What is Substack?
You remember it vividly. You were walking through a cornfield and heard the whispering voice, “If you build it, he will come.” And at that moment you knew you needed to launch an email newsletter.
Oh? You’re not Kevin Costner? And you’ve never been in the middle of an Iowa cornfield? Ok. But surely you have a field of dreams when it comes to growing an audience and sharing your passion with the world… right?
Or, maybe the reality is that you are looking for a way to communicate with a specific audience and make some dollars in the process.
Substack may be your answer.
A New Journalist in Town
It is no surprise that people have little trust in the media these days. In fact, the results of a recent survey found only 6% of Americans trust the media. With widespread distrust in traditional media, new opportunities are emerging. Enter Substack. It empowers you to become a new journalist of sorts. Think of it as a mash-up of blogging, independent journalism, email marketing, and business.
How It Works
In simple terms, Substack is a customizable, free writing platform. To make some money, you can enable paid features, which allow you to have subscriptions and memberships for content access.
Part of the beauty of Substack is the simple personalization such as a custom domain and monetization options. The platform really gives you the power to choose how you want to grow. If making money is a priority for your newsletter, you should aim to convert 5-10% of your email list to paid subscribers.
You can start with nothing but an idea in your head, or if you already have an email list or publish your writing elsewhere you have options. Substack allows you to import your publication from another source such as WordPress or Medium. This may be intriguing to you over-achievers who have enough irons in the fire as it is.
All that to say, Substack allows you to build an email list and make money with no upfront costs, unlike other email marketing platforms. However, Substack has a little more sophisticated twist with the ability to have a dedicated website for your content and a seamless way to send it out to fans. All while putting some money in your pocket too.
Dreams into Dollars
At its core Substack is email marketing. And if you have done any sort of business in the 21st Century you know email marketing works. Either by the number of newsletters hitting your inbox or the list of subscribers your business has. Or both. Substack empowers you to share quality information easily.
Substack champions building your free email list and helps you convert some into subscribers. The set-up process is speedy, but it would be wise to take some time building your list, especially if you want to go into full-fledge monetization mode. Paid subscriptions and memberships are not the only ways to make money with your Substack newsletters. Writers have also been successful with sponsorships and a new era “classified ad” in their newsletters.
Is it for You?
If you are passionate about a certain topic or industry and are looking for a platform to share information with the world, Substack may be the best way to start. Doesn’t hurt that there is an option to make some money as a result either. Perhaps the most value though is the ability to grow and nurture a dedicated following.
There is a variety of Substack success stories. A team is welcome, but not needed. Substack shines for solopreneur types. Several of the top writers are a one-person shop that does the writing themself. But there are also businesses and teams that use the platform for more than emails by posting a variety of content.
The bottom line? If you have content to share regularly and want a ready-made infrastructure that will distribute it to the world, while also helping you build a business– Substack is for you.
Make Your Dream Come True
Do you have a draft newsletter open on your computer right now that you don’t want to finish writing? It is time to ask for help making your dream a reality. Contact NATIV3 today! Our email marketing experts and digital strategists are here to help craft a message that sounds like you wrote it. We will help make your business dreams come true. Dream big.