I just read an interesting article just now about attracting people to Hive with short form vs long form content. And while I disagree with some of the authors points (including denigrating Hive long-form content consumers by calling them "outcasts") I get his point as to the effect that low-effort, mindless, short-form content has in bringing the masses in.
Here's the "outcasts" quote from @anomadsoul
High quality content will never make people come to Hive. It might make some of the outcasts who like reading something for 15 minutes - which is a species almost extinct - stick around and come back, but if we really want traffic and adoption we have to cater to the masses.
Outcasts? Hhhhmmm... Maybe he misspoke. If I were tasked with growing the audience on LeoFinance and Hive, I wouldn't refer to the people willing to read our long-form content as "outcasts" Instead I'd be doing all I can to nurture such super-fans so that they feel welcome and at home here.
Example: From @slobberchops I can read Urban Exploration series Tales of the Urban Explorer, til the cows come home. The posts may seem long, but are interesting and well-written, and they don't read long. Know what I mean? If loving well-written long-form content is wrong and makes me an "outcast" I don't wanna be right. :)
Nomad's correct in many other aspects though. Example: If I go over on Twitter and tweet a link to an article about a long-extinct tribe that cut down the last tree on their island which doomed their future in the process, not many people will click on that. But let me post a pic of cute neon-colored cats, and that shit will get tons of engagement.
That short low-quality cat hit, really brings in the numbers. But here's the thing; They look at the cute cats pic, but they don't stay...
Now the five people that clicked on that link to the study about the island tribe, are REALLY into the subject. Those people will interact with you, follow you, and keep coming back looking for more content just like that.
But the author is also correct that not everybody wants to read a 1500 word treatise about the fate of an aboriginal tribe on an island. So I understand the authors premise in creating viral content to bring in the masses, my question is; will they stay?
We need balance.
What Makes Me Click? (On a Hive Post Link)
All of this got me to thinking "what makes me click on an article?" Take the one written by ANomadSoul above, what made me click? Well, I have a routine that I go through every single day. I check my stats on hiveblocks, a selection of left and right-wing news sites to get BOTH sides of the news. Places as disparate as The Drudge report, all the way to RT (I don't like censorship and being told what I can't read and who I can't talk to. Ban something, and I'm more likely to check it out).
One of my last regular "check" sites is hivestats. I don't know who created this site, but I love it as it has all my shit in one place. But at the top, the inventive little fucker who built this, had the wisdom to fold in a "sticky" widget at the top. A carousel, highlighting 15 curated posts that he or she updates every day.
I can't help but click on it to see what's new, and that's how I found Nomad's post.
The headline piqued my interest: 'Quality is King... Long live the Jester?' The first part was self-explanatory, but the second part "Long live the Jester?" is what sparked my interest, and I just had to know what that was about.
This is proof that HEADLINES MATTER kiddos! If Nomad had titled it: "My Thoughts on Hive" I likely would've skipped it as yet another in the steady stream of hyperbole about Hive. And while I don't necessarily agree with everything in it, he makes some damn good points, and you should check it out. It made me think, and it's a good read for people who care about Hive as I do.
But remember; Without that title, I never would have clicked. Titles are important. Spend some time optimizing them. The title of this post is the third one I chose, with each one "better" than the last, so don't skimp on your post title.
Images, the thumbnail, headings, SEO, and the actual content itself follow the lead generated by the title itself. As they say in the publishing business "Don't bury the Lede!" when generating good content.
ANomadSoul didn't "bury the lede" but grabbed me by the throat with the title and wouldn't let go. Thus I became one of his "outcasts" that read the whole thing due to my love for Hive, and the fact that it was a well-written piece (well, at least he didn't call us "deplorables" like Hillary Cinton did. :) We're on the same team Nomad, aiming for the same goals for Hive and LeoFinance; with just slightly different apporaches, and I'm confident we'll get there).
We need more of that here,and I'm sure we'll get it. (Shit, is this turning into one of those long posts that nobody will want to read? Fuck it. They'll find it on Google and my Twitter accounts. I'm gonna say what I need to say. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!) :)
Teenyboppers vs Deadheads, Which Audience would you Rather Have?
