Internet – Page 2 – HELLO, I'M SETH WERKHEISER

HOW TO FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH MUSIC

I’m sad when I click to listen to someone’s latest offering and I’m left with a long narrow list of digital music streaming providers and download partners.

Now, a “landing page” with lyrics and photos and other “on brand” delights would be so appealing, and it’s not that hard in 2025.

But instead, a legion of talented music makers are content to do what everyone else is doing, sending their adoring fans to faceless corporate data collection services instead of pulling them further into their own creative world (and capturing a few email addresses in the process).

THE “FINALLY ORGANIZING YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS” ZOOM HANG OUT CALL

This started by me posting on Substack Notes, a screen shot of a bunch of folders filled with my digital photos dating back to 2002. I explained how I got all those photos extracted from Apple Photos (formerly iPhoto), and into their own folders. Then how I backed them all up via Backblaze.

This got some traction, so I wondererd if people would be interested in hopping on a Zoom call and talking about it. I set up a landing page using Tally, and got over 30 replies.

From there I set up an event in Luma, and emailed those folks, and as of writing this I got 29 people signed up to attend.

It’s on Thursday, March 20 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT. If you wanna come, register here.

- This is definitely not for the hardcore photographer crowd.

- This is for the casual iPhone / photographer who just happens to have a jillion photos scattered everywhere and you’re looking for a temporary support group to figure things out together.

I figured out an okay system to get all my iPhone photos off my device and stored on an external HD, again, all backed up via Backblaze (which backs up two external HDs and my laptop for $9/mo).

Because of this, I was able to cancel my yearly Google subscription for more photo storage (I was using it to back up my iPhone photos), and cut my iCloud to the .99 cents per month plan.

Thursday, March 20 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT. Register here.

UPDATING WEBSITES

It’s been so amazing to see people updating their websites. This from Zach Sprowls:

“The idea of a website HQ is not original to me. I got it from Seth Werkheiser over at SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB. His ideas, encouragement, and the community he’s building over there have been invaluable. Thank you, Seth!”

And then this from Menka Sanghvi:

“Totally echo Zach’s words. I have built my new website HQ too, and it even has a “microblog” where I go to first, whenever I get that strong impulse to share on social media! Thanks Seth.”

Just look at their incredible micro-blog set up!

I mean it – we’ve dumped years of text and photos and video onto these social media platforms. It’s no wonder no one visits our websites – we’re not updating them!

Filling out websites with everything we’ve been giving away for free to social media is a great start. Set up your own Twitter-like feed on your own site. Make it easy to publish new things on a platform you control!

BETTER VS MORE

On a group call today we got talking about an influx of subscribers, and instead of trying to replicate that to get more more more, we talked about ways to get closer to those subscribers. One at a time if needed.

What brought them in? What resonated? How can you meet them?

Can you take 100 new subscribers and find people willing to dive in? Hop on Zoom call?

Maybe it’s “just” 20 people, but those 20 (or 10 or 5 or one) can change your life.

Making more content isn’t always the answer, like Scott says here. Seek more (and better) conversations, and see what happens.

THE JOY OF DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

This from Matthew Ferrara, in a post titled ‘The Joy of Problems.’

“I’m so glad we had lunch,” I said as we left the restaurant.

“I’m so glad you didn’t cancel,” she replied.

“Actually,” I said, “It was invigorating to talk to someone who doesn’t need to be talked off the ledge. It’s refreshing to see you excited about solving problems.”

“You’re right. I feel energized by these challenges; I’ve solved similar ones at other companies. I know I have the skills and experience to deal with them. I’m looking forward to figuring them out in my new role,” she said.

“The joy of dealing with problems,” I smiled.

My latest offering is Email Guidance. Basically you get one email to pick my brain, and if you like my reply, there’s a Stripe payment link and you can book me ~~for 10 more days~~ five more emails of back and forth. I’ve booked five clients so far since I started it last month.

If you’re a paid subscriber to Social Media Escape Club, you get two free emails like this. Someone recently upgraded and did just that, sending me their challenge and a link to their website.

