I’ve been diving into Substack lately and wanted to share some thoughts—and also hear from those of you who have used it.
For anyone not familiar, Substack is a platform that blends blogging, newsletters, and community. Writers and businesses can publish articles, updates, or essays directly on the platform, and subscribers get those posts delivered straight to their inbox. It’s grown popular because it gives creators an easy way to build and manage their own audience without needing a complex website or email setup.
What stands out to me about Substack:
Permission-based email collection. Every subscriber opts in, which means you’re growing a list of people who actually want to engage with your content.
Direct reach. Unlike social media, where algorithms decide what people see, your posts go directly to inboxes.
Flexibility. You can keep your writing free, create paid subscriptions, or do a mix of both. It gives you the chance to test different approaches to monetization.
Community engagement. Readers can comment on posts and participate in discussions, which makes it feel more like a two-way conversation than a one-way email blast.
Portability. This is a big one for me—you own your list. Substack allows you to export subscriber email addresses so that you can move them into other platforms you may already use.
How I see it fitting in my own strategy:
I’d still be using Constant Contact as my main email tool—it’s where I manage campaigns, segment audiences, and run my automations. But Substack could become a way to attract new readers and build my list through long-form content. Since I can move those emails into Constant Contact, it feels like a potential feeder system rather than a replacement.
Where I’d love your feedback:
Have you used Substack as a creator or as a reader?
What value (or challenges) have you found in using it?
Do you think it’s worth investing time in as a content creator, especially alongside an established email tool like Constant Contact?
I’m interested in whether you see Substack as just another publishing platform, or if it’s genuinely helpful in building deeper relationships with your audience. Any thoughts, experiences, or lessons learned would be much appreciated.
