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This is the real truth when people talk about how they work very little and make a lot. They redefine "work" to conveniently ignore the huge amount of self-prom

This is the real truth when people talk about how they work very little and make a lot. They redefine "work" to conveniently ignore the huge amount of self-promotion that goes on. I often wonder how much Tim Ferris, Mr. 4-hour workweek, spends promoting all his shit. I'm going to guess that it's significantly more than 4 hours a week. Engaging with a community is extremely time consuming, but is also very rewarding. It definitely translated to increased sales on my site, which was a huge surprise to me.

brlewis 16y ago
That's good to hear. Actually I'd like to see more self-promotion from you here, or at least less fear of self-promotion. When I read your comment I immediately wonder what kind of site had community engagement translate into increased sales. Rather than make me go to your profile and figure out which site you're referring to, please just put in a link. That makes it a lot easier for me. Don't fear self-promotion when you're on topic.
- MicahWedemeyer 16y ago
  One of the things I've found about effective promotion is choosing your audience. While I'd love more attention and respect from the HN crowd, it doesn't really translate to sales for me. So, I don't put a lot of effort into promoting myself here. I think it's an important point that a lot of us tech geeks miss: Unless your product is aimed at fellow tech geeks, don't worry what HN people think of it (or of you). But, since you asked, on http://www.obsidianportal.com http://www.obsidianportal.com we saw a significant uptick in premium subscriptions when we hired someone to manage our Twitter and Facebook account. We brought in someone from our community and he did a great job increasing engagement. We have a reputation for being very easy to engage, and I do as many interviews/guest-spots on podcasts and blogs (roleplaying game blogs, not tech stuff) as people will have me. I love the subject material, so it's fun to talk about, but it's still "work" and takes a lot of time.

brlewis 16y ago

That's good to hear. Actually I'd like to see more self-promotion from you here, or at least less fear of self-promotion. When I read your comment I immediately wonder what kind of site had community engagement translate into increased sales. Rather than make me go to your profile and figure out which site you're referring to, please just put in a link. That makes it a lot easier for me. Don't fear self-promotion when you're on topic.

MicahWedemeyer 16y ago
One of the things I've found about effective promotion is choosing your audience. While I'd love more attention and respect from the HN crowd, it doesn't really translate to sales for me. So, I don't put a lot of effort into promoting myself here. I think it's an important point that a lot of us tech geeks miss: Unless your product is aimed at fellow tech geeks, don't worry what HN people think of it (or of you). But, since you asked, on http://www.obsidianportal.com http://www.obsidianportal.com we saw a significant uptick in premium subscriptions when we hired someone to manage our Twitter and Facebook account. We brought in someone from our community and he did a great job increasing engagement. We have a reputation for being very easy to engage, and I do as many interviews/guest-spots on podcasts and blogs (roleplaying game blogs, not tech stuff) as people will have me. I love the subject material, so it's fun to talk about, but it's still "work" and takes a lot of time.