7 Reasons I Write a Free Substack
Just because it's free doesn't mean it's not valuable!
Listen or Read!
Reasons my Substack Newsletter doesn’t cost you anything, but it is Valuable.
Paywalled websites don’t get indexed by Google the same as full articles written out on your website. I like when I get free traffic to my articles and website through SEO.
Not safe for work. I’m retired from my 9-5. I’m closer to 70 than 65. Jeez. Therefore I don’t want a job. But if I charged subscribers and accepted their payments for my writing, I would feel obligated to write constantly on time, every time. As it is now, however I write constantly on time, all the time. So there’s that. But just knowing that I don’t have to stay with a strict schedule, or style, or topic - it keeps the fun in writifunng.
Iterate. You can try different topics, niches, whatever is on your mind while keeping the majority of your subscribers happy. After a while they will know you may be a bit eclectic and diverse. If you are locked in to a niche and or a particular style, it is harder to stray if you want to branch out a bit.
Trustworthy. I should be able to establish some trust with my readers by offering valuable content without asking for anything in return. It may also help you, dear reader, to stay loyal. No surprises. I won’t write half an article, then make you pay to see the good stuff. It’s all good stuff here!
Broader Audience. Free is free. As in lunch, speech, beer, Wordle, and paywall removers. And free is good. (read this in your best Michael Douglas voice). Free attracts many more subscribers than not free. Don’t leave out the many true fans, for the few. From polls I have taken, and studies, research suggests that if you have 1000 free subs, you will get around 30 paid - or 3%. Your mileage may vary, as they say.
Enough. I have worked hard, been lucky, and have done well the last half of my working life. I have enough. The first part not so much. But I feel I paid for an expensive education in the first half of my career. So I don’t need the money, the accounting, the extra taxes, the paperwork, and so on, that comes along with getting paid.
We Have Ways of Making you Money. If you need to get paid to write, there are a few ways to monetize. There are affiliate relationships you can set up. You can set up an e-commerce store and flog your products once in a while through your newsletter. Remember ABL - Always Be Linking. (That’s not a thing).
You can set up a Patreon account and get people to give to support your creativity. You could set up extra digital downloads and sell through places like Shopify, Gumroad, or Etsy. You can sell your expertise after you provide free value and earn some trust from your followers.
Sell: Ebooks, Online courses, printable digital products (guides, calendars, diary books, colouring books …), photography, music, art, and entertainment, coaching, etcetera…
The biggest drawback to NOT monetizing your Substack Newsletter is that because Substack is not a nonprofit (on purpose), they tend to encourage writers to set up their paid posts. When the writers get paid, they get a percentage through the payment system. So they don’t really promote free-stackers. But if your intention is to make some money with your writing, don’t hesitate, and support the platform!
And I do feel a little bad using their email system and awesome writing tools and dashboard for free. And the bandwidth. But, because of what I get back through the platform, I give back. I work as an Ambassador for
, , , and the other investors. I comment on posts, notes, recommend others, subscribe, and encourage soon to be writers to choose the Substack platform on Reddit, Twitter, Quora, Google searches, and more.I’d love to know what you think. Is the Juice worth the Squeeze?
, , , , I know you guys think it is.
Definitely have my trust! Especially as someone newer to the platform, it can be quickly discouraging to try to find out what you’re interested in only to run into a paywall at every turn. I understand a good mix of both.
Hi Paul, I totally agree with your thinking. I'm 85, a widow, and don't need to work. My newsletter will always be free for the reasons you mentioned. It has also been a way of healing and gives me a purpose. I so enjoy reading the Deplatformable Newsletter and appreciate that I can make a comment without having to pay to make it.