Seven years ago, I launched my technology publication Matridox to an audience that consisted of members of various Google+ groups. That’s primarily where my traffic came from (there and Reddit, oddly enough), and since then, I’ve expanded in ways that consist of both intentional shares of my posts and organic SEO taking its course. The moral of this is I started this blog just like anyone else would, sharing it with niche communities to get off the ground and later growing it out to more corners of the web.
I’ve worked hard to build my reputation in the technology journalist/blogger community, regularly staying on top of breaking stories and diving deep into the juiciest of topics (people care a lot about Google Pixel ringtones, according to my statistics). To help grow my name Amy brand even further, I’ve started freelancing at a couple of sites: How-To Geek and CNN Underscored. I’ve worked hard to ensure my work on those publications is as good and if not better than what I publish on Matridox, and I couldn’t be prouder of the content I’ve published.
In fact, while doing my freelance work, I sort of came to a realization that I love to spend extra time on my articles, beating them into shape and locking down the points that I want to make. In each piece that’s appeared under the How-To Geek or CNN Underscored brand, I’ve found that I’ve shared some of my best writing and enjoyed the process of crafting those articles more than ever.
So it got me thinking: I’d like to do that far more often than I am now, and in order to do that, I’ll need to make a change.
That’s why today, I’m proud to announce a shift in the type of content I publish here on Matridox.
More original content, coming right up!
Normally, you’ll find three or four daily blog entries that focus on some of the biggest stories in the world of consumer technology. I used to pump out two or three times that amount back when my day consisted of nothing but writing for Matirodx. Now, I balance my freelance work, a 9-5 job, and a handful of side projects. My time is increasingly becoming more valuable to me, and I want to use it to produce the work that I see in my head, not just 300-word articles that will become irrelevant in a week.
That definitely sounds like I’m dissing that format of journalism – I’m absolutely not! I love covering breaking stories, and if all it takes to do that is 300-400 words, I’m happy to write about it. But at least for Matridox, I’m finding that the original content I produce (editorials, reviews, analysis) makes up much more of the attention metrics on my site than anything else. When I spend extra time on a topic, people engage with those articles much more often, and they always tend to last at least a few days more than shorter articles.
That’s why moving forward, I’ll be spending much more time working on beefier pieces that you can really sink your teeth into. I think this will not only help you, the reader, stay better informed on the world of technology, but also help Matridox stand out a bit.
Gadget Guides
To help make Matridox much more resourceful, I’m also introducing a new series called Gadget Guides. It’s far from an original concept – many sites already have a section of their website dedicated to helping you make educated technology buying decisions. But I’ve learned so much about crafting pieces like that from my freelance work that I feel inspired to produce some for Matridox.
Expect to see buying guides for everything from phones to laptops to accessories to smart home appliances in the future. I’ll have the first round of recommendations launching very soon, and you can already read a couple of guides I’ve published in the past here.
Getting more editorial, more story teller-like, and more creative
News will always be a huge part of Matridox, so I’ll be making that my primary content type moving forward. However, I also want to experiment with different review styles for products that I use, experiences that I have being a technology journalist, and give you guys a more up-close look at my job. I think it could be really fun, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Matridox is changing, all for the better. I want to be more creative, more free in producing the content I create, and be more fun and relaxed. Whether it’s a long-form editorial, a review, a travel blog, or a new newsletter idea I have, I want Matridox to better reflect the type of writer I am: someone who cares about the technology industry, where it’s going, and help people understand it.
It’s a big goal of mine to make Matridox a staple in the tech media landscape, and while that idea seems a bit daunting, I feel that I’m up for the challenge.
I’d like to thank each and every one of you who’s been reading my stuff for the past seven years. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without your support, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to giving you guys even more great stuff to read about, so stay tuned.
New merch!
Oh yeah, almost forgot – there’s new merch! I have a new t-shirt design I’m launching today to celebrate the 7th anniversary of Matridox: the “About Page.” It’s an artsy style that reflects the rebranding of Matridox.com with a summary of what you can find here. I’m super into it, and I hope you will be, too.
You can pick up your own “About Page” shirt (printed on an ultra-soft and comfortable tri-blend tee) on the official Matridox merch page on Cotton Bureau.
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