My days are spent talking with writers and creators, and many of them have shared with me that they felt frustrated in the ways that big tech companies seem to prevent them from reaching their audiences. Today, I want to share a manifesto of sorts, but also practical steps that I use every day to help people reach actual readers — real people — and develop colleagues who will support their writing.
There is a profound difference between your life being filled with a “content strategy,” vs. being filled with actual conversations, moments, and experiences with people who are moved by what you create. I say this as someone whose corporate title at a publisher years ago was “Director of Content Strategy,” and who helps writers develop a “content strategy” every single day. But that is a tool, not the goal.
So I’m going to be frank here: stop trying to please the algorithms. Full stop.
What are the algorithms? Often they are how a social network chooses what to show people. For instance, it’s not uncommon for me to hear someone say, “Instagram used to show my post to so many people, but then the algorithms changed, and now they don’t show it to nearly as many.” Algorithms seem to exist in all the big places you find stuff online.
The rest of this essay is not going to be some rant against algorithms. Instead, I want to focus on the positive, practical, meaningful actions that you can take — TODAY — to help you share your writing and connect with real people. These are actions that will help you feel connected and fulfilled as a writer and creator
To be honest, I feel like some algorithms have a super useful function. When I’m scrolling through a social network, I kind of like how they are showing me things that are getting a lot of conversation, or that seem more tuned to my interests, or posts by people who I tend to engage with first. It fills my day with wonderful posts by Meera Lee Patel, Samantha Dion Baker, Courtney Maum, and so many others. My Facebook feed this week is filled with updates from the parents of my childhood friend who are celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary, as well as those professing their love of Star Trek. These things make my days brighter.
The Spotify algorithm does an amazing job of putting new bands in front of me that I have never heard of, and whose music I end up loving. At the end of each year, Spotify shows you your most listened to artists. Do you know which artist I ended up listening to the most last year? Lomelda. Ever hear of her before? Me neither, not before Spotify put it in my feed. I listen to music for around 3 hours everyday, and in 2023 I was in the top 1% of her listeners. I don’t know anything about her, but I have listened to her songs hundreds and hundreds of times in 2023, and loved every moment of it.
I don’t follow her on social media or get her newsletter. I’ve never checked her tour schedule and have no idea if she does/did play with other bands. I don’t know her story of becoming a musician. But I know that if she comes out with a new song or collaboration, Spotify’s algorithm will put it at the top of my feed. And as someone whose primary hobby years ago was traveling to record stores to seek out new music, I do appreciate that music I love is being delivered to me the moment it is released. It’s ridiculous that Spotify only costs my family something like $20 per month. What would I actually pay that equals its true value to me? $49 per month? $99 per month? $149? More? I’m not even sure where my limit would be.
So as a consumer, I have appreciated the benefits that algorithms can sometimes bring me. As a creator, I do feel they bring value, as well. For instance, Substack’s algorithm in their Notes feed shares my messages to those that wouldn’t have reached without it.
This is my point: you can benefit from an algorithm without having to play into it. And without having to feel that algorithms dictate what you share and how you do so. Here is some advice on how to navigate this:
Instead of considering “what the algorithm likes,” consider “what people like.”
Can you align to the algorithm without disrupting your personal happiness and professional fulfillment? I think so. Simply consider the person you hope to reach. Because that is what really matters. When I am sharing a Note on Substack, I am considering what real people may appreciate — something useful or inspiring, something that aligns to their goals or challenges, or something easy to engage with.
Even if you want to take into account “things we know the algorithms favor,” you can do so in a more human-centered way. For example, it’s been clear for a while now that while many people originally came to know of Instagram through their grid format of square photos, today their algorithm prefers videos posted to Reels or Stories. Can you still post to the grid? Sure.
But we can also consider why video may be more engaging to one’s ideal audience. How it utilizes a multitude of ways to engage through different senses: one’s face and expression, nonverbal cues, language, music, movement, etc.
Is Instagram promoting video for some horrible agenda? Possibly. Do people tend to like seeing other people, and get engaged when there are more ways you are aligning to a multitude of senses. Yes.
So if you choose to do more video Reels on Instagram, don’t do so because you are being “forced to” by the algorithm. Explore it — if you like — to consider how it can truly make someone’s day brighter.
Focus on one person, not “an audience.”
I’ve shared this advice extensively over the years, but want to apply it to the idea of the algorithm, social media, and your ability to have agency in sharing your creative work.
I haven’t posted to Instagram since March, X/Twitter since November, my Facebook page since December, or my podcast since February. Now, my work is the only way that my family is supported from a financial perspective. So it’s important that people learn about my work and ways that they can collaborate with me. It would be easy to justify that social media is essential to this.
Yet… my business hasn’t fallen apart since I went silent on social media.
To be clear, I’m on social media constantly throughout the day viewing what others share, hundreds of times I would estimate. And I will be coming back to posting on social media in the fall.
But I want to challenge this perception of things you “have to” do. You don’t have to do anything. You can delete your Instagram, give away your mobile phone, and stop dancing on TikTok. The world will still spin. You can still create, publish, and connect with readers.
Ignore “the data.”
Just do what feels right. Learn from observing and talking to other real people. In my experience, you will drive yourself bonkers trying to identify “the exact right time to…” or “the exact right way to…” do something.
What is the best time to send a newsletter? When it is least stressful to you personally, and least disruptive to your own creative process.
Why is that? Because “the data” can often be read multiple ways, and is sometimes incomplete. And “data” can age poorly when people act on it. For instance, if everyone reads that Tuesdays are the best time to send a newsletter, then everyone does it. Then suddenly Tuesdays become the worst days because people’s inboxes are inundated. So the reality is now “any day but Tuesday is the best day to send a newsletter,” But the “data” doesn’t reflect that. (I made up this data, by the way, just to illustrate the point.)
Also, it could be “proven” that sending a newsletter on weekdays has a higher open rate and more engagement. But I subscribe to incredibly smart people whose business relies on their newsletter, and they send it on… the weekend. Oh no!!!!
Yet, they and their businesses still survive.
Want to feel better about how to share? Engage in the process of finding out what feels right to you. When you are unsure, talk to others who are sharing and learn about the nuances of their process, and the reasons behind it.
Choose creative clarity over algorithms.
I understand why people seek to understand and align to the algorithms — they want to know “what works right now,” and they hope that by aligning to them, they will benefit from what they offer. That’s totally fine.
But I speak to so many writers and creators who bemoan the algorithm, and feel it has ruined the ways they enjoy sharing. I get that too.
For myself, I tend to feel that the algorithm isn’t the primary problem to solve, but rather, creative clarity is. This also gives me practical and meaningful things to work on each day:
- Identify clear ways to communicate
- Identify clear ways to publish
- Identify clear ways to engage
- Identify clear ways to connect
This week, I’ve been working with a group of writers helping them find clarity in their creative work through my Clarity Cards process. (You can still join us — just become a paid subscriber and you will get immediate access to the first 37 minute lesson, and our private group Chat here on Substack.) Here is one person’s work in process as we work towards a pyramid of 10 cards:
In this process, I am not just teaching, but going deep by redoing my own Clarity Cards, and collaborating with the group as we all work through this together. As I reassess my life, I am focusing on the personal connections, meaningful experiences, and moments that truly matter.
When you consider how you find clarity and share your work, I encourage you to focus on things that give you meaningful experiences and lead to personal & professional fulfillment with real people.
Please let me know in the comments: what kinds of experiences do you hope to have as you share your writing and creative work with others?
Thank you for being here with me.
-Dan