4 Content Myths: Cutting through the Bullshit

There between a lot of talk about views versus engagement on beBee. People wonder what the heck is happening. How is it possible to have 5000 views but only 19 comments and 20 relevants? (Those stats are from my last post, BTW.)

I've even read a suggestion that the view counts are faked. Bullshit. They aren't. 

I expected to have that few engagements on even 5000 views. Particularly in this case. It's a re-post from LinkedIn.

To be completely honest, I'm surprised they are that high. 

No, I've not lost my mind.

At least, I don't think so.

I think it's high time we cut through some bullshit. 

BS #1: More Views bring more engagement

Nope, not directly anyway. 

Actually, the more the views the lower the engagement rate. Actual engagement numbers may be higher. Percentage-wise it's always lower. A lot lower.

If you think about it, you'll see why it makes sense.

For maximum engagement, a post must be tightly tailored to a specific readership. As views rise, it's less likely any particular viewer is part of the targeted readership.

It's just the way it is. There's nothing you can do about it, so why worry?

BS #2: Big Views drive comments

Views do not drive any form of engagement at all, connections do.

It's a matter of human nature.

People do not engage with people they don't know. Well, that's not 100% accurate. Most people won't. Very few will engage on the first contact. A few more on the second. More on the third, etc.

Statistically, most people will read 10.4 things before they even start thinking of engaging.They need to develop a sense of familiarity. How much is enough, varies with the individual.

I talk to strangers in the checkout line. My wife's thinks I'm nuts. She is much more reserved.

Content Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Everybody who knows what they're doing

So, when I look at 5000 views on my beBee post, I remember I only have 238 connections here. Then I remember that most of them already saw the post on LinkedIn.

Thirty-odd engagements now look pretty good.

There is a point you need to take away from this. If you just re-post what you already posted on LinkedIn, don't expect much engagement. Your connections have already seen it. They've already engaged with it.

Try posting original content. You'll get things moving much faster.

Let's look at this another way. 

Let's say you see a woman walking down the street. She is quite beautiful. She exudes an air of warmth coupled with confidence. That amplifies her attractiveness.

Do you run across the street to compliment her and ask her out? 

Hell no! That would be creepy as hell.

No, you just admire from afar. That's a View.

Another time, you cross paths on the sidewalk. You nod and smile. That's a relevant/like.

After seeing her a few times, maybe you're in line at a checkout. You make small talk. That's a comment.

Another time you ask her to dinner and she accepts. That's a conversion.

It's Baby Steps.

One baby step after another leads to eventual conversion. Not every time. Not for everybody. But, often enough to make it worthwhile.

BS #3: Without Engagement, you're wasting your time.

I'm guilty of perpetuating this point. I once wrote a post titled "Views Suck!" On their own they do, but they aren't completely useless. 

It comes back to the fact that engagement through content is a marathon, not a sprint. 

I get it. We want results and we want them NOW!

Our bosses and clients are breathing down our necks screaming about ROI. The ROI is there. 

It just comes at its own pace. 

We can't will it into existence.

There's really no way to know who is lurking in the background, and what their intentions are.

Two of my last three clients have been benevolently stalking me for months. One started following my posts back in July of 2015. The other started in September.

They never commented. They may have liked. They didn't even invite me to connect. They just read and absorbed. When the need for a ghostwriter came up, they engaged.

I'm fine with that. But look more closely.

They converted after 85 posts! 

Yes, 85 posts.

You have to keep sowing the seeds. Some seeds will  fall on rich soil and sprout right away. Others, will fall on concrete and die. Still others will be picked up by birds and shoes and brought somewhere unexpected. 

They will sprout when you least expect them.

Most people I speak to only consider the first ones, the seeds that fall on rich soil. That's short-sighted. Most seeds don't fall there.

The Magic of Big Numbers

I don't go nuts over the number of views I get. 

Still, I like the idea of getting whatever ones I earn. There's no extra work on my end. I should get the benefit of whatever organic reach my posts can muster. That's why I like publishing here on beBee.

Here, I post to three hives. Readers post to other hives. That is Big Number Distribution, and that's a good thing. 

Big Number Distribution drives Views and so we get a lot of them. It does not drive engagement. It's just the first Baby Step towards connection.

Connection drives engagement.

Engagement comes in its own time. It's slow. 

Conversion is even slower.

Patience, Grasshopper, patience. Stick with it. 

You'll get there, one Baby Step at a time.

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