So much sage advice here in veering off social media. Thank you! I too listened to your Art Juice podcast and my eyes were opened to new possibilities. I have been feeling the “ickies” for the past year on socials and this was perfect validation and timing that it can be done!
Yes, it *can* be done! I'm happy that the post + the podcast episode were so useful to you, and good luck on shifting your relationship with social media (or leaving altogether ;-))! x
Feb 28, 2023·edited Feb 28, 2023Liked by Astrid Bracke
Hi Astrid,
Thank you for answering my many questions in email - this thread where we can read other people's questions is very interesting! Sorry for the many questions, but I was wondering if you can share how you decide what to blog on your website, and what to share here on Substack. Are there certain parameters for why you choose to share your writing on one instead of the other?
Thank you!
Also, I love how easy it is to comment here! I abandoned the set up because I got stuck on a Substack name but apparently they let you post comments/join conversations even without all that set up! This has stopped me from commenting on websites with their own blogging ecosystems in the past (remember old blog platforms?) until things like Squarespace came along where you can blog by adding your email address. I also noticed you have no comment box under blogs but encourage comments here. Interesting how this is a place for you to build community. Thank you so much again for sharing so generously.
You're very welcome Grace! Your comment reminds me that I need to add a little line in my future Substack posts to tell people that they needn't sign up to comment :)
As for the blog: in the past I would do longer or more behind-the-scenes posts on my blog that I wasn't sure would be interesting for everyone. For instance, I wrote a pretty deep dive on marketing channels sometime in 2021 (I think) that felt better suited to the blog than to the newsletter-although I always added a link to the blog posts in my newsletter. Now that I'll be adding behind-the-scenes posts as a perk for paid subscribers here on Substack I'm not sure yet how the blog will evolve in this sense. I also run an interview series with small business owners on my blog, which I link to in my newsletter/Substack, but don't include in full. I turned off comments on my blog because I got so much spam there.
With the help of my VA, I've gotten back to uploading old (free) newsletters to my blog, both for SEO and Pinterest purposes, as well as for people who have not read previous instalments.
I am not consistent at all. As an artist I always choose painting to posting anywhere. The result is that I have a weak presence anywhere on social media. Never sold anything through any of it, either. I'm not on Pinterest yet but will learn through Alice Sheridan's course. The bottom line is not enough time. I send a monthly newsletter that yields nothing, even though opens are not too bad. It's enlightening and actually very supportive to read your journey through the jungle. I admire your trying different things. Why do we feel that we must do something we don't really like - like social media - just to "get on with the program"?
Thank you for your kind words Bela! Pinterest is great for content that lives much longer than an Instagram-post, as I'm sure you'll learn in Alice's membership. As for the newsletter: when you say it yields nothing I wonder whether you means in terms of sales or in terms of responses. I think during the workshop in Alice's community we also briefly talked about whether or not subscribers reply to emails. Most people tend not to reply to newsletters (which is fine, of course), but that makes it feel as if people are less engaged with them than on social media where it's so easy to "engage" by tapping "like".
I hope that you continue to find my words inspiring, and find the inspiration in them to also forge your own path through the jungle, as you put it :) Thank you for reading and commenting ! x
Astrid, thanks for your comments. My newsletter (which I am now calling A Letter to art lovers) never yielded sales or comments. Maybe one comment, from a friend..... I am mulling over content. It's difficult to walk the line in today's climate. Any word you say can unleash a torrent. I stick to the tried and true about art, creativity, my process. Bestest.
I have read/written so much on this subject and love seeing how other business owners have approached this. I deleted my business Instagram a year ago, I am now limiting my personal Instagram to web-only. I'm even starting to get fed up with LinkedIn, which is becoming the echo-chamber that was my business Instagram. I am lucky to not *need* social media for my business, but that's also a privelege not everyone has. A tricky one, but I am more productive the more I stay away from it.
Thank you for your comment Veronica! You're right, not everyone has the privilege to completely move away from social media, especially not without carefully preparing their business for it--but challenging the status quo in this sense is, as you write, important to do :) It's good to hear that you've had such good experiences stepping away from IG for your business! x
And it's given me time to explore Substack (and Medium - I prefer Substack though). I love the experience of taking time to read something long-form, I gain so much more from it. Looking forward to reading more from you :-)
Brilliant insight and article! I think social media can really get “hold” of us and ultimately we end up working for them and actually a step back gives us clarity! So glad you found your way with it all. I must admit I much prefer just popping up there a couple of times a week. I’m doing the insta retreat for the second time and the mindset calls are really striking - I just don’t feel like it (meta) has hold of me (anymore) ✨💫
Thank you Claire! It’s good to hear that you’re enjoying being on social media--and that they added mindset calls to the Insta Retreat sounds like a great addition to that course, it’s so valuable to reflect on why we spend time on social media and how we can make it work if we want to. Have a lovely end to your week! x
So much sage advice here in veering off social media. Thank you! I too listened to your Art Juice podcast and my eyes were opened to new possibilities. I have been feeling the “ickies” for the past year on socials and this was perfect validation and timing that it can be done!
