Length, frequency, volume, and quality are four dimensions of content everyone agonizes over. But while no one has a precise answer there are guardrails worth knowing.
I have been experimenting on LinkedIn with content. The goldilock isn't same - it varies from post to post, it's not just quality or useful content. It's somewhat rigged in LinkedIn
Since I started posting i am getting spamed to like and comment on other's post. Thats how the linkedin algorithm is tricked to believe as useful content although it's pretty garbage or irrelevant.
The way LI pushes content to followers is a fucking joke. The back and forth like and comment spamming from cohorts gives a fake impression of what people actually do want, but there will never be an algorithm that people won’t try to game. OTOH, I think Substack is following a similar path — the things that get liked and commented on get shown to more people so they get liked and commented on more. So audience size and being lucky enough to have an account with more reach does help you grow. No different from LI, at least here in Notes.
But there are a lot of folks there who also spend. So for B2B it’s still a good place to be. Plus most of my existing business network lives there, so I’d be an idiot to ignore it.
I feel like these absolutist statements we see in content are such garbage because they don’t apply to everyone. I left LinkedIn because I love long-form writing, but people there seem to prefer short posts written like haikus. On Substack, my longer articles perform better than my shorter ones.
There was also a time when I tested publishing twice a week versus once, and it didn’t do anything for growth. In fact, it stressed me out for very little ROI.
This right here - The only way to find your version of “just right” is to publish, pay attention, and adjust. Over time, patterns emerge. You’ll notice what your audience responds to. You’ll develop instincts you can’t fully explain but learn to trust.
That’s the Goldilocks zone. It’s a feel, not a number." is SO true.
I’m in the process of trying to figure out my “just right” as well between client outreach/acquisition, then delivery, then all of this stuff which is my content marketing. Slowly getting there and just doing my best to enjoy the ride. You seem to have found a perfect rhythm for your time here, balanced with the squirrels, work, and actual life (which would include the squirrels).
On LI, I’ve found the opposite — at least in my niche. My longer bits there, both personally and for any company page I’ve run, do better than the shorter posts. But the audience is execs/IT folks in B2B and they aren’t looking for pithy brovice. About to start ghostwriting as a proof case for an industry analyst I’ve known for — holy shit, did not want to do that math, not possible I’ve known him since 1998! I’m not old enough for that! Anyway, I’m going to mix short and long to see, but I suspect that his sweet spot will be 350/400 words per post.
I have been experimenting on LinkedIn with content. The goldilock isn't same - it varies from post to post, it's not just quality or useful content. It's somewhat rigged in LinkedIn
Since I started posting i am getting spamed to like and comment on other's post. Thats how the linkedin algorithm is tricked to believe as useful content although it's pretty garbage or irrelevant.
The way LI pushes content to followers is a fucking joke. The back and forth like and comment spamming from cohorts gives a fake impression of what people actually do want, but there will never be an algorithm that people won’t try to game. OTOH, I think Substack is following a similar path — the things that get liked and commented on get shown to more people so they get liked and commented on more. So audience size and being lucky enough to have an account with more reach does help you grow. No different from LI, at least here in Notes.
But there are a lot of folks there who also spend. So for B2B it’s still a good place to be. Plus most of my existing business network lives there, so I’d be an idiot to ignore it.
Happy Friday Bryant
I feel like these absolutist statements we see in content are such garbage because they don’t apply to everyone. I left LinkedIn because I love long-form writing, but people there seem to prefer short posts written like haikus. On Substack, my longer articles perform better than my shorter ones.
There was also a time when I tested publishing twice a week versus once, and it didn’t do anything for growth. In fact, it stressed me out for very little ROI.
This right here - The only way to find your version of “just right” is to publish, pay attention, and adjust. Over time, patterns emerge. You’ll notice what your audience responds to. You’ll develop instincts you can’t fully explain but learn to trust.
That’s the Goldilocks zone. It’s a feel, not a number." is SO true.
I’m in the process of trying to figure out my “just right” as well between client outreach/acquisition, then delivery, then all of this stuff which is my content marketing. Slowly getting there and just doing my best to enjoy the ride. You seem to have found a perfect rhythm for your time here, balanced with the squirrels, work, and actual life (which would include the squirrels).
On LI, I’ve found the opposite — at least in my niche. My longer bits there, both personally and for any company page I’ve run, do better than the shorter posts. But the audience is execs/IT folks in B2B and they aren’t looking for pithy brovice. About to start ghostwriting as a proof case for an industry analyst I’ve known for — holy shit, did not want to do that math, not possible I’ve known him since 1998! I’m not old enough for that! Anyway, I’m going to mix short and long to see, but I suspect that his sweet spot will be 350/400 words per post.
Keep moving. As GoT would put it: It is known.
The real takeaway here is that the squirrels are now part of the productivity system.
It's true!
I love how you’re treating this as a live experiment rather than a fixed rule.
Different audiences really do behave like different species sometimes.
And 1998?? That's not too long :)
Actually, in business, that is kinda long.
Let me see. My oldest client is from 2006. I still do work for him sporadically.
Thank you, Bryant.