The Power Of The Newsletter... Owning Your Audience

I've had a newsletter for a number of years now. I've grown it to more than 1200 subscribers and I get feedback from this community all the time on what I write about and what I share in the following sections, all the time.

As more and more of the corporate social media platforms are banning or limiting the reach of outward facing links, it's imperative that we as creators and consumers of content look to own our communities and not rely solely on big tech for our connections to one another.

Even more so now, we need to have connection to our people. As the governments around us change, the corporate tech giants are changing their stances to better serve themselves and not necessarily their users. Yes, they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to grow and produce revenue and profit, but they are leaving behind their user base.

With a newsletter and an email list your able communicate directly with your community. You're not waiting to see which way a billionaire wakes up (grumpy or even more grumpy) to see how things will pan out.

What I tell my clients is to start an email list. Give away something of value, an eBook or a worksheet that people want, and give it out in exchange for an email. Grow the list.

But also respect the list. Don't spam it with offers. Provide value way more than you solicit.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know!

The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

Web Jawn

How to Estimate the Cost of a WordPress Project - The WP Minute

In life, some questions don’t have an easy answer. Even the simplest queries can have a variety of ifs and buts that qualify our response. For example, consider this: How much does a WordPress website cost? There’s no way to provide an immediate answer. WordPress isn’t a monthly subscription service…

The WP MinuteEric Karkovack

Great tips from Eric.

Tips and Tools for Managing Your Freelance WordPress Business - The WP Minute

Being a WordPress freelancer means wearing many hats. Success requires organization skills and an ability to multitask. Think about it: We work with clients, write code, create pretty graphics, test, troubleshoot, and keep track of finances. We also find time to learn new skills and keep up with WordPress. Perhaps…

The WP MinuteEric Karkovack

Eric knows his stuff.

What internet speed do you really need? - Technical.ly

Internet service providers are offering speeds of 2,000 Mbps and higher. Does your home need that much? Here’s a look at what different rates get you.

Technically MediaHolly Quinn

Some good points here. When is fast quick enough?

Meta CTO says staff should quit if they don’t like Meta’s new policies | TechCrunch

Meta’s CTO said staff unhappy with the tech giant’s latest policies should work somewhere else, an internal chat reveals.

TechCrunchCharles Rollet

Gross. Just gross.

TikTok is back on US app stores | TechCrunch

Apple and Google on Thursday evening restored TikTok to their respective app stores in the U.S., nearly a month after they removed the short video app

TechCrunchIvan Mehta

Well that didn't take long. Probably all pro-Trump now.

OpenAI may pay Reddit $70M for licensing deal

We know Google pays Reddit $60M, and Reddit has content deals with only Google and OpenAI. That leaves OpenAI paying about $70M.

Search Engine LandBarry Schwartz

Smart on OpenAI to do this.

7 best AI image generation tools to bring your content to life

Looking for the best AI image generator? Whether you need photorealistic art or stylized graphics, these tools deliver.

Search Engine LandJulia McCoy

There are some great tools here.

YouTube Viewing Shifts from Mobile to TV Screens in US

YouTube CEO announces TV screens surpass mobile in U.S. watch time, creating new ad opportunities for marketers.

Search Engine JournalMatt G. Southern

More people are watching YouTube on TVs! Wow.

WordPress SEO Myths Busted: What You Really Need To Know

Success requires proactive maintenance, strategic content, and adapting to AI-driven search trends – not relying on default settings or SEO plugins alone.

Search Engine JournalCarolyn Shelby

Some good SEO WordPress myths debunked.

OpenAI scrubs diversity commitment web page from its site | TechCrunch

OpenAI has eliminated a page on its website that used to express its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The URL

TechCrunchDominic-Madori Davis

Gross. But it's the cool thing to do, apparently.

WordCamp Sponsors Face New Scrutiny as WordPress Foundation Expands Trademarks

WordCamps are now enforcing stricter WordPress trademark compliance, with WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and Executive Director Mary Hubbard personally vetting all sponsors as part of Automattic’s crackdown on unauthorized commercial use of the mark.

The RepositoryRae Morey

Gonna happen. Especially with the lawsuit out there.

Google Maps blocks Gulf of America reviews after rename criticism

It controversially updated the Gulf’s name for US users after President Trump ordered it to be changed.

