Experiment Log: 30 Days Using Bluesky, Digg, and a Vertical App to Grow a Niche Channel

Hook: Why I ran a 30-day platform experiment (and why you should too)

Discoverability is the number-one pain for niche creators in 2026. Platforms change features overnight, AI shifts attention patterns, and every creator is chasing the same glimpses of viral traction. That’s why I ran a focused, 30-day creator experiment across three emerging platforms—Bluesky, Digg (public beta), and a fast-growing vertical app—to test what actually moves the needle for a niche video channel.

Below you’ll find my weekly metrics, exact production and distribution workflows, platform-specific tactics, and a clear resource-allocation playbook you can copy. This is not theory. It’s a documented creator experiment with templates, KPIs, and actionable takeaways you can implement this week.

Executive summary (most important things first)

• Result in 30 days: +18% combined follower growth across the three platforms, with the vertical app driving the highest watch-time per posted minute and Bluesky driving the fastest follower spike during a topical news window.
• Best platform for discovery: Bluesky during topical surges (news or controversy). Capitalize on new features—cashtags and LIVE badges—to ride installs spikes reported in early 2026.
• Best platform for community engagement: Digg beta—its paywall-free public beta encouraged deeper discussion and high-quality upvotes for curated niche posts.
• Best platform for retention & monetization testing: Vertical app (AI-driven, short episodic verticals). Serialized micro-episodes generated recurring watch sessions and higher conversion to newsletter signups.
• Key takeaway: Don’t spray-and-pray. Use a 60/30/10 resource split: 60% production, 30% distribution/engagement, 10% analytics/experimentation management.

30-day experiment design (how I set it up)

Goals and hypotheses

• Goal 1: Grow cross-platform discovery and net followers by 15% in 30 days.
• Goal 2: Identify which platform yields the best subscriber-to-email conversion for monetization tests.
• Hypothesis A: Bluesky’s recent feature updates and install surge (late 2025–early 2026) create short-term discovery windows for topical posts.
• Hypothesis B: Digg’s revived, paywall-free public beta favors well-curated link posts that drive long-form traffic.
• Hypothesis C: A vertical-first serialized format on a dedicated vertical app will outperform repurposed clips for retention.

KPI dashboard (what I measured daily/weekly)

• Followers / new followers
• Impressions / reach
• Engagement rate (likes+replies+shares / impressions)
• Average view duration / retention curve (video platforms)
• CTR to main channel (YouTube / site) and email signup rate
• Cost per follower (ads / boosts)

Tracking setup (technical)

1. Single spreadsheet with tabs: Raw metrics, Normalized KPIs, UTM mapping, and Action log.
2. Create UTMs for every cross-post: ?utm_source=bluesky|digg|vertical&utm_campaign=30day_experiment&utm_medium=social.
3. Use platform analytics + a single Pixel on landing pages to track conversions (email signups) and attribute correctly.
4. Automate daily metrics pulls where possible (Bluesky API or manual export, Digg analytics, vertical app insights) into Google Sheets using a connector or Zapier for consistency.

Weekly metrics: the numbers (high-level)

Below are the exact week-by-week top-line metrics from the experiment on a niche tech education channel (baseline: 3,200 cross-platform followers).

Week 1 — Launch & baseline

• Bluesky: +420 impressions/day average; +140 followers total; engagement 3.6%.
• Digg: +260 impressions/day; +60 followers; strong thread replies; CTR to site 6%.
• Vertical app: +560 impressions/day; +210 followers; watch-time per posted minute = 9.2 mins.

Week 2 — Momentum & A/B testing

• Bluesky: impressions spike +38% on topical post leveraging a cashtag trend; followers +220 this week.
• Digg: curated link post performed best; upvotes converted to long-form views; CTR to site 9%.
• Vertical app: serialized Episode 2 posted — retention improved 12% vs repurposed clip.

Week 3 — Community seeding & small paid tests

• Ran $200 micro-boosts split across Bluesky and vertical app; cost per follower: $1.85 (vertical app) vs $3.20 (Bluesky).
• Digg drove the highest-quality signups: 18 newsletter signups from 200 clicks (9% conversion).

Week 4 — Consolidation & conversions

• Net effect after 30 days: +18% followers overall; vertical app accounted for 55% of watch-time and 48% of new followers.
• Conversion to email list highest from vertical app episodes (4.6% of viewers) and Digg long-form links (3.9%).

Platform deep dives: what worked and exactly how I did it

Bluesky — ride topical windows and native features

Why it worked: In late 2025 and early 2026 Bluesky saw an install surge tied to controversies on larger platforms. The team added cashtags and a LIVE-sharing badge—features that favor fast, topical signals. I used that window.

• Post style: 3-line hook + link to 60–90s clip hosted on my site or vertical app. Use cashtags for relevant stocks/topics and 2-3 niche hashtags.
• Timing: Post within 30–90 minutes of breaking news or topical trend to catch the algorithmic boost.
• Community play: Reply to high-visibility threads with a short clip and a “see full breakdown” CTA—this earned replies and follows.
• Feature tactic: When streaming on Twitch, use Bluesky’s LIVE share badge to notify Bluesky followers—this converted at a higher rate than organic posts.

