Why It’s Time to Start a Substack
Anna here, creator of PBA. I’ve been on Substack since 2023, and it’s become one of my favorite corners of the internet. For me, Substack has been more than a writing platform — it’s been a place to focus on long-form writing, process ideas in real time, and build a genuine readership.
And if you’ve been on the fence about starting your own Substack, I think now is the perfect time.
Substack vs. Blogging
I blog a lot, and I love it — but blogging is a strategy game. The goal is usually to rank on Google and be found by people searching for a specific topic. Substack works differently. It’s not just about optimizing content for search engines, it’s about forging a real connection with people.
On Substack, you can write hot takes, personal reflections, or the things that really matter to you, and they’ll be pushed out to readers who actually want to engage and are interested in specific topics. It’s still social media, just in a long-form format.
Substack vs. Social Media
Substack is social media, even if people like to argue that it isn’t. You can follow people, scroll a feed, reply, repost, recommend, and even DM—it’s a network like any other. The difference is in how it distributes and incentivizes content. Instead of relying on a mysterious algorithm, the default “feed” is your inbox. Readers subscribe, and your work shows up directly in their email and in the app, which means your growth is based more on consent than chance. You also own your list—those emails are exportable, unlike followers you rent from Instagram or TikTok.
The business model is different too: it’s reader-funded through paid subscriptions, which rewards depth and retention instead of reach and virality. While Substack supports short posts, audio, and video, its center of gravity is still long-form writing that builds over time. Discovery also works differently; recommendations flow through writers and topic hubs, so it’s more about curiosity than chasing trends. In short, Substack feels like social media built around subscriptions and ownership, not just “scrolly” entertainment.
Why Substack is Worth Your Time
You grow your email list (and own it). Your subscriber list is the most valuable digital asset you can have as a creator. Unlike Instagram followers, which can disappear overnight with an algorithm change or account issue, your email list belongs to you. Substack gives you both reach (via Notes and the Home feed) and retention (via the inbox). And that combination is powerful.
You can get paid. Substack has made it simple to set up free and paid subscriptions. Even a small percentage of your audience upgrading can create a meaningful revenue stream. Paid options can include bonus essays, behind-the-scenes notes, Q&As, curated lists, or even audio episodes. The point is, you’re not dependent on brand deals or ads—you’re building something sustainable, directly funded by your readers. Pro tip: set up paid subscriptions early, even if you don’t plan to monetize right away. You can always pause payments, but you can’t capture momentum retroactively.
It powers all your other content. For me, Substack is where I go to actually think. When I sit down to write an essay, I’m not just creating content — I’m clarifying what I believe, what I’ve learned, and what I want to share with people. And once I’ve done that work in long form, everything else gets easier. That one essay can turn into three Instagram posts, a TikTok script, a LinkedIn update, or even a podcast outline. Substack becomes the anchor, so I’m not scrambling to come up with random posts. I’m simply repurposing from the source.
It’s versatile. Another reason I love Substack is that it isn’t just one format. You can write long-form essays if that’s your thing, but you can also post short notes that feel more like Twitter updates. You can add audio for the people who like to listen, embed video, or even run a full podcast directly from your Substack. It’s all in one place, which makes it easier to experiment with different ways of telling your story without needing ten different platforms to do it.
What to Write About
Creators who do well with paid subscriptions usually write in one (or more) of these categories:
Expertise: offering real-world strategies from your field.
Personal stories and reflections: writing that resonates because it’s true and specific.
Niche obsessions: from travel guides to book reviews, the stranger the better.
Hot takes: not controversy for controversy’s sake, but thoughtful perspective.
Curated lists: gift guides, roundups, or recommendations readers trust you for.
Substack as a Catalyst
The beauty of Substack is that your work doesn’t stop there. A single essay can become a podcast episode, a TikTok script, an Instagram carousel, or a tweet thread. Substack acts as the content hub—the source material you can repurpose everywhere else.
A Beginner’s Guide to the App
If you’re new to Substack, here’s the layout in simple terms:
Home: a feed of posts from writers you subscribe to.
Notes: the social layer—short posts, comments, recommendations, and shares.
Inbox: where your subscribed posts live.
Discover: topic hubs and featured publications to explore.
It feels familiar if you’ve used Twitter or Instagram, but the experience is calmer and more intentional.
Why Start Now
Substack is still growing and evolving — adding audio, video, and new discovery features. But the foundation remains: a place to write, publish, and get paid by people who genuinely want your work. If you’ve ever thought about starting, this is the moment. Start small. Publish something true. Share it. And watch what happens when you own your words, and your audience.
Let me know in the comments: what’s holding you back from starting your Substack?
If you’re serious about starting your Substack but don’t want to do it alone, that’s exactly what we focus on inside Personal Brand Accelerator (PBA). It’s a community where you get templates, story frameworks, and direct feedback to help you actually hit publish—and then repurpose your writing across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and beyond. You don’t have to figure it all out from scratch. Join us inside PBA today and start building your Substack (and your personal brand) with clarity and confidence.
