Terms

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

The photo was made by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash

Newsletters and publishing platforms provide writers with the opportunity of making money from their work with a rational approach. Instead of putting together affiliate programs, or saturating the platforms with ads the writers are free to do what they love - writing.

This exchange benefits both between creators and members. Writers get paid to create articles, while readers get the option to browse the articles they love, and at the same time enjoy uninterrupted and free of ads. No matter if you're a blogger journalist or even a writer in the making, this list will help you in making an informed decision about which platform will best suit your.

Substack

Substack's main objective is to help authors by providing the tools they need to achieve their goals. It offers numerous tools that are designed to meet the demands of content creators who are freelance. From audience-based monetization to managing, Substack gives writers the ability to remain at the helm of their art process, and build a lasting career.

Prices and Features

It is advertised as "a site for writers to create their own content," Substack offers writers the chance to begin the process of a magazine that can be paid for, build communities, and make money from subscriptions. The site claims no technical knowledge required as they plan to "take every responsibility, excluding the most difficult part (the writing the first place)." The company guarantees "true freedom" where the writer keeps the copyright for all of written work.

How it works is fairly simple. Writers can choose to importing their content from other platforms like Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, along with some customized websites. They can set up an entirely new website within a matter of minutes. Once the site is set up and operating, the writer decides what content is available at no cost, as well as those which are subject to substack's Substack paywall. Substack takes 10% of the profits when the creator starts to monetize, however for the time being, it's absolutely gratis. Substack's Substack team states that it is possible to "start your process of setting up your Substack early in the morning, and start making money by lunchtime." This article will show you how to accomplish this.

Dashboard/Posts

The Dashboard page shows any article that you've already posted, along with some basic statistics of your most recent article. This includes: the total number of viewers, the total number of users who have received email as well as the rate of opening.

There's also several buttons you can use for you to create your own masterpiece. These buttons allow you to create your own blog post, new podcast episode, or new thread. On this dashboard, you have access to subscribers, stats, and settings.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack posts homepage

In Substack newsletters, the posts are referred to as "posts' and each post appears on the writer's Substack page, which is a profile of the author. When an account is set up, Substack automatically creates a first draft article. This auto-message invites users to subscribe to the newsletter of Substack's paying subscribers, and also to send the news via social networks. It is possible to edit or delete the initial pre-populated post or create a new post.

Substack's homepage for posts

It starts by including a title, the author, and subtitleYou can also invite writers to guest contribute. And the final step is to utilize an effective text editor that lets you include paragraph copy, headings and images, as well as buttons as well as codes to use bold or italic fonts, quotes and bullet points.

If you hit the Settings button, you'll have an option to alter the visibility of your page. It is possible to publish the article in public to the public or select whether or not to let comments be posted. In this section, you are able to also edit the article's day of its publication date, URL, and an non-official "draft URL" in case you'd like to send the post to your friends or relatives (even after the article has been published). You can send a test email or modify the social media preview in order to make sure the image is perfect prior to sending it out to your subscribers.

After you've scheduled and published your message, go back to your Posts page to see the number of readers who have visited every one of your postings.

Subscribers

The subscribers dashboard shows you the total number of paying and non-paying customers and also the annualized gross revenue and the total number of customers over the last 30 days, 90 days and throughout the time. The dashboard lists the email addresses of all subscriber, along with the kind of subscription they are on (free or paid) as well as the date on which they signed up, and the amount of revenue they earn per user.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack add subscribers

To add more subscribers You can include them using their email addresses, or export the existing list of subscribers on MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon as well as similar platforms to the CSV file, and then upload the file. Substack's upload tool Substack upload tool is able to load any email address it discovers, and allows only those who have opted in to your mailing list.

Stats

On the Stats page is where you can find out the volume of traffic that came to your website, as well as the quantity of emails that you've emailed over a 30 or 90-day period, or even since the launch in your email newsletter.

The tab Traffic displays the latest month's most popular visitors to the site, as well as their source. It could come from the article itself the substack page or other social media platforms such as Twitter.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack stats

The Email tabs offer specific information about each article, including title, publication date as well as the viewers (public or private) and delivery metrics like openings, opens rate, free or paid subscriptions that follow a single day in addition to the engagement (likes and comments).

Settings

Here you can change the name and description of your magazine. It is also possible to alter the discoverability settings (such tags) as well as personalize your About page, which can explain the advantages of your magazine, and signing up to become subscribers.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack settings

There are many methods to alter the tone and the visual identity of your magazine. This includes the cover image, your logo and also the banner for your emails and greeting email content (which will be sent out immediately to those who sign up). It is possible to edit the options for sending emails including the email sender's name, if you would like to receive email messages with responses to your content, as well as the email addresses to RSS feeds such as email protected. Here you can also connect and disconnect the social media platforms, as well as Stripe for processing payments.

