Same as it ever was
Seth Godin on "...the last decade of Google's relentless push to make blogs less popular":
The systemic shift to centralized, monetized attention has been going on for a while, and it's unlikely that any of us are going to change that. The path forward for an independent creator might be the same as it has always been:
- assume that 'traffic' is a random gift, not a resource to be depended upon. serve the smallest viable audience instead of chasing clicks.
- earn permission to follow up directly with subscribers. publish ideas that your audience will benefit from sharing.
- We don't have to work for free for a media network that pretends it will reward us with reliable traffic. Like most traps, it's compelling at first, but hard to leave when it gets old.
Traffic is a random gift. Building affinity is the deliberate work.
Attract attention > Give gifts > Earn affinity > Capture value
Attract attention from the smallest viable audience.
Give gifts by rewarding attention with generosity.
Earn affinity by turning permission into commitment.
Capture value with the patronage model that fits the relationship.
Giving gifts is not the same as working for free.
The trick is to be strategic without becoming cynical.
At every stage, you want to create more value than you are trying to capture.