Don't Start a Blog
The Real Reason Your Blog Isn’t Growing (and How to Fix It)
Most startups (and individual creators) fail to build an audience is because they start with a blog.
They think launching a blog is the first step to getting noticed. They spend time writing posts no one reads, then wonder why they aren’t growing at all. Without traffic or engagement, their blog is just a lonely corner of the internet.
We’re here to flip that script.
We’ll explain why starting with a blog is a big mistake, and what to do instead.
You’ll learn:
Why nobody even knows your blog exists
How social platforms come with built-in distribution
Why feedback loops matter more than publishing alone
Learning this will help you avoid wasted effort, reach your audience faster, and build genuine connections that drive real growth.
Let’s dive in.
Nobody Knows Your Blog Exists
Without traffic, your blog is just an empty page no one visits.
Imagine it’s a busy Saturday night downtown. The clubs are packed, music spilling into the streets, everyone is out enjoying the energy. Someone is standing on the sidewalk holding a hand-scribbled sign saying: “Banger at my place, 3 miles out in the cornfields!” Would anyone leave the action to follow?
That’s exactly what starting a blog looks like if you don’t already have an audience. You’re the person with the scribbled sign. People won’t magically find your blog: you have to fight for every visitor.
Publishing posts isn’t enough. The internet is crowded, and Google takes 4-6 months to rank new blogs. Without people actively searching or links driving traffic, your blog stays invisible.
To get visitors, you’ll have to spend hours promoting on social platforms like Substack, LinkedIn, Medium, and X. That means building two separate audiences: doubling your work for half the results.
Instead, start where your audience already hangs out. Platforms like Substack, LinkedIn, and Medium have built-in communities ready to engage.
This gets you momentum fast. Visibility is the foundation of building any audience. No matter how good your content is, if no one sees it, it’s useless.
When you show up where people already are, your message gets noticed, shared, and talked about. That early buzz sparks real growth and opens doors to new audiences over time.
Next, we’ll see why social platforms have a distribution advantage you can’t afford to ignore.
No Distribution Flywheel
Social platforms come with built-in audiences and powerful distribution algorithms working for you.
The party’s already happening. Your audience spends hours scrolling, liking, and engaging every day. You don’t have to convince them to show up: they’re already logged in and ready to discover new content.
These platforms have spent years perfecting algorithms that push the right content to the right people. Their whole business depends on connecting creators with interested viewers, keeping attention high, and monetizing the feed.
For you, that solves the hardest part of audience building: finding your readers! You don’t start from zero. The system delivers your content to the right people at scale.
This creates a distribution flywheel. The more you post and engage, the more visibility you gain.
A blog, has no such flywheel. You have to build everything from scratch: traffic, engagement, repeat visits. It’s slow, draining, and usually not worth it early on.
So meet your audience where they already are. Publish regularly. Engage actively. Let the platform do the heavy lifting.
This is how you build momentum fast.
Next: why feedback loops on social platforms are key to growing and improving your audience.
No Feedback-Loop Mechanism
Publishing a blog is like speaking to an empty room: no applause, no reactions, no way to know if anyone’s listening.
Without feedback, you’re guessing what your audience wants.
In contrast, Substack and LinkedIn give you instant signals: likes, comments, shares that tell you what’s working.
This feedback lets you adjust fast. You learn what topics hit home, what questions people have, and where to focus next.
Better yet, it opens real conversations. You can reply, DM, and build relationships, all impossible with a one-way blog.
This back-and-forth is how you build trust and momentum over time.
Remember, growth isn’t just about publishing. It’s about listening and responding.
Next, the key takeaway to keep in mind.
Bottom Line
Audience building happens where your audience already is: on social platforms with built-in distribution and feedback loops.
Skip the lonely blog that no one sees. Join the party that’s already raging on socials.
Put your energy on platforms with reach, engagement, and conversation.
That’s how you grow an audience in 2025.
Share. Engage. Build. The crowd’s ready and waiting.
Actions Recap
Don’t start with a blog if you have no audience yet.
Focus on social platforms like LinkedIn, Substack, and Medium.
Post regularly where your audience already spends time.
Use feedback (likes, comments, shares) to learn what works and adjust quickly.
Engage with your audience to build real connections and trust.
Skip waiting for perfect content:publish consistently and improve as you go.
That’s it for now—more coming soon!
Catch you next time,
Creator of LinkedIn Audience Building for AI/ML Engineers
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I read and reply to every single message!
I love your out-of-the-box thinking; I find that blogs are often engineered for SEO strategy, and analytics-driven rather than an authentic voice.