Integrity and compatibility

One of the main advantages of Substack's service is the ability to import content from different platforms. It saves time as it's not necessary to copy your content from every platform that you visit. Substack allows you to import your content from these platforms, including mailchimp service WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr web RSS feed, podcast RSS feed, Stripe and many more.

However, a lot of Substack's interest in integrations is on tracking and data and it is possible to add an Facebook Pixel ID, Twitter Pixel ID, Parse.ly Pixel ID as well as 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 example, if you connect your Facebook Pixel ID (found on your Facebook Business Page) to Substack, Facebook will be able to track your readership and engagement levels. Substack, Facebook can track viewers for advertisements that match their preferences.

Medium

Medium is, however, the platform for publishing content and creation, which hosts a range of articles from different writers. Medium functions as a community-driven site for discovering writers can connect with a large public and connect with people who read online and share the same passions. Medium has a simple interface and a wide range of social functions, and an integrated distribution system.

Prices and Features

Medium.com has a wide range of tools and functions to writers and readers. Medium.com has grown into a preferred website for organizations as well as individuals who want to share their ideas as well as stories and information with a global audience.

The program lets you effortlessly write and edit your text using a simple and easy editor. Medium is a free editor that offers essential formatting choices like list headings, headings pictures, as well as embedding multimedia media. When you've completed your article and are ready to publish it, you can post it on Medium for public access to all or restrict your audience.

Access to unlimited access is $5 USD/month if you pay a monthly fee or $50USD/year when an entire year's cost is paid up front.

Dashboard/Home

As with social media, Medium offers an extensive network of readers and followers who are constantly seeking out new content. With the help of algorithms and a curation mechanism, which includes the editor's pick newsletter, articles have the potential to gain exposure and reach a wide audience. This exposure can help creators as well as writers reach out to readers, build an audience and increase their impact in their respective fields.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium home page

Medium is a huge platform, providing authors with an possibility to connect with an more large audience, and receive the recognition they deserve for their efforts. The huge reach of Medium ensures that your articles are likely to end up being read by those who share an interest in the subjects.

The curate section of Medium helps with presenting your content to users who are interested, which increases the chance of engagement and visibility. With these tools for discovery allow you to take advantage of Medium's distribution network and boost the visibility of your content.

Post editor

Medium provides a wide range of content creation tools that include advanced formatting options and embedding support for videos and images. It also offers the option of adding codes. It allows creators to create visually appealing articles that contain rich media elements that make it ideal for authors who prefer to create content that's visually appealing.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's post editor

Through Medium's Flex post editor, users can customize the appearance and style of their articles in order to match their personal brand. Media integration is made possible by the platform which permits seamless integration of photos as well as videos and other interactivity elements. It doesn't matter if you're seeking to show off your photography skills or present data using visualizations, Medium gives you the ability to produce captivating content.

Network effect

Medium encourages the sense of community through features such as notes, highlights, and ideas that allow authors to communicate with the viewers. The tools for engagement allow for deep discussion and provide an environment that allows authors to connect with their audiences.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's network effect

The impact of the network on Medium plays a vital role in expanding the reach of the content. If users interact with the content through claps, comments or shares, the algorithms of Medium examine the conversation and then display the article with a greater reach in order to attract readers. This effect of the network allows authors to be exposed to a wider audience than those who follow them currently and also attract new followers who are fascinated by the topics they write about.

How to make money: Medium's Partner Program

Medium is founded on a distinct model of monetization, that is called as"the Medium Partner Program. Authors are able to join the program and earn money according to how much attention their content receives in the form of claps (Medium's equivalent of likings) as well as the amount of time they read. (While the potential for earnings can be found on Medium, it's also possible that the earning potential isn't as likely when compared to Substack's subscription-based system.)

Substack vs. Medium - Medium Partner Program

Medium's Partner Program encourages writers to produce engaging and exciting articles that are a hit with readers. Through rewarding content based on comments and engagements from readers, Medium promotes the development of high-quality content that captivates and is able to draw attention to its readers. This is a way to make money through providing a totally affordable and open 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 assists independent authors with monetization possibilities in addition to audience control. an intuitive and targeted user experience when writing. In contrast, Medium offers a vast readership, with discoverability features and a profound feeling of community.

If you can provide valuable and unique information to your readers and generating revenue, you will be able to keep pursuing your creativity. Each option serves a distinct goal, and it's left to you to determine which option is right for both your audience and yourself. Enjoy writing!

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