Terms
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Publishing platforms and newsletters give writers the opportunity to monetize their works in a sensible method. Instead of creating affiliate programs or filling their platforms with advertising the writers are able to focus on the things they enjoy -- writing.
The exchange is mutually beneficial between creators and members. Writers get paid to create articles, while readers get the chance to browse the articles they like, with a completely free of ads. No matter if you're a writer, journalist, or an aspiring writer the following comparisons will aid you in making an informed choice on which platforms best suits your needs.
Substack
Substack's principal goal is on empowering writers by providing them with the tools needed to achieve their goals. It offers a variety of options that meet the needs of independent content creators. From opportunities for monetization to audience control, Substack gives writers the ability to take charge of their creative journey and build a sustainable career.
Prices and Features
The site is advertised as "a space for writing that is independent," Substack offers writers the chance to start a paid newsletter business, build community, and make money from subscriptions. It claims that there is no tech expertise is needed and strive to "take all the responsibility, excluding the hard aspect (the writing of course)." They promise "true freedom" in which the writer owns the copyright to all the content they publish.
How it works is fairly simple. Writers can import existing content they wrote on other platforms like Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, as well as some custom-built websites, or they can build a new site completely from scratch in just only a few minutes. When the website is up and running, the creator decides what content is completely free and others are placed to Substack's Substack paywall. Substack takes 10% of the revenue when a creator starts monetizing, but until it is entirely cost-free. The Substack team says it is possible to "start your Substack with breakfast and start earning money by lunchtime." This is how you can achieve that.
Dashboard/Posts
The Dashboard page shows any previous posts you may have previously published, along with some high-level stats of the most recent blog posting. This includes all views, the number of email recipients, and open rate.
There's also various buttons that you can click to start crafting your latest article. The buttons allow you to Create a brand new blog post, new podcast episode, or a new thread. From this main dashboard, you can also access Subscribers, Stats, and Settings.
Within Substack newsletters, the posts are called 'posts as well as each one is also published on the writer's Substack profile page. After an account has been activated, Substack automatically creates a initial draft of the post. This auto-message invites users to sign-up for the creator's paid newsletter and share the launch on social networks. You can edit or delete the initial pre-populated post or begin writing your next blog post.
Substack's posts on the homepage
The process begins by adding the title, subtitle and an author. You may even ask guests authors to write -- then a rich text editor which offers an opportunity to include paragraph copy, headings images, buttons as well as bold and italic texts quotations, as well as bullet points.
If you press the Settings button, you'll have an opportunity to alter the page's visibility. It is possible to make the post private or public and choose whether or not to let comments be posted. You can edit your blog's date of publication along with the URL and hidden "draft URL" If you wish to share the post with your family or friends (even after it's been published). Send a sample email or modify the preview for social media to ensure that the images are perfect before sending it to your followers.
When you've scheduled and published the post, can return to your Posts page to see how many people have been reading each post.
Subscribers
The dashboard for subscribers displays the total number of subscribers and paid customers, as well as the gross annualized revenues, as well as subscription numbers for the last 30-day period, 90-day period, and throughout the day. The dashboard shows your subscribers' email addresses for every subscriber as well as the type of subscription they have (free or paid) the date when they joined, as well as the amount of revenue they earn per user.
To add more subscribers You can add them by their email address or you can export the existing list of subscribers from MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon or similar platforms into an CSV file. Then, upload it. Substack's upload tool Substack upload tool can import any email address it locates, so only upload those that have signed up to your list.
Stats
The Stats page, you'll be able to learn about the volume of traffic which was directed to your site and the amount of emails that you've send out in a 30-day or 90-day time frame, or even since the launch of your newsletter.
The Traffic tab shows the most recent month's web visitors, as well as the source. It could come from the post itself, your substack profile page as well as social media channels such as Twitter.
The Email tabs provide you with specific information about each post that includes the titles, date of publication and audience (public or private), as well as delivery stats such as openings, opens rate, paid or free subscriptions following 1 day and the engagement (likes or comments).
Settings
Here you can change your publication name and description. You can also edit discoverability options (such tags) as well as personalize your About page, which will describe the advantages of reading the publication as well as being subscribers.
