Let's travel together on the road without social media
Bring a compass because there is no map
In last week’s Escape Pod (my group Zoom calls with subscribers), we told stories about our experiences with social media, culminating with one person asking a direct “yeah, but as a musician how do I exist without playing the Spotify game or being on Instagram?”
We all went around and chimed in, but sadly, we didn’t get them booked at Madison Square Garden by the end of the call.
On Friday, Cassidy Frost’s Weekly Live Q+A Sessions had much of the same vibes - we’re all trying to figure things out, bouncing ideas around and chiming in with suggestions, ideas, and concepts.
No one won a Grammy that day, but we all gained a bit from the collective energy and ideas in that group Zoom call.
Figuring out how to lessen our dependency on social media is a journey, there is no map, and it’s best to travel with others.
The people who run social media platforms would hope we isolate and try to figure this out on our own, which is why we need each other more than ever.
We need groups of writers for every fathomable sub-genre. Silent co-working style, or groups to talk about self-publishing, or pitching outlets.
I bet you could start a songwriting group. Bring un-finished songs to the group, and everyone shares their work at the end of the call.
Photography groups, where people could get together and edit photos together, or go through a photobook together, or talk about styles and gear or anything else.
Fire up your favorite video chat service and get back to being people, making connections, and building each other up. Do this in person if you can.
Because I don’t think competing with the daily publishing schedules of the more prominent media outlets is our game. Instead of churning out daily “content,” what if we slowed down and hung out with the core people who appreciate the art we’re trying to make?
Is it scalable? Heck no.
But is spending 12 hours this week posting to Instagram and trying to lure people to sign up for our newsletter the best use of our time?
How many subscribers is enough? How many fans is enough? Do we ever find contentment? Is our thirst ever quenched?
ANOTHER INVITE:
ESCAPE POD #016
Join me and some other fine creative folks later this week, and let's ask more questions that can take a lifetime to answer.
Thursday, September 5 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EDT (sign up here)
It’s FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE (donations are lovingly accepted)!
VIDEO DROPS
I sometimes make videos when people ask me questions, this way everyone gets to share in the thoughts and ideas!
Should you start making media content?
Today Substack rolled out Substack Originals to go along with their new media tab in the app, and I got this question from Johnathan Dodson, which I answer above.
Keep people on your website!
If you get people to your website, do your best to keep them there. If you’ve got a new video or song to promote, embed it on your own website and link to it from your newsletter and social media.
I’m Seth Werkheiser, and I’ll help you spend less time on social media, and make money with your email list in a non-creepy way. Find out more here.
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LOVE the compass vs. map distinction, Seth!
Excellent. You’re doing the Lord’s work 😇