Recently I wrote a post about how creativity isn’t so important as being helpful to your audience.
I write in part for self-help. My own post showed me how I’d been doing something wrong.
All Hearts, No Action
I write on Excel, data analysis, and other topics for analysts.
Finding a platform is key to a growing blog. I thought I’d crushed it withInstagram. I’d heard of some business-targeted blogs doing huge things there. It seemed like a great fit — I was the only person putting Excel videos on IG!
The only one? I should have wondered.
I got lots of “likes” on IG — but no conversion. My “call to action” — subscribe to my blog! — was followed exactly zero times.
Turns out I may have focused on creativity more than being helpful. That’s against the terms of the blog post!
“Just Another LinkedIn Group?” No!
IG has been great for some business blogs, but not mine.
I believe the reason is that business-focused users go to IG for motivation and quotes, not professional development.
Moving to another platform, I started a LinkedIn group, “Hired with Excel.”
At first I was wary of “just another Excel LinkedIn group.” There are already so many on LinkedIn. Wouldn’t I be competing?
I hadn’t considered that to users, “another Excel group” was what they needed. My group is tailored for recent grads and entry-level analysts who want to learn more about Excel for job interviews, work projects, etc. This is a different goal than other Excel groups.
I’ve got a few users this week, which doesn’t seem like much. But compare this to the 0% conversion rate after months of IG.
Niche ≠ Unique?
A good niche isn’t necessarily unique or creative. It delivers exactly what a segment of customers want on a platform useful for them. It may be more clever to post to IG, but is it really the best place to learn about Excel? A LinkedIn group allows users to post questions, search for jobs, and connect with other analysts.
I may still post to IG, but my LinkedIn group deserves more attention. While it may not be so unique, it’s been more helpful to users.
Read more and subscribe at georgejmount.com
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