Vilfredo Pareto created the 80/20 rule known as the ‘Pareto Principle. It states that 80% of all outcomes are caused by 20% of the work put in. This is also known as ‘the vital few’ and shook up the economic world. However, many people have theorized and proved that this rule applies to almost anything. Which includes blogging and online content.
I’m going to explain how the 20/80 rule could be useful to your blog. Plus, any social media you repurpose.
Uploading schedule
For the sake of explaining the 80/20 rule, let’s say you upload to Instagram or Twitter once a week. With very minimal likes and engagement in the comments.
Now the first thing to do is to look at the highest performing content you have. (Yes, the returns are minimal, but it's still the highest one out of the content you do have.) note the hashtags you use and what the subject matter of content is. Then start uploading more of that type of content once or twice a week with other stuff you like. You’ll find that the increase in engagement will be from the 20% of the more popular content you produce, plus the fact you’ve uploaded just a bit more helps the algorithm gods.
Or another example is: Whilst you have low engagement on Instagram; you have a brilliant following on youtube. So, whilst you will push Instagram a bit more by focusing more on the content people like. But, keeping it to either once or twice a week there, your main focus will still be Youtube. Instead of uploading once a week and using Instagram, you use Youtube and the new ‘Shorts’ feature; or the community tab; or go for two uploads a week and make the 20/80 rule apply that way.
format you upload
Although I mentioned this in the other point, the format of what you upload could be different. Again I’m going back to Instagram for this one.
Say your photos or holiday snaps don’t get engagement. But, the stories or Instagram lives you made whilst on holiday did. Instead of focusing on the photo element of Instagram, whilst on holiday you would upload to your story more. Or, instead of doing one big Instagram live for two hours, you do one hour a day every day.
Merchandise
The 80/20 rule applies to Merchandising in a straightforward way. Pretend you sell t-shirts, mugs, and notebooks as part of your brand. However, the notebooks and pens aren’t selling as much as the mugs; The merchandising is losing profit in certain areas. Instead of losing money and paying for the merchandise, you don’t sell. Focus your efforts on the things people do want (the 20%.) And then you’ll see an increase in profit. Because you aren’t focusing on the underperforming content meaning, you’ll get 80% back.
Other types of products
The other services you offer will also be affected by the 80/20 rule. As a source of income-you give workshops on making logos and sell E-books about how to make 3D Animations. Again more people go for the workshops than are buying the E-books. 80% of your supplement-able income will come from the 20% ‘the vital few.’ And seeing as the biggest income, or, the 20% is coming for the workshops it's better to offer more of what they like.
You can offer more spaces for the workshops and increase the amount of workshopping per month or week. I wouldn’t suggest getting rid of the E-books. As you still need to make money somehow. And, it's always good to have multiple streams of income, even if one is more successful than the other. Plus, you spent a lot of time on that E-book. So, the best thing to do is either lower the E-book price or have them as a special offer and publish them less.
How you advertise
Say you’ve got a new podcast out, and you’re trying to spread the word. You’ve got a Spotify advert out. And you’ve made announcements on Twitter, made a Youtube video about it and posts on Instagram about it as well. However, you’ve noticed more people respond to the stuff on your normal social media than the Spotify advert you put out.
Instead of focusing on the Spotify ad no one wants. Use the normal social media accounts you signal on to advertise, as that's where the vital few are coming from.
Or, you could make the advert available on your Instagram story instead. So, it doesn’t go to waste. Or try to get the advert to play less on Spotify. It’ll help streamline your audience, and the 80% of engagement you do get will come from the social media that works well for your audience.
Why this information is important
Using the 80/20 rule in blogging and content creation can help you determine what parts of your content people like. And are engaging with more. Plus, it can help you figure out what bits of supplemental income you should keep or reduce or heighten the price of. And, can help you work out what works well with the ‘algorithm’ and help make more people see your posts.
I hope this article has helped simplify the 80/20 rule, and it will be useful in your blogging journey.
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