Social media keeps everyone more connected than ever before, in theory. In practice, it’s a highlight reel. A curated feed where people reveal very little about what’s actually on their mind.
The above thoughts are cliche at this point. So what’s to be done? Delete Instagram? Sure. Delete Twitter? If you want. Delete your Facebook? Well you probably want to use groups.
I deleted a bunch of these apps a while ago, but I found it wasn’t feeling more connected to my friends and family. It made more space for human connection, but so many of my friends and family live hundreds of miles away and I still want to know what’s on their minds.
My solution was to start a newsletter. I would share my favorite podcasts and articles from the week, along with a few ideas on my mind and some life updates. I rarely posted on social media, so this was and still is the best way for my friends to stay in touch with me. I’ve sent the newsletter out every week for the past year and a half and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. It takes a load off me to constantly be updating people about my life. The newsletter provides personal updates at scale.
One of the coolest results has been seeing friends start newsletters of their own. Nothing is more exciting than receiving a personal newsletter from a friend. I know it’s going to be genuine and interesting. I love subscribing to newsletters because the I actually get to hear what’s on someone’s mind. More so than I ever would if I followed them on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat or Facebook.
That’s the best part. A personal newsletter creates space to share genuine thoughts without the pressure of 500+ “connections.” There’s no reason to post something “just for likes.” It creates a place where you can share with your grandma, your best friends and your colleagues all at the same time.
The only problem is that I send to 100+ people and only receive from 4 of those. I would love to tip the scales the other way and get more people sending their thoughts every week. I want to hear what’s on your mind! I’m ready for a personal newsletter revolution.