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A Siembra Connect newsletter · Issue No. 28 · Friday, June 26, 2026
People Lie, Platforms Lie… Numbers Don’t.
By George Torres · 4 min read
Beehiiv just released the State of Newsletter report…
Why I'm putting this in your hands today?
Every once in a while a report comes out that says, in cold hard data, the thing I have been planting in this newsletter for years. beehiiv just dropped their State of Newsletters 2026, and reading it felt less like industry analysis and more like watching the soil prove the seed.
You already know my story. I have been online since 1997. I built Sofrito For Your Soul into one of the earliest Latino cultural platforms on the web, and then I watched it disappear in a hack. That loss taught me a lesson I have repeated to you in a hundred different ways: do not build your home on borrowed land. Your email list is the deed. Your community is the real algorithm.
This report is 28 billion emails worth of receipts for that lesson.
A few things in here stopped me cold, and they are exactly why I want you reading it:
While every social platform keeps shifting policies and burying reach, email kept showing up. Open rates climbed to 41 percent. Owned audiences compounded while rented ones got reset overnight.
The newsletters breaking out were not the biggest. They were the most rooted. Identity-driven, niche, community-first, the kind of work that knows exactly who it is for and why it exists. That is Cultivator work.
Community beat audience every single time. The founders quoted in here say it plainly: an active 10,000-person community is worth more than 100,000 passive readers. We have been building that on purpose, not by accident.
AI is treated as support staff, not the storyteller. Use it to handle the research and the busywork, keep every sentence unmistakably yours. That is the exact line I have been asking you to hold.
I am sharing this because I do not want you taking my word for it anymore. I want you to see the whole industry catching up to what we have been cultivating here all along. Read it like a map, not a manual. Then come back and let's talk about which of these moves actually fits your garden.
Owned platforms over borrowed land. Community over clout. Slow growth that lasts.
Let's keep planting those seeds…
🌱
George Torres
Founder, Siembra Connect
Reach is something you rent. Relationship is the only thing you get to keep.
TOOLS & TIPS ·
How I Deployed Beehiiv As A Complete Solution
This is not just a Siembra Lesson… it is literally what I am doing with Siembra Connect. So I am going to share with context what I am doing here.
I Decided to Take Control of My Narrative
I started as a blogger in 1997, and I have played around with hosting and producing podcasts but never as a unified brand, towards the same goal. With Siembra Connect, the newsletter doubles as a blog… but is also a hub for the upcoming podcast and YouTube all with the same goal of empowering creators.
By not leaning so heavily on social media to carry the conversation with my audience, I have doubled down on having a direct relationship with my community.
Why I Believe Every Advocate Needs a Website
(And How to Start One)
In the age of social media, many creators and activists believe that as long as they have an Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok presence, they’re covered. But the hard truth is: if you don’t own your platform, you don’t own your impact. Algorithms change, accounts get shadowbanned, and social networks disappear overnight (remember Vine?).
That’s why Siembra Connect is built on more than just social media. We have a website, a newsletter, and a growing ecosystem that ensures that our content—and more importantly, our mission—lives beyond any one platform. A website is your digital home. It’s where people can always find you, where your content is preserved, and where you control the experience.
How to Start Your Own Website as an Advocate:
Choose Your Platform: Beehive is my first choice but WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are great beginner-friendly options.
Secure Your Domain Name: A custom domain (e.g., YourName.com or YourMovement.org) establishes credibility.
Create Key Pages:
Home (Who you are and what you stand for)
About (Your story and mission)
Blog/Resources (Educational content, updates, calls to action)
Contact (How people can reach or collaborate with you)
Optimize for Visibility: Use SEO strategies and integrate your social media for discoverability.
Monetization & Sustainability: Consider donation buttons, membership areas, or courses to support your work.
👉 Siembra Connect Tip: Our website isn’t just a place to park our bio—it’s an evolving hub where we publish deep dives, case studies, and practical guides to help our community grow their influence with intention.
Learn more about how Beehiiv not only becomes a one stop shop for this critical first step in platforming yourself but helps you monetize in three really easy way that does not require 1000’s of followers.
I personally got monetized with under 100 subscribers and have been sponsored every issue since September.
