Stop trying to please the algorithm. Build your OWN damn stage.

Yesterday I was on a Zoom with a client, going through their monthly social media reports.
We talked about what was working, what wasn’t working and what needed adding into the strategy for the next month in line with their business goals.

I ended the zoom with how I always end with this particular client, by asking, ‘have you guys thought about starting a newsletter yet?’ and this may sound barmy coming from a social media strategist, but if a newsletter or Substack isn’t part of your strategy, I’m here to tell you that it needs to be.

I’ve recently started one for a business much closer to home, that being my husbands falconry business, when I realised I wasn’t following my own advice, (quick plug, sign up for birds of prey and nature type stuff) so here’s why I’m advising you to do the same. Plus, I’m sharing the insider tricks that most ‘gurus’ charge hundreds for in their courses, so listen up!

The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Platform

Last week, Instagram changed its algorithm again.
People are seeing drops in reach, the ‘violating community guidelines’ announcement appear and everyone feels like their scrabbling around a little again. I’ve seen the dreaded ‘like for like’ and ‘follow for follow’ posts appear and I thought those days were over.

Meanwhile, you could be sending out your newsletter every Tuesday at 2pm to 847 people, knowing exactly how many people will see it and know that all of those people really want to see it.

I’m working with a brilliant newsletter start-up at the moment, where I’m finding sponsors for this project. (Another quick plug if you’re interested in AI making your life easier) For this client, the newsletter comes first, the social media second.

The open rate is brilliant, the subscriber rate is growing and so are the interested sponsors, and again, it’s a great way to create a strategy that works for you.

There’s a sense of peace in the numbers. No algorithm tantrums. No mysterious shadow bans.

And that’s because your newsletter list is the only audience you actually own. Full stop.

Wait. I Can’t Have Another ‘To-Do’

I know! I get it! That’s what my client I was talking about earlier says every single time I mention newsletters or even just collecting email address for a wait list. But change your idea of what a newsletter is, and it’s suddenly gets so much easier. It just takes a little bit of strategy.

You don’t have to fill it with ‘news’ as I said in an earlier post, you’re not the PTA you don’t have to make announcements or search around for interesting tit-bits of news to fill it with.

Newsletters or Substacks can be about anything at all. Whatever you like, so long as they tie back into your craft every now and then.

Lemme explain a bit more.
I write psychological thrillers. And yet my Substack is all about the marketing and PR side of being an author.

Are my Substacks filled weekly with how my books are doing in the charts? Absolutely not, because no one would want to read that and when I’m just working on the next one, as I am now, I don’t really have any news.

I could write about my WIP, but I don’t much like that to be honest. When I’m writing, I find it’s a really personal process and hate writing about that itself, however, I do love reading about it, so I subscribe to lots of authors who do do that.

When I do have news about my books, I share it here and I also put a footnote in all my newsletters about my book so it relates back to it.

What I’m basically trying to say, is write about what you want to. Linking it back to your book is the easy part once you have a committed audience who look forward to hearing from you.

The Insider Tricks That Actually Move the Needle

Right, let’s get into the good stuff.

The things that took months of testing to figure out:

1. The Welcome Email Goldmine Your welcome email will have a 70-80% open rate. SEVENTY TO EIGHTY PERCENT. And most people waste it with “Thanks for subscribing!”

Instead, use my “Three Ps Formula”:

• Personal story (why you started writing/creating)

• Promise (what they’ll get from your newsletters)

• Peculiar fact (something unexpected about you that makes you memorable, but this is optional, my ‘unusual’ fact is I like drinking tea, so not that unusual but you get the idea.)

2. The Subject Line Secret Nobody Uses
I did a whole post about subject lines here, but here’s another idea if you’re stuck today.
Use this format:
You asked… or Quick question...
This format usually increases open rates as it’s full of the curiosity factor. But be sure you’re actually answering the questions or asking them.

Example: You asked How do I deal with impostor syndrome?
(If it was a reader questions obvs) Then answer that reader question in the post to build trust.

3. The P.S. Strategy