Terms

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

Photograph made by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash

The publishing platform and newsletters provide writers with the chance to earn money for their writing in a sustainable manner. Instead of creating affiliate programmes or cramming their websites with advertisements, writers can focus on the thing they enjoy -- writing.

This exchange can be beneficial between members and the creators. The writers are compensated for the creation of materials, and the users are given access to the content they love, and all the while having uninterrupted and completely ad-free experiences. Whether you're a blogger, journalist or journo, this review will help you make an informed decision about which platform is best suited to the needs of your.

Substack

Substack's principal goal is to empower creators by providing them with the tools they need to reach their objectives. Substack offers many features that satisfy the demands of creators who are independent in their work. From monetization options to the ownership of audience Substack gives writers the ability to manage their own creativity path and develop a sustainable career.

Features and pricing

The site is advertised as "a site for writers who want to work on their own." Substack offers writers an chance to write an online newsletter to build communities and generate income from subscriptions. They claim that zero tech experience is required, and strive to "take care of everything except the toughest part (the creation itself)." They claim to provide "true freedom" that means the writer owns the copyright to all their writing.

How it works is fairly straightforward. Writers are able to import content they wrote on other platforms, such as Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, as well as some custom-built websites, or they can make a completely new website totally from scratch in very few minutes. After the website is set up and running, the creator selects the posts that are completely free and others go to Substack's Substack paywall. Substack is able to take 10% of the profits when the creator is monetizing their site, but up to it will be completely cost-free. Substack claims to offer a free service. Substack team claims it is possible to "start by registering with Substack with breakfast and start making money before lunchtime." Here's how to do just this.

Dashboard/Posts

The Dashboard page lists the blog posts you've already posted along with general statistics for the most recent blog posts. Statistics you can see are the number of views total the number of email subscribers, as well as the percentage of people who have opened your blog.

You'll also find a number of buttons you can use for you to start creating your next piece of content. They allow you to create a new post or a podcast episode or create a new thread. On this page you'll be able to access Subscribers, Statistics and Settings.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack posts homepage

In Substack newsletters, posts are referred to as 'posts' and are published on the writer's Substack page for profile. If an account is activated, Substack automatically creates a first draft of the article. It will prompt users to join the creator's monthly newsletter. Then, they can share the news through social media. It is possible to modify or delete the first blog post that you've already pre-populated, or write the next one.

Substack's posts on the homepage

Writing/editing starts with adding titles, subtitles, as well as an author. It is possible to invite guest authors to write -- and then, a text editor allows you to include paragraphs, headings, buttons, images in addition to bold and italicized text along with statements and bullet points.

If you click the Settings button, you'll be given the option to alter the public visibility of your blog post. It is possible to create a post that is accessible to the public or select to allow comments or not. In this area you can edit the article's date of publication, as and the URL as well as the hidden "draft link" should you choose to send the content out to relatives or friends (even prior to publication). It is possible to send a trial email, or alter the preview of your social media account in order to ensure that the images are perfect prior to sending it out to your followers.

Once you've published or scheduled the post, go back on your Posts page where you can determine how many visitors have seen your blog posts.

Subscribers

The dashboard for subscribers displays the number of your subscribers as well as paid subscribers, their gross annualized revenue and subscriber numbers over the last 30 and 90 days, and all duration. The dashboard displays the email addresses for each subscriber, along with the kind of subscription they have (free or paid) and the date on when they joined, and revenue per person.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack add subscribers

For more subscribers to join your list, you can manually join them using the email address that they supply or export your existing list of subscribers via MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon as well as similar platforms to an CSV file. Then, transfer it. The Substack uploader Substack uploader will load every email address it can find but only those that have signed up to your list.

Stats

In the Stats page, you'll be able to find out the volume of traffic that came towards your site, and also the number of email messages you've sent over a 30 or 90-day time period or when you've launched your email newsletter.

The Traffic tab shows the top recent month's web users as well as the origin. This could be directly from the blog post or your substack profile or other social media platforms including Twitter.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack stats

The Email tab provides you with complete information on each post that includes the title, publication date as well as the readership (public or private) and delivery stats including how many open they have, their open rate, the cost of subscriptions or no-cost subscriptions after a day, as well as engagement (likes as well as comments).

Settings

You can edit your publication name and title. It is also possible to alter discovery options (such tags) and personalize the About page to explain the benefits of reading your magazine and signing up to become an subscriber.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack settings

There's a myriad of ways to alter your voice and the visual branding of your blog. This includes your logo, cover image along with your banner for email and welcoming email (which is sent to readers immediately after they subscribe). You can edit your email options, such as your email address, whether you want to receive emails with replies to your posts and your email address to RSS feeds such as [email][email][email[email protected]. Here you can also connect and disconnect your social media channels as well as Stripe to process payments.

