Hi Reader,
I recently started following a blog called “Net Influencer” that reports on news and updates within the online landscape. They shared an article called “How the Creator Economy Actually Works in 2026” that had a really interesting breakdown I wanted to share.
In the early days of social media, like mid-2010s, you may or may not remember that feeds actually used to be capped. You would literally run out of posts to view because it was all about who you followed.
Remember that? If you followed 10 people, your feed would be much shorter than someone who followed 100 or 500 people.
Since then, many social media platforms have figured out that you can hold users' attention much longer by showing them interest-based content rather than follower-based.
From their article, Net Influencer says, "A feed built on interest can pull from everything ever posted and serve you the single most engaging item available right now.”
What does that mean?
Algorithms nowadays don’t care who you follow because they’re going to be sharing stuff with you that you didn’t ask for, simply because they think you’ll like it more.
Think about it: how many posts and videos do you see from people you didn't know yesterday? Did you see content you didn’t ask to see, for better or worse?
As a result, posts have a very short shelf-life nowadays (even the most viral ones), going viral or dying within the first 48 hours depending on how its received by users during that time.
So what should I do to build my following?
My first answer is to not overcomplicate things.
I'm a big fan of Ralph Lauren as a person, and he once said: "Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever."
I love that sentiment because it doesn't downsell you. Have you ever seen an advertisement for a Rolls Royce? They're worth enough to know they would never stoop to cheap marketing theatrics like ads.
The same goes for you. If you know your stuff, it'll find its way to the right people one way or another. May just take a little time is all.
My second answer is to tell you to stay consistent.
It doesn't -- or at least shouldn't -- matter how you do what you do to get your name, voice, brand, etc. out there. What matters is that whatever you choose, you stick with it.
- Newsletter → Twice a month, no exceptions
- Social Media → At least one educational video clip per week
- Webinars → One a quarter, anything else is a bonus
However ambitious your goals are, or however confused you may be, remember this: the antidote to change is consistency.
Good luck out there, and feel free to reply with your thoughts!
Onward,
Lauren Erickson
Founder & CEO of Onwardbound Marketing
I help smart people make money from what they already know.