Yes, it *can* be done! I'm happy that the post + the podcast episode were so useful to you, and good luck on shifting your relationship with social media (or leaving altogether ;-))! x
Really great read Astrid. I enjoyed seeing the steps you took to this point x
Thank you Naomi, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed reading it :) x
Thanks Astrid!
Great article. I listened to your podcast on Art Juice and found it very interesting. It inspired me to test Substack for myself. I am loving it.
Looking forward to reading more of your articles and following your journey 👩🏼🎨👩🏼🎨
You’re welcome Korynn! It’s good to hear you enjoyed the podcasts and are enjoying the articles. Have fun on Substack, it’s a great place to be :)
Just listened to Art Juice and found your insights very interesting... got me thinking ...
Thank you !
You're very welcome Rikki, I'm glad you enjoyed the episode! x
Hi Astrid,
Thank you for answering my many questions in email - this thread where we can read other people's questions is very interesting! Sorry for the many questions, but I was wondering if you can share how you decide what to blog on your website, and what to share here on Substack. Are there certain parameters for why you choose to share your writing on one instead of the other?
Thank you!
Also, I love how easy it is to comment here! I abandoned the set up because I got stuck on a Substack name but apparently they let you post comments/join conversations even without all that set up! This has stopped me from commenting on websites with their own blogging ecosystems in the past (remember old blog platforms?) until things like Squarespace came along where you can blog by adding your email address. I also noticed you have no comment box under blogs but encourage comments here. Interesting how this is a place for you to build community. Thank you so much again for sharing so generously.
You're very welcome Grace! Your comment reminds me that I need to add a little line in my future Substack posts to tell people that they needn't sign up to comment :)
As for the blog: in the past I would do longer or more behind-the-scenes posts on my blog that I wasn't sure would be interesting for everyone. For instance, I wrote a pretty deep dive on marketing channels sometime in 2021 (I think) that felt better suited to the blog than to the newsletter-although I always added a link to the blog posts in my newsletter. Now that I'll be adding behind-the-scenes posts as a perk for paid subscribers here on Substack I'm not sure yet how the blog will evolve in this sense. I also run an interview series with small business owners on my blog, which I link to in my newsletter/Substack, but don't include in full. I turned off comments on my blog because I got so much spam there.
With the help of my VA, I've gotten back to uploading old (free) newsletters to my blog, both for SEO and Pinterest purposes, as well as for people who have not read previous instalments.
Have a lovely rest of your week Grace!
I am not consistent at all. As an artist I always choose painting to posting anywhere. The result is that I have a weak presence anywhere on social media. Never sold anything through any of it, either. I'm not on Pinterest yet but will learn through Alice Sheridan's course. The bottom line is not enough time. I send a monthly newsletter that yields nothing, even though opens are not too bad. It's enlightening and actually very supportive to read your journey through the jungle. I admire your trying different things. Why do we feel that we must do something we don't really like - like social media - just to "get on with the program"?
Thank you for your kind words Bela! Pinterest is great for content that lives much longer than an Instagram-post, as I'm sure you'll learn in Alice's membership. As for the newsletter: when you say it yields nothing I wonder whether you means in terms of sales or in terms of responses. I think during the workshop in Alice's community we also briefly talked about whether or not subscribers reply to emails. Most people tend not to reply to newsletters (which is fine, of course), but that makes it feel as if people are less engaged with them than on social media where it's so easy to "engage" by tapping "like".
I hope that you continue to find my words inspiring, and find the inspiration in them to also forge your own path through the jungle, as you put it :) Thank you for reading and commenting ! x
Astrid, thanks for your comments. My newsletter (which I am now calling A Letter to art lovers) never yielded sales or comments. Maybe one comment, from a friend..... I am mulling over content. It's difficult to walk the line in today's climate. Any word you say can unleash a torrent. I stick to the tried and true about art, creativity, my process. Bestest.
I have read/written so much on this subject and love seeing how other business owners have approached this. I deleted my business Instagram a year ago, I am now limiting my personal Instagram to web-only. I'm even starting to get fed up with LinkedIn, which is becoming the echo-chamber that was my business Instagram. I am lucky to not *need* social media for my business, but that's also a privelege not everyone has. A tricky one, but I am more productive the more I stay away from it.
Thank you for your comment Veronica! You're right, not everyone has the privilege to completely move away from social media, especially not without carefully preparing their business for it--but challenging the status quo in this sense is, as you write, important to do :) It's good to hear that you've had such good experiences stepping away from IG for your business! x
And it's given me time to explore Substack (and Medium - I prefer Substack though). I love the experience of taking time to read something long-form, I gain so much more from it. Looking forward to reading more from you :-)
Yes, me too--I love the intentionality of sitting down with something. Thank you for your kind words, and for recommending Female Owned!
Brilliant insight and article! I think social media can really get “hold” of us and ultimately we end up working for them and actually a step back gives us clarity! So glad you found your way with it all. I must admit I much prefer just popping up there a couple of times a week. I’m doing the insta retreat for the second time and the mindset calls are really striking - I just don’t feel like it (meta) has hold of me (anymore) ✨💫
Thank you Claire! It’s good to hear that you’re enjoying being on social media--and that they added mindset calls to the Insta Retreat sounds like a great addition to that course, it’s so valuable to reflect on why we spend time on social media and how we can make it work if we want to. Have a lovely end to your week! x