Episode 75: [Summer Short] Why Your Email List Should Be Top of Mind

In this summer short episode, Elizabeth and Stephanie sit down together to discuss various perspectives on their social media strategy. They cover Instagram, Threads, and Substack. The general consensus is the benefit of having an email list.

Previous episode with Michael Fedor mentioned : Writing Process with Award-Winning Political Thriller Author Michael Fedor 

Subscribe to our email list to be the first to know about our weekly podcast episodes, get insights into our writing lives, and learn about upcoming programs for writers!

Save your seat for the Memoir Master Plan cohort here.

If you prefer video versions of the podcast or want to leave a comment on this specific episode, you can find all of them on our YouTube channel.

We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

Transcript

0:00

Welcome back to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. Right now we're doing our short summer episodes, which is really fun because we're doing it in this beautiful space. This is Stephanie's home in Colorado, and we get to do'em together, which has been so different. So fun. So this has been really great to be able to do this, at least from our perspective, and we'd love to hear some feedback about what you guys think. If you wanna see a little bit more of this in our shared episodes throughout the fall season, let us know. Today we're gonna spend just a short time talking about where we're showing up. On social media, so there's always like this debate for writers. And recently I sent out an email that said that I, one of the episodes I share very often from our podcast is the one with Michael Fedor, where he talks about how much time he devoted towards social media engagement versus building his email list. And he did the math, he calculated the hours and all that kind of stuff, and just was really able to see how much better it was. To build his email list. And he used, things like book giveaways where you get to collect a wide audience's emails addresses, and then add them to your list. And then I think he was seeing like a 30%, 3%, I don't remember what it was, but he broke down the numbers in that episode. I think it's episode 50 something, 55 maybe around there. And. But then there's always that push of where do we show up on social media? Are you gonna do social media? Is that gonna get you anywhere? So that's what we hope to talk about today. So Stephanie, I want you to kick it off. Where do you, where are you trying to show up? Where have you showed up and given up on, what's your strategy right now? Any of that that feels relevant. Well, I just finished a 30 day sprint that I did for myself on Instagram just to see, you know, I was, I was kind of challenging myself with, okay, you know, I'm sitting here at a doctor's appointment, can I put a reel out really fast? And so I was really. Putting minimal pressure on myself, just trying to do it fast, whatever was happening in the moment, and what I learned was that definitely my posts where they were more personal, more vulnerable, you know, there were a lot more, you know, views on those. And I'm definitely noticing that people are not. You know, liking or there's not as much, there doesn't seem to be as much of the culture of liking things on Instagram. And maybe that's just my experience, but I feel like people are definitely watching.'cause you can definitely see, you know, how many impressions and views things are getting. And I, you know, I was getting, you know, upwards of 200 or more. And maybe for some of you listening, that doesn't seem like a lot, but for us that's a lot. Um, that's growth. Yeah, that's growth. So, you know, we'll go with that. But certainly the ones where I was, you know, putting on my book Coach hat a little bit more and wanting to say like, oh, this is what I'd say to you if you said this. It, there wasn't as much traction with those. So I thought that that was kind of interesting. And, you know, I wonder if, you know, some of that is because. Maybe people are a little shy with AI these days that, you know, they know people out there are using that to generate ideas. I've certainly used chat GPT to help me with some brainstorming, but I would by no means take it and put it right on to any platform and say like, oh yes, this is my thinking because. It's not my thinking, it's some algorithmic, rhythmic computer that came up, you know, came up with it. But yeah, so that's been interesting. And then I also, started a substack, which most people would say sub stack is not social media. I. But in a way, once you're, I think it's turning into it, I think, but I think if you're over there, you will feel like it is very similar to social media because it has, a space, almost like a Facebook page where people can post things. You can see, almost like, Twitter or x. Was, and it certainly falls into this discussion of like social media versus email list because it's kind of the closest thing to a bridge in between the two. Mm-hmm. Yes. Because you can build an email list there, and it is yours, which is unique because in a lot of cases, that doesn't always happen. But I. I mean, it's interesting'cause we actually just finished watching a YouTube video that a friend of ours had sent about how, the author Glennon Doyle had been pushed off of Substack. Mm-hmm. And there's part of me since knowing that that exists, that that happened to her and. Knowing about that, that I've been questioning it. And some of it has not only been because of that, but also because I feel like there's part of me that has used it as an avoidance from my own writing. Mm-hmm. Like from your book? Yeah. Okay. You know that like, oh, you know, I. I don't really have ideas for my book, but I have ideas for this when in fact, oh, I have to do a substack this week. Well at least spend my time doing that, my writing time. