The Year Of Both The Podcast And The Newsletter

I've been podcasting since 2010 and writing a newsletter since 2018, or so. Both scratch an itch for me.

You see, I'm a recovering journalist. I used to write for newspapers in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey market and it never quite left me.

I love talking to people and sharing cool ideas and stories. So naturally podcasting and newsletters made sense to me.

2025 And The Age Of The Newsletter And Podcast

Podcasts as I've said on so many platforms is in its second or third incarnation. People are finding that it's a great way to get their message out. This is true for newsletters too. No longer are people just resigning themselves to be at the mercy of the algorithm on social media and at the risk of getting in trouble with those gate keepers.

Like blogs before them, podcasts and newsletters are not controlled by one entity (although Substack is trying to change that... "boo hiss"), both are controlled by the individual creator. Heck even regular non-newsletter-enabled blogs are making a comeback, which is also very exciting.

I predict in 2025, we're going to see more and more people getting fed up with the current state of social media. They are going to flock to the decentralized web in droves. This includes Mastodon and Bluesky, along with podcasts and newsletters.

This Is All Fine And Good, But How Does One Start?

That's a relatively easy question to answer. Just start.

On the Newsletter side, avoiding, Substack (personal bias), find a service like Ghost(Pro), Beehiiv, Buttondown, Kit, or a number of other providers and start that newsletter.

On the Podcast side, Transistor (affiliate link), is a great place to start a podcast. It's an podcast host that provides all the necessary (and then some) resources for getting your podcast out to the masses.

I've used a lot of podcast hosts and Transistor always comes out on top for me, and not because I'm an affiliate. It works well and has great support. Also the interface makes sense. You'd be surprised how much that matters. 😊

So... Get Started!

I know I threw a lot at you, but what are you waiting for? Take 2025 by the "horns" and get started! You won't see any progress if you don't start.

The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

https://entrepreneursenigma.com/nickbennett

Web Jawn

Senators implore Department of Defense to expand the use of Matrix

Senators Ron Wyden and Eric Schmitt push the Defense Department to expand the use of Matrix to deliver sovereign, end-t…

Element Blog •Steve Loynes

When the government pushes end-to-end encrypted software on itself, I always find it amusing and slightly terrifying that they weren't using the "good stuff."

WordPress comments, cookies and caching

Exploring the world of WordPress comment cookies and caching. Discover the challenges and solutions to comment cookies …

joost.blog •Joost de Valk

Another one from Joost de Valk. This is a bit geeky, but if you can understand the premise it might be worth looking into. This is one example of how the WordPress community is great (aside from Matt Mullenweg).

Meta’s Big Bet on Bots

Meta says to expect AI “profiles” on Facebook and Instagram.

Intelligencer •John Herrman

How this is a good thing is beyond me. It just goes to show, get off the centralized-web. Look into Bluesky or Mastodon or other Fediverse/decentralized options. This is nuts and will most likely not go well.

Is SEO Always Changing

I always find it funny how I have so much to write about, day in and day out, on the topic of SEO and search marketing.…

Search Engine Roundtable •Barry Schwartz

Good insights from Chris Green, an SEO, as highlighted by Barry Schwartz. SEO doesn't change but the nuances and techniques do all the time. Staying on top of the changes and details is essential.

TikTok is about to be banned in the US

Barring a Supreme Court surprise or President-Elect Trump offering a lifeline to ByteDance, on Jan 19th, Apple and Goog…

The Future of SEO by Eli Schwartz •Eli Schwartz

It's true, if the US Supreme Court doesn't stop the ban by January 19th, the social media site will be banned in the US. But, the next day president-elect Trump will be sworn in and he might reverse it. I'm torn on the idea of TikTok's banning. I get where the government is coming from, but remember all the user data is kept in the US. So is this just F.U.D. being spread?

ChatGPT Search Manipulated With Hidden Instructions

Research shows that ChatGPT Search can be manipulated by instructions hidden on web pages

Search Engine Journal •Roger Montti

Surprised that ChatGPT can be manipulated? Not me. Where there's a way to manipulate something for a benefit, people will find a way.

