Content Creation

If you want to develop a content strategy that works, you’re in the right place.

My niche blog has 234 organic ranking keywords (August 2024), and I only started my content strategy for this website in April 2024 after removing every page and post to start a new niche.

Much of my content is page one SERPs or featured snippets, and my site is still small.

People get hung up on planning a content strategy, but it isn’t difficult to plan and implement an effective one. It’s about producing good quality content that is relevant to your audience. That might include sharing your failures as well as the many successes.

Let’s dig in to see if you’re ready to start and create a content strategy for your business.

What is A Content Strategy?

A Content strategy is a roadmap for creating and publishing content for specific media for a target audience.

A well-crafted content strategy is a bridge between what your audience needs and your business goals. It involves carefully considering the type of content to create, when and where to publish it, and how to measure its impact.

At the heart of your content strategy, the goal is to attract the right audience. You might start to work on your blog with an SEO content strategy.

After that, you might curate the blog content for various social media channels in a different format, such as video content on YouTube, reels or stories on Instagram or bit-sized text on LinkedIn.

Does Every Business Need A Content Strategy?

From the get-go, you can make your job easier with a cohesive content strategy. It helps to manage your thoughts and ideas and plan months ahead instead of a mad panic each week trying to decide what content to create (as many businesses do)

Why Your Business Needs A Content Marketing Strategy

From 2022 to 2023, I wrote two blogs weekly for a start-up company whose website was not indexed on Google. I planned the entire content strategy.

For the first eight months, it went well. The founder left me to do my job, and the site gained 239 ranking keywords within that time. Many posts were on page one SERPs and a surprising DA53!

The website traffic was growing, trending upwards each week. CTR was good, and everything looked fantastic.

Then, the company hired a CMO who micromanaged the tiniest detail. He had no grasp of the importance of SEO and what it could do for the business had we kept going.

He took me off blog writing and assigned me to menial admin tasks.

It’s an understatement to say it was the worst four months of my working life. When I left, the website lost 50% of the organic keywords, and traffic declined.

The CMO criticised me for the drop in statistics, despite that he’d been the one who decided my SEO content skills weren’t needed.

#1: Define Goals for Your Content Strategy

What do you want to achieve with your content strategy? Publishing content for the sake of it is a waste of time. Here are a few possible ideas: –

1. Affiliate Marketing
2. Get Ranked in SERPs
3. Generate organic leads
4. Boost brand awareness
5. Make sales or appointments
6. Gain subscribers to your newsletter
7. Qualify for ad revenue with Google AdSense or Mediavine

Once you have established your goals, you can determine if a content strategy will help you achieve those goals and which media to focus on.

Before creating content, it’s essential to determine what stage your audience is at

• BOTF (Bottom of the funnel): Your prospects have become familiar with your content and are ready to decide whether to buy from you. They could be a subscriber to your newsletter list
• MOTF (Middle of the funnel: Your prospects understand their problem and seek solutions. Be aware some may not be ready to buy because they’re exploring free options
• TOTF (Top of the funnel): The TOTF starts your prospect’s journey with your content. It’s your job to create awareness and maybe have a capture page offering a free lead magnet. The goal is to educate your audience and get attention to your products, services or brand.

When creating a content plan, determine a strategy for each sales funnel stage.

#2: Researching Your Audience for A Content Strategy

Time spent researching and understanding your target audience is worth the effort. It will help you plan an effective content strategy.

• Where does your audience hang out?
• What social platforms do they engage with?
• What type of content do they prefer (video, stories, reels, text)?
• Are they business-to-business professionals (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C)?

Be aware that social media platforms change constantly. For example, Facebook shares more video content than it used to, Instagram stories seem to get more sales than reels, and LinkedIn is a mixed bag of content.

Connect your site with Google Console and Analytics. I also recommend Metricool’s social media management tool, which is free for up to 50 posts/monthly.

If you connect to your accounts, the Metricool software gives helpful statistics on your posts and website.

