What Platform Do I Start With?

Answering a Friend’s Question

Photo of me. Taken by me.

I received this question from a dear friend,

I really want to bring another revenue stream into our household fast! What platform would be the most monthly inexpensive to create a website where I can promote myself, blog, and sell my own ebooks and possible curriculums?

I hope this information is helpful. I used to earn an income as a writer back in the printed publication days. :)
I shelved writing to focus on building a company, and now I am starting over, rebuilding my writing income all over again. It feels like ground zero, but there’s still some audience left from my glory days. Here’s what I have learned on the “where to start” front so far.

Where to Create?

I have tried just about every platform out there. Here are my personal favs:

• Medium (Personal Learnings + Self-Help stuff like this post)
• Facebook (Picture This Clothing)
• Instagram (Coffee With Jaimee)
• Substack (Under the Hem: An attempt to combine Personal Learnings + Picture This Clothing in a useful way, hopefully leveraging my email list of +25k subscribers.)

I think it’s important to explore what the platforms offer and how they work, then ask:

• Does this platform meet my needs?
• Is there an audience for me here?

Right now, the only one that pays me is Medium. I have received some sponsorship and collaboration offers through Instagram, but few worth pursuing.

I want to note that what works for me may not be right for you, but my “Why” is largely because the platforms I’ve noted have audiences that have connected with the content I post in their respective places. The engagement keeps me committed to coming back and making more stuff.
I was super active on Medium pre-2016, but when we launched Picture This Clothing, my personal writing was shelved. I’m cracking back into it, and oh my–how Medium has grown! Back when I used to write daily, there was no paying writers or paywall for readers. :) I like this change!