This is a great observation, Todd, and much larger than just social media.
I think many of us hope (dream) of building something on Substack that will offer some financial support. It's not my desire to be on here all day and honestly I could live without it completely but in marketing, you go where your audience is.
I appreciate you bringing this up at this time of intentional change. We all need to assess what's really important in our lives.
It's funny, I've been pretty realistic when it comes to any of this turning into a money making venture ... at least enough to matter. Let's be real, this would have be spitting out 4-figures a month to really have any significant impact on my life.
Oddly, even though I don't have explicit monetary goals, I still a little too often find myself sitting at the computer for hours "working on the Substack".
The irony is, I bet my results would be no worse (and possibly better) if I had just set (and actually stuck to) a no more than 60 minutes a day on this app limit from the start.
You're spot on! For me, it would take really high four-figures to replace my day job and though that's the dream, I know that'll never happen.
Encouraging and educating photographers to become wedding pros is a niche within a niche, but it's my sweet spot. That's my small slice of giving to the creative world.
I dream, like others, that I'll find a payoff one day, but I'm a creative and I create for pleasure with the hopes of profit.
I do recommend modifying a workflow so it's less about work and more about genuine sharing. Finn Tropy and his scheduler has helped with some of that.
The thing about monetization here on Substack, I think I would only even consider doing if I somehow started getting significant traffic from other sources like google or maybe bluesky. The people I'm meeting here in Notes I mostly want to friends with, and I try to make a habit of not hitting my friends up for money, lol.
As an optimist, I hope to use Substack as a connection point and educational vehicle.
I’ve been following a few guys like Mike Searles and Jaime Northrup who focus their content on seling one solution to one problem PDFs on Gumroad or StanStore
A good goal to have. I wish there was more of a photography community where I live. Sure I could get into one if I went to Seoul, but I don't want to spend lots of money and lots of time running back and forth on weekends just to meet up with people and be part of a photography community. So social media is that community for me. With that said, I also want to spend less time on it.
I understand exactly where you’re coming from. It’s very much a balancing act … to try to build/become part of a (virtual) community, without spending too much of your life in a chair in front of a screen.
I am a solid "neither here nor there" with your approach.
I would like a "following" because I already had one previously with a cartoon I did. It wasn't big, internationally "Garfield" or "Mickey Mouse" kind of a thing, but the people who liked it liked it a lot. Or seemed to.
So, while trying to organize a retired life and a retiree's house, I started scanning and storing hundreds of cartoons -- actually thousands I guess. I showed a few to people, put some on Facebook and even created a new version.
That was sort of dust in the wind. Then I found out about this site and it suited what I was doing pretty well. I drop in a written piece every now and again, some of it just to explain myself and some of it to share an experience.
The money is irrelevant. Always nice to get some but I don't have to count on it. It is nice when somebody recalls seeing one of the old drawings and comments.
I am with you on the pure numbers thing. I don't see much reason to have a "following" who isn't interested. As for time investment, I try to always nod back at somebody who nods my way and will "pass a word" with those who have something to say to me.
But I don't do any of it until after I have done the stuff I want to do -- or have to do.
With that said, I'll finish my coffee and get back to yard work.
I think I need to go back to your site to search out your cartoons. The two articles of yours I've read so far were hilarious, so I'm sure your cartoons would be up my alley too.
I like your approach there at the end. Seems like the way to go. We should interact, but it should be on our own timeline, with our priorities in order.
As long as this is fun I'll keep doing it. But I definitely don't want/need a second "job".
This is a great observation, Todd, and much larger than just social media.
I think many of us hope (dream) of building something on Substack that will offer some financial support. It's not my desire to be on here all day and honestly I could live without it completely but in marketing, you go where your audience is.
I appreciate you bringing this up at this time of intentional change. We all need to assess what's really important in our lives.
It's funny, I've been pretty realistic when it comes to any of this turning into a money making venture ... at least enough to matter. Let's be real, this would have be spitting out 4-figures a month to really have any significant impact on my life.
Oddly, even though I don't have explicit monetary goals, I still a little too often find myself sitting at the computer for hours "working on the Substack".
The irony is, I bet my results would be no worse (and possibly better) if I had just set (and actually stuck to) a no more than 60 minutes a day on this app limit from the start.
You're spot on! For me, it would take really high four-figures to replace my day job and though that's the dream, I know that'll never happen.
Encouraging and educating photographers to become wedding pros is a niche within a niche, but it's my sweet spot. That's my small slice of giving to the creative world.
I dream, like others, that I'll find a payoff one day, but I'm a creative and I create for pleasure with the hopes of profit.
I do recommend modifying a workflow so it's less about work and more about genuine sharing. Finn Tropy and his scheduler has helped with some of that.
The thing about monetization here on Substack, I think I would only even consider doing if I somehow started getting significant traffic from other sources like google or maybe bluesky. The people I'm meeting here in Notes I mostly want to friends with, and I try to make a habit of not hitting my friends up for money, lol.
I’m exactly with ya on this one.
As an optimist, I hope to use Substack as a connection point and educational vehicle.
I’ve been following a few guys like Mike Searles and Jaime Northrup who focus their content on seling one solution to one problem PDFs on Gumroad or StanStore
We’ll see
A good goal to have. I wish there was more of a photography community where I live. Sure I could get into one if I went to Seoul, but I don't want to spend lots of money and lots of time running back and forth on weekends just to meet up with people and be part of a photography community. So social media is that community for me. With that said, I also want to spend less time on it.
I understand exactly where you’re coming from. It’s very much a balancing act … to try to build/become part of a (virtual) community, without spending too much of your life in a chair in front of a screen.
I am a solid "neither here nor there" with your approach.
I would like a "following" because I already had one previously with a cartoon I did. It wasn't big, internationally "Garfield" or "Mickey Mouse" kind of a thing, but the people who liked it liked it a lot. Or seemed to.
So, while trying to organize a retired life and a retiree's house, I started scanning and storing hundreds of cartoons -- actually thousands I guess. I showed a few to people, put some on Facebook and even created a new version.
That was sort of dust in the wind. Then I found out about this site and it suited what I was doing pretty well. I drop in a written piece every now and again, some of it just to explain myself and some of it to share an experience.
The money is irrelevant. Always nice to get some but I don't have to count on it. It is nice when somebody recalls seeing one of the old drawings and comments.
I am with you on the pure numbers thing. I don't see much reason to have a "following" who isn't interested. As for time investment, I try to always nod back at somebody who nods my way and will "pass a word" with those who have something to say to me.
But I don't do any of it until after I have done the stuff I want to do -- or have to do.
With that said, I'll finish my coffee and get back to yard work.
Jake,
I think I need to go back to your site to search out your cartoons. The two articles of yours I've read so far were hilarious, so I'm sure your cartoons would be up my alley too.
I like your approach there at the end. Seems like the way to go. We should interact, but it should be on our own timeline, with our priorities in order.
As long as this is fun I'll keep doing it. But I definitely don't want/need a second "job".
Enjoy the coffee and yard work!