One platform I have found helpful for research is Instagram Threads. For some reason, people actively share their problems and concerns there.

#3: Focus on Creating Niche-Specific Content

There are a bazillion pieces of content online that will never get seen. It doesn’t share value. It’s plagiarised, poorly put together or random content. For example, if you have a blog and your posts aren’t on page one, you might as well not have bothered creating that content.

Of course, not every blog post can get to page one SERPs or featured snippets, but that should be the goal.

Every piece of content you create should be like a mini business. It must have a specific job to do.

Before creating content, ask the following questions:

• Is it evergreen content?
• How will it help my audience?
• What job do I want this content to do?
• How does it compare to what’s already online?
• Can I create more value than my competitors?
• Do I want the content to educate, inform or entertain?

#4: Measure The Results of Your Content Strategy

I use Google Console statistics daily to assess what content ranks in SERPs and what people click on. Once you have enough traffic, it creates an interesting overview of your audience’s needs and interests.

If you have a post outperforming others, create more of that, but be prepared to adapt as trends change.

Measure metrics in Google Analytics, such as the following: –

• Audience Consumption: How long do they spend on a page, page views, bounce rate, etc
• Social Sharing: What content resonates with your audience that makes them share?
• Where Did Your Audience Come From?: Direct, organic, social media

Dig deep into Google Analytics to get a clear overview of what your audience enjoys and how they found your content.

If you have a sales funnel, you can monitor statistics there, too.

#5: Listen to Customer Feedback to Improve Your Content Strategy

It’s essential to focus on the human aspects to develop your content strategy and not only study data and statistics.

Ask customers for feedback, and you may discover missing elements in your content strategy you could improve. If you have customer-facing staff, encourage them to ask for feedback, too.

#6: Maximise Your Content Strategy

Once you have an effective content strategy and see results, the next step is to amplify your efforts.

For example, several of my blog posts performed much better than others, and I soon observed a popular theme. Subsequently, I began writing more on that subject.

I observed what was and wasn’t working on social media channels and switched my content strategy to reflect the results. For example, I changed my approach on TikTok and noticed more people saving my video content.

If your audience likes your content, give them more.

#7: Curate Content as part of Your Strategy

Creating content is time-consuming, and it can soon become a daunting task.

During the first few months, be prepared to adapt your content strategy to improve results.

Content curation is a massive time saver. Here is how I approach the task: –

• I create video content for TikTok
• I curate to Instagram: That said, IG has poor reach for me, so I am assessing results and testing IG stories
• I write blog posts
• I curate blog posts to video content (I’m just starting that in preparation for a YouTube channel)
• I curate blog posts for Pinterest pins

If this workflow seems like a lot, you could try the Repurposing platform to make the task quicker and easier. I have written a review of Repurposing, which you might find helpful.

Conclusion

I hope you understand that developing a content strategy isn’t difficult. That said, for most, implementing a content strategy is the challenging part.

Understand that you might make mistakes and encounter mental or tangible roadblocks (such as Pinterest suspending my first account, which threw me for a loop).

If you stick with it, you will refine your content strategy and build a tried and trusted recipe you can count on to bring positive results.

The most crucial step is in the planning and research.

Avoid publishing content on any platform for the sake of it or because it’s too time-consuming or you can’t be bothered to plan. You’d be better off not publishing anything than doing a half-assed job.

Another consideration is the ROI on social media platforms. If your audience isn’t there or your content isn’t talking to them, it’s time to review your content strategy and adapt it.

Yes, there may be a period of trial and error, but in time, you’ll better understand what to publish and where.

Content Strategy FAQs

What Is A Content Strategy?

A content strategy is planning, creating and publishing content consistently to your blog, website, or social media channels, including on-page SEO, blog content, videos, reels, stories or text posts.

What Is A Content Strategy Framework?

A content strategy framework clearly outlines how you will create content, such as a keyword strategy, pillar post and content clusters. It will include when, where and how often you will publish

Why Is A Content Strategy Important?

