11 Comments
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Woman Over Forty's avatar

I think a lot of us are over performing for algorithms and ready for more connection.

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Sharon McRae's avatar

I hate the idea that we need to be posting continually to be seen. I deeply value authentic connection, not followers, not likes or hearts. So I shut down my LinkedIn account and am close to doing the same with Threads. Such a relief!

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Alexis Campbell's avatar

This is where I am! I’m about to pull the plug on LinkedIn too, I love Substack! It’s hard because I know my ideal clients are on LinkedIn, but I hate constant fight to get my posts seen.

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Dawn Pulgine's avatar

This was terrific. Thank you! I already feel the relief.

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Nina Medić's avatar

I've been posting on Substack for one year, and honestly, it's been a struggle to continue and find what really works for me. BUT, just like you said, a huge relief came when I realised that the only right way to do things here is to do them MY way instead of trying to copy what worked for others. And it's soooo freeing!

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Andi Bitay's avatar

Nina, I really love what you’re doing. We have so much in common! The most important thing is to enjoy writing here, everything else will follow.

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Nina Medić's avatar

I couldn't agree more! Thank you so much Andi, for everything you do here. It's beautiful!

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Elise Skibik's avatar

Well done on your growth and perseverance this is inspiring thank you for sharing you experience with us

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Alexis Campbell's avatar

I resonated with this so much! I also tend to do exactly what I tell my clients NOT to do 😅. The part about having more time to think about what you want to say and produce content that’s valuable not just clever - THIS is my reasoning for making myself choose just 1 platform - I need this in my life! Currently on LinkedIn predominantly, but brand new to Substack and love it so much more.

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The Quietly Thriving Artist's avatar

I agree with the comment above about being over performing for the algorithm, but I think in practice it can be hard to break free from its chains. Most algorithms love “sameness” and reward us for it. So when we set out to do things differently, we might not even realize that still we’re doing whatever everyone else is. I love that “the dip” gave you the awareness to finally break free and find your true voice. It’s encouraging to see that Substack’s long form content does reward uniqueness (though I feel like Notes is closer to other social media in that regard), and gives us the space to create the genuine connections that so many of us are longing for.

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Eric Woods's avatar

This is 100% true in my experience. I recently got medicated for ADHD, and I expected it to help me with prioritizing projects to help finish. After all, it’s supposed to help me focus, right?

And yes, it does help me focus on my individual tasks, but the thing is it’s not going to magically give you clarity of vision or purpose. That’s what gets you through the dip.

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