Social media isn’t broken — it’s working exactly how it was designed. Just not for you
Rented reach. Shifting algorithms. And the overlooked asset that changes everything
I have spent years in marketing and trying to gain attraction from various social media.
Whether it’s Facebook, instagram, X or even Pinterest, I tried every hack that I learned along the way to gain followers for my clients and brands.
Yes, I work as a full-time digital marketer in a 9–5 agency with 10+ years of experience.
If you're an entrepreneur, creator, or someone trying to build an online presence — this one's for you.
Throughout my career, I have gone through every Social Media that possibly exists on the internet, and the most common thing among them is
They run using an Algorithm.
The thing is if you’re solely relying on social media to build a brand, then you’re building on rented land.
Someone: Jai, come again?
Me: I said, RENTED LAND.
But an email list? That’s a different story but a sweet story.
It’s your digital home, a space where no algorithms decide who sees your content, but you do.
Why social media is a rented land?
Social Media is exciting, and I agree with it. It gives instant reach, likes, comments, shares, and engagement but for how long?
There’s one brutal truth.
You don’t really own your audience, but the algorithm does.
When you post on Instagram or X, your content enters a competition. It’s you vs. every other creator fighting for attention in someone’s feed.
There is no guarantee that your followers will see what you post and you have no control over that.
That’s like sending a message to a friend and hoping the postman might deliver it.
Remember when Facebook pages had an insane amount of reach? A single post would get you a huge amount of likes, comments and shares.
All for free. But that changed overnight. Isn’t?
Brands have to pay to reach the audience that they already own.
Instagram? Same story.
Twitter (now called X)? Same story.
These platforms eventually follow the same trajectory:
High organic reach early on
Massive user adoption
Sudden reach drop
Pay-to-play model introduced
It’s by design. These companies are ad businesses, and they’ll eventually monetize your attention.
So even if you grow fast early, it’s only a matter of time before you have to pay just to reach the people you already earned.
You’re really at the mercy of an algorithm that’s always shifting. Because if you truly own the audience, you won't be paying for ads. Well, that’s how those companies make money.
Fun Fact — As per Search Engine Land, Google changes its algorithm 4725 times per year, that's 13 times per day.
And you think social media is any different?
Every time there's a new update, a new CEO, or a new policy, your reach takes a hit.
And you’re left wondering: Why are my posts suddenly getting no engagement?
On the flip side, if the platform shuts down tomorrow, so does your audience.
With email, that never happens.
I’m not saying leveraging social media is a waste of time, but building up an email list from day one is equally (or more) important.
The real power of owning an email list
The audiences from your email list are entirely opposite to what you get from social media.
You actually own the audience. No Algorithm limits your reach. No social media decides your fate.
You’re not broadcasting to strangers. You’re writing to subscribers who chose to hear from you. This makes your message more effective, more intimate, and more impactful.
Here are a few reasons why an email list is better.
Direct Communication — Your message lands directly in the inbox, not buried in endless posts of feed.
More Conversion — The conversion rate is extremely high from emails which is typically 8% when compared to social media, which is 3%.
Long-Term Relationship Building — Emails create a more personal connection with your audience.
Easier Audience Segmentation — Segmenting an audience based on their behaviour is extremely easy with an email list.
These are some of the superpowers that owning an email list gives you.
Together, these benefits make email marketing one of the highest ROI channels for any creator or business. And unlike social platforms that punish you for not posting daily, your email list remains warm even if you show up less often.
Having a social media account is like travelling on public transport while having an email list is like owning a Porsche. You decide when to speed up, where to steer and most importantly, that YOURS.
What if social media and email newsletters combined?
And that’s substack.
It combines both worlds into one. A newsletter is built into social media.
With Substack, you gain important benefits all at once.
Social Engagements — You can use the platform as social media to reach a newer audience
Email Newsletter — You can build an email list with the newsletter feature builtin
Google Ranking — You can rank on Google (either with the Substack subdomain or with your own domain)
Monetisation—You can turn your subscribers into paying members and provide them with exclusive content.
Substack turns writing into an ecosystem. Every piece you publish:
Grows your audience
Builds trust through email
Creates discoverability via search
That’s a creator’s dream stack. Isn't it?
In simple, Substack just gives you control over your email list with the virality of social media.
Final thoughts
If I had started collecting emails a while ago, I should have had a large audience that I truly own. It is not just me; many creators regret not starting their email list earlier.
Your list is more than a marketing channel. It’s your digital legacy.
Start slow. Start small. But start today. Because every subscriber is one more brick in your digital home, one that no algorithm can take away.
Social media can disappear in an instant. But your email list? That’s yours forever
The Best Time to Start an Email List Was Yesterday. The Next Best Time? Now.
Substack makes it easier for you.
That's very true. Email list is the most important asset.
Anything that you own is an asset.