There are several reasons why a content strategy is essential: –

1. Your content must be good if you want to rank in Google SERPs. That includes keywords and semantics, readability and potential for conversion
2. Creating content without a plan is painful, and you may procrastinate without a content strategy

What’s The First Step For Creating A Content Strategy?

The first step to develop a content strategy is to determine your goals. What do you want the content strategy to do? Get leads, sales, and subscribers, or build a brand?

Once you decide on your goals, mapping out a content strategy becomes easier.

SEOWriting AI  is an affordable AI writing platform that generates SEO content fast and in bulk if required. It publishes direct to your WordPress site, either in draft or publish.

I’ve been an SEO writer since late 2020, working with clients. It’s hard work, and in 2023, I suffered from burnout. I was writing 4,000 – 8,000 word crypto articles then and had enough of creating long-form content.

Writing in-depth cryptocurrency content wasn’t something you could outsource to ChatGPT or any AI writer, so I gave up writing for that industry and started transitioning into helping clients get started with blogging and digital marketing.

As I began writing content for myself, I tested several AI writers. Some longstanding AI SEO writers are far too expensive for the average person. I didn’t want to spend $99 a month! In addition, I needed affordable AI writing software that didn’t spew out robotic junk.

July 2025: Important Note

Since writing this article back in June 2024, I got the chance to try Koala AI Writer and promptly switched my subscription to that platform!

SEOWriting is still a great platform, but Koala hands down creates better content with zero repetition or plagiarism.

Koala uses real-time data, analyses Google, writes people-first content and automatically inserts internal and external links.

Afer my first two articles hit page one SERPs in hours, I immediately subscribed to the Koala professional plan (which gives me 100,000 words per month – hugely generous) and now won’t use any other AI writer.

I love the powerful Outline Editor as it gives you full control over your articles. It also generates impressive affiliate articles (using real-time Amazon data) including user reviews.

I’m currently writing an in-depth review for Koala so will link that here when it is complete.

Writing SEO Content

The bro’s like to tell us that SEO is complex and the average person cannot master Google ranking simply by writing SEO content.

Well, that is untrue. You do not need to pay an SEO agency thousands to rank your site in the SERPS.

My Wolfheart site is relatively small. In April 2024, I removed all the pages and posts regarding my work as an SEO writer. I completely revamped the site to blogging, digital marketing, affiliate marketing and making money online.

Within two weeks, I had two featured snippets. Now, I have many posts ranking on the first page.

The thing is, I have a skill. I can write SEO content without even researching keywords. After three years of daily keyword research and fine-tuning SEO content, I can do it in my sleep.

Still, not everyone wants to learn SEO and may not enjoy writing content.

So, if you want an easy and affordable solution to writing SEO content, this article is for you.

Who Needs SEOWriting AI Software?

SEO writing is something I have done since 2020. Although I won’t entertain using an AI writer for writing clients blog posts, I have multiple blogs of my own and it’s just too time consuming to research keywords and write from scratch.

I tried writing section by section blog content with ChatGPT and the results were good as I have trained it to my voice and blogging framework. However, it is hugely time-consuming and Chatty often goes off at a tangent.

SEOWriting is ideal if you don’t have the time, inclination, or skills to write SEO content. Perhaps you’re a digital marketer promoting your products or website. You could be a freelance writer who wants to add SEO writing to your services (you can charge a higher fee).

You may be marketing affiliate offers on Pinterest. It’s a fantastic search engine that can drive a ton of traffic to your site. I took a few Pinterest courses in 2024 and my account is now growing nicely and driving traffic to this website.

You can also write Pinterest SEO-optimised pin descriptions and product descriptions for an e-commerce site or Amazon.

What Do You Get With SEOWriting AI?

You actually get a lot for a low price, and there’s a 10,000 word free trial.

