building a lasting blog and brand.
  • Self-respect and pride in one's work can attract a like-minded audience and create a meaningful impact.

You Don’t Need a Lot of Followers to Be a Successful Blogger

Find 1,000 loyal fans and focus on the people you have

Photo by Mesut Kaya on Unsplash

I’ve been a blogger for three years. I’ve written articles in two languages, created videos, published on Instagram and TikTok, coached aspiring bloggers, and created content with a team at my video production business.

And the one thing I see over and over again is the extreme obsession with numbers.

Everyone wants over a million followers, but few people put in the work (and money) it takes to get there.

To all of the aspiring bloggers out there: stop counting followers. Focus on the work (and art) itself.

You don’t need a big audience.

Social Media Landscape Has Changed

Social media isn’t what it used to be. Of course, if you created a video blog back in 2010, it would be much easier to become big on YouTube than it is today.

Now, it’s crowded. You’ve got Gary Vee. You’ve got Casey. You’ve got all of those stars making big money creating high-quality videos.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to become big on social media today (people still do), but it’s definitely harder — the landscape has become much more competitive.

With anything that becomes more competitive, quality matters. What you say matters. Loyalty matters. People who love you (vs. those who merely like you) matter.

It’s not about follower count anymore, it’s about follower quality and follower engagement. It’s about the community you create around your content.

Be Like Farnam Street

Have you heard about Farnam Street? It’s the best blog on the Internet. It’s also very niche. I’ve talked to some of the most active people on the web and only 20–30% of them heard something about it.

Shane Parrish did a great job — he created a high-quality, laser-focused blog around decision making targeted at investors. Slowly, the audience expanded to general people who want to live a better life.

Shane writes articles, records a podcast called The Knowledge Project, and is read by some of the top-performing people on the planet.

He’s not Gary Vee and he doesn’t need to be.

His yearly premium content subscription costs $129 — and if just a 1,000 people were to buy it, he would be making $129,000 per year. And I bet he’s making much more than that.

Not bad, right?

1,000 True Fans

There’s an article by Kevin Kelly, the founding father of the Wired magazine, called 1000 True Fans. Read it.

Essentially, it says you don’t need to be extremely popular to become successful as an artist (bloggers are artists too). All you need is a 1,000 loyal people to love you.

The secret is in the definition of the word “loyal,” or the phrase “true fan.” Kelly defines a true fan as someone who could pay $50-100 per year and is ready to buy anything you produce.

If you have 1,000 of those, you’re essentially making $50-100K per year. That’s not fuck-you-money rich, but it’s a decent income from something you enjoy doing.

Of course, these 1,000 people will be a tiny proportion of your general audience. Say you’re a blogger with 10K followers and you sell three eBooks per year, $15 each. If 10% of your audience is extremely loyal, they’ll buy all your eBooks. You’ll make $45K per year and become a full-time artist.

To Reach a Larger Following, Stop Trying To

Do you know the difference between a hobby and work? I never understood it. I thought that if I love my work, then work = hobby. I was wrong.

A hobby is an activity, where you don’t pay attention to the results. When I play the saxophone, I don’t care whether anyone will buy my CD (which I don’t have) or listen to me performing (which I don’t).

I am focused on the process and I love it.

When you focus only on the numbers, your attitude changes. You start writing for the money. You start creating videos that you think people will love.

Unfortunately, this leads to you creating shit.

I found out that if you want to create a great piece of work (blog/art/video/film/business), it’s vital to change your attitude and focus on the work itself.

Make your art your hobby. Don’t look at the numbers. Just don’t hit that Medium Partner Program button. Forget about it. Focus on the work. Focus on the process.

It’s 28 People!

I met with an old friend a couple of days ago. He’s an artist and an aspiring blogger in Russia. He sells his painting for $1000+ on his website and loves his life.

We talked about social media and where it’s going, and I asked him why he doesn’t start blogging.

He replied that he has been blogging for four months now. I was surprised because I haven’t seen his blog anywhere on social media.

He told me that he doesn’t promote it and has 28 followers. I gave him a sorry look and said “Oh,” but my friend looked puzzled.

He said, “Dude, can you imagine, it’s 28 people! They can’t even fit in this room!” And I remembered myself, bitching recently about not having 1,000 followers yet on Medium.

That’s the kind of dedication more of us need. You don’t just have 50 people reading you, you’ve got 50 people reading you!

If you’re not fulfilled and dedicated to the audience you already have, what makes you think you ever will?

Fulfill Your Promise

Seth Godin wrote a bestselling book called Permission Marketing. Like all of Godin’s books, it’s very insightful — and even though it was written in the pre-Instagram and pre-social-as-we-know-it-today era — it’s still relevant.

Here’s the gist: when a new follower subscribes to your blog, you make a pact. You promise something to the follower (it’s probably in your bio). And the follower is willing to give their attention to you.

If you deliver on your promise — you show up regularly with something valuable to say, everything’s fine. If you fail to deliver on your promise, you break the arrangement.

What happens next? The follower clicks unsubscribe.

There’s a saying in Russia: you’ll have as much money as you can control.

I would say that you’ll have as many followers as you’re able to create for.

Get Out of Your Own Way

In a recent Farnam Street podcast, Jim Collins tells a story of getting to know Steve Jobs in the late 1980s. It was right after Steve was ousted out of his own company and had to reinvent himself.

Jim calls this the arc of Steve Jobs, with Jobs going from the immature Steve Jobs 1.0 to Steve Jobs 2.0, who has created the iPhone, iPod, iPad and literally saved Apple from financial ruin, creating a company that lasts long after he’s gone.

Many people have this conception of someone being an entrepreneur, and someone being a company-builder. But these are not two different animals... If you look at the best company-builders, they are all former entrepreneurs.

What happened to Steve Jobs when he became Steve 2.0 was maturity. He got his own ego out of the way. He learned from the CEO of Pixar and became a better leader. He learned to get out of his own way and dedicate his whole energy and relentless ambition to turning Apple into a company that was built to last.

When we look at the most successful business — Apple, Disney, 3M, Walmart, and similar enterprises— we see a similar pattern: intense dedication to the mission.

There’s no ego. There’s no “look at me and how smart I am.” There’s no “let’s make money quickly.”

“There are companies built to flip, and then there are companies built to last…the difference is in the attitude,” says Jim Collins.

In a similar fashion, there are blogs like Farnam Street that dedicate themselves fully to their mission (and not focus too much on the numbers), and then there are thousands, tens of thousands bloggers out there, wanting to cash in quickly (and early).

If you want to build a great blog, get out of your own way. Focus on the mission. Focus on the work. Deliver the promise.

Create for the People You Have (Especially Yourself)

No matter where you are as a blogger, you probably have more than one follower.

If so…

You’ve got an audience.

They subscribed to you because they saw something in you. When I look at my Medium account and see 784 followers, I now think to myself, “Dude, it’s 784 random people, most of whom live thousands of kilometers away, and they want to hear what I have to say!” It’s crazy and humbling.

But most importantly, no matter where you are, you’ve always got you.

You’ve got an audience of one.

Don’t focus on the numbers.

Write something you’ll respect yourself for. Say something you’ll be proud of. Create something you’ll want to put on the wall.

And if you create something you love yourself— chances are, you’ll soon find people who share that interest.

Social Media
Creativity
Blogging
Writing
Life Lessons
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