TikTok is an amazing platform for building your audience, growing a community, and sharing your unique voice and expertise. However, relying solely on social media for your connection with followers can be risky.

That’s why starting an email newsletter or Substack can be a game-changer…

1. Ownership and Control

Social media platforms, while powerful, are not owned by us. Algorithms change, accounts can be suspended, and reach can fluctuate dramatically.

With an email newsletter you have direct access to your audience and community. You own your email list, and this control ensures that you can reach your followers whenever you want without worrying about platform changes.

2. Deeper Connection with Your Audience

TikTok is fantastic for quick, engaging content, but an email newsletter allows you to deepen your relationship with your followers. Through newsletters, you can share more detailed stories, insights, and updates about your creative process. And dropping into their inboxes is far more intimate: it’s a space to be more personal and interactive, fostering a community that feels connected to you beyond short-form video content.

3. Diversify Your Content

While TikTok is visual, newsletters allow for a range of content types. In newsletters you can share long-form articles, behind-the-scenes insights, tutorials, and even polls or Q&As. This diversification can help showcase different aspects of your personality and work, making your personal brand more robust and multi-dimensional.

4. Monetisation Opportunities

Substack, in particular, offers monetisation options where you can charge for premium content. As you grow your newsletter you can provide exclusive content to paying subscribers, offering you a new income stream. Even without charging, a well-maintained newsletter can attract brand partnerships and sponsorships interested in your niche audience, and it can be a springboard for you to sell any digital or physical products you develop.

5. Algorithm-Proof Your Content

Social media algorithms can sometimes feel like a mystery (take it from someone who spends her days trying to figure it out…). A post that does well one day might not reach as many people the next, but with an email newsletter, you sidestep the algorithm entirely. Every email you send lands directly in your subscribers’ inboxes, ensuring your content gets seen by those who care most.

6. Drive Traffic and Grow Your Brand

A newsletter can be an excellent way to drive traffic to other platforms, whether it’s your TikTok account, a YouTube channel, or your website. By providing valuable content and updates you can guide your audience towards other projects you’re working on, helping to grow your overall brand presence.

Getting Started…

Starting a newsletter is easier than you might think. Platforms like Substack or Mailchimp (which we use) make it simple to set up and manage.

Begin by inviting your TikTok followers to subscribe, offering them exclusive content or insights that they can’t get anywhere else. You can even develop a lead magnet (a freebie packed-full of actionable information that you give away for free in return for your followers’ email addresses).

Building an email list takes time, but the benefits of having a direct, engaged audience are well worth the effort.