Take a band like the Grateful Dead for instance. They were never the type to have songs that took up residence at the top of the charts ('Touch of Grey' not withstanding), But I spoke to old Deadheads who TRAVELLED with the band, attending MULTIPLE shows in city after city.
Band members grew to recognize some of these people, and they were the ones you could count on year after year. They bought the merch, and were impassioned ambassadors of everything Grateful Dead.
That's great. who wouldn't want loyal fans like that?
They'd tell me stories about the importance of the get-together that occurred BEFORE the band stepped onstage. About how they arrived at the venue HOURS before, in order to experience that sense of COMMUNITY that impassioned Grateful Dead fans still have.
The viral people kind of remind me of the contrast between fickle teenyboppers, and loyal, long-term Deadheads. I remember years ago watching "fans" hop from boy band, to boy band. First it was NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys.
Then of course they swore allegiance to The Jonas Brothers (remember them?), that is until Justin Beiber came along. He was then supplanted by One Direction until he flashed pics of his dick and broke the internet just over a month before his first "adult" album Purpose was released.
I think the pics were released on "Purpose" (pun intended). The pics were "leaked" in October 2015, and Purpose dropped in November. Coincidence I think not! :)
The Bieb's just looks stupid. But he's surrounded by some very smart people who know a thing or two about marketing.
Just try taking an iPhone away from a fan of Apple products, and you're likely to pull back a stump in return. I remember when a passionate fan of the Mac persuaded me to buy my first Apple computer. He was so thrilled that I became a Windows Switcher, that he told many of his kin, and I began receiving messages of congratulations from other Mac-heads.
It was like joining a...
I never experienced anything like this when I bought my first PC...
So there's something to be said about both camps in securing a healthy future for hive. If I were in a new band, I'd want those hard-core fans who'd show up for every gig and buy our t-shirts when we're struggling in the early days.
But at some point, I'd also want to reach the masses, without compromising the quality that got me that hard-core support in the first place.
What type of fan are you? Take me for example. If I like something, say a band for instance; I don't just want to see them in concert, I want a meet-and-greet. I don't want just a regular t-shirt, but the limited edition version ("only 500 numbered shirts available"). Fuck the regular CD, I want the boxed set with all kind of goodies inside Deep cuts, early, grainy footage, unreleased shit.
Not to name-drop or toot anybody's horn (but I'm gonna do that anyway, so fuck it), but we have two content creators here on Hive that put out quality stuff on a regular basis.
I swear, Meesterboom can pull quality content out of his ass on a daily basis like an addict reaching for a crack pipe (he'll laugh at that one) :) I don't know how he does it, but I've been saying this for years. If he put out a book, or an animated TV series, I'm there. If there's a Most Valuable Hiver (MVH), it's him.
(Funny note: When I was spellchecking this post, when it got to the word "Meesterboom" the checker suggested "Letterbomb" as a correction, as I howled with laughter. So Meesterboom I now dub you: LETTERBOMB! Duh, duh, duuuuh!) :)
Another is content creator vincentnijman, who rekindled my passion in the creative process. Our favorite Raptor not only has a podcast about his life and the creative process, but has also released his most recent book.
He has a digital version of said tome, and also limited-edition SIGNED copies (which may be sold out soon), and you know which one I'd be interested in. :) We need more good Hiveians like Vincent here. He's a good Soul, and I wish nothing but the best for him.
And I feel the same way about Hive. I'm no teenybopper when it comes my home on the blockchain. I've been here since 2016, throughout all of the ups and downs, the Hive drama, downvoting and muting gangs, and a wild token price gyrating like a horny farmgirl on a greasy fence post (try to get that image out of your mind!) I'm having the time of my life, and enjoy having an outlet for my creative output.
And if you're new here, and found my posts via Google on one of my many Twitter accounts; take a moment and Join Hive Hive is a place where your creative juices can flow freely, where you own your content and have a stake in its success. I wish you the best. :)
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