I am always happy to admit when I am wrong about something, and I was definitely wrong about Substack.
I made the classic mistake of thinking that it was “Just A Newsletter App,” and since I love Convertkit, I saw no real need for it.
So I dabbled with Notes a bit and then drifted away.
However, earlier this week, I became curious again and decided to create a post and see what happened.
I was surprised, at how wrong I had been
As for my penance, I created a Video highlighting the differences between Substack and Medium.
Surprised By The Simple Things
The first thing that surprised me was that it was so easy to create a “newsletter”, except that it isn’t a newsletter, is it… I am just making a post which substack then “newsletterfies”
For some people, that will be a major plus point, as email marketing and newsletters have negative connotations.
I will have no problems recommending Substack to people who write content but don’t want the hassle of “email marketing.” In fact, I wish Substack was around 20 years ago when I started out.
Here is the thing: it is almost the perfect tool for content marketers; it allows you to focus on creating content and forget about everything else.
Your content becomes your sole focus, which is as it should be.
Next, I got an email from Substack with premade social media assets… what??
That was unexpected and makes promoting my “newsletter” so much easier, especially as I dislike social media.
Which gets us onto Notes.
Social media that is a pleasant experience!
The ability to highlight parts of my post and restack them with one click is so simple but so rare. Plus, intelligent conversations and lack of BS are refreshing. I’m sure some idiots will make themselves know, but for now, it’s a breath of fresh air.
It’s almost like Substack's creators know what they are doing and prioritise UI/UX over everything else.
It’s a Newsletter, It’s a Site, It’s an Income
I am looking at Substack with fresh eyes. What can it replace from my current suite of tools, and what can it complement?
The big problem I noticed with Medium is that the earnings potential is limited; these limiting factors don’t seem to exist here on Substack. I can see that it will allow me to deliver value while also giving me the opportunity to get paid.
So that’s it. I am rapidly falling in love with Substack, and I am confident I haven’t scratched the surface of what’s possible.
So let me know if you have any tips.
Have a great weekend!
Good to see you here, Mark. 😃 I've been here for a few years now, just haven't got around to posting much.
Welcome, Mark