Terms

Jul 15, 2023
Substack vs. Medium - a compasion of publishing platforms

Photo taken by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash

Publishing platforms and newsletters give writers the opportunity to monetize their writing in a meaningful manner. Instead of launching affiliate programs, or filling their websites with advertisements, writers are able to focus on the things they enjoy and enjoy writing.

The exchange is mutually beneficial for both members and creators. Writers are paid for their material, and members are able to gain access to content they love and enjoy unrestricted access to ads. If you're a journalist, writer or perhaps aspiring to become a writer, these comparisons can assist you to make an educated choice on which platform will be most suitable for the requirements of your.

Substack

Substack's primary purpose is to assist creators by providing them with the tools needed to be prosperous. Substack offers many options that meet the needs of content creators who are independent. From audience monetization options to the ownership option, Substack lets writers control their own creative journey and create a long-lasting career.

Pricing and features

The site is advertised as "a place for writing that is independent," Substack offers writers the possibility to start a paid newsletter business, build communities, and make money by selling subscriptions. It claims that no technical experience is required, and strive to "take full responsibility for the creation of their newsletter, excluding the most difficult aspect (the writing the content itself)." They assure "true independence" this means authors retain the copyright on all their writing.

The procedure is easy. Writers have the option of import posts they've created on different platforms like Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, and several custom-designed websites as well as create a brand new website with a blank slate in only a few minutes. After the site is set up and operating, the writer chooses the content that is free and others are placed through Substack's Substack paywall. Substack charges 10% of the revenue when a creator starts monetizing, but until that point, it's completely affordable. Substack says that Substack team says it is possible to "start your Substack by having breakfast, and begin earning money by lunchtime." Discover how you can accomplish this.

Dashboard/Posts

The Dashboard page lists your blog entries that you've previously published, as well as the most important statistics of your current post. This includes all views, the number of users who have received email as well as the rate of opening.

You'll also find a number of options that can be used by you to begin creating the next masterpiece. The buttons include making an article new, create an episode of a podcast or a new thread. In this page, you will be able to view Subscribers, Stats and Settings.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack posts homepage

In Substack newsletters, they're called 'posts' that appear on the writer's Substack page to display their profile. Once an account is active, Substack automatically creates a first draft article. The auto-message encourages people to sign up for the newsletter's creator and promote the newsletter via social media. Edit or remove the initial already-populated article or write your next post.

Substack's homepage to post posts

Editing or writing starts with the addition of titles, subtitles, as well as the name of the author -- you could even invite guests writers to write. You'll have a sophisticated text editor, which gives an opportunity to include paragraphs, headings, images and buttons, codes, bold and italic text, quotes, and bullet points.

If you click the Settings button, you'll be given the possibility to change the public visibility of the post. It is possible to make the post public or private and decide whether or not to let commenters post comments. It is possible to edit the post's publishing date, URL, and secret "draft URL" If you want to share the article with your family or friends (even ahead of publication). Send a trial email or modify your social media preview to verify that the photo is perfect before sending it to your subscribers.

After you've scheduled or published the post, visit your Posts page to see how many people have seen each one of your posts.

Subscribers

The subscribers dashboard shows you the amount of your customers as well as paid subscribers, their total annual revenue and subscribers figures over the past 30 days for 90 days, as well as during the day. The dashboard displays your subscribers' email addresses, including your subscribers and the type of subscription they have (free or paid), date the day of sign-up, as well as the revenue per person.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack add subscribers

To add more subscribers You could join them using their email addresses or you can export your existing mailing list via MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon, and similar platforms to an CSV file, and transfer it to Substack. The Substack upload tool can import any email address it can find therefore only upload the addresses who have opted-in to your mailing list.

Stats

In the Stats page, you will be able to learn about the amount of visitors who came towards your website and the number of emails have been sent out over a 30-day period up to 90 days, or since the launch the newsletter.

The tab for traffic displays the newest month's web traffic, as well as the site's source. This could be taken directly from the post itself or your profile on substack or other social media platforms including Twitter.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack stats

The Email tabs offer detailed details on every post, which includes the titles, date of publication and public or private audience (public and private) and delivery metrics like openings, open rate as well as subscriptions that are completely free or paid after 1 day and also participation (likes as well as comments).

Settings

In this section, you can alter your title and description of the publication. Additionally, you can alter the options for discoverability (such as tags) and personalize your About page, which will explain the benefits of reading your publication as well as signing up to be subscribers.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack settings

You also have numerous options for personalizing your voice and the visual branding of your publication, which comprises your cover image, email banner, as well as welcome message (which is emailed to users upon signing up). It is possible to edit the email-sending options, such as the sender's name, if you'd want to receive emails that include responses to your articles as well as your email address for RSS feeds, such as [email protectedemail protectedemail protected]. It is also possible to unlink and join your social media accounts as well as the payment processor Stripe.

