The Content Polymath Podcast

Since I don’t post to substack hardly at all, then make sure you subscribe to the YT channel! https://www.youtube.com/@TheContentPolymath

https://www.polyinnovator.space/the-creator-equation-mini-series-all-posts/Today is a comprehensive breakdown of the creator equation—strategy, automation, and execution—and how content creators can leverage these elements to accelerate growth in the digital renaissance.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Creator Equation and Growth Strategies00:28 Who This Channel Is For: Beginners to Advanced Creators00:57 The Core Formula: Strategy + Automation x Execution01:21 Common Pitfalls in Content Growth and How to Overcome Them02:20 The Role of Automation and Delegation in Scaling Content03:45 The Power of Consistent Strategy and Repetition04:41 Content Strategy: Creating Multiple Pieces from One Live Stream05:38 Maximizing Content Output with Clips, Podcasts, and Posts07:03 Content Distribution: Multi-Platform Repurposing07:59 Tools for Automation: Opus Clip, New Link, and More08:50 Enhancing Content Quality with Raw Recordings and High Resolution09:45 The Importance of Effort and Endurance in Content Creation11:04 Summary: How to Get Ahead of 99% of Creators

►Affiliates:Videos Repurposed with Opus Clip:

https://www.opus.pro/?via=729b77Social Posts Automated with Nuelink:

http://nuelink.com/?via=dustin

Look I’ll be the first to tell you that Substack is cool with how many features it has…. but it just sucks that the features don’t work like they are supposed to.

Let alone that Substack Team Substack team NEVER respond, and their support system is NON-EXISTANT.

Meaning they are not a good choice either, and if the Video Post to YouTube automation worked properly, then I would be set to go here. I’d move both of my shows, and maybe even bring back this newsletter as well.

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Alternatively, there is Spotify for Creators, which isn’t feature rich or great. However it is also free, and I am pretty certain I want to keep doing Video on that platform, as it is important for growth. Apple/Amazon podcasts do not matter.

Spotify is pushing video and clips, and I want to be a part of that push, you should too.

However, like I said they do not have very many features, and I have had dozens of videos fail to upload because of their halfway made upload tool. Meaning I had to redo them, sometimes twice.

That has gotten better, but I still have issues 15% of the time.

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The other options RSS.com, Riverside, and Podcastle aren’t really great either. The latter two are just halfway implemented hosts with their recording software.

A niche is an area of focus for your content creation. Everyone always says “niche down, niche down, niche down”, but in actuality it isn’t that simple.

Yes if you followed one topic, then you’ll grow more sustainably, but not necessarily more rapidly. What matters is that you stay true to yourself, and for a lot of people being polymathic is ingrained in their way of life. This post isn’t about polymathy, but I wanted to make this point.

Sometimes by taking the opposite approach we can be more truthful to our way of life. Making our content stand out more.

Why is it important to be true to yourself

If you carve out just that one niche of your life, that one area of focus, then you leave out the other aspects that make you who you are.

How is someone going to listen to you, if you aren’t being fully represented to them?

Granted I understand this is getting into the philosophical territory, and that doesn’t fully fit into the logical standpoint of search engine optimization and niching down.

Although if you can niche down and be true to yourself, or at least 80%, then great do that. People will see it in your content. I’m making this post for the people like me who would feel incomplete in their works, and therefore the content itself won’t feel as TRUE to them.

How?

How DO YOU be Truthful to yourself, and your interests?

I’m not telling you to jump between topics everyweek. Although if that’s what you WANT to do, then try it. I don’t see it as a waste of time, if it is something you eagerly want to try. I sort of did this with my OmniContent series, where each episode was like this post. A video, blog, and podcast, BUT every episode was a different topic. Unlike this Substack where it is all about content creation.

The problem was my skill level in content, as I wasn’t able to keep up a daily, or even in some cases a weekly cadence.

Meaning my variety approach wasn’t working, and I need to narrow down my CONTENT TYPES. While not the niche topics, just rather the format of the content itself. I learned that lesson, and now I could do either or, but I choose to “niche down”… sort of.

