Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Solopreneurs Automate Their Business

Welcome to the Streamlined Solopreneur, a show for busy solopreneurs to help you improve your systems and processes so you can build a business while spending your time the way you want. I know you're busy, so let's get started.

Hey, everybody, and welcome to episode 454 of the Streamline Solopreneur. Now, I just got off of about a month of writing straight, just like 24 articles in my podcast Advent project. And while I had a number of contributors, most of the work still fell on me.

And about halfway through it, I started thinking, is this worth it? Am I writing what people are interested in reading? And I think that this is a big problem a lot of solopreneurs have. It is hard to really especially if you have a small audience, it's hard to really understand, what's resonating with your audience, especially if they're not super engaged.

It's something that I struggle with with this podcast. You know, I'm lucky enough to have people write in from time to time, but, I'm usually guessing and looking at analytics and seeing, like, consumption rates of episodes to get an idea of what topics people are most interested in.

And, again, sometimes, it's like, you know, I got a lot of questions about how to work with a VA, so I was reasonably sure that episode would do well. Or my yearly theme episode always does well, and so I keep doing that. But I didn't know that would do well until I did it, and it did well. Right?

So, for today's solo episode, I wanna talk about, how you should plan your content, how you should think about your content, and how I am thinking about my content.

So let's dive into the, one big problem. Right? I'm, I do this format. If you're new here, a lot of my solo episodes fall into this format of like one big problem, one small fix, and then feedback or the solution that I'm working with.

So big problem is for solopreneurs, understanding the content that resonates. You don't want to constantly put out content that's just not working for your audience or Google or whatever. Right? You wanna make sure that if you're going to put a few hours into writing that blog post or creating that video or recording a podcast episode, that you're reasonably sure it's going to resonate with people. And so you definitely wanna put out new content, but you also wanna do more of what's working.

So you need to find the balance of putting out new content with popular content, and understanding what your audience is looking for, from you. Because if you don't, then you're just churning out content and you're wasting time and energy, and you'll probably burn out.

I stopped publishing to Medium this year because last year, I would cross-post all of my articles from casabona.org and podcastworkflows.com to crickets. And in November, I wrote an article called, I think my note taking system is too complicated or is my note taking system too complicated. Some kind of dumb clickbaity, you know, Breteridge's law of headlines question to get people to read it, and that's doing reasonably well. It's not driving people to my mailing list. I know that much. And so, you know, people are commenting and clapping or whatever, but I'd rather, like, people find that article on my website.

And I don't think Medium is doing anything to help people discover and get them into my ecosystem. And so, it was an experiment, and experiments are important, but you also need to assess the data from those experiments after a while. And I was just spinning my wheels putting stuff on really on both Medium and Substack.

Substack isn't doing much for me either because I want to get people on my actual mailing list. Right? I don't, I'm not publishing to Substack. I'm not leveraging the monetization functionality over at Substack. And so that's a waste of time. Right?

My personal blog is a little bit different because it's something, it's coming up on 20 years actually, 20 years old where I feel a little bit more free to write kind of what I'm thinking about (benefit of a personal blog). But I also want people to find my website on Google. And so I wanna make sure I'm not, like, putting all of this time and effort into content that people don't really care about.

And so as you approach how you're going to do content in 2025, I think, everything that's old is new, right? I think “the way of the last few years was to “create content on social media and then see how it resonates with that audience, and then turn it into bigger content”.

I don't think that works anymore and I'm working on a piece called Is Our Blogs making a comeback in 2025 because I've been hearing rumblings from lots of people that social media is just not what it used to be as far as reach and resonance. And, you know, Google and, ChatGPT and now AI-based searches are probably the way forward. I think, right? And the best way to, I'm not an SEO expert, so I can't say the best way, but I believe the best way to show up in those places is to have your own blog on your own website where you're publishing content.

So you need to understand what resonates. And, the reason for that tangent is I don't think social media is a good litmus test for what resonates anymore. I think social media is a good place for outrage and for random thoughts and stuff like that, but I increasingly feel that it's not a good place for content strategy.

So in lieu of that, what do you do? How do you figure out the content that you should be making? This is a really hard thing. Right? Unless you constantly have people telling you what you wanna hear about and asking you questions, you don't really know what to publish.

And so part of how you figure out what to write about or make videos about or talk about is to dig into analytics and data. And that's the “one small fix”.

So if you're trying to figure out what to talk about, and I will say this is a problem I've had for my whole life. I think, well, I'm interested in this or this is something that I want to know more about or that I think people want to know about and it just isn't. It's just something that was bespoke or only interesting to me or something like that.

So you need to you need to use data. Right? There are a few things that you can do. First of all, always ask for feedback. Right? If you want to hear me talk about something on this show or you have a question about something I've talked about, you can go to [streamlinedfeedback.com] streamlined feedback. That's with a ‘d’ Streamlined with a ‘d’ feedback.com. It'll be linked in the show notes and over at [streamlined.fm/43, gosh, 454.

