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Why I'm done playing the algorithm game
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Yesterday, I wrote a newsletter about the merits of running a paid newsletter on Kit and Substack. A reader asked why I’m using Substack if I already run this newsletter on Kit. They also wanted to know why I’m creating a Telegram group, which I teased in that newsletter. I started my email list on MailChimp back in 2015. I moved to ConvertKit in 2016 as it’s a better fit for creators. I use ConvertKit (now Kit) because it’s connected to Become a Writer Today via landing pages and forms. I spent a few years building that website with a team of writers. When people visit my site, I offer them a book to join my newsletter. It still gets traffic today, but it’s not my primary focus (more on why in a moment). I sometimes run Facebook Ad campaigns and send traffic to a landing page connected to Kit. They also hook me up with sponsors, and I attract subscribers organically via the Kit Creator network. I also use Kit to email students of my courses. Except for organic growth, none of this is possible on Substack. In 2020, I experimented with Substack. Then, I turned off my paid publication, exported my subscribers, and moved them to this email list. I’m using Substack again because I like how the platform is evolving. Many creators are active on it, and it’s a friendlier place than other networks, like X. You can also take your audience by exporting your list. I’ve done this at least twice. I’m publishing and syndicating content from my list to Substack. It only takes an extra five minutes per newsletter. In other words, it’s not either/or. It’s both! So why I am I creating a Telegram group for creators? I’ve gone viral a few times since I started creating online. It’s fun, but I’m suspicious of algos. I invested heavily in SEO for years. Then, in 2023–4, Google changed its algo and killed the web traffic of smaller publishers. I watch 80% of my web traffic disappear. Like hundreds of other publishers, I let a team of writers go because of Google’s changes. SEO today is nothing more than an algo, and algos are unreliable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’m more interested in building an algo-proof audience. Today, that’s an email list and, potentially, a private Telegram group. It’s my form of digital insurance. My goal for Telegram is to share snackable insider content that helps creators earn a living. It’s also a nice way to get feedback from readers via polls, quizzes, and other content types. Write on, |
Letters From the Desk of Bryan Collins
Do you want to grow a profitable content business? If so, join 25,000 readers. I share daily insights about personal brand building, writing online and growing a profitable business. It's for creators, coaches and business owners.
My social media feed is stuffed full of influencers sharing their big goals for 2025. Earn a million dollars working four hours a week. Get jacked. Climb Kilimanjaro—that type of virtue-signalling. Good luck to these pontificating gurus! I don’t like planning goals for an entire year. I read study after study, saying only 8% of people stick to their goals for the entire year. Even if 8% is wildly off the mark, I hate the odd moment after achieving a goal when I wonder, “What next?” That...
On Sunday, I asked members of my Telegram group how many email subscribers they have. I wanted to figure out what type of content to create. Over 50% of respondents said they don’t have an email list. 33% of respondents are running a list with over 100 subscribers. The rest are running lists with over 1000 subscribers. I was surprised by the results. My thesis? Some respondents find setting up and growing an engaged list overwhelming, while others get distracted by the lure of social media. I...
Running a paid newsletter is all the rage. You can turn on paid subscriptions on Kit or Substack by connecting them to your Stripe account, pressing a button, and asking people to subscribe. A paid newsletter looks crazy attractive. Substack even slapped a calculator on the homepage at one point so aspiring newsletter owners could salivate over potential monthly profits. All you have to do is write your newsletter and forget about all that marketing. What creator wouldn’t love that type of...