You Won’t Like This (But it Works)

When it comes to SEO, content strategy, ranking on Google, and the like…

I’m probably in the top 1% in the world.

I don’t say that to brag…

(Seriously, it pained me to type those words)

…but to give you context.

When I say “social media” — not articles or blog content — is the best way to build an audience right now, it’s significant.

It’s akin to a politician telling you to vote for the other guy. Or a pizzeria telling patrons to try the Domino’s next door.

And this isn’t one of those “tell you to do one thing while I do another” situations.

I’m practicing what I preach.

For The Solopreneur Experiment, social media is where I’m focusing my audience-building efforts.

And it’s where you need to focus yours too.

Here’s why:

It’s Ridiculously Difficult to Go From ‘Zero’ to ‘Google Loves Me’

Is it possible to take a mature website in a good niche…

One that’s at least a year old and already gets some tangible traffic from search engines…

And turn it into a lean, mean, organic-traffic-producing machine in a (relatively) short amount of time?

Absolutely.

But here’s the thing:

Most solopreneurs aren’t starting with a mature website.

Most are starting from scratch.

And when you’re starting from scratch, getting subscribers, leads, and customers from organic search traffic can take a long time.

Possibly years.

Even if you work your tail off.

Even if you know what you’re doing.

Even if AI doesn’t the change the search engine game as we know it.

And that’s because…

The ‘Google Sandbox’ is Real (and Awful)

If you’ve never heard of the “Google Sandbox” before, here’s a quick explanation ​from Ahrefs​ (emphasis mine):

“Google may place newly created websites in a ‘sandbox’ for a certain period of time. During this time, they may be unable to rank well in search results, as Google wants to evaluate their quality and prevent spam (…) this period can last from several months to even years.“

I should note that not everyone believes this “sandbox” exists.

I do, though. I’ve seen enough smoke to believe there’s a fire, so to speak.

And it’s why I believe “blogging” shouldn’t be the initial focus for solopreneurs looking to build an audience.

Instead:

1. Start the clock on your website by registering your site’s domain (if you haven’t already), and then
2. Focus on social media.

To tie a bow on #1:

The sooner you enter Google’s sandbox, the sooner you’ll exit it. Go grab your domain, publish a tiny bit of content so Google’s timer begins, and then stick a pin in blogging for the time being.

We’ll dive into the heart of this email (#2) next:

The X/Twitter Gold Rush

When a student or subscriber asks me about social media, I usually tell them 3 things:

1. You should focus on one platform at a time
2. The platform should be the one your target audience uses
3. If you don’t know where your audience lives, choose X/Twitter

Those first two are self-evident.

It’s the third (“choose X/Twitter”) that raises an eyebrow.

Beyond being the easiest to learn (in my opinion), I like X/Twitter because there’s huge opportunity.

Whereas Google makes it nearly impossible for “newbies” to come in and succeed, X/Twitter is actively ​overhauling its algorithm​ so that it’s more friendly to smaller accounts.

No, this doesn’t mean every small account will do well.

(Just because there was plenty of the shiny stuff lying around, not everyone got rich in the “California Gold Rush” of the 1800s)

But it does mean there’s a chance.

If you work hard, do things the algorithm likes, avoid doing things the algorithm dislikes, and keep at it for long enough…

Your audience will grow.

You’ll get more followers and more engagement with your posts, which will result in more followers and more engagement.

It’ll be a flywheel — around and around it’ll go, building momentum, and getting easier and easier as time goes on.

That’s the goal, at least.

Here’s how I plan to achieve it:

The 30-Day X/Twitter Challenge

Each day for the next 30 days, I’ll be doing the following:

• Post (“Tweet”) 3-to-5 times
• Leave 100 replies to other people’s posts

It’s nothing too novel. Numerous “growth gurus” on X/Twitter teach people to do some variation of the above.

So, I’m adding a few rules:

1. No self-promotion. The goal is to increase your X/Twitter audience, not get clicks to your website.
2. No platitudes. Almost every marketer on X/Twitter tries to be deep and profound, almost like they’re hoping people will take what they write and put it on a motivational poster. Don’t do this.
3. No off-script tweets. If you want an audience interested in what you do, only post/tweet on relevant topics. Don’t chase trends; chase people interested in your core message.
4. No pointless replies. Don’t leave disposable replies. To get noticed, the replies need to be memorable. Make them think. Make them laugh. Make them click on your profile and want to follow you.
5. No randoms. Be specific and intentional with your replies. Only leave replies to people in your target audience or who share your target audience.

That’s the plan. If it goes well, I’ll keep doing it.

Difficult? No, not really.

Will it be tedious at times? Yeah, probably.

But will it work? Yes. I’m 99% certain it will boost my engagement and increase my followers.

Which is why I hope you’ll take the challenge too.

Before you say yes, I should warn you…

When You’re New, X/Twitter Can Feel Like a Clique in High School

If any of the following applies to your X/Twitter account…

• Created less than a month ago
• Follow more people than you have followers
• Your profile bio or photo is incomplete, offensive, or looks like something a “bot” would have

…veteran users will not interact with you.

It’s not because they’re mean. (Well, some of them are mean.)

It’s because the current algorithm will punish them if they interact with you.

See, if your account is less than 30-days old, you have a lower reputation in the algorithm’s eyes. The same is true if your follower ratio is out of wack.

It’s as if you have the X/Twitter version of pink eye and no one wants to catch it from you.

The “looks like a bot” dynamic works the same way. People know the algorithm punishes accounts that interact with bots, so if YOU look like a bot, they’ll avoid you just to be safe.

Fair? No, it’s not fair.

But it is what it is.

All we can do is adapt.

How to Adapt

1. If you don’t have an account yet, create one. Get the 30-day clock started.
2. If your follower ratio is bad, start unfollowing accounts that haven’t posted/tweeted in a while. Your “following” shouldn’t exceed your “followers”.
3. Upload a clear headshot for your photo.
4. Write a nice, human-sounding profile bio.

Here’s ​my X/Twitter profile​ for reference:

Over to You

Are you going to attempt the challenge?

Those of you who do will have a unique advantage: I’ll be right there doing it with you.

If you have questions, you can check out my profile and see what I’m up to. And, if you’re unsure about something, you can email me and I’ll do my best to help.

There’s another advantage, too, that I’ll discuss next week.

Appreciate you…

Wishing you the best of luck on the challenge…

See you next week.