“One who is everywhere is nowhere.”
-Seneca
That might seem weird to have a quote that essentially says don't spread yourself too thin, on the very post talking about doing just that. Well I don't see it that way, and let me tell you why.
By being everywhere it does not mean you are 'nowhere' or 'spreading yourself too thin', for you just have to do it effectively.
This post is meant to explain what I mean by that ^, and how I enact my plan to counter this fallacy (much respect to Seneca!).
Omnipresence is great, but it is technically impossible...
Technology has surpassed every prediction people made over the past few hundred centuries. We have things that people couldn't have even dreamed up, and this is why although I agree with Seneca that we should focus, but I think the quote is misused.
Welcome to the OmniBlog where I write about anything I feel is worth talking about, and today it is the matter of being multidisciplinary in a specialist world.
Had this discussion with someone on the Polycast, for in fact it was my first guest on the show Dale Obrochta. One of the biggest reasons he came on the show in our initial DM's, was that we disagreed on the the polymathy ethos.
I think over the discussion we saw each other's viewpoint greater, and it was a respectful intellectual discourse.
Why I think you can be Everywhere
Something that Dale brought up, and I've heard many of times since; Is the concept of temporary focus. Where you lock in on one thing, then expand out after. Yes, of course, but some people physically in their brains aren't wired that way. #neurodivergent, and other people such as myself feel so deeply in their chest that it is not the right path.
At least in that moment.
Let me be the first to say to all of the other people out there like me, that we are wrong sometimes, and focus is crucial (gotta stick to it and gain grit). However I do believe in the power of juggling and interleaving.
Having Range, Focus, and the 80/20
I love social platforms, and I'm not sure if it is because I am social butterfly in person or something else. However when I find a new platform to explore there is a fun time experiencing it.
That's great and all, but that fun-ness will expire. Not to mention having more platforms means you have to be beholden to multiple audiences. To a degree you should cater your content to what they like, but oftentimes it is better to make what YOU want to make.
I realize not everyone identifies with the generalist lifestyle, even if it is in our human history. Some people really depend on specialization in their life. I've always said that even specialists should go T-shaped, or venture out into multi-specialties. However I understand the opportunity cost too.
I get that you don't have the time for every platform. You might have more than you think though too, so keep that in mind! One note to make is that you should focus AT FIRST, on just one, just so you can gain the basic skills. I started with my wordpress blog for example. However that time focusing on just one is often far longer than it should be, as people fail to expand quick enough. All the big creators, and the aforementioned Dale, speak on focusing on just one. However you can spend 20% of your time exploring, then spreading out over time. 80% on your main one.
Here is the solution... you don't HAVE to be everywhere.
Repurposing Your Content makes it FAR Easier
Dustin Miller | PolyInnovator
How the Ecosystem Works
The ecosystem of content I am referring to is the methodology I am describing to be everywhere on the internet. Dustin, didn't you just say you DON'T have to be everywhere??
Yes.
The System works because of the Weakest links
My uncle who was dabbling in content was talking to me about the omnichannel strategy, and being a more specialist minded person; He couldn't fathom being everywhere. It wasn't that he was incapable to do so, but rather he came from a different point of reference. Just like how I come from a more generalist point of view, and I have to make myself micro-focus.
Micro-focusing allows you to spend that 20% of the time on a new platform, and that is where my "phases" come from for PolyInnovator. While the current phase may take 80% of my attention, the other ones take 20% ish. The same principle applies to the platforms.
One thing to keep in mind is the fact that you don't have to be physically on each platform to count it. When my uncle was confused by my explanation it was clear he hadn't experienced the plethora of tools out there.
From the simple social sharing of Buffer, to the complex data analytics of Sendible, and even the repurposing of stuff like repurpose.io and joincombo.com!
They allow you to take the pressure off of you, and funnel into one page the information you need.
This post really sums up well the Equation:
Dustin Miller | PolyInnovator
What platforms am I on?
Ghost CMS, Tiktok, Spotify, YouTube, Mastodon, Dtube, Special.tv, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Sociall, Revue, Substack, Medium, Vocal.media, Google/Apple/Amazon podcasts, matchmaker.fm, pickmybrain.world, reddit, hive.blog, discord, xbox/playstation/steam/origin, twitch, Trovo, quora, dLive, and many more.
So why did I list all of those out? Am I on all of them all of the time? Well the simple answer is no I am not, but I do have a presence on most of them. The ones I don't have much on yet, are ones for future phases like PolyInnovator Gaming (where I'll be on the streaming platforms more).
The point is with tools like restream.io or repurpose.io, you can be in multiple places at once. I also set up various automations to send out my basic links to the main platforms like twitter or linkedin, which does it automatically and I don't have to worry too much. I will say there is some tweaking that needs done from time to time, but that amount of work is far less than having to make the posts myself.
You can also syndicate your content. For example my Instagrams go to Pinterest, or another one is that you can for the most part post the same video to tiktok/reels/shorts. My Teleinnovator videos go to YouTube, and eventually to Special.tv as well.
The idea is that you can use Technology to Help you Create
Why does it matter? Well you want to be where people can find you. I even made a Google my Business page. People think you have to physically be the one posting to every platform, or perhaps curating/creating content specifically for each platform.
No, you don't have to master every one, and sure you should contextualize to the best you can for each one. It isn't good to just share the same thing twice, especially if one platform uses a different aspect ratio than the other. But Dustin you just said to share the same video to tiktok, reels, and shorts! Yes, but that is only something you can do for a short time, as of the time of this writing. Eventually you will get more penalized for it in some way, maybe Instagram will check your Youtube or something, I don't know how far they'll go lol.
Personal Takeaways
I want you to leave here thinking you don't need to just focus on one platform. Surely when you are starting out for the first maybe say three months, focus on one big thing. Your Pillar content as it is called, and that is either your blog, video, or podcast. In my case I actually combined them all into the OmniContent, where I make a blog, I use it for bulletpoints, then make a video, and then cut out the audio.
You will need a passion for content that is for sure, but if you're here reading this then I am sure you have it.
Sometimes it comes just from just simply creating. My desire to make more content CAME from creating a ton of content already. The more I made, the more ideas I had, and then it just multiplied. You chose this path for some reason or another, and channel that thought process into the passion of creating.
You need a pillar content, which is why everyone and their mother says focus/niche/narrow yourself, but that is just the beginning point. You take that pillar, or pillars, and then chop it up across a multitude of platforms. Some specific for contextual platforms, and some just syndicating across similar apps like shorts and reels.
PolyInnovator is Everywhere, and so Should YOU
By being everywhere you dramatically increase your chances at being discovered, and not only that but you learn the context between all platforms. Giving you a new perspective that you can then translate into a new innovative idea for another platform.
You don't have to spread yourself so thin that you can't focus, for you just need to have the right strategy and tools to be omnichannel.
This article is made with the passion of being multidisciplinary, and that mindset will help you be successful across the board. Find what topic makes you the most happy, and then create content around it. Express that passion, who knows you probably have a perspective that no one else has. More than likely you do already.
