Author, speaker, journalist and Inc columnist, Minda Zetlin is the jill of all trades that hosts Career Self-Care with Inc.’s Minda Zetlin
This Subtext campaign resonates deeply with subscribers and has helped them find solid ground in these unprecedented times. The campaign provides its audience with mindfulness and productivity tips, career counseling, insights, and a behind the scenes look at The Laid-Back Leader, Minda’s popular column on Inc.com.
With a remarkable engagement rate of over 16%, the audience response this campaign has been incredibly positive. Subscribers candidly text questions and receive authentic responses from Minda on personal matters from interview advice, to stress coping mechanisms, and everything in between. In fact, Minda told us that a conversation she had with one of her Subtext subscribers may actually serve as inspiration for a chapter in the book she’s writing. Talk about a connection! Now, let’s talk about the things that Minda is doing to keep her subscribers on the hook.
Her outreach is interactive, and she sets expectations with “Micro-Challenges” and “Friday Thoughts”: A couple of times a week, Minda challenges her subscribers to be mindful, which seemingly taps into their natural desires to achieve. She gifts her audience with something to think about that day, whether it’s checking in with their emotions and taking note of how their bodies receive them or challenging them to tackle a big project or task that week that they’ve been putting off. Whatever the challenge, her subscribers have been up for it! Check out a couple of her texts below:
**Friday Thought** This weekend, can you reach out with a phone call, text, or (at least) a social media message to someone you haven’t been in contact with for a long time? And old school friend, ex-colleague, or family member far away? I’m going to do this challenge with you because I struggle with this stuff myself. It’s always uncomfortable to make the first move when you’ve fallen out of touch. And yet, it’s so important, especially these days when so many of us are struggling with loneliness and isolation.
If you do it, please let me know how it goes.
**Monday Micro-Challenge** The dean of the Stanford’s medical school asked Bill Gates what leadership lessons he’d learned from fighting the pandemic. Gates’ said that because it will take years, not months, to rid the world of Covid-19, it’s important for himself and his team to preserve work-life balance — even when the urgency of the pandemic makes working 24 hours a day seem like the right thing to do. https://tinyurl.com/y2qvh9nc
This week, can you commit to stopping work at the same reasonable time each evening, even if it means leaving some seemingly urgent tasks till the following day? Let me know how it goes.
As for what she feels is driving her engagement: “I nearly always close with a question that I’m hoping is meaningful in their lives. Also, I try to be vulnerable and personal in at least some of my texts. Unlike some, I’m not likely to be texting breaking news that people haven’t already heard, so I figure if I’m to provide value, the texts have to be something people can use to somehow improve their lives.” Well said, Minda!
Want to start your own Subtext campaign? Need help coming up with creative ways to engage with your audience? Please don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@joinsubtext.com.
