Terms
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The publishing platform and newsletters offer writers the possibility of monetizing their writing in a meaningful manner. Instead of launching affiliate programs or filling their platforms with advertising writers can spend their time doing their passion: writing.
It is a mutually beneficial exchange for both members and creators. The writers are compensated for the creation of content, and readers are given the opportunity to read the content they enjoy, all while enjoying a pristine ad-free experience. No matter if you're a writer, journalist, or even a student of writing This comparison can aid you in making an informed choice about the platforms best suits your needs.
Substack
Substack's main goal is to empower writers and provide them with the tools they need to achieve their goals. The platform offers various options that meet the needs of independent content creators. From monetization opportunities to audience ownership, Substack lets writers be in control of their artistic process and create a long-lasting career.
Prices and Features
Marketed as "a platform for writers to write independently," Substack offers writers an opportunity to create an online newsletter to build a community and earn income from subscriptions. They claim that zero tech experience is required, and intend to "take charge of everything, except for the hard aspect (the writing of course)." The company promises "true freedom" where the writer keeps the copyright to all their writing.
How it works is fairly easy. Writers have the option of importing content they wrote on other platforms, such as Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, or even custom-designed sites, or they can build a new site completely from scratch in just only a few minutes. After the site is live, the author selects the posts that are available for free, and those that are locked by substack's Substack paywall. Substack charges 10% from creators when the latter is monetizing their site, but up to that point, it's totally free. The Substack team claims it is possible to "start with your Substack with breakfast and start earning money by lunchtime." Here's how to achieve this.
Dashboard/Posts
The Dashboard page shows any previous content you have already made available, and also basic statistics of your latest article. This includes total views, number of email recipients, and open rate.
Here you'll also see a variety of buttons for you to begin creating your next work of art. Buttons include: create a new post or podcast episode or new thread. On this screen, you are able to access Subscribers, Stats, and Settings.
Within Substack, newsletters are referred to as 'posts as well as each one is posted on the author's Substack profile page. When an account becomes active, Substack automatically creates a first draft post. The auto-message encourages people to sign up for the newsletter's creator and share the launch on social media. You are able to edit or delete this first pre-populated post, or start writing the next blog post.
Substack posts homepage
Writing/editing starts with adding a title, subtitle, and the author's name -- you may even ask guests authors to write -Then you'll have a sophisticated text editor which offers the possibility of adding paragraph copy, headings images, buttons, bold and italic text quotations, as well as bullet points.
If you press the Settings button you're given the option of editing the post's visibility. The page can be made accessible or private, and select to allow comments or not. In this section, you can edit your blog's date of publication along with the URL and an unofficial "draft URL" if you want to share the article with your family or friends (even after it's been published). You can send a test email or edit the social media preview to ensure that the images are perfect before you send it to your followers.
When you've scheduled and published the post, can return on the Posts page to find out how many people read each of your posts.
Subscribers
The subscribers dashboard shows you the total number of subscribers and paid customers, as well as the gross annualized revenue and subscriber numbers over the last thirty days and 90 days, and all time. You can see the email addresses of every subscriber as well as their subscription type (free or paid) the date when they joined, as well as the amount of revenue they earn per user.
In order to add additional subscribers, you can manually include them using their email address or you can export your existing mailing list via MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon or similar platforms into a CSV file. Then, upload it. Substack's upload tool Substack upload tool can import any email address it locates therefore, only upload the ones that have signed up to your list.
Stats
On the Stats page you can learn about the number of visitors that came to your site and the number of emails you've sent out over a 30 or 90-day period, or even since the launch of your newsletter.
The Traffic tab displays the most recent month's web users, and the site from which they came. This could be from the post itself as well as your personal profile page on Substack as well as social media channels including Twitter.
The Email tabs shows you specific information about each post, including title, publication date, and audience (public or private) and statistics on delivery, such as the openings, opens rate, subscriptions that are free or paid after 1 day, and engagement (likes as well as comments).
Settings
Here you can change your title of publication and the description. You can also modify discoverability options (such as tags) and personalize your About page, to explain the benefits of reading your publication and becoming an subscriber.
You also have plenty of options to customize the tone and style of your blog, such as your logo, cover image, email banner, and the welcome email message (which is sent to readers immediately after they subscribe). Editing your email send options like your sender name, whether you would like to receive emails with replies to your blog posts, as well as an email address for RSS feeds such as email protected[email protected]. There is also the option to connect and disconnect your social media channels as well as Stripe to process payments.