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's been kind of interesting to kind of process for myself. And I'm sure some of you listening are familiar with, you know, oh, I cleaned my house has never looked cleaner. Yes. And all those, all those jokes we have. Avoidance. Yes. All those things we have as writers, like, oh, I, you know, I need to call a friend, or whatever it might be. And so that's been kind of, uh, interesting to look at. I'm kind of evaluating. You know, the benefits of being in those spaces. I definitely agree with the idea of focusing more on building an email list. I think that, uh, that for sure in all of the research I followed and all of the people out there who I follow. It always comes back to building the email list. Mm-hmm. And, and Elizabeth and I have certainly talked about that, and we've been, and we're working on that, you know, wi within the inspired writer collective. And, uh, and it's definitely not as easy as people make it sound like, you know, it's not like you put something out there and all of a sudden like Woo. Mm-hmm. Like. It's not that easy. Uh, it definitely takes work, but I think the return on investment, from what I know is far greater than. Being all over social media. I mean, I'm certainly backing off now from Instagram. I did the 30 days to kind of see what works, but now it's gonna be maybe, you know, one or two days a week. I mean, I'll still be on the platform. Yeah. So I'm not gonna completely abandon it, but definitely going to scale. Way back I the da, the daily, the what? It's not sustainable. So the way you use Instagram, are you typically just like posting and then if anyone like comments, then you'll respond to that? Or do you also engage with other people's? Accounts, like, what's your level of like, engagement look like on Instagram? Um, and Substack, I guess. Yeah. Um, I've definitely been more interactive on Instagram. You know, definitely people who I'm following where I really like their stuff. I do, you know, comment. Mm-hmm. I am sending, uh, dms. I'm, you know, I'm, there's definitely, it's more than just posting ghost. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and so. Especially with people who's who I know or you know, I really appreciate what they're putting out there. Mm-hmm. Or I'm connecting with them'cause I'm curious about something that they posted. Mm-hmm. Um, and then Substack, I have not engaged with the larger community. you know, that might be of benefit. Uh, there's part of me that's sort of not sure that. That's how I wanna use it. Mm-hmm. Um, and I mean, I'm, I'm loving what I'm writing there, but I feel like. That could be a, my newsletter that I just have separately, that is built in a different way, especially for my, as an author, I feel like it would be more beneficial to have my own space, you know? Yeah. Build out my author website. I mean, I have the website, I just haven't built it out yet, and, and really maximize that. Like little corner of the internet, because I know you've, you've started that. Yeah. Yeah. Guys, if you are not reading Stephanie's Substack Love is Brewing. It is so good. And it's so different. I don't, I don't know exactly how, but it's so different than all the writing she puts out. Even for our email newsletter or anywhere. Anywhere. It's so. So good every time. So if you subscribe on Substack, if you're not familiar, then you don't have to always go back to subscribe Substack to read the latest thing. You get it sent directly to your inbox. So you know, once a week I get this one from Stephanie and I read it. And even though I'm not writing in contemporary romance, and that area is exclusively around her book and her genre and everything that she's writing in. Oh my God, it's so good. So I do hope that you'll keep that writing style in whatever way that shows up. And I certainly can see like. Substack as being a great way to sort of try something new because there's no cost, right? Yeah, yeah. To it. And, and so like as far as a newer author who's just needs to get something going, if you don't wanna pay for. You know, an email program or even have an author website like that could be a decent stand in for a while, I think. Mm-hmm. What makes me nervous is just that it's still an algorithm and I just don't wanna play the games. Mm-hmm. But at the same time, it can be really tough to find new people. Like I have, as Stephanie mentioned, I started my author email list back in January and I'm still sitting at the initial 20 people that I reached out to that I know personally. You know, that, you know, I invited to come and, um, join my author email list. So I hope that at some point, once my book is actually out, then