Being OK with most people not reading
Like it or not, not everyone who subscribes to your newsletter will read it.
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 213
I get that in the grand scale of things related to Substack, that my small list of subscribers may not amount to much.
I get it and I’m OK with that.
I wasn’t (at least, not a year ago). I thought i would have been farther along, you know? I thought i might have attracted a few hundred subscribers.
Other people are doing it.
Why not me? Why not you?
Well? It’s complicated, and to be honest, the sooner you accept the complication, the better, and the better you’ll become as a content creator. Let me explain:
If you're just starting out as a content creator—and that’s whether you're writing blogs, recording videos, or posting on social media—you need to hear, accept, and adapt to a hard truth: Not everyone is going to read your stuff.
READ THAT AGAIN.
The sooner you become OK with this will be the moment you up your content game, because by not accepting this simple point, you’re catering to the myth of universal appeal, which is a huge mistake.
What is the myth of universal appeal?
Well, it’s the belief that your content will appeal to everyone.
WRONG!
Sadly for you, “everyone” is not your audience.
You need to be specific. You need to get granular.
My audience is beginner content creators: people who are just getting start; folks who are a year or so behind me. While I’m no expert on content creation, what I DO have is over a decade of experience answering questions on a major online forum.
As for my personal website and my presence on Substack, I’m on a personal mission to help 1,000,000 content creators get better at sharing their message.
A lofty goal? It sure is. But here’s the thing. According to a June, 2024 article on Forbes.com:
Every day sees the creation of 252,000 new sites, adding to the diverse and ever-growing online world. Among these, 192,888,216 sites are active, serving as essential nodes in the vast web of global connectivity and information exchange.[1] SOURCE
That’s roughly 91,980,000 new websites created every year.
How many of those website owners know how to create content?
I have no idea, but even if just 0.25% of those sites need content creation advice, that means I have a potential audience of 229,950 people. And if only 1% of those people find me, that’s a potential micro audience of, 2,300 people, give or take a few.
While i get that my maths is probably off here, the point is, I know I’m aiming at a small audience. But I’m OK with that.
See, here’s the problem: many beginners fall into the trap of believing their content should appeal to everyone.
They tweak headlines to be as broad as possible, they avoid sharing strong opinions to avoid offending anyone, and they water down their message in hopes of attracting … well … everyone.
But here’s the problem: The more you try to please everyone, the less you resonate with anyone. READ THAT AGAIN.
The internet is a huge, jumbled, noisy, and chaotic place. People around the world have varied interests—some of that attention is specific, some of it is general, and some of it is hyper focused.
Added to this, most of those people and drowning in content—THEY’VE GOT CONTENT COMING OUT OF THEIR EARS FOR CHRIST’S SAKE—and most of that content is complete garbage—it’s eye candy, it’s click bait, it’s mental and social bubble gum, it’s trivial crap—and the only way they’ll stop scrolling for your content is if it speaks directly to them.
Their pain. Their need. Their problem. Their dream. Their desire.
That means specificity—YOUR SPECIFICITY—beats generality every, single, time.
When you accept that not everyone will read your articles, you free yourself to write for the people who will. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the power of a niche audience!
Think about it for a minute:
If you write for "everyone," your message is vague and forgettable. It’s invisible.
If you write for a specific group—say, "new freelance writers struggling to find clients"—your content becomes a magnet for the THOSE specific readers.
The goal in all of this isn’t mass appeal—you’re not daytime TV—your goal is meaningful, lasting, personal connection. A small, engaged, interested, and intrigued audience is infinitely more valuable than a large, uncaring, indifferent one.
But know this and note it well: rejection is part of the process.
A few loud mouthed people will unsubscribe from your list. Let them.
Go on. Be off with you! Don’t let the door smack you in the ass.
A few disillusioned people will bitch, moan, and whine about something you write. Let them. You’re never going to reach those people anyway so why waste your time with them?
Even the biggest names in content creation have readers who ignore their work.
Seth Godin doesn’t worry about the people who skip his daily blog.
Neil Patel isn’t losing sleep over marketers who never click his SEO guides.
As a beginner, you’ll inevitably face indifference and criticism—maybe even outright hostility! But trust me, that’s not a sign that you’re failing. It’s evidence that you’re putting your work out there and that it’s getting attention.
Instead of chasing clicks, likes, and comments from people who don’t care, focus on serving those who do.
Write for the readers who:
Actually need your advice, want to hear about your experiences, and who make time to sit down and read, listen, or watch.
Share your perspective, your outlook, and with your philosophy and tour approach.
Engage with your ideas, with your thoughts, and with your opinions.
Those are the people who will come back again and again, they’re the people who will share your work, and over time, when you give them the chance, they’re also the people who will become your truest and biggest fans.
Finally, get used to the idea of letting go of the need for other people’s approval. Your content isn’t for everyone—and that’s its strength. The sooner you embrace that, the sooner you’ll attract the audience that truly matters.
So the bottom line is this: keep writing, keep publishing, and don’t sweat the ones who scroll past.
The right readers are out there waiting for you. Go and find them!
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
Feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree: Write less, say more …
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.