ChaseRaz.com has had a lot of starts and stops. That’s not particularly embarrassing, even as a digital marketing professor. Afterall, whose kids have the worst shoes? Cobblers. In the same way, those of us who talk about content creation and consistency are also not the first to apply those concepts to ourselves. We’re too busy doing it for others.
But, even I had to admit that the lack of solid platform commitments on my part was causing a larger issue. It wasn’t just ChaseRaz.com suffering, it was all of my personal ventures. I realized that nothing was getting done because I wasn’t practicing what I essentially preach. Putting in the work to find a platform, commit to it, plan and schedule the content… none of that was getting done for a number of sites I was trying to push forward.
In the mean time, I’ve landed on platforms for almost everything.
- RCR: Webflow
- TZO Network: Webflow, YouTube, Spotify, X
- Multinewmedia: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, X
- A.B. Gamma: Udemy, Skillshare, EzyCourse
- XLworks: Spreadsimple
The list goes on, but what I haven’t been able to successfully identify is the right platform for me. Currently, I’m just as torn as I’ve ever been in the past. Previously, I’ve used Blogger, WordPress, and a custom-built CMS. I’m certainly not interested in using Blogger or my own custom code this time around, and WordPress is way down the list. However, there are days I want to throw my hands in the air in defeat and just use WordPress like everyone else.
At the time of writing, I’m using the commercial (hosted) version of Ghost. But I’m also exploring a new startup called BlogHunch. There’s always the possibility of easily putting a blog on Sitejet, Webflow, or a number of other site builder tools. It’s just that nothing stands out to me as the clear right decision.
Of course, this platform indecision all loops back to the topic at the beginning: the cobbler’s kids have the worst shoes. The platform indecision stems from a mental list of hypothetical outcomes for the property. I could create a members-only area, or I could start a newsletter, or I could sell digital downloads. The problem with all of these “could” statements is that I haven’t put in the proper strategic planning work to know which of those things I will do.
And that part is a bit embarrassing, because in my work with clients and students, I’m extremely blunt about the fact that if you haven’t properly planned, you’re going to fail.
I guess it’s time to put even a simple site like ChaseRaz.com through the planning process.
