271. Substack vs. My Newsletter: What Goes Where (and Why)
On Your Terms®
Intentional platform choices for 2026
Sam urges intentional selection of platforms based on whether you need discovery, nurture, or conversion.
If you’ve been side-eyeing Substack trying to figure out whether you should start one, what you’d even put on it, or how it’s different from your “regular” newsletter… this episode is your permission slip to breathe. Because guess what? I’ve been figuring this out in real time too — and today, I’m breaking down exactly how I’m using both Substack and my newsletter, why I treat them differently, and how YOU can create a simple, sustainable content structure that actually supports your business.
I’ll also walk you through the discovery → nurture → conversion framework I use to decide which platforms get my energy — and which ones simply get a presence without becoming a second job. Because you are absolutely not meant to create cornerstone content for 19 platforms. No thank you.
Whether you’re Substack-curious, newsletter-confused, or trying to design a content flow that doesn’t make you want to run away to a cabin in the woods, this episode will give you clarity.
In this episode, you’ll hear…
- How I’m using Substack differently from my weekly business newsletter
- Why your content should flow from one or two core platforms (not all of them)
- The discovery–nurture–conversion method I use to understand where each platform fits
- How I’m thinking about Substack as an experiment (and why that’s OK!)
- What goes on Substack vs. what stays in my main newsletter
- How to decide where YOUR content belongs without overthinking it
Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.
RESOURCES:
- Get Sam’s free weekly newsletter, Sam’s Sidebar
- Subscribe to Sam's Substack Beyond Business
- Get Sam's book "When I Start My Business, I'll Be Happy"
- Listen to Sam on Cubicle to CEO Episode 293. 46k List Growth Case Study: From Snooze-Worthy To Subscriber Magnet
- Writing a Book Podcast Playlist
- Kit - what I use to build my email list, send emails to my list, and create opt-in forms & pages (affiliate link)
- Click here to be notified when new episodes of On Your Terms® come out
- Click here to watch the free workshop so you can get legally protected right now!
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