Integrations and compatibility
One of the most important features of Substack's service is the ability to import content from numerous different platforms. This saves you time since it's not necessary to manually copy and paste contents from every platform that you use. Substack provides import functionality for such platforms as Mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr web RSS feed RSS feed for podcasts, Stripe and many more.
However, a lot of Substack's attention to integrations is data and tracking and you're able to include the following: Facebook Pixel ID, Twitter Pixel ID, Parse.ly Pixel ID Google Analytics Pixel ID, Google Tag Manager ID Google Site Verification, and Facebook Site Verification.
These pixels allow for monitoring your readership/engagement levels and some create an integration with advertising platforms. As an example, if you connect the Facebook Pixel ID (found on your Facebook Business Page) to your Substack, Facebook can track audiences for relevant advertisements.
Medium
Medium On the other hand, is a content creation and publishing platform which houses various articles by many authors. It serves as a community-driven search engine, where authors can reach a large audience and engage with users and publications on the web with the same preferences. Medium provides a straightforward interface, extensive social functions along with an inbuilt distribution network.
Pricing and features
Medium.com provides a variety of functions and features for readers and content creators. It has become a go-to website for organizations and individuals to share their thoughts as well as stories and information to a worldwide public.
The software allows you to easily write and format articles using a simple and intuitive editor. Medium offers a non-distracting writing space with all the necessary formatting options such as lists, headings pictures, embedding multimedia content. When you've completed your article, you are able to publish it to open it to everyone or limit it to certain audiences.
Access to unlimited access is $5 USD/month when paid per month, or $50USD for a year is paid for up front.
Dashboard/Home
Like social media platforms, Medium offers an extensive audience of followers and readers who are constantly looking for interesting content. Thanks to the algorithm and curation system including an 'editor's choice' newsletter, articles have the potential to gain visibility and reach a large number of people. The exposure will help authors and authors connect with their the public, establish an audience, and expand the influence they have in their fields.
Medium has a large audience, providing authors the chance to connect with an even larger audience and get exposure for their work. The platform's extensive reach ensures that your articles have potential for being read by those who have an interest in the subjects.
The platform's curated sections help present your content to readers who are interested and increase the chance of engagement and visibility. Through these discovery tools You can take advantage of Medium's distribution network and maximize the exposure of your articles.
Post editor
Medium provides an extensive set of tools for creating content that include advanced formatting options as well as embedded media support that includes videos and images, as well as the capability to include specific code snippets. The platform enables writers to produce visually attractive content with rich media components, making it suitable for those who create content using digital media and prefer a more visually engaging approach.
Through Medium's post editor, which is flexible authors can personalize the look and feel of their articles to align with their own personal branding. Media integration is supported by the platform, allowing for the seamless inclusion of images as well as videos and other interactive elements. Whether you want to showcase your photographic skills or share data through visualizations, Medium allows you to produce stunning media.
Network effect
Medium fosters a sense of community by offering features like comments, highlights, as well as suggestions, which allow authors to engage with readers. These engagement tools facilitate meaningful discussion and help create an setting for writers to interact with their followers.
The network effect of Medium plays a important role in increasing the reach of writers' articles. As readers engage with articles through claps, comments, and shares, the algorithms of Medium analyze the conversations and display the articles for a wider audience. This effect of the network allows authors to increase their visibility beyond their existing follower base as well as attract new followers who are interested in the subject matter they write about.
How to monetize: Medium's Partner Program
Medium operates on a different monetization model called the Medium Partner Program. Authors are able to join the program and make money on the basis of how much engagement their content receives which includes applauds (Medium's equivalent to likes) and reading time. (While there is a chance to earn can be found on Medium, the income is less certain compared to Substack's subscription-based model.)
The Medium Partner Program encourages authors to create interesting and stimulating content that resonates with the readers. By rewarding articles based on comments from readers and their interactions, Medium promotes the development of high-quality content that captivates and inspires its audience. This is a great way for you to earn income by maintaining a completely free and open publishing platform.
Conclusion: Medium vs Substack
Substack and Medium offer different things to cater to different creators -- the best way to choose the platform for you is to consider what you want to get out of your newsletter/publishing platform. Substack helps independent writers with monetization options, audience ownership, and a simple yet focused publishing experience. On the other hand, Medium offers a vast reader base, discoverability features, and a strong sense of community.
By providing valuable and exclusive information to your readers You can earn money as well as sustain your artistic endeavors. Both options serve a different goal, so it's your choice to decide which is best for you and your audience. Enjoy writing!