I recently had the absolute pleasure of joining Angela Mondor on the Overgivers Anonymous Podcast. We geeked out a bit over our shared IT backgrounds from the ’90s, but then we moved on to something more current: why email marketing is a game changer for neurodivergent business owners.
If you’ve ever felt like social media is a just too much of a slog, do take a look:
:We covered a lot of ground! But here’s a brief summary:
Getting off the social media rollercoaster
One of the main reasons I advocate for email is that it gets us away from depending on platforms that are owned by someone else. You can lose your reach—or your entire account—overnight because an algorithm changed, or you accidentally broke the rules.
That kind of instability is stressful, as well as a huge risk to your income. Your email list is an asset you own. It’s a direct, private line to the people who actually want to hear from you, away from the noise and the distractions of their social media feeds.
Marketing that respects your energy levels
The great thing about email is how well it plays with neurodivergent traits like hyperfocus or fluctuating energy levels. Unlike social media, which often feels like it needs to be ‘on’ all the time, email allows for:
- Batching: When the focus hits, you can write a month’s worth of content and schedule it.
- The Buffer: It provides a comfortable space between you and your audience. You can be personal and authentic without the pressure of live video or networking.
- Automation: Setting up systems once so they work for you forever is the ultimate act of self-care in business.
Don’t let the data scare you
Open rates and deliverability can sound like a nightmare if you aren’t a fan of spreadsheets. My advice is to focus on the trends, not the perfection.
Sometimes machines ‘open’ emails before humans do! Instead of obsessing over a single digit, look at whether your community is engaging over the long haul. Your strategy should be about building trust and educating your people, not just hitting a specific percentage.
Using AI as a creative assistant
We also talked about using tools like ChatGPT to bridge the gap when executive dysfunction kicks in. We give many examples, for example using AI as a thinking partner. If you’re stuck, ask it to interview you. By answering questions, you can get your expertise out of your head and into a draft without the pain of the ‘blank page’ syndrome.
Note that this was recorded before the latest ethical issues with ChatGPT came to light, so feel free to apply our advice to the AI of your choice!
A final thought
If you’ve been holding back on marketing because it feels too loud or salesy, please do give email a try. It’s a very flexible, private, and powerful way to build a business that actually fits your life.
You can catch my full chat with Angela here: Watch the Episode