I replied with a 1,000 word email, and they sent back this:

“BOOM! Super helpful feedback … and so generous. Do you really take the time personally to do this depth of research into us/our brand and personalize an email like this? That’s unheard of … I’m super grateful.”

Some people have recently asked me if doing this is “scalable.” As in, I should just do a Zoom call, and be done with it, or something similar.

Or maybe just write 200 words.

But the thing is, and I’m grateful for Matthew’s post for pointing this out, is I think I find it… I found the joy of dealing with problems. I… sort of love it.

I read someone’s email, look over their site a little bit, and whatever else they provide, and then… I go for a walk. I go about my day. I watch a movie. I sleep on it. I go for a run. Make some coffee.

A day later I sit down and bang out a 1,000 word email like it’s nothing, because for me… well, it comes easy for me. And it’s also less stress than hopping on a Zoom call with a total stranger, and having to come up with all the answers on the spot. And be at my computer at a certain time. Make sure the mic is working. All that.

But writing a 1,000 word email? I love doing it.

And there are guardrails. I make sure people know I’ll reply in 24 hours, usually. I’m not swapping emails with you into the night. And I don’t answer emails on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. There’s a lot of space built into this.

And honestly, if I’m giving you 1,000 words to read, it’s gonna take you a minute to digest it.

So yeah – the joy of solving problems. I love it. If you want to know more, check out my Email Guidance page and go ahead, pick my brain.

ABC TAKES FIVETHIRTYEIGHT OFFLINE

“But the standard behavior when closing a web publication is to just pull the plug. When the whole company goes under, that’s one thing. But when there’s a parent company, especially a thriving one, there’s no justification for pulling the plug other than spiteful disregard for the work. From the perspective of a company the size of Disney, it would cost veritable pennies to keep FiveThirtyEight’s website around forever. What a disgrace.”

From Jon Gruber, re: the closure of FiveThirtyEight.

This doesn’t just suck for the public at large, the ones that can no longer reference the material for reports or research. Think of all the broken links now!

But also all the people who worked on the site – all that work, poof, gone in an instant.

Say it with me – corporate owned internet media is a shit show, and the sooner these sports coat wearing motherfuckers wake up and see the trail of destruction they’re leaving across every industry they prance into and pillage, the better.

MAGIC AND MACHINERY

You can have the magic, but you need a little machinery to make it go. It’s still magic, and it’s a gift to the world.

But you can have all the machinery in the world, but without any magic, well… what good is any of it?

Strategy and tactics… you can learn those.

That’s what I always tell my super talented clients. The ones who’ve been making magic for decades. Pro mountain bikers. Musicians. Painters.

The hard work is already done! Try being magical at any of those with one course, or email drip sequence, right? You can’t.

But add a little bit of machinery to the mix. A well thought out email sign up page (one that doesn’t just say “sign up for updates”).

A plan for sending out a newsletter, and not just “whenever.”

An idea how to frame the magic around the business side of things, without just posting images of products with BUY NOW buttons.

Magic and machinery… good to have both, but if I had to pick just one I’d take the magic.

SIGNALS

In school I could find the rockers because they had mullets, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue shirts. We obviously couldn’t carry around our guitars, but there were signals.

Growing up, I didn’t sit in the hallways and randomly yell things as everyone walked past.

“BMX! Dungons and Dragons! Guns N’ Roses!”

That’d just get me some weird looks, right?

Instead, I did what all of us shy nerds did – I carried around my BMX Plus magazines. Finally found an Anthrax shirt. Got some Airwalks from the JCPenny catalog.

Each of those things were a signal.

Once we found our tribe, we didn’t stay hanging out in the hallways at school, or the food court at the mall. We spent our evenings in our friend’s bedrooms and basements, learning Misfits’s covers and such.

This whole “hopping to different platforms to find out people” is a new thing that came about in the last decade, and it looks like it’s burning to the ground.

Start talking to the few people around you, getting a little deeper. Send a few emails. Plan a Zoom call. Meet in real life.

Boost your signals together, with other people.