Are you a creative feeling trapped by the demands of social media? You’re not alone. On a recent episode of the Profitable Musician Show, host Bree Noble sat down with Seth Werkheiser from Social Media Escape Club for a refreshingly honest conversation about breaking free from the pressure to be constantly online—and what to do instead.
Watch the episode here
Listen to the episode here
Seth’s Unique Path from Musician to Escape Coach
Seth Werkheiser‘s journey is rooted in music. As he shared, “I grew up in a musical household. Both my parents played in, like, bands… My dad was a guitar player, and of course I picked up the guitar, but I wasn’t really good at it, so I picked up my mom’s bass, and that was a lot easier for me. And I got to be in bands in high school from that, so it was really fun. And, yeah, just learned so much from them.” Seth’s passion for music evolved into music blogging, working with AOL Music, and eventually supporting musicians, creatives, and small businesses with their email, websites, and digital strategy.
Why Escape Social Media?
Let’s face it: social media often feels like yelling into the void. Seth Werkheiser observed the disconnect firsthand: “I worked around so many bands that were on Twitter, that were on Instagram, that were on Facebook, that had these giant subscriber follower numbers. But then…they got three comments or…sixty thousand followers and like a hundred views. It was like, what are we doing here? Something’s not adding up.”
The real killer? This pressure creates mental health struggles and makes artists question their worth. If you’ve poured your heart into a release, posted everywhere, but only get a handful of likes, “[Of course] you’re gonna feel like crap. No one cares…which is not true. It’s just no one saw it,” Seth explains.
Building an Escape Plan
Seth founded Social Media Escape Club with one key principle: don’t put all your eggs in the social media basket. His advice is practical: “How do you navigate that? How do you exist in a world where social media isn’t 95% of your marketing work? How does a website fit into that? How does emailing small town newspapers…help get 150 people at your show?” Seth recounts a real-life example: one artist emailed local media and “had 150 people at their show. By just emailing…key people in that little area.”
Why Musicians Resist Email—and Why They Shouldn’t
Many musicians shy away from email lists, worried they’ll have to spam people or pester for signups. But Seth argues, “You can have an email list. If you just want to send once a month, great.” He cautions against copying big artists: “What Metallica’s email marketing looks like has to be different than what your email marketing looks like…If you’re smaller, you can’t just replicate, like, okay, I guess I could send a photo of my record and everyone will buy it…you gotta offer a little bit more.”
Real-Life Tactics to Build Your Own Audience
Seth and Bree shared ideas musicians can use right now to build their audience off social media:
- Email Signups at Live Shows: “At the start of one of their songs, they handed out their clipboard with their email sign up for our email list. They got 35 people just like that.”
- Creative Giveaways: “You could do like…I’m on tour this weekend and at the end…I’m going to give away five [prizes] and mail them to you…So many ways to do it.”
- Photo Booth at Shows: “They set up a photo booth with an iPad. Of course, how do you get the photos? You’ve got to put your email address.”
Ultimately, for Seth, it’s all about redirecting fans to your home base: your website and your email list. “Make your website a place where people would want to go, and put that stuff there…”
Protect Yourself from Platform Chaos
With accounts getting banned for no reason, Seth warns, “Centralized kingdoms of power aren’t the answer because those places can go down…” Having your own website ensures you stay in control.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Ready to escape the algorithm and build a sustainable creative business? Follow Seth’s advice and start investing in your own digital ecosystem today!
