The Essential Substack Migration Guide
In honor of my Facebook getting hacked.
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Dear reader,
First, a quick note that I decided to separate my free and paid emails so that free subscribers can once again comment on my posts. So, if you feel called, do drop your thoughts below. I love connecting with y’all.
Now, onto the actual email…
Ever since I opened my doors as a marketing consultant, I’ve emphasized one thing to every client: prioritize your email list over social media. Always.
Social media, from a marketing perspective, should be treated as a tool to move people to your email list—not the other way around.
Why? Because if anything happens to those platforms—you get hacked, shadowbanned, Meta changes the algorithm, TikTok gets banned, LinkedIn decides to close up shop—you lose access to your audience.
(And don’t get me started on Zuck’s decision to bend the knee for you-know-who and give carte blanche to hate speech.)
…
This has happened before.
Remember Vine? The short-form video platform that predated TikTok? Creators used it to share six-second looping videos, turning the time limit into a distinct creative genre. Vine quickly became a hub for comedy, music, and art, where many skilled creators mastered the art of micro-short-form content and built massive followings.
But in 2017, just four years after its launch, Vine shut down. Competition from platforms like Instagram (which conveniently launched video features around the same time) forced it to close its doors. And just like that, those creators lost their audiences. Poof. Gone.
Many rebuilt on TikTok or Instagram, but starting over is no small task. And now, TikTok itself faces potential bans in the U.S. If it does shut down, millions of creators will have to relocate and rebuild their followings from scratch yet again.
…
This issue isn’t theoretical for me. Last month, my Facebook was hacked.
I was locked out for weeks despite every attempt to recover it—submitting photo IDs, filing appeals, and jumping through endless hoops. It was only thanks to a friend at Meta who opened a ticket for me that I got it back.
But for many people, there’s no happy ending. Their accounts, along with all their photos, messages, and memories, are permanently erased.
…
Meanwhile, email just keeps trucking along—since 1978, in fact. (No joke.) It doesn’t matter if platforms evolve, die off, or lock you out. Your email list is yours. You own it.
This is one of the reasons I love Substack. Here, you get the best of both worlds. You can send newsletters directly to your email list while also making public posts visible to everyone.
It’s such a great way to grow your reach without depending entirely on social media.
…
The Free Guide
A lot of my clients have been asking how to get started.
So, I made this handy dandy Substack Migration Checklist to help demystify and streamline the process. It’s something I wish I’d had when I was first trying to make sense of the platform.
This step-by-step guide will help you navigate the process of setting up, customizing, and launching your Substack.
Enjoy! And please let me know how it goes.
☕ THIS WEEK:
Join me for my live Q&A—
Content Strategy Cafe
Once a month, I host a one-hour zoom call for paid subscribers where I give digital marketing advice in a Q&A format.
The next one is this Thursday, January 23 @ 9am PT / 12pm ET
Usually the replays are for paid subscribers only, but I kept November’s recording open to the public so that you can get an idea of the vibe:
Can’t make it live? No problem!
You can submit questions in advance through a dedicated comment thread, and I'll address them during the session. The replay will be posted for you to watch at your convenience!
❤️🔥 This week’s Courage Cultivator
Each week, paid subscribers receive a weekly content prompt designed to help you show up consistently and put your boldest work forward, so you can cut through the noise and connect deeply with your right-fit audience.
Here’s this week’s installment:
Sending lots of love in these strange times,
Rebecca
this is the mistake Ive made all along - and I did know I was doing it but Ive not followed the rules. I am about to start to follow the rules now - I've a list of about 250 on my email list...so its a good start - about to read your email...thank you xx
I also have drifted from Meta and ditched my costly email provider in favor of Substack, at least for now. No platform is perfect, but I am with you completely that our email lists are the most valuable business resource!