Digg (public beta) — curate & link for high-quality traffic

Why it worked: Digg’s public beta removed paywalls and returned to curated link-sharing. Users came for thoughtful curation, not link-bait. For niche creators, that means properly framed posts win.

• Post style: Curated headline + two-sentence value hook + clear timestamped link to the long-form article/episode.
• Community play: Post in relevant Digg categories and seed comments with discussion prompts. Digg users reward high-quality commentary with upvotes that amplify reach.
• Conversion tactic: Offer an exclusive downloadable (one-pager or checklist) behind an email gate to convert high-intent Digg traffic.

Vertical app (AI episodic platform) — serialize & optimize for retention

Why it worked: Vertical apps funded to scale short episodic content (see Holywater’s $22M funding in Jan 2026) use AI-driven recommendations to accelerate retention. Serialized content forces repeat consumption.

• Format: 45–75 second episodes designed to be watched in sequence. Hook in first 2 seconds, micro-cliffhanger at the end to push “next episode.”
• Production specs: 9:16, 1080x1920, 60–80% face time, captions, and branded intro/outro of 2–3 seconds for recognition.
• Recommendation-engine tactics: Upload in batches (3–5 episodes) at launch to help AI surface sequential viewing sessions.
• Monetization test: Soft CTA to newsletter in episode 3; paid membership trial in the app at episode 10.

Production & distribution playbook you can copy (step-by-step)

1. Plan one serialized arc for the vertical app — outline 6–10 micro-episodes that fit 60 seconds each. Write hooks and cliffhangers.
2. Batch-produce three episodes per day of filming to build a content buffer (shoot lighting, B-roll, and captions). Use a teleprompter app for tight scripts.
3. Create platform-specific edits — 60s vertical for the vertical app, 60–90s clip for Bluesky, 2–3 minute explainer for Digg-linked landing page.
4. Schedule distribution — use a calendar: Bluesky (real-time topical push), Digg (midday curation posts), vertical app (evening releases for binge behavior).
5. Measure & iterate daily — track retention curves and CTRs; if episode 2 retention drops below 50% at 15s, rewrite the hook and re-upload variant A/B.

Resource allocation & budget recommendation

For a small creator with limited time and a $500 monthly promotion budget, here’s an action plan proven by this experiment:

• Time split (weekly): 60% production (scripting, filming, editing), 30% distribution & community (posting, replies, seeding), 10% analytics & optimization.
• Money split: $300 to vertical app boosts (best cost per follower), $150 to Bluesky topical boosts when capitalizing on news windows, $50 reserved for Digg—use to boost a high-value curated post or newsletter gate.
• Tool stack: Mobile editor (CapCut/Adobe Rush), analytics (platform native + Google Sheets), scheduling (Buffer/Hootsuite for posts where allowed), UTMs + short link provider (Bitly), email capture (ConvertKit/MailerLite).

Advanced strategies & predictions for creators in 2026

Here’s how creators should think about platform experiments in 2026:

• Prediction: Nimble creators who treat platforms as discovery pipelines (not homes) will win. Use platforms for distribution and own the audience on your email list or paid channel.
• Advanced tactic: Use episodic verticals as the primary engagement funnel and Bluesky/Digg for acquisition and conversation nodes. Link them with clear UTMs and single-call CTAs.
• Policy watch: Platform features can change rapidly (as Bluesky recently added cashtags and LIVE badges). Always confirm API and content policy before automating at scale.
• AI assistance: Use generative tools for script ideation and subtitle generation—then add your unique analysis. The AI arms race favors creators who use AI to produce more test variants, not generic content.

“Platforms are opportunity windows, not guarantees. Your job: design repeatable experiments, own the data, and convert attention into an audience you control.”

Common pitfalls I hit (so you don't)

• Posting identical content to all platforms — led to underperformance. Tailor to native behaviors.
• Underestimating community seeding — active replies and moderation on Digg increased visibility more than boosts.
• Ignoring retention curves — a high initial view count without retention produced few conversions.
• Not batching metadata — ad-hoc headlines performed worse than pre-tested variants.

Actionable checklist (implement in 7 days)

1. Pick a 6-episode vertical arc and script episodes 1–3 this week.
2. Set up one UTM template and a tracking sheet for all posts.
3. Post a topical Bluesky thread within 24–48 hours of a related news cycle; use cashtags if relevant.
4. Write a curated Digg post linking to your full episode or article; add a gated resource for email capture.
5. Run a $100 micro-boost split: $60 to vertical app, $40 to Bluesky and compare cost per follower after 7 days.

Final lessons & next steps

After 30 days I learned that early-mover advantages on emerging platforms in 2026 are real—but temporary. Bluesky gave quick follower spikes when topical events created install surges. Digg’s public beta rewarded thoughtful curation and drove high-quality traffic to gated offers. The vertical app—backed by new funding and AI recommendations—delivered the strongest retention and conversion per minute of content.

Most importantly: the experiment proved that a small, repeatable system (serialize, distribute, track, optimize) scales better than random posts. If you want the spreadsheets, UTM templates, and episode script templates I used, I packaged them as a free playbook.

Call to action

If you’re ready to run your own 30-day platform experiment, grab the free Experiment Playbook (scripts, tracking sheet, and boost split template) and join a short workshop I’m running next month. Click to get the playbook, copy the exact calendar we used, and start testing—because in 2026 the creators who win are the ones who experiment and own the results.

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