Did you miss our Costa Women Zoom session on using Substack as a platform?
What started as a conversation about newsletters quickly became something much broader: how to build your voice, grow a direct audience, create trust, and perhaps even turn your content into an income stream.
I originally planned to pull out five key learning points.
But the session covered so much useful ground. It covered beginner tips to growth ideas and paid-content options, so much so, that I ended up with 12 practical takeaways instead.
Here are the strongest lessons for anyone thinking about starting a Substack, growing one, or using it as part of their wider business visibility.
1. Substack is not just a newsletter, it is a publishing platform
One of the clearest points was that Substack sits somewhere between a blog, newsletter and social platform. It allows people to publish longer pieces, send them directly by email, build a public archive, and create a recognisable body of work over time.
For anyone starting out, this is important. You are not simply “sending emails”. You are building a searchable, shareable home for your ideas.
2. The biggest benefit is direct access to your audience
Diana highlighted that Substack gives creators a direct line to readers without relying entirely on social media algorithms. That is a major advantage for small business owners, writers, coaches, consultants and creatives who are tired of posting on Facebook or Instagram and just hoping their content is shown.
The key takeaway: your subscriber list is more valuable than passive social media reach because subscribers have chosen to hear from you.
3. Followers and subscribers are not the same thing
This was a useful distinction. Followers may see your posts in their Substack feed, but subscribers receive your posts by email. For business growth, subscribers are far more valuable.
That means your aim should not simply be to collect followers. The stronger goal is to encourage people to subscribe, open your emails, reply, and build a relationship with your work.
4. Authentic voice matters more than polished selling
A strong message from the meeting was that Substack works best when it feels personal, thoughtful and human. It is not the place for constant sales pitches or overly promotional content.
Better content ideas include personal stories, client experiences, behind-the-scenes reflections, industry insights, lessons learned, practical advice, and honest commentary. The meeting also warned against content that sounds too obviously AI-generated or sales-heavy.
5. Relationship-building comes before income
Substack can become an income stream, but the meeting made clear that the relationship comes first. People are more likely to pay when they feel connected to the writer, trust their expertise, and regularly receive value.
For service-based businesses, this is especially useful. A Substack can warm up potential clients long before they make an enquiry.
6. You do not need to wait for a huge audience before offering paid content
One practical point was that there is no fixed rule for when to move from free to paid. Diana suggested having a few posts available first but also encouraged the idea that paid options can be introduced earlier if there is something genuinely valuable behind them.
Examples discussed included monthly Q&As, paid chats, extra resources, serialised fiction, specialist advice, or “Ask the Expert” style sessions.
7. Paid subscriptions need a clear reason to exist
A paid tier should not simply be “more of the same”. It needs a stronger promise. That might be access, depth, community, accountability, practical help, or exclusive material.
Good paid ideas from the meeting included monthly live chats, subscriber-only Q&A sessions, additional chapters or content, and founding member support. The important point is that the reader must understand why paying gives them something they cannot get from the free posts.
8. Use posts, notes and chat differently
The meeting explained the difference between Substack’s main features. Posts are the main newsletter-style articles. Notes are shorter updates, more like a social feed. Chat is useful for community-style conversations and can be reserved for paid subscribers.
This matters because not every thought needs to become a full newsletter. Notes can keep you visible between longer posts without overwhelming people’s inboxes.
9. Long-form content still has a place
For business use, Diana suggested posts of around 1,000 to 1,500 words. That gives enough space to explain an idea properly, show expertise, and create something more substantial than a social media caption.
The lesson here is that Substack rewards depth. It is useful for people who have something meaningful to say and want to build authority over time.
10. Substack should connect with your wider online presence
Another useful takeaway was that Substack does not need to sit separately from your website or social media. It can be linked from your website, promoted through social posts, shared on LinkedIn, and potentially integrated using RSS feeds.
For business owners, this makes Substack part of a marketing system rather than another isolated platform to maintain.
11. Growth comes from community, not just publishing
Attendees were encouraged to find and follow other Substacks in their field, subscribe to relevant accounts, study their format and voice, and engage with other writers’ content.
That is a practical growth lesson. Publishing alone is not enough. Substack also works as a network, so thoughtful commenting, sharing and mutual support can help people become visible to the right audience.
12. Start with clarity: who is it for and what will you write about?
One of the best practical exercises from the session was simple: look at three Substacks in your field, then write one paragraph about what your own Substack would cover and who it would serve.
That is the right starting point. Before worrying about paid tiers, logos or technical setup, define the promise. Who are you helping? What do they need? Why should they keep reading?
Strongest overall takeaway
Substack is most powerful when it is treated as a trust-building platform, not a quick sales tool. For anyone starting or growing one, the winning formula is clear: write with a real voice, serve a specific audience, build email subscribers rather than passive followers, connect it to your wider business, and only introduce paid content when there is a clear, valuable reason for readers to support it.
Our session was hosted by Diana Friedman of KindWrite Studio
iana is an award-winning author, editor and writing coach whose creative writing has appeared in literary journals, newspapers, blogs, and popular press magazines. Diana enjoys helping writers re-discover and nurture their creative selves through personalized coaching. She facilitates summer creative writing retreats in the Basque Pyrenees of Spain, and winter and spring writing retreats at Zigbone Farm Retreat Center. She writes a newsletter, Under the Red Pen, and is currently co-editing an anthology of short fiction from Maryland.