You also have plenty of possibilities to alter the voice and visual brand of your magazine, which includes your logo, cover photo along with your banner for email as well as welcome message (which is sent to readers immediately after they subscribe). It is possible to edit the email-sending options like your sender name, the date you wish to receive email replies to your blog posts, as well as an email address for RSS feeds, such as [email protectedemail protected]. There is also the option to join and unlink the social media platforms and Stripe for processing payments.
Integrity and compatibility
One of the most important features of Substack's offering is the possibility to import content from many other platforms. This saves you time since you do not have to manually copy and paste content from each platform you visit. Substack provides import functionality for your favorite platforms like Mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr web RSS feed Podcast RSS feed Stripe and much more.
However, a lot of Substack's work is data and tracking, so you can add an 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. In the case of Facebook, for instance, if include 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 it is a content-creation and publishing platform, which hosts a range of articles from many writers. It serves as a community-driven discovery platform, where writers can reach a large public and connect with users and publications on the web with the same preferences. Medium provides a straightforward interface, extensive social functions, and an integrated distribution system.
Pricing and features
Medium.com provides a variety of tools and functions to readers and content creators. Medium.com has evolved into a preferred platform for individuals and organizations to share ideas or stories to an international community.
It is easy to create and format articles using an easy and user-friendly editor. Medium is a free editing environment that includes essential formatting choices like headings, lists as well as images and embedding multimedia content. After you've written your article, you may publish it to be accessible to everyone or limit it to certain audiences.
Unlimited access costs $5 USD/month when paid per month, or $50USD for a year is paid for in advance.
Dashboard/Home
Like other social media platforms, Medium offers an extensive network of readers and followers who actively seek out interesting information. Through the platform's algorithms and curation system including an 'editor's preference' newsletter, the articles are able to achieve exposure and reach an extensive public. The exposure will help authors and authors connect with their people who read their articles, develop an following and boost their influence in their respective areas of expertise.
Medium has a large audience, providing authors with the opportunity to communicate to more people and receive publicity for their works. The platform's extensive reach ensures that your posts have the chance of being discovered by readers who share an interest in your topics.
The platform's curated sections help expose your articles to the right readers, increasing the chances of exposure and interaction. By leveraging these discovery mechanisms You can take advantage of Medium's distribution network and maximize the exposure of your articles.
Post editor
Medium comes with a wide range of tools to create content which include advanced formatting tools as well as embedded media support that includes images and video, and the capability to include customized code fragments. The platform allows authors to create visually appealing pieces that contain rich media, making it suitable for digital creators who prefer an aesthetic approach to writing.
Thanks to Medium's flex post editor editors can alter the style and appearance of their content to be in line with their brand's image. Media integration is supported by the platform, allowing for the seamless inclusion of images video, audio, as well as interactive elements. If you're looking to show off your photography skills or present facts through graphs and illustrations Medium lets you produce engaging media.
Network effect
Medium creates a sense community through features such as remarks, highlights and guidelines, that allow authors to engage with audience. These engagement tools facilitate meaningful discussion and help create an environment for writers to connect with their audience.
Medium's network effect plays a crucial role in amplifying the reach of writers' articles. When readers interact with content via claps, comments and sharing, the algorithm of Medium observe the interaction and display the articles to a broader audience. This effect of the network allows authors to reach out to a wider audience than their current followers and attract new readers who are interested in their niche.
How to earn money from Medium's Partner Program
Medium uses a unique model of monetization, that is known as Medium Partner Program. Medium Partner Program. Writers can join this program and earn money based on how much engagement their content receives, including claps (Medium's equivalent of likes) and time spent reading. (While earning potential exists in Medium, earnings is less certain compared to Substack's subscription-based model.)
The medium Partner Program encourages writers to create stimulating and engaging articles that are a hit with readers. By rewarding articles based on the reader's feedback and interactions, Medium promotes the development of content with high-quality that engages and entertains its readers. This model provides an opportunity for you to earn income as well as maintain a cost-free and accessible 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 empowers independent writers through monetization possibilities as well as audience control. an intuitive and specific experience for writing. In contrast, Medium offers a vast audience, include features for discovering, and a strong feeling of community.
If you provide valuable and unique information to your readers You can earn money and continue to pursue your creativity. Both options serve a different function, but it's your responsibility to choose which one is the best for you and your audience. Happy writing!