You’re probably wondering what in the world is Usenet? Is this the latest social media platform? Well, no; Usenet is not at all new, and it is technically not social media, but a social networking platform. It first launched in 1979, long before the Internet as we know it. Usenet was originally a way for college students to share information from their computers and has evolved into so much more today.

There are many different ways to market your content, but using a networking platform from the 80s probably wasn’t one of the ways that came to mind. Here are a few ways that Usenet can be beneficial to the modern-day content creator.

Newsgroups on Usenet

Newsgroups are similar to the online forums and discussion boards we have on other social platforms. The content posted in these newsgroups is known as binaries, and binaries can be images, videos, and even audio files. You can also post text to newsgroups, also known as articles, kind of similar to a blog post.

While you’re posting your content to existing newsgroups, you can also create your own newsgroup. The title of your newsgroup can be your brand, letting other users know that your newsgroup has a specific purpose. By creating your own newsgroup and posting your content to existing ones, you’ll be able to reach a greater number of people and a whole new and diverse audience. Just remember to make sure your content is grammatically correct, otherwise, your audience could start a conversation not about how helpful your content is but more on how grammatically incorrect it is! 

The Newsreader

The newsreader is basically a search engine on Usenet. This is how other Usenet users will search for topics relating to your content. This is where keywords will be important. Make sure to include broad and specific terms that can lead a user to your newsgroup.

More Freedom and Creativity

Digital content creators can find that they have to censor some of their content on certain platforms, which can stifle their creativity. This is not an issue when it comes to Usenet. You are free to post whatever you’d like, staying authentic to your brand and audience. Usenet is the number one way to share unrestricted content in the quickest, most reliable, and most secure way possible.

Unfortunately, you don’t get paid to post on Usenet like you can with other social platforms, but you can certainly use Usenet as a tool to help drive more traffic to your other social media accounts. As a true networking platform, Usenet can be used as a marketing tool instead of a way to make money itself.

Retention Periods

Another benefit of using Usenet to share your content is the retention periods. This isn’t like the World Wide Web where everything on the Internet lasts forever, but the content you post can be searchable for three years— and even longer, depending on different Usenet service providers. Although your content on Usenet won’t last forever, it will still be accessible long after you originally posted it.

How to Access Usenet

Usenet differs significantly from other social platforms, as there is no physical website for it. Instead, you purchase a monthly subscription from a Usenet provider like Newshosting. With Newshosting, your monthly subscriptions are very affordable and you truly get a lot for what you pay for.

As a digital content creator, you understand that sometimes it can be hard to come up with new and exciting content. Not only will a Usenet subscription allow you to share your content, but you will also be able to access user-generated content through newsgroups. Some subscription plans will allow an unlimited number of secure downloads each month, meaning that you’ll always have inspiration for new ideas for future content right at your fingertips.

So, to answer the question of “Can a digital content creator benefit from Usenet?” the answer is “absolutely!”

If you’ve found that you’re not reaching your audience with your content in the way you want, Usenet could be the solution you never knew about. It’s something different from the other platforms out there, so you’re likely to see different results.