Compatibility and integrations

The main benefit that Substack's service offers is the ability to import content from many different platforms. This can save you time as you don't have to copy and paste your content on each platform you are using. Substack permits you to bring content from various platforms, such like mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr and websites. RSS feeds, Tumblr, TinyLetter, website RSS Podcast RSS feed Stripe and many more.

The majority of Substack's tasks are collecting and storing data. Therefore, you can add a 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. For Facebook such as Facebook, if connect the Facebook Pixel ID (found on the Facebook Business Page) to your Substack, Facebook can track the people who are watching ads relevant to their interests.

Medium

Medium, however, is a publication and creation platform, which hosts a wide array of original content by authors. Medium is a social-networking site for discovering that allows writers to connect with the masses and communicate to publications and users on the web with similar preference. Medium has a user-friendly interface with a variety of social functions along with a built-in distribution network.

Pricing and features

Medium.com provides a variety of functions and tools for readers and content creators. Medium.com has grown into an ideal platform for people and organizations to share their opinions, as well as stories and information to a worldwide audience.

You are able to easily write and format content using an easy and user-friendly editor. Medium is a no-cost writing environment with crucial formatting options such as headings, lists pictures, including multimedia information. Once you've completed your piece it is possible to upload it and be accessible to everyone, or you can restrict it to certain audiences.

Unlimited access is $5 USD/month if you pay each month or $50 USD/year when an whole year's worth of costs are payable in advance.

Dashboard/Home

As with other social media platforms, Medium offers an extensive audience of followers and readers who are constantly looking for fascinating information. With the help of algorithms and a curation process, which incorporates an editor's choice newsletter, content can get noticed and be read by many people. The system can help creators as well as writers to connect with readers to build an audience and boost their impact within their particular area of expertise.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium home page

Medium has a large audience, providing authors with an opportunity to reach more people and get recognition for their work. The huge reach of Medium ensures that your writing is going to be discovered by those who have an interest in the subjects.

The capabilities of Medium which are curate help to provide your content to users that are interested. This increases the chance of engagement as well as the visibility of your content. Utilizing these discovery methods you can benefit from the Medium distribution network to increase the impact of your content.

Post editor

Medium offers a broad array of tools to create content with advanced formatting features as well as embedded media support that includes images and video, and the possibility of adding customized codes. Medium allows writers to create visually attractive pieces that contain high-quality media, which is ideal to digital writers who want a more visually engaging approach.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's post editor

With Medium's flexible post editor, writers can customize their appearance and the style of their posts to reflect their individual brand. Medium is able to integrate multimedia. This allows seamless incorporation of images, videos, as well as interactive elements. If you're looking to showcase your photography abilities or communicate information via visuals, Medium allows users to create captivating content.

Network effect

Medium encourages the sense of community through features such as notes, highlights, and guidelines that enable authors to connect with their users. Tools for engaging allow for deep discussion and provide an inviting environment for authors to engage with their readers.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's network effect

The impact of the network on Medium plays a important role in extending the visibility of authors' writing. As readers engage with articles by interacting with them via comments, claps and shares, the algorithms of Medium analyze the interactions and then present the content for a wider audience. This effect on the network allows writers to be exposed to a wider audience than their current followers and attract new readers with an interest in the subject matter they write about.

How to make money: Medium's Partner Program

Medium has a distinct method of monetization that is known as Medium Partner Program. Medium Partner Program. Authors are able to join the program to earn money according to the engagement their articles receive that includes applauds (Medium's equivalent to likings) as well as time reading. (While the potential for earning is there in Medium, it's likely that earnings are less certain compared to Substack's subscription-based program.)

Substack vs. Medium - Medium Partner Program

The Medium Partner Program encourages authors to create stimulating and engaging articles that are a hit with viewers. In recognizing articles on the basis of the reader's feedback and interactions, Medium promotes the development of quality content that engages and is able to make its readers feel inspired. Medium offers the opportunity to make money with a totally open and free 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 use ways to monetize their content, and also allows for community-owned content and a straightforward yet focused writing experience. But, Medium offers a vast community, and features that allow for discovering, and an overwhelming sense of belonging.

Through providing original and useful information to your readers You can earn money and continue to pursue your own ideas. Both options serve a different role, but it's left your choice to determine what is the most beneficial for you and your audience. Have fun writing!

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