Yes, Engagement Is Down—And No, You’re Not Crazy

IN TODAY'S ISSUE ↓

  1. 🎙️ TL;DR → There are REAL reasons you're probably seeing lower reach and engagement.
  2. 🫶 If you've ever thought about starting a membership community, I have the platform for you!
  3. ✨ The latest social media news you need to know about.
  4. 🤝 Opportunities to get support from Soulcialmate

Hi Reader,

A friend of mine posted on her Close Friends story yesterday about how she was experiencing much lower reach and engagement in the last few weeks and was curious if she was the only one.

In weekly meetings and the community forums in my private creator community, Soulcial Suite, we've been having a lot of the same conversations over the last month or so.

Why does it feel like no one's on the internet besides us???

Well, that's because a lot of people... aren't.

There are a ton of external factors that are affecting us ALL when it comes to post-performance.

☀️ It’s Summer, People Are On Vacation
There’s nothing more ~*summer*~ than turning off your phone, sitting on the beach all day, and just getting away from it all. People are heading to the pool, the lake, the mountains.. And they’re unplugging more this summer than winter, spring, or fall.

🇺🇸 The Political Climate Is Heavy
Sometimes it feels like you can’t log on to socials without being bombarded with some terrible piece of news that simply makes your day heavier. Many people are avoiding the doom scroll because they’re tired of all the political news and content that pops up.

And I shared two more reasons why you're content may not be performing to your typical standards, here is this Instagram post.

While these reasons are no excuse to ignore bettering your content, they’re legitimate reasons why people might be using their phone less, thus affecting how your content performs.

Check yourself, make sure you’re putting out content you’re excited about, and if so, keep doing THAT no matter what the numbers.

If we've ever had a conversation about my membership, Soulcial Suite, I've probably mentioned the incredible platform it's hosted on, Circle. When I first had the idea to start my membership community, I looked through so many different platforms before landing on Circle because of their extremely user-friendly features and interface.

Today, three years into having my membership on Circle, I can only say that the platform has gotten even more robust. There are so many new features, like their website builder, affiliate program builder, and customizable checkout, that actually help me grow my community vs. just hosting it.

I'm sharing the first best growth-focused features on Circle today — If you've been considering starting a membership community, this one's for you.


THE SOULCIAL SCOOP

Social media news
creators need to know

🖼️ Instagram is testing like counts for individual frames in Carousel posts → It allocates like counts based on whatever frame was on screen when the post was liked.

🤳 Instagram is testing “Auto Scroll” in the main feed → While there is already the ability to auto-scroll on Reels, they are testing a feature to enable automatic scrolling on the main feed.

🔈 There are new updates to the Edits app→ They include: Keyframes on iOS (coming soon to Android), 10 new voice effects, and royalty-free music.


FOSTER, RESCUE, ADOPT

Adoptable Pet of
the Week

ADOPTABLE MICHAEL, JIM, AND DWIGHT

This past weekend, I had eight dogs in my house, and Andrew didn't divorce me, a true win. 😂

We got the call about three pups at the shelter who needed somewhere to go, so naturally, I said "Sure, bring them over!"

That's when Michael, Jim, and Dwight — our "The Office" litter — were officially safe.

We kept them until we could find two new fosters to split up the litter, and now Michael (left) is staying with us until he gets adopted.

Learn more about this litter.


BE A BETTER CREATOR

Grow & scale
your creator biz

💵 How much I made in June I was hesitant to share a month with $0 in brand deals, but this is the reality of navigating the first trimester as a business owner.

📝 Finding a workflow that works for YOU → When you're trying to work a 9-5 AND run your creator business, developing a strategy that fits your schedule is imperative.

🤝 You have the right to negotiate your contracts → It's not unreasonable to ask for changes - it's a PARTNERSHIP for a reason.


WEEKLY PAGES

What I Read
This Week

ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY BY STACY WILLINGHAM
3.5/5 ⭐️

After falling absolutely head over heels for Willingham's first two books, I couldn't wait to read this one. After her best friend's death, she the main character goes to college, makes new friends, and finds some interesting secrets that may be linked to her deceased best friend.. 👀

There were a lot of twists and turns in the last half of this book, and I did really enjoy it, but I don't think it measured up to her first two books personally.

She has another book coming out in August, and it'll absolutely be on my TBR!


GET THAT BAG $

Brand Partnership
Opportunities

Each week, we source incredible brand deal opportunities for you from all over the internet.

Join us in Soulcial Suite to see the full list! We typically share about 5-10 opportunities per week inside (many that are not platform-based as many of these are).


YOUR NEW CREATOR BFF

Meet Our Soulcial Suite
Creator Members

Chinar, @foodconnectindia

I'm a dog lover, running enthusiast, and food influencer who's equally passionate about discovering hidden gems at local spots and experimenting in my own kitchen.

After my IT career didn't quite pan out (let's just say coding and I had creative differences), I pivoted into marketing where I discovered my true calling: storytelling. I believe every great story needs a sprinkle of humor to make it relatable and fun because life's too short for boring content.

Whether I'm sharing my latest food adventure, hitting the streets for a run I'm all about creating authentic connections through the stories we tell.

Get to know Sophia 👯‍♀️
🌮 Favorite Food: Pasta-Pasta-Pasta
🎞️ Favorite Movie: I'm a fan of melodramas, so - The Notebook
🏙 Favorite Place Traveled To: Tbilisi, Georgia
🧁 Current Snack Fixation: Cherry
👩‍💻 Current Job Title: Data Analyst & Food Content Creator


Follow @soulcialsuite on Instagram 📲

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SOULCIAL SCOOP

At Soulcialmate, we help entrepreneurial creators turn their online influence + creativity into a profitable, self-sustaining business.