BBC News

Bound to happen. Gave me a chuckle that we caused Google a little bit of pain. 😜

Airbnb CEO says it’s still too early for AI trip planning | TechCrunch

Airbnb is planning to first introduce AI to its customer support system.

TechCrunchSarah Perez

I can't imagine trusting AI to plan my trip. It would be an interesting trip I'm sure. 🤣

Reddit Blames Google Algorithm Changes For Not Hitting User Growth

So after Google literally paid Reddit for its content and then ranked them incredibly well in Google Search and its search features, Reddit during its earnings call blamed Google’s search algorithm for not hitting its expected user growth.

Search Engine RoundtableBarry Schwartz

Even Reddit gets hit with Google algo changes.

DOGE as a National Cyberattack - Schneier on Security

In the span of just weeks, the US government has experienced what may be the most consequential security breach in its history—not through a sophisticated cyberattack or an act of foreign espionage, but through official orders by a billionaire with a poorly defined government role. And the implications for national security are profound. First, it was reported that people associated with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had accessed the US Treasury computer system, giving them the ability to collect data on and potentially control the department’s roughly…

Schneier on SecurityBruce Schneier

A bit political, and I try to keep this stuff out of the newsletter. But this is important to read.

Bringing Quote Posts to Mastodon

Sharing our thinking and progress on bringing Quote Posts to Mastodon, with a goal to create a safe and respectful space for everyone.

Mastodon Blog

Official Quote Posts are coming to Mastodon. Finally. You could always do it in a roundabout fashion, but an official QP will be great.

Court filings show Meta paused efforts to license books for AI training | TechCrunch

New court filings in an AI copyright case against Meta add credence to earlier reports that the company “paused” discussions with book publishers on

TechCrunchKyle Wiggers

So they could steal them instead. So sleezy, it makes me sick.

Google Drops Minimum Required Budget For Local Service Ads

Google seems to have removed the minimum required budget for Local Service Ads. It is not clear if this is intentional or a bug but the box to stop you from setting a budget too low, seems to not be there anymore.

Search Engine RoundtableBarry Schwartz

A good development. This should be helpful for those using them to generate business.

A job ad for Y Combinator startup Firecrawl seeks to hire an AI agent for $15K a year | TechCrunch

Last week, an ad from the Y Combinator job board for a tiny startup called Firecrawl went viral on X. That’s because the ad wasn’t for a human. “Please

TechCrunchJulie Bort

LOL, this is pretty clever as a PR stunt.

The Dark Side of UX: Lessons from OnlyFans’ Addictive Design | Web Designer Depot

OnlyFans leverages a meticulously crafted UX to create a powerful sense of intimacy and exclusivity, captivating users while sparking ethical debates about manipulation and exploitation.

Web Designer DepotNoah Davis

An interesting study on the UX of OnlyFans and how it's so addicting.

🎙️Podcast Coaching 🎙️

I've been podcasting since 2010. During those 12+ years I've learned a thing or two about the ins and outs of the industry and approaching it the right way.

I've decided to offer podcast coaching as a service to share the knowledge that I've accumulated over the decade-plus in the industry.

More information click here.

Web Find

Pizza Chains Really Want You to Smell Like Pizza

Papa John’s and Domino’s both introduced toiletries that’ll make you smell like a classic slice.

EaterJaya Saxena

Ewww.

BuzzFeed’s New Plan: An AI-Powered Social Media Platform to Help “Spread Joy”

In an open letter, CEO Jonah Peretti calls out TikTok and Meta for prioritizing AI tech over content and says people miss the mid-2010s ”‘beer and wine’ era of the internet.”

The Hollywood ReporterMia Galuppo

A joy-spreading, AI-powered, social media platform. Hmmmmm.

Shadow library - Wikipedia

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Contributors to Wikimedia projects

Worth reading and knowing about. These are a thing.

The Goonies 2 Takes Another Step Closer to Reality

Over 40 years later, Warner Bros. seems ready to give the Goonies fans the sequel they’ve been hoping for.

GizmodoJustin Carter

Can't wait!

I agree with Justin. This is a good 11 minute watch.

Contra Chrome – a webcomic – How Google’s browser became a threat to privacy and democracy

Contra Chrome – a webcomicleah

Good web comic showing how Google Chrome is evil and a threat to privacy and democracy as a whole. Use a different browser.

That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth

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