The following is a little of what you get with SEOWriting AI

• Choose article length: From 600 to 5,200 words
• Language: 32 to choose from
• Article Type
  • How to guide
  • Listicle
  • Product review
  • News
  • Comparison
  • Case study
  • Opinion piece
  • Tutorial
  • Round up piece
  • Q&A page
• Autopost to WordPress: Install SEOWriting plug & upload in draft or publish mode
• Schedule your content: I’ve not done this
• Point of view:
  • First person (plural)
  • First person (singular)
  • Second person
  • Third person
• 1-click content generation: My YouTube video shows this process
• Bulk create up to 100 articles: I wouldn’t do this personally. You must edit every piece
• Choose your tone of voice:
  • Friendly
  • Professional
  • Informational
  • Transactional
  • Inspirational
  • Neutral
  • Witty
  • Casual
  • Authoritative
• AI Image creation: Add from 1 – 20 AI generated images
• External links: To relevant and authoritative sources
• AI Word Removal: 3 different levels
• Target country: Choose where most of your website traffic comes from
• Readability mode: Readability is an SEO consideration for ranking
• NLP keywords generation: Automatically add or/and paste your own selection
• Introductory hook brief:
  • Question
  • Statistical or fact
  • Quotation
  • Anecdotal or story
  • Emotional
• Additional options to add:
  • Conclusion
  • Tables
  • H3
  • lists
  • Italics
  • Quotes
  • Key takeaways
  • FAQ
  • Bold

The Outline Editor

The outline editor is one of my favourite parts of SEOWriting AI. Once you have filled in all the other details for the blog post, you click on the outline editor and within a minute, it shares the complete outline for the blog post. That includes H2 and H3 subheadings. At that point, you cam move these around and add your own to ensure the blog post is 100% as you want it to be.

SEOWriting AI Pricing

SEOWriting AI is one of the lowest priced SEO AI writers I have found, and I have tried many. There are two packages but, to be honest, I think the starter plan is excellent if you’re just getting started.

The Free Package: No Credit Card Required

• 5 SEOWriting Generations
• Up to 10,000 Words
• Humanise Text
• Top-Quality AI Images
• Auto-Citations

The free package is limited, but it gives you a reasonable idea of what to expect and get familiar with the dashboard.

The Starter Package: $14/Month (Charged Annually)

What you get for $14/month: All the Features of the Free Package, Plus: –

1. 50 SEOWriting Generations
2. Unlimited words
3. Bulk generations
4. Outline Editor
5. GPT-40 and Claude 3 Opus

If you prefer a monthly subscription, the fee is $19.00

Pros and Cons of the Starter package

There aren’t many cons, but the one that would be most helpful to change is the SEOWriting AI software doesn’t add internal links to your article. Internal links are essential for SEO and it’s time consuming to work through a draft article adding them. However, I am not prepared to pay $79 a month for that privilage. In my opinion, that is an overpriced bonus.

The Title generator isn’t as good as I would like. As an SEO writer since 2020, I know how much a good title counts, so I create my own for SEOWriting AI.

The NLP keyword generator is OK, but I advise adding keyword synonyms of your own. Paste your title and a brief description into ChatGPT and ask it for relevant synomyms.

Why not try SEOWriting for FREE: Click Here

The Professional Package: $59/Month (Charged Annually)

What you get for $59/month: All the Features of the Free & Starter Package, Plus: –

• 250 articles
• Unlimited Words
• External linking New!
• Internal linking (Coming Soon)
• Brand Voice (Coming Soon)
• API (Coming Soon)

If you prefer a monthly subscription, the fee is $79.00

SEOWriting AI pricing is reasonable compared to others like Jasper AI, which starts at $49/month for a monthly subscription and isn’t intuitive for beginners.

Note: Prices are current for January 2025.

Is SEO Writing AI Easy to Use for Beginners

Yes. I found it intuitive. Watch the YouTube video above to see how the 1-click blog post works, plus how how to connect SEOWriting AI to your WordPress blog and more.