The way I do it is actually that of MULTIPLE NICHES, as I have a “Meta Niche” in “Polymathy”, that is my personal brand’s topic. Rather, it is “Knowledge Management for Polymaths”, which both topics in of themselves are actually quite a meta niches in their own rights. I just chose to combine them, as it felt right for my brand. What about you?

Would you have a Meta Niche?

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Answer the Public

When learning anything about topic finding or SEO, this tool often pops up early on in your rabbit hole. However I wanted to give it a bit of a shoutout, as like with Reddit. You can often find a lot of questions that need to be answered.

If you find that your topic on your content is that of more of a meta niche, or even anti niche, then you might be able to reach more people. At the start of your content journey, I actually wouldn’t try to find your super fans just yet. Or the people for your main topic solely. I would experiment a bit, and see what topics do you actually enjoy creating on. As if you’re like me, then you might find yourself stuck in a topic you don’t care for in the long run, and you need to explore more before you buckle down.

https://answerthepublic.com/

🥡 Takeaways

Again if you haven’t watched the video, and only read the post, I would suggest doing both. Usually I don’t make the two parts separately, but I did this time around. As I really felt I needed to write this post in a separate mindset. To really give you the best overall episode. More logical explanation in the video, and a more philosophical explanation in the post.

This way depending on how your mind works, the message can be received in one of those ways.

I’m not saying don’t niche down, as even generalists sometimes have to. What I am saying is that it is okay if you DON’T niche down. At least for a while, and maybe if you’re more akin to me with a meta-niche. Then perhaps you won’t at all…

I instead created multiple sub-brands, and you really at that point need a strong personal brand (which should theoretically be your overarching meta-niche.

I’m making this post despite it not happening to me, and hopefully it never does. However maybe you’ve gotten your first copyright strike, or maybe even had your channel banned. In the context of YouTube.

However it can happen with any platform, and I’ve seen it happen a number of times on Tiktok for example. Now it is repeatedly stated on this blog that you should never put all your eggs in one basket, that also means don’t just have one account on various platforms. Especially if that platform is important for your business. However that advice doesn’t help you after it already happen. Here is what I think can get you on the right track after getting censored.

Why did happen?

You have to ask yourself firstly what caused this to happen? As you don’t want to let it happen again. Now if you were spreading misinformation, such as in the case of Info Wars or creators like that. Then perhaps it happened for a good reason, but let’s say you were just creating content like normal.

Not to spread misinformation, but to legitimately help people in your niche. Great, then what was the reason you got banned? Did you get targeted? Some female creators/streamers sometimes get hate simply for being a woman, and I’ve had creator friends have some of the worst hate comments for no reason.

Other cases could be that someone didn’t like what you were saying, for whatever reason, and they falsely reported you. Tiktok has really terrible report system, and they tend to punish the wrong people with it too. Ignoring legitimate concerns. At one point I saw a bobcat attack a dog violently on my feed, and I reported it. Only to get a message saying “this doesn’t go against our guidelines”, when it clearly does.

Meaning this section about the in between of did you do something wrong, or did you get falsely removed?

How to get back on track

Now you’re off the course, and you may not be able to make a new account depending on your IP address. Using a VPN is only a temporary solution.

Appealing the strike, ban, or whatever happened to you should be your first recourse. If that isn’t possible, then trying to get your message out there as soon as possible is next. Either through alternative/personal accounts, or through a peer in the space, maybe even an interview show (podcast) would work. The point being if you were wrongly removed, then the message should be shared.

If you have the ability to make a new account, then sometimes all you can do is start over. You have the skills though, and you’ve done it before. Thus it is only a matter of time, and now you’ll be more careful (not saying it was your fault in the first place, as every situation is different).

No matter what it is important to keep moving forward.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Beacons AI

It is more than just a link aggregator, it is a multi-faceted tool. Made for people like the modern creators, which are the types of creators who have many different profiles. Maybe even multiple brands like myself, and Beacons has the features to handle that level of complexity.

Check it out!

🥡 Takeaways

what

Look folks I gave it the ol’College TRY, and I looked at alternatives like Beehiiv (which is becoming more of an all in one creator hub). Not to mention of course Beamly (which has been an all in one creator tool). Although the experiences on there, and not to mention Beehiiv’s insane pricing just do not justify using them for me right now. I think for some people they’re great.