I'm like growing that list. But right now it's just about getting in the habit of sending out a monthly newsletter and asking, you know, the different, at the different spaces where I interact, whether that's as a podcast guest or whatever. I put all that out there and we'll just see what happens. I do wonder if I might get more traction on something like Substack, but I'm also in my newsletter writing very specific things about what's going on in my writing life and with my family. And I like that extra barrier versus just putting it out into the world because I do really protect my family, um, on as far as like the online space. And so that's, that's where I hesitate around Substack and I run a blog just on my author website. Versus putting a blog on Substack. But that could be a way where I could do a post or stop using the website for that. But then I worry about like SEO and traffic and the ways that having a blog optimizes. You know, traffic to your website too. Yes. So, I don't know. I don't know how I feel about that. Well, it's interesting because one of the people that comes to mind in terms of all is, uh, is Seth Godin. Mm-hmm. And if you're familiar with, if you know listener, if you're familiar with his work, he's very much not on social media. And he, he has had a blog for over 20 years now. It's, um, I've sub, I have subscribed to it for a long time. He write, they're very short. They go out every day. And I think there is value in having the blog that sends the traffic to your website. Mm-hmm. I mean,'cause there, there is benefit to that. Mm-hmm. And, um, one of the things that I worry, I mean even for me on Substack, I. When I go to look at others, and if they ask me to pay, like, I'm like, eh, like it, it doesn't rub me the right way either. That idea that like, oh, I mean, I get that creatives want to make a living and I support that. However, there is part of it where Substack is still a tech company essentially, and I also see it as like what you post on Substack is the stuff that. You're willing to give away. Like it's the teasers, it's the like, yes, here's how you can, here's how you can get a taste of my writing style, so that hopefully when I have like a book ready for you that you will want to buy that, that product. Yeah, I mean that's certainly how I view my email list. I share, you know, stories that I've cut from the memoir so that those on my email list get those stories. They get a sense of my like author voice and my storytelling style. And even some of the, like a lot of those are earlier, you know, more historical stories, so they get some of the younger years and glimpses into the, the times before my actual memoir takes place and you know, so it serves as like a free teaser, right? Like that's how I view like what anyone would post on Substack. Yeah, exactly. Well, and, and I think that. I mean it certainly, it's, you know, your own choice, what you choose to do. And I mean, I'm gonna keep writing there for right now'cause it's a great way for me to try out different things and you know, I don't have a huge following, which is fine because that wasn't really the purpose behind it. Um, it is a way. To sort of try out new ideas and, and see how they land. So, you know, I'll hang out there for a little bit, but I do think once I have an author website built out that I'll migrate it over, uh, to my own space because there is something too that's, that I think is empowering as a creative, as an author to say like. I created this in my own, you know, in my own, this is my space. Almost like, you know, you think of your website as your storefront. Mm-hmm. It's the place where, people may not come back there once they're there maybe one time. But I mean, if you're selling your books there, if you're, uh, blogging, if there are different things that you put there mm-hmm. It might be surprising what people will come back to. Yeah. Um, but I think what's even more interesting is what Elizabeth has found on being on threads. Um, I'm on threads a little bit, but uh, Elizabeth has definitely made more use of its benefits. So I love threads, guys. I mean, if you guys are getting, are on our email list and getting our regular emails, I'm talking about threads almost every Tuesday email that I send out. Um, because I just have found it really beneficial in finding that writing community. So you guys know if you've been around for a while, that Stephanie have and I have tried to build that along with this platform and it just has not gone anywhere besides just Stephanie and I meeting up to talk virtually or whatever and work on our books and. Through threads. There is a really vibrant writing community and podcasting community, and that is where I have found essentially all of the guests that I have recruited for our podcast. Both in the spring season and this upcoming fall season, they've all been through threads. So I get to watch them post, I get to see what sort of content they're, they're putting out, what kind of information they're sharing on a, like a open platform. Um, I get to interact with them. I find that I get the most like follows and. Um, basically like results'cause probably follows are the, the way you would measure results on threads, even like comments and responses and all of that. When I comment on other