Category: sethwCategory: sethw

Don’t put all your online marketing into one social media basket.

“Six-in-ten Americans who have used Twitter in the past 12 months say they have taken a break from the platform for a period of several weeks or more during that span.”

If you’re only using Twitter to reach your fans, a lot of people have left the site, according to Pew Research.

“Among current or recent Twitter users, a larger share of women than men say it is unlikely they will be on the platform in a year (30% vs. 20%).”

If you saw a 30% dip in sales, or 30% less people showing up at your events, you’d notice.

Right now – today – is the time to think about your Social Media Escape Plan:

If anything happens to these platforms, we lose the ability to reach our fans.

So get in the habit now of asking your fans to subscribe to your email newsletter, then build a content strategy today on how and when you’re going to reach your fans with an email newsletter.

Seriously, don’t wait until you lose contact with your fans to start thinking about this.

At this rate Twitter seems like it could implode tomorrow.
Then what?

P.S. I deactivated my Twitter account this weekend. I’ve been on there since 2006, and was one of the first 3000 users. See ya.

It’s almost summer, and who wants to spend more time on their computer? This is why I’ve been shouting about re-using the stuff you post on socials for your newsletters.

Not everyone who follows you on social media will see every post. Hell, people who subscribe to your email newsletter won’t open every email, either.

Re-purposing the content you’ve already posted (on socials) means less time thinking about your next email newsletter, and gives you a jump on the creative process.

When I talk about re-purposing live action shots from social media in your newsletter, this email campaign from Pupil Slicer is exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m assuming those pics were posted on socials, but hey, how many live shots do bands post every week on socials?! A TON! Put ‘em in an email with your next tour announcement!

This email campaign from BATZION makes great use of product shots from their Bandcamp, combined with a fun mix of behind the scenes photos, which look like images you’d see on social media, right?

Why spend several hours a day on socials when you could just send out a newsletter?

Social media has conditioned us that if we’re not on their app several hours a day promoting our work, then we’ll get left in the dust.

Remember, people get paid lots of money to keep you on their platform. They are incentivized to show you LIKES and BEEPS and REPLIES, all while throttling who actually sees your posts.

Maybe just spend one hour a day on socials.

Then send an email once a week using the things you posted on social media throughout the week.

When you’re done, get outside for a walk, a dip in a creek, make some tea, or go out for ice cream!

Should you wait until you have a lot of email subscribers before sending your first newsletter?

No.

Learn from Chris Spencer of Unsane, from an interview with Echoes and Dust:

“We played a show at CBGBs, we got offered a show with Sonic Youth and we got there to find out that we were playing the graveyard shift, which was actually after Sonic Youth … we had to go out and the place cleared out and we went on to like twelve people!”

Got twelve people on your list? That’s enough.

Don’t wait for more people – level the room. Impress the people in front of you. Serve the people who signed up.

“Fortunately for us, Gerard Cosmos from Matador Records happened to still be there and offered us a record deal after that, so it actually really worked out.”

You never know who might read your newsletter, so don’t hold back.

If five people sign up, you’re writing an email for five people this week. Sit down and get to work.

Figure out how to write a newsletter for five people, because you’ve got a lot to learn.

Make your mistakes in front of a few people instead of fucking something up and sending out the wrong link to 5000 people.

Show up for the people who subscribed, who showed up to your gig on a Tuesday night, or who ordered your product.

I’ve heard the mullet described as, “business in the front, party in the back.”

Usually, an artist’s social media feeds is the party.

Loose and free, filled with witty rants, spontaneous photos, and lengthy captions.

The likes pour in, the replies, the engagement.

That’s the “party in the back.”

But then you subscribe to an artist’s email newsletter and get their “email blast.”

Some images, text, a button that says “BUY NOW.”

No lively text. No attitude. No swagger.

That’s “business in the front.”

Please, go ahead and break my inbox and my heart with your sad tales from the road. I can take it.

Show up in my inbox like you do on my social media feeds.

Make me laugh with your snarky videos, and your dry humor.

Include some photos from tour, the studio, and your practice space.

Instead of giving Zuck & Musk your best material for them to monetize, pour your magic into the emails that you send to your fans.

If you’re posting updates on Twitter exclusively, well, not all your fans are on Twitter.

Not all your fans are on Instagram.

Not all your fans spends three hours a night scrolling TikTok.

Lots of your fans check email, though.

• Prospective employers email them when they get the job.
• Banks email them when the direct deposit clears.
• Merch companies send them tracking info when their vinyl ships.
• Ticket companies email them receipts to your shows.

Everyone’s checking email.

Remember, social media employees want to stay employed. They get raises and promotions by keeping you on their platforms.

Writes Sara Eckel:

“Social media companies don’t want you to go out and have fun with your friends—they want you to look at pictures of your friends having fun without you.”

I remember a conversation I had with a show promoter years ago. They weren’t able to reach everybody with their Facebook Events like they used to, and they wanted my advice.

I told them to start an email list. Our phone call ended soon after.

Meanwhile, Sprout Social (one of the biggest social media management platforms out there) has said “brands see a median engagement rate of 0.064% across all industries” on Facebook.

Not even 1%, hell, not even 0.1%.

That’s 0.064% that can be bothered to click “LIKE.”

So yes, you can say “I’m just gonna stick to posting on Twitter and Facebook, show up or don’t.”

But think of who can’t even show up because they don’t have an account on either platform.

Update your website.
Send out a newsletter.