Substack has been an off and on again thing for me for FIVE plus years at this point. From my Fireside Codex personal journal, how to swim newsletter, PIOS Framework newsletter idea, and even my most recent travel blog! They were all valiant attempts at trying to make use of this interesting platform, and reach some awesome people on the Substack Notes social network.

Which I think this Content Polymath one was one of my most successful ventures yet here. Although it is simply diluting my attention, and the constant technical problems Substack Team fails to address or allow us to give feedback on. Are leaving me no choice. The fact that I have to put on my calendar “check to see if the video goes out” every week is just ridiculous.

Not to mention adding in thumbnails, playlist, descriptions, language, AI or kid friendly checkboxes, tags, etc. Most of which are set already in my upload defaults that Substack choose to ignore.

Despite coming back half a dozen different times, which indicates just how much Substack has the potential to offer us creatives. I’ve left disappointed each time.

Now for some people this platform will be perfect! If you are in a region where having a medium or other centralized platforms will block you. Then Substack is way more friendly I would say to people around the world.

Alternatively, if you want a free podcast host, or a way to do livestream journalism. Then I think this is an interesting use case for you.

The Content Polymath is FAR from being done, for I quite literally have at least 64 strong ideas I want to make over the next year. AT MINIMUM, not to mention live updates when new tools/features/platforms come out, as I think the news style of content is still helpful.

I get 100-300k impressions on my site each month, and 7,456 Unique Visitors. Which considering how inconsistent I’ve been on my site that is actually pretty low.

My point is that the traffic is coming because I have a ton of SEO, and more importantly For You… valuable content.

Ever since I started this Substack, it was like a double helix of content streams. The PolyTools Digest on Ghost, and the Content Polymath on Substack. However they’re both the same brand, and they’re both named the Content Polymath now anyways too.

If you would like to check it out and sign up for the newsletters there:

https://polyinnovator.space/tag/the-polytools-digest-omnichannel-content/

I’m even willing to give you FREE Access to my paid posts for a limited time if you decide to move on over! Just shoot me a message.

Here is the post I put out there:

https://polyinnovator.space/im-leaving-substack-again/

This Creator Equation is key to you achieving viral success and massive growth as a content creator. I can’t guarantee it of course, as virality is more slippery than a fish. However I can say that with almost certainty that your success rate will be abysmal if you do not follow the Equation.

It is exactly this reason why many creators fail to grow. They are missing one of the three criteria from the Creator Equation, and once they get it then they start seeing results again. Let’s go over what we talked about in this series.

Why you need all three…

At first I had the strategy, but I was unskilled, and thereby didn’t execute enough. After that I lacked the right tools to fill in my gaps, like clipping for my podcasts, or social post scheduling. Later on I had changed up my content so much, that my old strategy was no longer working. I also just wasn’t even doing it either, but I hadn’t replaced it. Going free form on my execution for far too long.

Its okay to go with the flow every once in a while, but otherwise you need to lock in.

I actually brought back my original strategy from ways ago for this Substack, and I think it is working well. Time will tell.

Once you get your strategy down, tools prepared, and then you can work hard. All three will then compound over time for you. Like AI agents, but before those were even a thing haha.

How to get all three done WELL

Start making content, follow a simple pattern, i.e. once a week. Perhaps around 30 posts in then increase frequency or add in another type.

Once you’ve gotten enough posts under your belt, you decide when that is, add in some automation tools. You don’t want to be paying for anything yet if you don’t have income coming in too. Although social media management is often one of the first I’d suggest paying for to use.

Once you get to 100 posts consider your 2nd or 3rd new content type. Keeping up with the first 1-2 types you already are doing.

Keep executing on your first type, while just adding the layers of the others on top.

Think of it more like an onion, or perhaps an octopus with multiple arms.

🥡 Takeaways

What you do will determine the outcome, of course. However you can accelerate it if you know what you are doing. The more reps you do will teach you, but I can also help you along the way.

Let me know if you’re interested in coaching. Even as deep as we got in the videos of this series, there are a lot more things to learn.