Sign up for Beehiiv using this link and email me… and I will personally book you for a free tour of the back end and help answer any questions during our live session.
& Email Me at [email protected]
WORTH READING · LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB
Curated by George Torres
What the Creator Economy Looks Like in 2026 (NAB Show) :
Shira Lazar on why community among creators matters more than ever, and why so many are building physical spaces and revenue they cannot be replaced in. Community over clout, in their words.
READ NOW → https://www.nabshow.com/article/what-the-creator-economy-is-starting-to-look-like-in-2026/
CAA and TPG Launch Compound (Deadline) :
The $250 million bet that creators are real businesses. Read it as a permission slip to treat yours like one too.
READ NOW → https://deadline.com/2026/06/caa-tpg-launch-creator-economy-company-compound-creative-1236953040/
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has become the first major fashion house to join Substack's new sponsorship program, choosing to invest directly in newsletter creators instead of traditional digital advertising. The partnership reflects growing confidence in newsletters as trusted media channels where creators have stronger relationships with their audiences. It also signals that premium brands are beginning to view independent publishers as valuable marketing partners rather than simply influencers.
Mental Health Moment
Why Creator Burnout Is Shaping the Future of Social Media (Clapper) :
The argument that audiences now want grounded and human over perfectly optimized, and that longevity beats the highlight reel. Rest is becoming a strategy out loud.
READ NOW → https://blog.clapperapp.com/2026/06/10/why-creator-burnout-is-shaping-the-future-of-social-media/
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
Let’s Get Nate D Great on Wilding Out
Today, I want to highlight a creator directly from my personal timeleine… I personally do not know him but Nate D Great is a foodie and comedian whose videos I follow. He often blends hip hop classics with his passion for food and consistently has me sharing his videos with my foodie friends.
I am sharing him today because Nate aspire to be part of the Wilding Out cast and has re imagined Eminem’s song Stan to make his case. I will be tagging Nick Cannon… I want more Nate D Great but on a bigger platform… lets see what he can do.
Your Call To Action: Follow Nate… and tag Wilding Out, Nick Cannon and any opther cast member… to help him gain visibility. tell your friends to do the same…
Know a Cultivator who deserves a shout?
Just hit reply with their name.
MONEY & OWNERSHIP
Nearly Half of U.S. Creators Earn Between $10K and $100K
New creator economy research suggests the creator middle class continues to expand, with a significant portion of creators now earning sustainable annual incomes without celebrity-level audiences. The findings reinforce that consistent niche content and diversified income streams can outperform chasing viral moments.
Read Now:
THE CHECK-IN · A NOTE FOR CREATORS
Recent reporting put creator burnout at well over 60 percent of full-time creators this year. If you felt it this week, you are not weak and you are not behind. You are running a system that was built for output, not for people. The Creator Economy
Here is your permission: you are allowed to plant in one season and harvest in another. The field does not judge you for resting between. Take the afternoon. The list will still be there.
BEHIND THE SCENES · WHAT I'M BUILDING
JC asks: How do I get brands to work with me, and what should I charge?
Know your worth before you walk into the room, because exposure is not a currency you can pay rent with. Price for the value you deliver and the audience you have earned, not for the scraps a brand hopes you will accept. A smaller, trusting audience is often worth more to the right partner than a big, cold one.
A really cool tool I have used in the past is Social Blue Book, it has a free tier that will let you see what your valuation is based on your content, and also a paid tier that will let you take it further and actually connect with brands and close deals.
hope this helps…. Click on https://socialbluebook.com/ for more info and to sign up.
Got a question? Just hit reply.
THIS WEEK'S CALL TO ACTION
Think of the platform you would lose the most on if it vanished tomorrow. Then go add one owned-channel call to action to it today.
Now go and put your newsletter link in that bio. Pin one post that points there. Move one piece of rented audience onto land you hold.
That is the whole assignment.
Need help auditing your social footprint?
[Button: Book a Cultivation Call → your link]
WHAT'S COMING · DATES & EVENTS
I am leading a team in my first 5K ever… to help unfathered boys get the support they need.
🌱
Until next week,
George Torres
Founder, Siembra Connect
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