Substack is a platform that allows writers to write blog posts and build up an audience. Yes, WordPress, Blogger and a ton of other platforms do this. But the difference is that Substack is more writer and blogger orientated. It gives writers email marketing tools and focuses on helping writers to build subscribers. Digital marketers may be familiar with email marketing tools but writers aren’t. That’s something that WordPress and Blogger haven’t done and exactly why Substack is the perfect platform to build a fanbase.
And a fanbase doesn’t only apply to individual writers or celebrities! Companies can have fan bases as well. One example is Kylie Cosmetics (though arguable a ton of their fan base actually follow Kylie Jenner). You can have companies like Wildflower Cases where the fan base follows the brand, the Carlson family (the founders) and influencers that they partner with like Tana Mongeau.
Start posting two times a week
Let’s start with a simple goal. Post twice a week. Spend 5 hours every week coming up with titles and ideas and writing 5 articles every day. You should have 35 articles a week. Trash 33 articles a week and publish the 2 best articles.
Yes! This is a full time job. And you have to write and only post the best articles because this is how you’re going to build a raving fan base! This is how you’re going to improve your brand. Not by posting every day but rather posting amazing, interesting and fascinating stories on a consistent (weekly) basis.
So you’ll need to have the discipline to write and post to Substack twice a week. And if you can’t handle that pressure you may have to look for a digital marketer or writer with experience in doing research and writing great stories.
You can start and grow a subscriber list
You have subscribers on Youtube, followers on Instagram but nothing on your website. People who visit your website once can leave and never return again. That’s a terrible waste of opportunity! Some companies have already started this by setting up abandoned cart features (on eCommerce websites) and getting potential customers’ emails. But they end up spamming these valuable contacts and wasting the opportunity to build a relationship with your audience.
This is where something like Substack comes in. Anyone who reads a Substack newsletter knows that they can unsubscribe any time and that they will only get emails of interesting reads from your Substack! They don’t have to worry about getting spammed with ads or emails from your company’s catalogue. And over time, as they read more and more stories from you, they’ll start to build a positive impression of your brand. NotBoring is an amazing Substack that does this and they’ve been able to build a huge audience just from talking about great companies.