Integrity and compatibility

One of the most important advantages of Substack's service is the possibility to import content that is already on other platforms. It saves time as there is no need to duplicate your content from the various platforms you are using. Substack allows you to load content from Mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr, website RSS feeds, Tumblr, TinyLetter, website RSS Podcast RSS feeds, Stripe and much more.

The majority of Substack's work is data and tracking So you can add these: Facebook Pixel ID, Twitter Pixel ID, Parse.ly Pixel ID, Google Analytics Pixel ID, Google Tag Manager ID Google Site Verification as well as Facebook Site Verification.

These pixels allow for monitoring your readership/engagement levels and some create an integration with advertising platforms. In the case of Facebook, for instance, if add your Facebook Pixel ID (found on your Facebook Business Page) to your Substack, Facebook can track viewers for advertisements that match their interests.

Medium

Medium is, however it is a creator of content and publishing platform which houses various articles by many authors. Medium is a discovery platform that's social. platform, where writers are capable of reaching out to an entire audience and interact with people who read online and have similar interest. Medium has a simple interface, with many social features as well as an integrated distribution network.

Prices and Features

Medium.com has a broad range of functions and tools for the content creators and readers. The site has been a popular website for organizations and individuals for sharing ideas, experiences and information with a global group of people.

You can easily create and format articles using an intuitive and simple editor. Medium is a free editing space that includes all necessary formatting options such as list headings, headings, as well as images as well as embedding multimedia data. After you've written your article and uploaded it, you are able to post it online and then make it accessible to all users or limit it to a particular audience.

Unlimited access to the service costs $5 USD/month if you pay each month or $50 USD/year if the entire year is paid in advance.

Dashboard/Home

As with other social media platforms, Medium offers an extensive audience of followers and readers who are constantly looking for interesting articles. Due to its algorithm and curation mechanism that includes an editor's choice' newsletter, content has the ability to be recognized and be read by a large number of users. It can assist authors and creators connect with people who are interested in their work to build their following and enhance their standing within their fields of expertise.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium home page

Medium is a thriving audience, allowing writers the chance to communicate to an even greater audience, and gain exposure for their works. Its wide reach ensures your content will have the possibility of being read by those interested in your subject matter.

The platform's curated sections help present your content to readers who are interested and increase the chance for engagement and amplification. Through these discovery tools, it is possible to tap into Medium's distribution network to increase the visibility for your material.

Post editor

Medium comes with a variety of content creation tools with advanced formatting features, embedded media support with videos and pictures, as well as the ability to add custom code fragments. The platform allows authors to write visually pleasing content with rich media components and can be used by those who write content with digital media and would prefer an approach that's more visual.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's post editor

With Medium's editor for posts, which is flexible, writers can customize the style and design of their articles to match with their own individual brand. The platform supports multimedia integration that allows for seamless addition of images alongside videos, as well as other interactivity elements. It doesn't matter if you'd like to display your skills in photography or display facts through graphs and images Medium lets you make captivating material.

Network effect

Medium builds a sense of community with features such as comments, highlights, and suggestions which let writers interact with their followers. Tools for engaging enable deep conversations and help create an environment that encourages writers to share their thoughts with their readers.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's network effect

Medium's network effect has a significant role to play in the increase of visibility for writer's content. If readers interact with the content via claps, comments and share, algorithms at Medium take note of the interactions and display the articles to a larger audience. The network effect enables writers to reach out beyond their current followers and reach out to new followers who are keen on their field of expertise.

Making money with your business: Medium's Partner Program

Medium runs on a completely different monetization model known under the name of Medium Partner Program. Medium Partner Program. Authors are able to join the program and make money on the base of the amount of audience engagement they receive for their work that includes applauds (Medium's equivalent to likes) and time spent reading. (While the possibility to earn money on Medium, the earnings are more uncertain than Substack's subscription model.)

Substack vs. Medium - Medium Partner Program

The Medium Partner Program encourages authors to create engaging and thought-provoking content that is popular among readers. By rewarding articles based on the comments of readers as well as their interactions, Medium promotes the development of top-quality content that attracts and enthrals its users. This model provides the opportunity publishers to make a profit as well as provide a low-cost and easy 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 allows independent authors to benefit from monetization options, audience ownership as well as a straightforward but focused experience to write. However, Medium offers a vast audience, include features for exploring as well as creating an experience of belonging.

In providing unique and valuable contents to your followers it is possible to earn money as well as sustain your artistic endeavors. Each option has its own purpose, however it is your decision to choose the one that is most suitable for your needs and the viewers. Enjoy writing!

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