Category: InstagramCategory: Instagram

From a recent Email Guidance client:

Decided to go through my “General” IG mailbox and send a version of this note: [REDACTED]

Picked up two new free sub’s in the first five mins.

This writer reached out to people already in his DMs with a note saying they could subscribe to his newsletter, and two people did that just that in the first five minutes.

I’m not saying automated systems cheapen the exchange, but honest communication certainly can’t hurt.

If you go by this post, “How Instagram creators are bringing their followers to Substack,” there are so many ways to get your Instagram followers to subscribe to your Substack newsletter! Video! Images! Text! Get creative!

In reality, however, your Instagram followers are likely very content to stay on Instagram.

Consider that best selling author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love) has 1.2M Instagram followers, but just 203,000 subscribers. Sure, 203,000 email subscribers is great, but it’s still less than 20% of her following on Instagram.

Artist David Speed from today’s Substack Live:

“From all of these brilliant minds that I’ve had on (the podcast), the overwhelming thing that comes through is just keep making stuff. Because through the things that you will make, you will process the world around you. You will learn what resonates with people and what doesn’t. You’ll find your niche. You’ll find your groove. You’ll find your people. And you’ll get better at what you do. So just keep making stuff. I think make is the most important word that we have. And it is my mission on this planet to encourage people to make stuff. Make as many things as you can. Leave behind a legacy of beautiful things that you’ve made. Make, make, make.”

Listen to the full interview to hear us talk about:

• How 3K email subscribers is mightier than 160,000 Instagram followers
• Small in-person events build trust
• David’s monthly free studio paint sessions in London
• Start a podcast (and listen to David’s Creative Rebels Podcast)
• Plant flags everywhere
• AI slop makes people want to get back to real human-created work

This is where I think the magic lies is moving away from social media, from Olivia Rafferty:

“What I’m really toying with is the idea of quitting Instagram for all of 2026, as an experiment. This kinda frightens me because I want to do another crowd finder this year, and Instagram was surprisingly useful and getting some pledges last time I did it. But I just feel like my creativity and headspace will be the better for it?”

As I’ve spent less time on social media over the last few years, I had time to host weekly Zoom calls with my subscribers.

I am a better person because of it.

If you would have asked me in 2023 to moderate a panel about artists leaving social media, I woulda said no way – I’d be terrified! But now? I’ll do it this afternoon on Zoom, let’s go.

Sure, if I stayed on social media I could have gained more likes, potential subscribers, some opportunities, but I’d have been the same Seth.

Today I am a better communicator, writer, person because I’ve put my time and energy into people instead of platforms.

On today’s Substack Live I covered a bunch of topics, from the punk rock flea market where I handed out Social Media Escape Club flyers, to our earliest internet memories — AOL, IRC, dial-up, even real-life pen pals.

We also talked through the real numbers behind social vs. email, why flyers and bulletin boards still work, and what it looks like to deepen ties with the people already in our creative orbit instead of chasing more followers.

The conversation bounced between quitting Instagram, starting local event newsletters, the value of a blog over a static website, and even the compounding power of a simple daily walk (got my 10 miles in today).