I reckon it took me an hour to become familiar with the dashboard and start producing SEO blog posts.

Do the SEOWriting Generations Read Like Robotic Alternatives?

The content generated by SEOWriting is pretty good. I have had a few duff articles, which you can see in the YouTube video above. I would suggest always publishing to draft and editing thoroughly. Although most of the content SEOWriting AI produced was good, I typically spend 30+ minutes editing, and making it sound more like me. I run it through Grammarly to check for poor grammar, spelling mistakes and, most importantly, plagiarism.

I have used Grammarly since 2020 and it has made me a better writer. I highly recommend all bloggers invest in this super AI editing tool. I tried many others and found them inferior.

Download Grammarly to test for yourself

SEOWriting AI has many positive testimonials, and as there is a generous free trial, the best option is to test it yourself and see if you like it.

What Other AI SEO Writers Are Available?

• Koala
• Jasper
• AI SEO
• Surfer AI
• Frase AI
• Krater AI
• Scalenut
• Copymate
• Writesonic

I have tried most of them and have not been impressed. I now use Koala AI Writer for helping me write blog posts in the blink of an eye with minimal editing required.

SurferSEO is fantastic for SEO but it doesn’t write the article for you. It gets impressive results but is a bit glitchy, not ideal for beginners. It starts at $89/month for up to 30 articles, which is cost effective if you can afford it. I used it when working with clients and the SEO results are fantastic. It guides you how to write a fully optimised SEO article by giving suggested keywords and dozens of synonyms, suggested number of images and lots more.

What I Don’t Like About SEOWriting

The brutal truth is that I no longer use SEOWriting, only because Koala is way better. I created numerous articles with SEOWriting and was generally satisfied with the content. However, at times, it spat out a lot of drivel that took considerable time to edit.

I found it repetitive and wordy, and that doesn’t cut it for blog posts, especially with the AI overview taking over much of search now. You need to get to the point as quickly as possible. It wrote some articles for my dog behaviour website that were unusable.

I’m leaving this review up because some people might prefer SEOWriting to Koala, but for me, it’s a no-brainer.

Conclusion

SEOWriting AI is a low-cost, beginner-friendly option for writing SEO content. Even if you choose the free plan, you can generate 5,000 words monthly and save a few hours.

In summary, I tried most of the SEO writers when I wrote for clients, and if SEOWriting AI had been available, then it would have been my choice. Now, it’s Koala.

You can see a few articles that SEOWriting AI produced for me. I edited and may have added a few of my own images but it gives a framwork for creating a solid SEO optimised article.

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Quick Tip For Best SEO Writing

My top tip for creating the best readable SEO content is downloading it to a Word document, clicking “Review” on the toolbar and then “Read Aloud.” Listen for “sticky” words and awkward phrases. Edit as you need and post it to your chosen platform.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

I’ve been using the free version of the Agorapulse social media management tool for a while. As my digital marketing efforts have ramped up, having the availability to schedule only ten posts a week isn’t enough.

As Agorapulse is $49 a month, I didn’t want to pay that much. I shopped around for a better alternative and found Metricool, which is very cool and low-cost!

The Metricool Platform Has:

• A social media planner
• Automated reports
• Best times to post (that can change in time, so this is super helpful)
• Best hashtags
• Reply to comments from the platform (very cool)
• AI copywriting assistant
• Competitor analysis
• Historical data
• SmartLinks

Metricool has 1.7 million users. You can connect all of your social media platforms and your website. I found that it was easy to use to connect my WordPress website. All you do is install the Metricool plugin and add the verification code, and you are connnected.

Things I Like About Metricool

Competitor Analysis

The competitor analysis enables you to inspect influencers in your field and identify trends. You can track your competitors on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch. You can track up to 100 of your competitors on the paid plans.

That tool can significantly improve your content marketing strategy.

Inbox Functionality

Instead of spending hours hopping from one social media channel to another responding to comments, you can manage everything from your Metricool dashboard. Wowza!

