Understand the mindset of someone scrolling through a feed

Great content is only the first step in building an audience. You need to sell it. One way to get distribution is through social media, but simply posting a link to your blog isn't effective. Think about what captures your attention when you're scrolling through your Twitter feed or Instagram stories. Your thumb comes off the screen and you take a second to actually pay attention. This is the reaction you're trying to elicit. Learn to adapt your writing to perform well on the channel you're sharing it on. A screenshot essay like this works well on Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram.

How do I get my post read on Twitter?

Your goal is to convince a person scrolling through their feed that your post is worth reading and your newsletter is worth subscribing to. Here's how to do it:

1. Have a strong and catchy title that's going to make them pause.
2. Distill your essay into a few primary takeaways or points and make it a Twitter thread. I use Chirp to create threads.
3. Convert your essay into an image. This lets your reader pause to read your essay without having to click away.
4. Add a link to your post and make sure there is a call to action to subscribe.

How do I make a screenshot essay?

Just write a post on letterdrop.com and hit Share as Image. You'll get a nicely formatted screenshot essay like this that you can share on Twitter or Linkedin and Instagram stories.

This post in screenshot form

You can also create your own and customize the design using a tool like Canva or Figma.

By adapting to the medium, you'll better capture attention and grow your newsletter subscribers.

Thanks to Eric Stromberg and Dickie Bush for the inspiration.