Sparkle on Substack Leaning into your unique genius with Linda at Substack
"How Paywalls Protect Personal Stories: "People pay, not because it's clickbait, because that's just not for everybody. That part of what they're saying, they only want to share it intimately with people who are part of their inner circle and bought in."
I was delighted to meet with Linda @ Substack this week to chat all things Substack.
Linda is a dedicated member of the writer partnerships team at Substack and has been on the staff team since 2021. Widely recognised for her active presence on Substack Notes, Linda's primary role involves engaging with potential new Substack users in the finance category. 🤓 💰
I was SO excited to speak with her for sooo many reasons. The main one? Because she works and supports folks outside of my eco chamber and that’s where as an avid reader and an observer of Substack, I learn the most.
She focuses on attracting individuals who can bring unique content and an audience to the platform and has a genuine passion (like me) for Substack's capabilities.
Linda strongly believes in Substack's potential for individuals starting from scratch, as she's witnessed many success stories firsthand. Alongside her team, she is committed to fostering open dialogues and providing valuable insights to help new users thrive. She’s eager to share her knowledge and experiences with the community, contributing to the growth and success of Substack as a whole.
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If you’re short on time, I asked cast magic to summarise the lessons, thanks to Adam Ming for the suggestion of adding take aways for those who need them.
Here are 10 Substack lessons from Linda
1. **Jump Right In**
Over-preparation can hinder starting. Embrace imperfection and create now.
2. **Embrace the Blank Page**
Substack’s design simplicity encourages unique and personal approach. You don’t have to look for a cookie cut out.
3. **From Twitter to Substack**
Move from fleeting social media content to permanent, engaging Substack archives and bring your audience.
4. **Video Strengths**
Utilise video content for deeper, more personal connections with your audience.
5. **Community Support**
Engage and uplift fellow Substack users through workshops and subscriber chats.
6. **Utilise Headers and Footers**
Customise email headers and footers to consistently communicate and engage with readers. Lean into thinking about the messages you want to set for free and paid subs…
7. **Consider Pricing Wisely**
To avoid over thinking, start with common pricing models ($5/month, $50/year), and be prepared to adjust based on value.
8. **Leverage Recommendations**
Substack's recommendation tool helps expand reach and break reader echo chambers.
9. **Exploit Machine Learning**
Discoverability on Substack enhanced through advanced content recommendations over fixed categories.
10. **Sustainable Growth**
Avoid burnout with sustainable posting schedules and clear, value-driven pricing strategies for the long term.
Sparkle on Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Timestamped Overview
00:00 Writer recruiter for Substack, sharing insights today.
09:15 Substack only profits if writers profit first.
13:12 Substack empowers creators with innovative, user-friendly tools.
16:11 Just start creating content on Substack now.
23:12 Unsubscribes are inevitable in email marketing efforts.
31:04 Team created categories; now observe user behaviour.
32:06 Modernly categorising using machine learning, not drop downs.
39:16 Balancing day job and monetising creative efforts on Substack.
45:27 Sustainable writing schedules can improve long-term success.
52:00 Excited, committed to diamond membership's annual model.
56:52 Paywall restricts access to intimate, personal content.
01:00:34 Nudge yourself out of your echo chamber.
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📙 Book Recommendations
Struggling with public speaking in your videos or podcasts?
Check out "How to Own the Room" by Viv Groskop — a fantastic resource for overcoming those jitters and enhancing your communication skills.
Seth Godin - all his books!
Kevin Kelly - 1000 True Fans
🟧 Other Substacks mentioned…
See you in the comments? I’d LOVE to know what you think of this one.
Claire
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Thank you to my WONDERFUL 💎 Diamond Members for sponsoring season 2 of the podcast.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe