Big Announcement this week. Please read that first segment below because it’s important.
Okay, read all the segments, but read this next one first.
Future Proofing with Greener Pastures
I heard that phrase for the first time the other day when talking with somebody on Threads, and the concept refers to making more significant investments in our business now, even if the investment is way ahead of our current needs.
The alternative, which most do, is to make infinite micro-adjustments that may get us to the same place but at a slower pace and higher cost.
I decided to start creating and selling more digital products and assets a few months ago. Unfortunately, my current configuration of platforms (Shopify+Substack) isn’t an adequate combination for the level of work I want.
I started looking for ways to make it work, but the more I researched, the more I realized I needed to make a giant leap.
If all goes to plan, next Friday’s email will look a little different and will come from a different home base as I move off of Substack and onto ConvertKit, an email marketing tool that allows me to do everything I do here, gives me more tools, and sell digital products.
I know I’ve talked often about how great Substack is, and I still believe that. This platform is top-notch for most people looking to blog, share a newsletter, and maybe a podcast. I invested in Substack for a reason, and I will continue to share them with people because I believe in the platform.
Assuming everything goes as expected, you should see no interruption, but ConvertKit is a robust piece of software, and we’ll have to see how much I’ve learned about it between now and next week.
Note for Makers: ConvertKit also has a membership program, and I’m working to migrate everyone on Substack over to ConvertKit. I’ll be in touch soon.
Making Your First Digital Product?
When they think about making a digital product, the first question is, “What product should I make?”
But that’s the worst question to ask first because you will likely get the answer wrong. You’re creative, impulsive, and willing to create things on a whim. I know because I’m just like you.
If you want to make a digital asset that absolutely fails, then by all means, go off and make what you want to make.
On the other hand, if you want to make something that people not only want to buy but cannot wait to get their hands on, you will want to ask some different questions first.
Small Bites
Question: If I created a course on how to start a kick-ass Substack newsletter and shared it on Skillshare, would you watch it?
If you have any domains with Google, you’ve got a new Daddy now. Squarespace recently acquired all the domain business from Google, and if you want to keep those domains updated, you’ll need to migrate over soon.
Like to read books but looking for a better alternative to Amazon Kindle? Check out BookBub for thousands of books from popular and independent authors, often at better prices.*
LinkedIn is more popular than Twitter (sorry, X) now? That divide is only going to get wider soon.
Billboard is using TikTok to measure success. I’m not sure how I feel about this.
In a view that’s contrarian to my own, Sarina Chiu believes that Etsy really is worth your time.
Why are newsletters the next biggest land grab?