Substack Email Newsletter: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

Substack is a platform that allows writers to create and send email newsletters to their subscribers. It's a great way to connect with readers and share your ideas, but getting started can seem daunting.

To sign up for Substack, you'll need to create an account on their website. This will give you access to their tools and features.

Substack offers a free plan, which is perfect for beginners. With this plan, you can create a newsletter and send it to up to 100 subscribers.

You can customize your newsletter with your own name, photo, and bio.

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Starting a newsletter is as easy as creating a publication on Substack. You can start a Substack publication in under 20 minutes by following the simple steps in this post.

Relax, you don't need to worry about the details at first. Getting started is simple, and you don't need to make a lot of decisions before you begin.

The first step is to create a publication, and then the other pieces will fall into place. Sometimes this happens slowly, sometimes all at once.

You can start with a pseudonym for your Substack profile name if you want to keep your identity private.

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Substack is not a newsletter client, but rather a platform where you can send blog posts that live on your Substack page.

Substack is not an alternative to Mailchimp or Flodesk, and you can't set up sequences or workflows like you can with those platforms.

You can send newsletters through Substack, but essentially, you're sending blog posts that both subscribers and non-subscribers can browse and read.

Substack doesn't have an algorithm like social media platforms do, so the rules of engagement are very clear.

Substack doesn't offer pages for lead magnets or the option to segment your audience based on lead magnets.

However, Substack does offer some options for audience management, including seeing subscriber behavior and emailing specific subsets of your subscribers.

You can export your subscribers on Substack, and they're yours to keep.

Your bio is the first thing people will see on Substack, so make it count.

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You can create a new text post on Substack to form the basis of your email newsletter.

To modify your newsletter's settings, you can add tags, get a secret link to share your post before it goes live, and decide whether you want to allow comments.

Clicking Preview lets you preview your post, both for mobile devices and desktop, which is a good thing to check out because if you use something too wide, it will look terrible on smaller mobile screens.

You can save a lot of embarrassment with a five-minute double-check before publishing.

To publish, press Continue, which will present a subset of the Settings options, and then click the Send to everyone now button to mail your newsletter.

You can easily switch from your current newsletter to Substack by exporting your subscriber list and uploading it to Substack.

It's that easy, and you can create excitement around signing up by creating a special Substack to send out at a certain time.

Broaden your view: Microsoft Azure Newsletter

You can find inspiration from many other newsletters, but ultimately, you'll want to develop your own style. Jamie Northrup's Minimalist Hustler Daily follows a specific template for his emails.

The two most popular formats for Substack newsletters are how-to tutorials or listicles, like "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y." These formats are tried and true for a reason.

You can write your weekly Substack newsletters in roughly 5 minutes using AI, making it a convenient option.

Intriguing read: Why Are Newsletters Important

Writing a great Substack newsletter can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. You can find inspiration from other newsletters, just like Jamie Northrup's Minimalist Hustler Daily, which follows a specific format: sharing an article, then an article from someone else, and finally something from sponsors.

Developing your own style is key, and you can do this by experimenting with different formats. Two popular options are how-to tutorials and listicles, like "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y."

Writing an Attention-Grabbing Bio is crucial to capturing your target audience's attention.

You want to make sure it grabs the attention of your target audience. Avoid the generic "Cat lover. Exploring the world" garbage, nobody cares about that.

Talk to your reader, state the content you're going to write about, and identify the audience you're talking to. This will help you create a compelling Substack bio.

If you're a fitness coach and help men over 50 lose belly fat, then simply start with "Fitness coach with 15 years of experience. Helping men over 50 get rid of belly fat."

A compelling Substack profile is key to attracting readers. A subdomain for your Substack and a great profile can make all the difference.

Here are some key elements to include in your Substack bio:

Growing and Monetizing your Substack email newsletter is a two-part process. You can either start with an existing audience or build one from scratch.

There are two case scenarios on how to get your first 1,000 subscribers: either you already have an audience, or you don’t.

To monetize your Substack, write posts for free to gather an audience of at least 1,000 readers. Most creators price their subscriptions from $5-20 per month, with the option to hide any type of content behind a paywall.