But, you know, ask people for questions or if people are writing into your website asking questions, if they're commenting, or if they are, you know, if you do have a particularly engaged social media presence, look for the questions there. Right?

My best content has come from people engaging with my LinkedIn posts and asking me questions there, you know, about how to work with the VA or just various podcasting questions. And so you wanna leverage that. Right? The best source is questions from your audience because those are real people and they have real questions.

In lieu of that, you do want to look at your in your analytics. Right? No matter what analytics you're using. I use Google Analytics. I might be switching to Fathom Analytics or something else this year, but Google Analytics and Google Search Console have served me well. Right? In diving into those things, and I use, I have Jetpack installed on my WordPress site, so I can see that information too.

Diving into those. I get a good idea of what blog posts routinely do well, and what is ranking well in Google. And that's the kind of stuff I can double down on, right? This is a tale as old as algorithmic discovery. If you do something well, double down on that because that's what the algorithm wants to recommend. Right? This is why like it's Bobby Finn, on TikTok and Instagram keeps putting out those English language videos that I strongly recommend you check out because they're hilarious. Right? But, this is why YouTubers consistently focus on one topic because this is what YouTube knows they do well. They're getting positive signals from their user base that people want to see this person talk about this topic. Right?

And so Google probably works a little bit differently. ChatGPT and others, AI-based searches. Jerry's still out on those as far as like the, you know, how those recommend content. But when you get positive signals from either analytics or actual people, then you start to understand, okay, this is the thing that I should really talk about.

And so whether you're using it again, yeah, I dumped it on social media a little while ago. But if social media works for you and people are getting content, getting your content, and interacting with your content, that's great.

For me, it's a little bit of that, but it's really mostly looking at the analytics for my podcast, looking at the download numbers or more importantly, the consumption numbers. So I can see, you know, how long people are sticking with certain episodes. This is how I discovered that my solo episodes do pretty well because people listen to them longer than my interviews. So as far as, like, percentage consumption goes. And so that's how I knew what to double down on.

So in early December, I started thinking about my content strategy, and I don't want to spin my wheels in 2025. There's a lot of stuff I want to do. And if I want to really improve the search engine ranking of casabona.org, which is what I want to do with my personal rebrand, then I need to understand what Google likes to see for me. And like far and away my most popular articles/videos like /blog posts or whatever are how I've configured my Stream Deck, which up but like updated episode on that coming soon and how to set up the Sony a64100, and then some kind of automation based things.

So looking through the analytics, I was able to figure out 4 topics or 4 types of content that perform well, gear, automation, processes, and systems, which serendipitously, make the acronym gaps. I might have, like, noticed that. Like, I think I maybe found, like, processes for well, I definitely found gear first. Like gear it always does the best. But I don't think I found them in this order. I think I saw the four letters, and I was like, oh, this is gaps.

So, I've been joking that my content strategy for 2025 is helping solopreneurs, fill in their process gaps or fill in the the gaps in their business. So I think this is gonna be a really good direction for me. I've resisted doing gear because I don't wanna be like the gear YouTuber that's always reviewing microphones or something. But I cannot ignore that the Stream Deck article is the absolute no-questions-asked best-performing blog post on my website. I can't ignore that my most popular YouTube video is setting up the Sony 64100 or that my microphone review videos do better than all of my other videos.

So, yeah, I think it would be a disservice to not talk at least a little bit about gear. But with automation processes and systems, I can anchor that gear in streamlining your business or streamlining your work. Right? So, you know, I have 3 Stream Decks now, because I have a problem, but I can anchor the, what you should do with your Stream Deck in running automation and doing things like that, right? I can anchor the, you know, finding the right microphone and gear in. If you invest in good gear, you're not going to spend a lot of time editing crappy audio, or something like that, right? Or if you find the right portable gear, then you can more quickly produce, relatable content stuff like that.

So let me run I mean gear is self-explanatory, but like automations processes, and systems almost kind of sound the same, but they fit together nicely like Lego pieces. And I was really struggling with how to tell you how all of this stuff fits together without using the word process or systems too much. So I asked my good friend, ChatGPT what it thought. Right? Or how it would describe this stuff. And so, the input that I provided was like automation are the specific low-level actions. Right? You're gonna automate one piece of a thing. Like, when I follow up with someone, mark them as followed up in my CRM. That's an automation. Right?

Processes are kind of specific workflows. Right? Like they're the processes are the specific thing. Right? So I have a process for managing all of my leads. Right? And then the system is the big structure. So, like, I have a system in place in Notion to keep track of all of my leads. Right? And so I was again, I like, even that is a little word salady. And so I asked ChatGPT how it would describe this stuff, and I think it does this really well.

Automations execute tasks within processes. Processes fit within systems, defining how specific workflows operate, and systems are the overarching structure that keeps everything aligned and running smoothly. By defining it continues. By defining these clearly, you can identify gaps. Are you missing a process? Could automation streamline something? Or do you need a better system to support everything? And so I really, I love this because it, I think it took what was a word salad in my brain and turned it into a good framework here.

