Earlier this summer, my colleague Rachel and I spat passionate voice texts back and forth from Austin to Philly. We agreed on something that felt rather extreme: nobody's excited about newsletters anymore.
We were approaching it both as readers and writers, who can somewhat read the temperature of the room through our own subscriber counts and engagement data, plus five-ish years of living through the medium’s prime. Unless you're a newsletter celebrity or sitting on a massive email list, you might be feeling this too. When your audience is small and only casually interested in what you're writing about (which, to be clear, isn't a bad thing), how motivated can they really be to open your email over the ten other interesting ones in their inbox? I know firsthand it's true. And it’s equally hard to sit down and write to them once you know it.
Our last poll tugs at something similar: is all the time we’re putting into social actually worth it?. The results were more encouraging than I expected: 80% of you said social "sometimes" translates into measurable business results. Not a resounding yes, but the data leans positive. See for yourself below.
Here's what's crazy, though: right after I published that poll, I got two business inquiries from strangers on social. Both inquiries turned into quotes, and one turned into a paid project. That's about as measurable as it gets, right?
So while I ride that high and ponder what it means, here's a newsletter for you to read. Maybe newsletters are sometimes worthwhile too.
Brand Notes
I recently helped The Seed Hunter, a new UK-based heirloom seed company, pour the foundation for their identity, logo, and typeface. It was lots of strategy, discussion, moodboarding, etc. During the early phases, I was combing the internet for adjacent brands, and I ended up pulling references from birding, fashion, farming, and food — a wide range — while the client brought in 19th- and 20th-century seed catalogs. It was a wild spread of different references on the moodboard. Design really does force you to take it all in.
From that mix of moods, here’s a few of the brands that stuck out because of their brilliant identity design and social presence. I was super inspired! Maybe you'll find something to take from them too.
- Graza (olive oil) for their logo, illustrations, and color palette that literally electrified the olive oil aisle.
- Nocs Provisions (binoculars) for their ability to be technical, scientific, and precise, but not cold, sterile, or lifeless.
- Wax London (menswear) for their 90s editorial style photography and the way they sprinkle in illustration and type. Take a long scroll through their Instagram grid to see them riff on all three elements from season to season.
Poll Results: Does social even work?
I really enjoyed reading your responses to this one. Thanks so much for participating.
#1 Do you feel that growth on social translates to measurable business results?
There’s a lot more yes than no here!
#2 If yes or sometimes, how do you know?
Something that rang true for me here is that social makes casual, low-key connection easy. A stranger can reach you as easily as you can reach them. The potential's always there, you just have to catch the moment.
#3 Which platforms is your brand active on? List them in order of importance.
Every single respondent listed Instagram.
#4 How regularly do you post on social?
Most people post just a few times a month. Small brands don't need to post constantly to stay present.
#5 How effective is social at doing these things for your brand? (1=not very, 5=very)
The enthusiasm was all about community — building it, showing up in it, letting your brand's personality come through. Everything else cooled off fast though: people were split on connecting with peers, unconvinced it drives sales or signups, mildly skeptical it's a good info source.
#6 Roughly how many hours per week do you spend on social media for your brand?
60% spend less than two hours a week. No one spends more than eight.
#7 Has your relationship with social media for business changed in the last year?
People are holding steady!
#8 How worthwhile do you feel that your time spent on social media is for your brand? (1=not very, 5=very)
All but one found it worthwhile. People feel generally good about what they're putting in.
#9 If you could reallocate the time you spend on social to something else, what would it be?
There’s real interest in adjacent mediums: 40% wanted to use Instagram differently (influencer partnerships, new formats) and 40% wanted a different platform entirely, with in-person events and newsletters both coming up as alternatives to explore.
Scraps
- Figma launched a YouTube inspiration series that feels editorial, not sales-y. The first episode has the editor-in-chief of i-D running through his favorite magazine references. I'm mostly just including this because I love magazines, but I’m curious if this style of series is actually a good way to get people interested in the brand and product. What do you think?
- This juicy video about BLT season from Middle Child, Urban Roots Farm, and Piacere.
- I saw Andy Warhol’s Family Album at the Whitney and then found myself reading his Wikipedia (a nearly 30-minute endeavor). Have you ever read it? The arc of his career feels like it could’ve occurred just last week, despite it being 60 years ago.
