Hickory Algorithm Newsletter

Content Creation got you down? Watching one too many social media videos about how to do it? Look, it's not hard. You are not going to like it but, it's not hard.

Jan 30, 2026

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I went out to Down’tahn’ Statesville to see a fellow content creator, Isaias Sanchez, at Sow Media and we recorded an episode for his Carolina Content Creator show.

Just another example of how networking can lead to unintended collaboration. One of my friends was presenting at a newly formed BNI group in Statesville and asked me to join her to check it out.

He invited me to come on his show and talk about content creation and how we should lean into being ourselves more than depending on an ‘algorithm.’

Where do you I start?

This is the first question and most asked question I get about Content creation.

Let’s start simple.

Don’t overthink this.

First, pick a basic lane.

In the middle of a blank sheet of page, write down the tone you want.

Something like “funny” or “information” or “professional” etc. Write one of these is words in the direct center of the page.

And now, write your industry directly underneath it.

Circle them together, a package.

This will be your content epicenter.

You’re epicenter could be “funny realtor,” “informational CPA",” “professional skincare,” “Fun Dog Sitting,” or whatever you want it to be.

You, now have a starting point.

Everything you do from this point on for content creation branches off from here.

A simple starting point.

The Fun Part

Now, start branching out with ideas for your content.

What can you do with the industry you have chosen?

Lets play. Like a child would with a new toy.

Don’t overthink this

Think of topics you can speak, write, or educate about?

Have fun with your ideas, write them down around your starting point. What does that look like?

An interview with your someone you admire in your field?

A funny skit about how you’re dog sitting company is cleaning more poop up than expected or how walking someone else’s dog more than your own is a thing you do?

Preparing for tax season as a CPA? Talk about the biggest obstacles coming up this tax season? How to write off properly?

Long form, reel form, short form, text, newsletter, video - doesn’t matter.

You do not have to do all the things you write down, think of this as brainstorming with yourself - let your mind pull as many random ideas as you can.

The fun part of brainstorming is that brainstorming should never end. Keep those ideas always flowing and remember there are no bad ideas or no good ideas these are just continual - on going - always.

Try this. On the way to work this morning while sitting at a stop light, or picking up your kid from the dreaded school, don’t pick up your phone and fill the waiting time with scrolling. Turn the podcast off. Fill it with quiet moment, brainstorm your content.

Let your ideas pass through your mind like a breeze.

STOP! Collaborate and Listen.

Mr. Ice was onto something. 💪

Don’t overthink this.

You have your start and you have an idea, now what?

Well, go do it.

Use the people in your circle. If you are in a BNI group, Chamber, or local fellow industries you may a good referral partner for. We’ll get a little more into this next week about referral partners.

The best part of collaborating with other businesses/people is once the content is created you can tag them across all socials. And, more than likely they will share the content they are involved in.

The Audience

does not matter.

Don’t overthink this.

Wait, that’s who I am doing it for right?

Nope, you are doing it for yourself.

And this where creation goes to die.

Once, it becomes about the audience it’s a poisonous seed that will slowly cannibalize your content. Leaving you feeling empty and wondering why you “wasted” so much time one it.

Too many content creators fall into what the audience wants.

When you start becoming a content creator you’ll have a bevy of people telling you how you should do it. What works for them and ideas for what you are doing.

This is hard, day in and day out as a creator.

One project you may love and it falls flat. Another project could get you nominated for a national award (spoken from experience) but, you just don’t like it as much as others.

Take the two posts below from last week. (listed below): One is about 🤖 Ai getting dumber - which got 3x the views, that my ❄️SNOWED IN post about what inspirers me and focused on a Rock band. One was hugely successful and the other fell flat.

The best way I found to ignore the outside noise is to ignore what anyone else is doing.

Easy to do? No.

A must to create? Yup.

How many “Do This and get this” videos have you watched? A ton right? Telling you what the audience wants right? What has it got you?

When audience is the priority the quality of work becomes stagnant.

Content creation is art.

Treat it as such.

Consistency

the most important part.

Don’t overthink it.

Every Friday this newsletter comes out.

That wasn’t the plan at first. The plan was to release a podcast every Friday on YouTube about a documenting a local business owner, leader, or anyone that influences my Algorithm in Hickory, NC.

I struggled to keep up with the schedule. My Creating of content started to feel stagnate.

I decided that if I didn’t have content quality that I wanted to share then I wouldn’t but, I still needed consistency.

I chose a post once a week on Substack - what you’re reading.

Substack may not be for you, it was for me. Find your consistency.

A newsletter, blog, mailer, or weekly video from your iPhone will be just fine.

Pick a day. A time. And schedule accordingly. Meet it every week no matter the work schedule, family trips, sports events, or whatever other excuse you want to come up with.

Once a week, once a month, or whatever - start and stay consistent.

And just start.

Start.

Your first anything isn’t going to be great. No matter what it is.

Send me the link when you do.

You’ll get better. Believe me.

Believe in yourself, I believe in you. 💪

#fortheloveofthegame

The Hickory Algorithm

Chris Goldby is a writer, marketer, and multimedia storyteller based in Hickory, North Carolina. He owns The Hickory Algorithm, a multichannel marketing agency, and is a contributing writer and Head of Documentary/Docuseries with Akula Literary Partners.