And so as I write more content, yes, I will talk about the gear, but I will talk about the gear in the context of how you can leverage it for automation or how it can fit into your process. When I talk about automation, I will give specific examples, and then I can give the bigger picture. This is why you should have a process for this, and this is the stuff you can automate.

And for systems, which I think is maybe the hardest thing. Right? I think, like, people look at processes and systems the same way, but the system is the broader framework or structure. Right? It encompasses, as ChatGPT says here, tools, workflows, and people. So, like, my I have a system for publishing my podcast episodes. Part of that system is the process of getting guests. One of the automation for getting guests is when they book a recording time with me, they get added to Notion.

On the other side of that system is a process for handing off the files to my editor. So the process is I put all of the things in Dropbox, all the files for an episode, and then my editor takes them and makes the edits. I have an automation that when all of the files when there are 4 files in an episode folder, automatically emails my editor and updates the status in Notion.

So that's how all those processes come together to form the greater system of my podcast product of podcast production where I only really need to talk. Right? I've taken everything off of my plate inside this system. If we step, take one step back from that and I look at my system for how I Timebox will say, I have
processes for blocking time on my calendar, setting it up, like setting up my computer so I don't get distracted, and starting a timer.

Inside of that process is when I start a focus mode using the app focus on my computer and automation kicks off that asks me what timer I want to start. And then when the focus mode is over, the timer automatically stops. And my lights change to let me know I'm switching context.

So the system is how I do work. The process is putting my computer in a mode conducive to me getting that work done, and the automation are inside time tracking and setting my environment to put me in the right mindset.

So lots of systems, processes, and automations in place that I can talk about throughout the year because I dug into the analytics and I know this is what people are going to my blog and my podcast and my YouTube channel for. And that's super exciting because that really does align with the rebrand that I have yet to talk about. I'm gonna have Holly on the show to talk about this.

And I think if I had just used some signals I was getting from social media, then, I would just only talk about how to get sponsors for your podcast. And I don't wanna do that or, like, how to grow your podcast. And I don't wanna do that because that's not a that, I don't feel like that is a unique enough proposition for me. I know lots of smart people who are way better at growing podcasts than I am. I know lots of smart people including my friend Justin Moore who I do work for, who can help people with sponsors better than I can.

So that is my experience, but my unique value proposition is building systems, processes, and automation with a little sprinkling of gear.

So that's what I am thinking about for this year for my content strategy. What I would encourage you to do is if you don't have, if you don't feel like you have a lot of content or analytics to look at, then talk to people on social media. Ask on social media. Hey. I am gonna, I wanna write more about x, y, and z. What questions do you have about x, y, and z? Right? And I suspect if you have any sort of following, people will answer. Ask your mailing list. Hey. What do you wanna hear about?

And, you know, if you've produced any content, look at the analytics to see what's doing well as well as experiment. Right?

I wrote a blog post recently called “You Don't Have To Work on Weekends”. Nothing in analytics told me to write that blog post, but it is something I've been thinking about and it's something that I want to help solopreneurs understand. Right? I wanted, like, part of, one of my, spiky points of view or strong opinions is the hustle culture is A: bad in general, but B: a young person's game. Right? As I have gotten older and have kids, I never liked hustle culture, but I wouldn't be a present father if I adhered to hustle culture, and being a present father is way more important to me than making Alex Hormozi money. Right?

And so, you know, that is analytics weren't in there, but it was it was easy enough for me to write. It's something I feel. It's like Manifesto Y for me, and manifesto is such a negative connotation. I don't know why I use that word, But it's like it's a core pillar of how I want to help people. And so I put that out there. And if it does well, I'll write more stuff like that. But analytics is a big part.

So, again, if you're looking for a system for figuring out what to write, and what to talk about in your content, ask on social media, look at your analytics, and experiment. I don't have a catchy acronym for that yet because I'm just thinking through it here with you, or at least I'm laying it out here with you. But this is what you can do. Right?

And then for the process, you wanna capture, what you're seeing and what you're so, like, you can use something like Notion or Obsidian or just the notes app if you want. And as far as the automation go, you can use something like Publer or Buffer or one of these other social media sharing tools, to test out some stuff on social media, on your blog, or wherever you choose to publish and try iterate, but note the analytics. Right? I would say reviewing your every week is a lot. Maybe monthly. Review your analytics and see what's changed.

I know here's a here's a really simple automation. Google Search Console emails me every month with what content did well, and what content is rising. And so I'm getting those signals for, okay, maybe I should talk about this more. Maybe I should take this rising blog post and update it because it's a little old and people seem to want more of it.

So that's what I've got for you today. Thanks so much for listening. If you want to send feedback on this episode or anything I've talked about, you can head over to [streamlinedfeedback.com]. You can also find links to everything I talked about in the description below or over at [streamlined.fm/454].

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, I'll see you out there.