You can monetize your Substack by selling your own products, such as courses, coaching, or consulting. First, link a Stripe account to your Substack publication, then go to Publisher Dashboard > Payments > Connect with Stripe.

Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription fees, making it in their best interest to see that Substacks are successful.

For another approach, see: Substack Api

Monetizing your Substack is a straightforward process. You can start by writing posts for free to gather an audience. Once you have at least 1,000 readers, you can monetize them through paid subscriptions.

Substack's recommended route is to offer exclusive content behind a paywall, where subscribers can pay directly via the Substack interface. You can hide any type of content, including videos, podcasts, and written text, behind the paywall.

Most creators price their subscriptions between $5-20 per month. If you want to earn more, consider building an email list and monetizing it with courses, coaching, or consulting.

To get started, link a Stripe account to your Substack publication by going to Publisher Dashboard > Payments > Connect with Stripe.

Here are some ways to monetize your Substack:

Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription fees, so it's in their best interest to see your Substack succeed. However, if you don't have an audience, you can start with Substack Notes, a platform for sharing short posts and engaging with other creators.

Moving your newsletter to Substack can be a great way to grow your audience and monetize your content. My own answer to this question is yes, but it depends on your specific situation and content ecosystem.

It's worth considering the features and limitations of Substack. For example, the community features may not be a priority for you, or you might be attached to the current layout of your newsletter, which Substack may not be able to replicate.

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If you're considering moving your newsletter to Substack, you should also think about how it fits into your overall content strategy. Your website should remain your hub, and you can always publish blog posts and other content there.

Substack is not just a new social media network, but rather a tool to contribute to your marketing ecosystem. You can think of it as a way to curate your content and connect with your audience in a more focused way.

Here are some reasons not to move your newsletter to Substack, straight from the source:

Substack email newsletters have a unique business model that sets them apart from traditional publishing. They allow writers to monetize their content through paid subscriptions, which can be a lucrative way to earn a living.

Substack takes a 10% commission on every paid subscription, which is a relatively low fee compared to other platforms. This means writers can keep a significant portion of their earnings, making it an attractive option for those looking to turn their writing into a career.

Substack also offers a range of tools and features to help writers manage their newsletters and grow their audience, including analytics and email marketing tools.

If you're tired of seeing requests for pledges or subscription money, you can easily disable them. To do this, go back to your Dashboard and scroll down to the Payments section.

It took me a few minutes to find this setting, but it's actually quite straightforward. Uncheck the box that says "Allow readers to pledge subscriptions" and those payment/pledge requests will no longer be presented to new subscribers.

By disabling these requests, you'll save yourself and your readers some time and hassle.

Moving your business to the cloud can be a game-changer. If you want to use community features, you should consider it.

Community features can help you build a loyal following and foster engagement with your audience. This is especially true if community is one of your key values.

You can use cloud services like Substack to narrate parts of your posts, which can add a personal touch and make your content more engaging. This can be a great way to stand out from the competition.

A different take: Google Cloud Platform Email

If you want to add a podcast to your newsletter, the cloud can make it easy. Emma and Andrew at Miscellaneous Adventures have successfully done this, and it's definitely worth exploring.

The cloud can also help you integrate your content ecosystem, making it easier to manage and maintain your online presence. This can be a big time-saver and help you focus on what really matters – your writing.

Subscriptions are a great way to monetize your Substack email newsletter. You can charge a small monthly fee for exclusive content.

Substack takes a percentage of the payment, but this is standard practice. This fee can be a good incentive to keep your content valuable and engaging.

Substack is free to use, and you can access all features without paying a dime. This is a great perk, especially for new creators.

Substack doesn't rely on ads to make money. Instead, they take a 10% cut when someone subscribes to your publication.

Substack is a great platform for sending email newsletters, but importing your existing lists can be a bit tricky. You can import your existing lists, but Substack will only verify that all email addresses have previously opted in.

If you already have an email list, importing it into Substack is a breeze. You can use their import feature to do so directly.

Substack will only import lists where they can verify that all email addresses have previously opted in. This means you'll need to make sure your list is clean and up-to-date.

Importing your email list into Substack is a great way to start sending newsletters without starting from scratch.

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