Myth #3: Your content should be everywhere

Imagine you’re in a field surrounded by five large piles of wood. You’ve been given the task of lighting each pile and turning it into a bonfire. You’ve got a single match and a bit of kindling. Would you run around from pile to pile trying to keep each one lit? Or would you just focus on one at a time?

When you’re first starting to build an audience, you might feel pressure to create several blazing bonfires right from the beginning. Many of the creators you look up to seem to be everywhere all the time which can make you feel like if you want to build an audience, you have to do the same.

What if you didn’t have to be everywhere at the same time?

Podia Creator Casey Richardson is the founder of BLAZE Group, a coaching and consulting enterprise focused on Black female entrepreneurs. She shares a powerful story that turns the “everywhere all the time” narrative on its head.

Casey Richardson

“Amazon was incorporated in 1994, and what they sold was books. That was it. 1994, they sold books. Now, the entire time Jeff Bezos knew that he actually wasn’t selling books, he was selling convenience, and he wanted anybody in the world to have convenience, but he decided to start with books.

Why? Because he could get the logistics down, right? He could understand the shipping piece. He could understand online checkout back in 1994 when people just weren’t doing that. And it wasn’t until 1998 that he added something, and at that time it was digital computer games.

We don’t even remember that. But again, it was the same logic. Like, ‘Okay, we have the physical piece down after four years of just perfecting a process, right? Let’s get the digital piece down.’

And then it wasn’t until the turn of the century, that he started adding on all the things, and they do all the things, right?

I would tell the entrepreneur that’s just starting to do the same. Keep the main thing the main thing. It is so hard to do that when we have this culture of perfectionism, productivity, and all of these things.

But it’s just not smart, right? When you have ten fingers and one mouth and two eyes, like there’s only so much you can do no matter how amazing you are.”

As Casey says, “there’s only so much you can do no matter how amazing you are.” That was also the case for Podia creator Becky Mollenkamp, who shares her struggle with feeling like she had to do all the things.

Becky Mollenkamp

“I spread myself too thin, and it’s a mistake I see people making all the time, especially when they’re new. I’m still challenging myself in this area. I would listen to all of the voices, I had too many offers, I was in too many places, and I was throwing out too many opt-ins.

But then you don’t know what’s working and what’s not, right? Then you’re just like, ‘Well, I hope something is.’ And then you feel really in the dark about what to do. Where do I actually focus? What do I do? You gotta do one thing.”

Now over seven years into her coaching business, Becky is backing out of social media entirely and committing to SEO .

Bottom line: It’s possible to build an audience without being everywhere all the time. In fact, here are a few reasons it might be easier and more effective.

4 reasons you should focus on one platform at a time

#1 Focusing on one platform lets you be more consistent

Consistency, or showing up regularly for your audience, is really important when it comes to growing an audience. When you focus on one platform, you give yourself more time to show up consistently.

#2 Focusing on one platform lets you become an expert on that platform

Every platform has unique features and algorithms, so by focusing on one platform, you’ll have an easier time learning which strategies are most effective for getting your content in front of people.

#3 Focusing on one platform can keep you from burning out

Trying to be everywhere all the time, especially if you have limited time and energy, can become overwhelming. When you’re overwhelmed, it’s harder to stay motivated to show up, even if it’s something you're passionate about. Focusing on one platform makes it easier to spend your time and energy sustainably.

#4 Focusing on one platform lets you build a deeper relationship with your audience

Focusing on one platform makes it easier to consistently engage with audience members and you’ll more quickly learn what type of content resonates and provides the most value for your audience.

So what does it look like to choose one bonfire to light as a creator?

Podia creator Em Connors shares her experiences trying various platforms and the reasons she chose to focus on Instagram.

Em Connors

“I tried TikTok. I had a coach who was like, you need to be on TikTok. You’re gonna blow up. I did a 30-day challenge where I had to post five videos a day for 30 days in a row. The audience was so cold, I didn’t make a single friend in 30 days.

Whereas when I went on Instagram, I got DMs all the time from these women who’ve just become my friends. Either they need help or they’re commenting on pictures of my kids, and I haven’t needed to add on another platform. Honestly, I don’t know if I could handle it. I just don’t like being in that state of overwhelm.

I’d rather just pick one platform and be the expert on it and know every in and out, and I do. A lot of my course is just Instagram. And when people ask me about other platforms, I’m like, ‘I’m sorry. I just, it’s not my thing. I don’t do it.’”

Focusing on one platform helps Em stay consistent without becoming overwhelmed, make deeper connections with her audience, and become an expert to the point that she can even teach that platform in her online course. 

To use our bonfire metaphor, Em’s got a blazing fire, and once you’ve got one blazing fire, you can use it to light other piles if you want to.

And don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got the time and energy or some extra help and a solid plan for posting on multiple platforms, go for it. The takeaway here is that you don’t have to. Even if you’ve only got the time and energy to focus on one platform, you can still grow an audience.

So, which platform should you focus on? That’s the topic of our next chapter.