This one tool alone can save you hours each week.

Content Planner

You can schedule up to 50 pieces of content on the free plan. It’s one of the most generous free plans I have seen in social media management platforms.

You can create reels, pins (it’s best to schedule directly with the Pinterest scheduler), TikTok videos and more. The colour-coded calendar is pleasantly visual, so you can monitor what’s coming up and choose the best times for posting content for each social media channel.

After scheduling your content, it is easy to edit and change dates, times, etc.

AI Assistant

Sometimes, I write descriptions ahead, but it is time-consuming. The Metricool AI Assistant is fantastic and dramatically shortens the time needed to create text for your content and avoid the dreaded writer’s block.

You can choose tone of voice, length and more.

Metricool Free Plan Is For Life

There is no 30-day trial as there is with many of the social media schedulers.

What you get:

• Up to 50 scheduled posts each month
• Up to 3 months of historical data
• Analyse up to 5 competitor profiles
• Use the AI assistant up to 3 times
• All social media platforms except Twitter & LinkedIn

The paid version starts at ONLY $18 a month if you pay annually or $22 if you choose monthly payments.

Metricool is fantastic value. It is intuitive to use, and you get so much for so little money. I am spreading the word because most social media scheduling platforms are overpriced and tricky to use.

Metricool has a 4.5* Trustpilot rating.

Try it, and let me know how you get along.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

So, you’re considering becoming a content creator and wondering how much money you can make. Content creation is a big business, but many fail to make a financial impact.

Browse any social media platform, and you’ll find a mixed bag of well-produced content alongside the poorest quality content, and that’s the difference.

The first thing to consider is whether you want to create content in-house for a company or step into the freelance world and take your chances.

What is the Average Income For A Content Creator?

Well, you might as well ask how long a piece of string is because there are so many variables to consider. However, I will try to narrow it down to specific situations based on whether someone is employed or a freelance content creator with a large audience that engages with their content.

Average Income For An Employed Content Creator

The average income for an employed content creator in the United States is between $50k and $80k. That depends on the size of the company. Blue chip companies pay higher, but you might start with less if you work with a start-up.

Average Income For A Freelance Content Creator

Here’s where it gets tricky to provide accurate figures. If you’re starting out as a content creator, you’d make more money working for McDonalds. However, if you’re near to becoming an influencer, look out. It’s raining cash.

Many top-level content creaters easily become 6 and 7 figure earners.

Once many thousands of followers engage with your content, it’s easy to get brand deals, and that’s where most of the money is.

Bear in mind these figures change constantly; here’s a rough idea.

• Instagram Content Creators make $10 to $1,000 per post
• The TikTok Content Creator Fund Program can generate $0.20 to $0. 40 per 1,000 views
• YouTube pays variable advertising revenues depending on the niche, from a few dollars up to $18+ per 1,000 views

Another factor to consider is whether you produce faceless content as that can take longer to build momentum.

Successful Content Creators Diversify For A Higher Income

The trick to making more income as a content creator is to diversify. For instance, you may create courses, sell coaching or mentoring, or sell affiliate products and services you promote on your channel.

Indeed, many content creators base the foundation of their earning potential on add-ons to platform monetisation.

How to Make Money as a Content Creator

Get started. That’s more than most people do. Once you start, keep going because that’s where many fail. Your posts get met by crickets for a long time, and it feels like you’re talking to yourself.

Consistency is 100% the key to success. It may take weeks or months to build a following and even longer to get engagement, but it will come.

Be Authentic

Don’t copy others. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. Provide value and share genuine content.

Engage With Your Audience

Always respond to comments. Encourage conversation and help build your community of followers.

Network With Other Content Creators

Connect with others and support each other. You could do guest podcasts or duets and things like that.

Build An Email List

Suppose you have 100k followers on one channel, and the platform closes your account. Bam! Just like that, you’ve lost your audience. Building an email list ensures you can still access your audience and offer them subscriber discounts on products, services and courses.