The Future of Podcasting: Trends to Watch in 2025

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt’s words echo the spirit of…

Medium •Stewart Townsend

Interesting trends to watch in the podcasting space in 2025.

26 Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2025

Wanna know what’s coming into view on the social media horizon?

Social Media Today •Andrew Hutchinson

A good post of predictions for social media marketers to look at in 2025.

Meta Appoints New Public Policy Team To Align With Trump Administration

Meta’s appointed two Republicans to its public policy leadership team.

Social Media Today •Andrew Hutchinson

An interesting change from the 2016 Trump presidency and how the social media giants are reacting.

Attribution is Dying. Clicks are Dying. Marketing is Going Back to the 20th Century. - SparkToro

Welcome to another edition of 5-Minute Whiteboards. And folks, we’ve got a doozy of a topic. Yes, I’m being intentional…

SparkToro •Rand Fishkin

(From last summer, but worth highlighting again.) Rand isn't wrong. This is a worthwhile post and video to watch on how to get back to the basics and sometimes back to the 20th century. Rand even throws shade on what he said back in 2010, because things have changed. "Success Comes By Reaching People Through the Right Sources of Influence," says Rand.

Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules, Citing Supreme Court Decision

The regulations said ISPs had to treat all internet traffic equally.

CNET •See full bio

And we're back on the other side of Net Neutrality. What needs to happen is that Net Neutrality needs to be codified into law, not just regulated and changed every time the presidential administration changes.

Instagram Previews Coming AI Video Elements

Soon, you’ll be able to generate AI elements for your IG video uploads.

Social Media Today •Andrew Hutchinson

More AI crap coming to Instagram. Oh joy! 😒😵‍💫

Dangerous Gmail Security Threat Confirmed But Google Won’t Fix It

As Gmail AI security vulnerabilities come to the surface, why won’t Google fix the problem? Here’s what Google has to s…

Forbes •Davey Winder

Not a good look for Google. The bad side of having AI in your email.

2025 WordPress Predictions - The WP Minute

I’m sure we’re all glad that year of WordPress is behind us. WordCamp US 2024 marked the start of a transformative era …

The WP Minute •Matt Medeiros

Worth reading. Let's hope the WordPress drama figures itself out in '25.

How to block Threads on Mastodon - and a reminder that blocking on the fediverse only provides limited protections

With screenshots!

The Nexus Of Privacy •Jon

If your instance doesn't already block Threads.net this is how you can do it yourself.

Telegram hands over data on thousands of users to US law enforcement

Telegram reveals that the communications platform has fulfilled 900 U.S. government requests, sharing the phone number …

BleepingComputer •Bill Toulas

Pretty much don't use Telegram for ANYTHING.

🎙️New Offering: Podcast Coaching 🎙️

You've got questions. I've got the answers!

I've been podcasting since 2010. During those 12+ years I've learned a thing or two about the ins and outs of the industry and approaching it the right way.

I've recently decided to offer podcast coaching as a service to share the knowledge that I've accumulated over the decade-plus in the industry.

More information click here.

Web Finds & Other Cool Stuff

Source

Source

Making Better Networks for Humans, with Erin Kissane and Darius Kazemi -Dot Social Podcast with Mike McCue

A great discussion on the federated/decentralized web on the Dot Social podcast. Mike McCue, the founder of Flipboard has a great podcast. This one is all about making a better web.

Popeye and Tintin enter the public domain in 2025 along with novels from Faulkner and Hemingway

Popeye the Sailor and the Belgian boy reporter Tintin lead the class of characters and works of art becoming public dom…

AP News •ANDREW DALTON

This is exciting. Especially the news about Tintin. I'm a huge Tintin fan and have been for most of my life.

PSA provided by my friend Tim Chambers over on IndieWeb.social

I'd love to leave Meta's services. This is bad! More info.

That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth

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