people's threats, I am now,'cause I have a few more followers. I think I just looked at like 233. I started it in October and I. And I wasn't really consistent for a while, but I do have a lot more fun there now. So now when I post a question, then I do get a couple of responses, but for a while it was just cricket. So I stopped bothering posting anything myself and just really interacted with those other people in my like newsfeed and. I got to have a lot of great conversations. I've been able to find a lot of fantastic people. That's where I've found, I think all of my podcast guest spots that I've done this year. And I've already recorded, what did I say the other day? Nine. Yes. I've recorded nine guest spots this year. And all of those I found through threads. So, um, I think there's very active engagement because it's all written. There's not a lot of people like. Putting like links and you're not trying to attract people to your page necessarily to then click on your freebie to get on their email list. It's not like that. At least not right now. So get in while the getting's good, because I feel like this is how old Facebook used to be, where you actually got to see the posts that the people you are following are posting. You also get a mix in of new people, so you're constantly being introduced to new people. Uh, and people are really quick in their responses, like they're not posting something and then you reply and you don't see anything for even a day. Like I'm, people are routinely, like when they post something, you, you're getting interaction when you replied. You're getting hearts, you're getting all of this stuff. Um, and I don't know exactly how the, the algorithm works, but I assume that that's gonna be beneficial for the algorithm to see that you're an active participant. And therefore your stuff is gonna appear more regularly to other people. So yeah, I've gotten great personal benefits from threads. It's also been really beneficial for the podcast. Um, now because that is a group of a lot of times more established writers, I don't know that they're necessarily like the target audience for potentially our courses and workshops and other things that we would be offering for those who are just starting out. But I routinely will link to specific podcast episodes when people are asking questions. That's the beauty of it, is like people are asking for guidance and help, and so then I'm able to hop on there and if, if we had an episode where we covered that topic or if I have a resource, just the other day I sent someone. I talked about how great the scene cards are from Lisa Krons story Genius, and I sent them the scene card and an outline that I had written from a portion of the memoir course about how to use the scene card, and I emailed it to them. So I've developed a connection there. I've now have someone that I've given, you know, just a small bit of information too, and they followed me. And so now we're building relationships like actual real interactions. And the same thing is true now that we're meeting with the podcast guests for the fall. Yeah. Yeah. When we actually sit down with them face to face, that's not the first time I'm interacting with them. I already have a history with them. Mm-hmm. On threads. So it's just, I think it's really adding to the whole, um, I don't remember whose idea it is that the No. Like and trust aspect. I forget who the originator was of that concept of like how you have to convert people to potentially use your services, buy your products, et cetera. It's a very common, I think it's just sort of one of those common knowledge pieces. Mm-hmm. And I mean, I'm sure somebody originated somewhere, but I think, you know, in general, I think you definitely, like, you wanna build that. Yeah. So I feel like that's really. Doing a lot there. It's certainly more productive than anything I've tried on TikTok, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube. I tried doing YouTube shorts. It didn't really seem to make much of a difference. Yeah, we put our clips on YouTube. Um, I don't know that we're getting any sort of major traction of news subscribers there. It really just depends on like the guests we have and how much they promote the episodes as to whether we get. Like a slew of new, um, subscribers. Otherwise it's just a very slow trickle. Um, but in other news, we have been learning from these podcast guests that our name is getting out there, which is really cool through ways that like we wouldn't even suspect. So that's really great to hear those stories. We love getting that feedback about how you found us, how you heard about us, because. Honestly, to be frank, we feel like we're talking into a void sometimes. And so it's so nice to get that affirmation that you guys hear us, that you enjoy the content that we're sharing, and we would love to know what questions you have. So always send those our way if there's something you want us to cover or address on the podcast. Otherwise I'm just gonna keep borrowing the questions I see over and over again on threads and addressing those issues and. Those things that I see that other writers are experiencing, um, in their writing journeys. But thank you for tuning in for this summer episode and we'll hope you'll be back next week for another short one.