Note: You can build a subscriber list up to 2k for free

Sell Merchandise

When you have an engaged audience, they are keen to buy merchandise from you. Run special offers, discounts and deals specific to your audience.

Offer A Mentoring or Coaching Service

Almost without intention, once you have some success online, people start asking about mentoring and coaching. They want to be where you are and believe you can help them.

Consider Starting A Membership Site

Instead of one-to-one mentoring or coaching, a membership site can be a productive alternative. There are dozens of paid options online, such as Skool, Kajabi, Patreon and Mighty Networks. They all have monthly or annual fees, but when making money as a content creator, these fees are tax deductible.

Sign Brand Deals

Brand deals will open up as your popularity grows. Companies will pay you for a mention, and these can be lucrative. Top influencers suggest aligning brands with your own and ensuring they are ethical products. Otherwise, your audience could lose trust in your reviews.

Conclusion

My journey into content creation is always work in progress. I joined a DFU Business in June 2024 and am really enjoying that journey.

I’d suggest a long look at yourself before starting because the early (what feels like) rejection can be hard to stomach. Personally, I have no desire to become an influencer.

I want to create watchable content and have fun doing it. It’s taken me a few months to accept this is a long game. It’s not something to do for a few weeks or months and then forget about.

Enjoy. Have fun, and monitor your progress.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

So, here I was, happily creating content on Substack for eight months, gaining subscribers and thinking I was doing a jolly good job.

Today, I wrote a new article. I logged into my account and discovered that the platform banned both publications for “spamming & phishing.” I checked the terms of publishing, and under that offence, it included adding people to a subscriber list who hadn’t opted in.

WTAF!

Anyhow, I am innocent of anything they had decided I had done. I have appealed, but I understand it can be a lengthy process. Even if they remove the ban, I’m not sure I want to continue. It spoiled my Sunday morning.

I sat in the garden with a cup of coffee and thought about what had happened. I had over 40 newsletters and had worked hard to provide value. Still, it means nothing because I do not own my content.

I thought Substack was different.

The problem is the same with all social media platforms. They can decide on a whim to ban your account. TikTok is notorious for this, as are Facebook and even LinkedIn.

I was almost at the point of taking down my Wolfheart website. It was the site I created as an SEO writer working with clients. It no longer seemed appropriate as I stepped away from that service late in 2023. However, after this debacle, I deleted all the content and revamped the site for my digital marketing, mindset, and manifestation content previously posted on Substack.

I’ve done an about-turn I never expected to do. I didn’t want to maintain and pay for a website. I have a done-for-me website for my digital business, and I wasn’t keen on adding to my workflow.

Today’s event was a wake-up call. Even though creating content on social media platforms relies on them playing nice, I had hoped to avoid any issues by following the rules and guidelines. Sadly, being a good girl hasn’t worked.

June 2024 Pinterest Suspended My Account

After three months of building my Pinterest account, I opened the app one morning to see a big red button saying “ACCOUNT DEACTIVATED”.

I received an automated email and the reason was supposedly “spam”.

I’d scheduled two pins a day that week.

Having read Pinterest community guidelines, my error may have been one of two things –

1. I added a couple of shortlinks
2. I had one URL that was a forwarder

I didn’t realise both these things are against community guidelines (I’d suggest you read and digest)

I made four appeals to Pinterest without success. All you get it bot responses saying they have reviewed your account and decided not to reactive.

I had 8.9k monthly views and was getting engagement.

In July, I opened a new account and started afresh.

It’s bloody heartbreaking!

I only post to my blog content now and am VERY careful.

Still, the point is, these draconian methods put you in a vulnerable position. These platforms are unforgiving. Instead of reaching out to say “hey, Jan, you made a mistake, Put it right. Read the guidelines and we’ll talk no more about it” you’re out!

This post is a short but sweet reminder not to put all your eggs in one basket and to remember that these platforms can pull the plug on you any time they choose.