You CAN quantify the progression, and that is what I wanted to show all of you. However it isn’t necessary for everyone, sometimes it is just a matter of doing 10 times the amount of work of your competitor.

Related if you want to know more:

https://polyinnovator.space/tag/the-polytools-digest-omnichannel-content/

When I teach fitness I often strive for reps first with clients, as you need to learn how to do the form of exercise safely and effectively. You only get that experience with the more amount of PERFECT reps you can do. You get perfect reps by doing more regular reps too. For every 4 regular reps, then you’ll probably get 1 perfect rep.

I find that creating content has a similar conversion.

Now that being the case how do you get to the point of doing a large output of QUALITY posts? Quantity LEADS to quality with enough reps under your belt.

Some people get discouraged when I say 100 posts a day, or when they heard Gary Vee say it. They thought to themselves ah Gary you’re crazy, there’s no way I can do that. It is that self-talk that diminishes your potential.

A great comment left by a reader helped inspire this post.

This is powerful. Consistency is often undervalued. Output accumulates and teaches you far more than perfect drafts ever will. That said, balance is key, because if the quality drops too much, you lose your audience’s trust.

Great piece. Pushing me to rethink my cadence. -Lily Raya

“If the quality drops too much, you lose your audience’s trust.”

Its not about trust in this scenario, it is about YOUR Skill as a content creator. While I completely agree that if you lose the trust of your fans, then yes that will lead to failure. However we often over-estimate what level of quality a certain post NEEDS to be. As of the time of this writing, and even when this post goes out. There is a meta right now on YouTube that favors more raw and unedited videos. Every couple years it flip flops to being either highly edited or raw.

As long as the ACTUAL CONTENT of what you are saying is TRUE, HELPFUL, and Explained Concisely. Then that is what truly matters.

Half of the time people might even just be listening to your video in another tab while doing something else anyway.

Back to the comment she share though, how do you get to that “high quality” you want to achieve with your content. If not by doing many many reps to get to that higher amount of “perfect reps” (i.e. quality) in the long run?

The more perfect reps you achieve over the course of your journey, then the more lessons you learn about how to make content. Regardless if it is video, podcasts, or blogs, etc. It doesn’t matter the medium.

Another factor is what constitutes reps? What are posts?

When me or Gary say you should be posting “100 times a day” your first instinct is to think 100 pillar posts, i.e. videos or blogs. No, that’s not it.

Think about making a short form video. You record 30 seconds of wisdom, and you want to post it.

Where do you do it?

While some creators may favor instagram reels over say tiktok, is there a reason why you SHOULDN’T post that same SFV to both of them? No, and in fact you definitely should syndicate/cross post. The one thing I might add to this idea, is that MAYBE, depending on your niche or situation, then you MIGHT change the caption based on the platform. Maybe change the hook based on the performance on another platform. However you really don’t need to in the grand scheme of things (for most creators).

Meaning you have that one video, it is as quality as you can make it.

Thus you should share it as much as possible, to try and reach as many people as possible.

When I first shared my clips from my interviews I was limited by the tool I used on how many platforms I could go on. I chose Tiktok, YT Shorts, Insta Reels, and Pinterest (which Pins were surprisingly really effective).

However now that I don’t have that limitation, and I take each of these videos I post here on the Content Polymath and turn them into clips. I now have posts scheduled out 2x a day across:

YT, Threads, Linkedin company page, blusky, mastodon, instagram, tiktok, twitter, fb reels, fb page, pinterest, and personal linkedin page. Meaning I am now posting those two SFV clips across ELEVEN platforms every day. That is 22 posts right there, and that is only my clips. It isn’t counting the weekly blogs, podcasts, and videos I create as well. That somewhat spread out over the days of the week.

I also post usually written posts at least once a day (unless I’m yapping on threads), across: twitter, blusky, mastodon, fb, linkedin, and threads. Meaning that one written post is also going across 5 platforms everyday. Note: For a while there I was also posting those same notes to yt community posts as well, but you have to do that manually or schedule them separately.

The quality of the post stays the same, the reception of it might change due to the context of the platform, but still.

Meaning getting to that 100 reps a day does not mean you are decreasing the quality. You are simply reaching a wider range of people, platforms, and widening your ecosystem.