I’m seeing more coaches and online entrepreneurs start the same process: the attempt to find new sustainable marketing channels.
Many are turning to Substack, making newsletters a priority again (and, in some cases, for the very first time) because their Instagram and TikTok profiles aren’t getting the reach they used to, and they’re burning out.
Now, Substack has its pros if you want to build a subscription newsletter that has community built-in, but it’s not the end-all-be-all solution for sustainable marketing! As with nearly every platform that’s come before it, Substack is very likely to bring in algorithms and advertising at some point (either because that was always the goal of their business model or because someone will buy them up and focus on profits over people). It’s also getting an influx of new users who want to use it for marketing, which will inevitably turn it into a noisy room like other platforms.
As an aside, I understand that many people are loving Threads right now because it doesn’t have the feature and algorithm issues that make it a frustrating space to try and share content. But keep in mind that it’s owned by Meta, a company that’s hell-bent on replacing every other social media platform, as well as becoming the next YouTube. I’d bet a lot of money that they’re waiting for X (formerly known as Twitter) to die off before implementing the same ads-based timeline and algorithms that are making Instagram and Facebook miserable and ineffective spaces.
What I’m seeing is people making the mistake of trying to find “the next” platform on which they can thrive—like they did in the golden days of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—yet still not implementing a long-term strategy that will continue to appreciate.
The tide is turning, and many people are exiting popular social media spaces altogether to find something new, but they’re missing the point. A point that will only cost them more and more as time goes on.
What point is that?
No “next” platform will have the return social media used to have.
Not Threads.
Not Substack or its competitors.
Not whatever new thing is in development right now.
Can you have success on these platforms if they’re aligned for you and are the right spaces and formats for your audience? Absolutely! I’m not saying there’s no place for these online spaces. In fact, they fit into our Thought Leadership Suites in a very specific and intentional way.
But all platforms are subject to the same fate: business owners, artists, content creators, and marketers are always looking for that “next best thing,” and they all want to be the first ones to monetize it.
Case in point…
Do you remember Clubhouse? 🤔
It was a really awesome audio-based social platform, and it was brilliant (is, I should say, as some are still using it!)
But what happened?
If you were there in the early days, you saw it.
Everyone flocked to it and started implementing various strategies to use it as a marketing and income-producing tool. It—what felt like overnight— was inundated with people shouting about their brands and offerings and fighting for the chance to be “on stage” so people would see them.
There’s a massive opportunity right now for those willing to invest the time and energy to do things differently.
While everyone (especially those who saw most of their success from social media and are therefore considered Big Wigs of their industries) is busy trying to “win” on the latest trendy platforms, those willing to begin building their SEO thought leadership content funnels on their own platforms (a.k.a., their website) will start taking over.
Yep, this could be you in six months*! 🤩👆
*SEO takes at least six months to gain traction.
Or, you can be busting your booty trying your hand at Threads, hustling to build your Substack audience (paid or free), and feeling deep anxiety that maybe, just maybe, if you can create the right reel or most interesting post, you’ll go viral and finally “win” at the social media game.
You can also just stop all that nonsense because the truth is, you likely won’t see any difference in your sales or opt-ins if you stop churning out social media content today.
None. Zip. Zero.
Instead, you can pour that energy into building your SEO thought leadership content funnel for the next several months, and when it starts to take root and gain traction (which it will when done correctly), you can dial back or even stop creating new content altogether.
“This feels like a really sustainable strategy.”
That’s what someone said to me just the other day when I walked them through the process of implementing this type of marketing.
And it is.
Imagine never making another reel…
Imagine never having to hop over to a new channel to try and beat the rush or learn another new approach to social media marketing…
Imagine never having to share every moment of your life, consistently churn out daily content, or do another live video on any platform…
Unless you want to.
If you start now, your SEO content marketing and thought leadership can begin seeing traction before 2026*.
*This hinges on well-done keyword research and specific implementation!
I want to see more purpose-driven entrepreneurs, creatives, speakers, authors, and small business owners like you actually reach the people who are actively looking for your solutions without any platform determining your reach or what (and how much) you can share. And without any algorithms telling you what type of content you have to make while still only showing that content to less than 10% of your audience (and we’re being generous with that percentage!!)
