As someone who just recently started posting to Substack and is still getting familiar with the platform, this article was so helpful.
I write about womanhood, motherhood,and reproductive justice in a world that’s burning, and I feel like I’m still at the point where I need to grow my audience before I even start thinking about paid subscribers.
When I do get to that point, I’m intrigued by the idea of the behind-the-scenes essays and giving paid subscribers the chance to choose the essay topic once a month. With how many writers seem to offer workshops, the idea of figuring out a way to differentiate feels intimidating.
I’d also love your thoughts on when’s the right time to start defining paid tiers. Is it ever too early? Is there such a thing as too late?
Hi Iva — Great questions. So, I think there are a handful of ways to look at the paid tier questions you're asking.
First, I'd want to know how long you have been writing about the topics that your newsletter centers on. If you've been in this space for a long time and you know you're not interested in writing about anything drastically different, I'd say you're good with launching a paid tier as soon as you've really found your groove in your newsletter. And by groove, I mean you see consistent free sign-ups; your readers are moved to action regularly; they're engaging and sharing their own perspectives in response to yours. If that's what you're seeing, the next thing we'd want to consider is the size of your list. It's very hard to effectively "nurture" a list to upgrade when you have less than 1,000 readers. Certainly it's possible, but from an energy perspective, I think it's worth staying focused on quality writing and posts until you get to 1,000 and from there start nudging readers toward upgrades.
When someone DOESN'T have that kind of energy already naturally building around what they offer for free, I know from a strategist's perspective that it's pretty challenging to architect a paid tier that's compelling enough to upgrade for. (Because we don't want to slap a price tag on stuff that readers are shrugging their shoulders at. We want to design an irresistible offering that's "adjacent but different" to the newsletter they already love.)
Thanks for the questions! If you still have more that you're pondering, feel free to bring your ideas and questions to Pivot Hour on Wednesday (I saw you registered!). :)
Thank you for your insights! The scenarios you describe in which it’s optimal to start nudging readers to upgrade are super helpful and make me feel like I’m not doing anything wrong by focusing on the writing first and moving towards a paid strategy later (because though I’ve been writing in my niche for a bit and have no plans to deviate, I am definitely still very new to Substack and learning to navigate just the basics).
I help women grow gorgeous gardens in 10 minutes a day as the antidote to burnout.
I have an existing paid substack model that i’d love to grow.
My free offerings include my 'What to plant in your garden & how to keep it alive' guide PLUS occasional life & garden musings to inspire you to get growing
Paid offerings include:
Subscriber only weekly mindful gardening & floristry activities direct to your inbox, so you can get gardening and feel joyful!
Access to all 'How to' articles and Adventures with Flowers TV episodes to help you solve any gardening issues.
The ability to ask for my advice on your garden in the comments!
There’s also a founding tier where they get all of the above plus A 60 minute online gardening consultation to get a plan for your garden sorted!
Hi Kendall - Thanks so much for chiming in and for sharing about your paid offerings. My first instinct here is to wonder if there's a clear enough line of differentiation between free and paid offerings. I also wonder about the weekly pacing of gardening activities. Without knowing a ton of specifics, I wonder if that might actually be too much to be sending to paid readers. I know that might sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes more and more just becomes overwhelming to readers — and they either don't upgrade or they unsubscribe because they can't keep up with the volume (aka they start feeling like they aren't able to make the most of their investment). It's a delicate balance to strike! So I would start there and think about what you know about your ideal customer (I took a peek at your Substack and saw that you are a Mindful Gardening Coach!) and how that could inform a clearer line between what free readers need to spark their interest/passion/connection with mindful gardening and then what is the clearest, most manageable and supportive value line in the sand for upgrading to paid.
Thank you Amanda. That’s interesting about the weekly activities- I hadn’t considered it might be overwhelming people. I’ll have a ponder and make some tweaks 😍🌷
Even though I had received one of these types of gifts from you, it never occurred to me until I saw it as part of this series to provide the gift as part of the welcome/thank you for subscribing email.
Lightbulb moment!
Newsletter aimed at leading with empathy and avoiding burnout, for purpose-driven leaders.
My brainstorms here for welcome email delivered gifts (but what would be the nudges to get people to subscribe?)
Monthly: code for free audio to my book (I'd actually have to DM that as those are unique codes)
Annual: pre-recorded video about implementing one of the tools/worksheets from my book (the worksheets are already free to download on my website)
Founding: PDF version of my book licensed for organizational use with the guide to use with your leadership team
I definitely like where you're headed here. I'm always cautious, though, about anything manual because that does become challenging to scale. Maybe you could do a short promo for 1 month offering free audio to your book, highlighting that this isn't an ongoing offering, but something you're doing because you know the value in hearing XYZ?
Love the ideas, and the coaching ones feel validating because it's in line with what I've been drafting. I think I've been getting hung up on the details.
Here's what I have planned so far (I'm a life & career coach with an A(u)DHD lens) - I'd love your thoughts.
1. No additional / paid only newsletters. I feel like this would be restricting for me and my writing.
2. A monthly or quarterly space to reflect and think (maybe seasonal). I could see this turning into a gentle group coaching call but want this to be very easy to access (for example, no pressure to bring a topic). I am unsure of the right cadence.
3. A 60 minute "wheel of life" or similar session with me (one time). I am worried this will be too much eventually, but for now, I don't expect that many paid subscribers and it would be a great way to have that 1-1 connection.
Hi Hannah - I think these options mostly sound within reach. I think the thing I'd want to focus on is how do I make sure these offerings are distinct enough to be valuable. Coaching calls are good — what would make yours different enough to draw readers in? My guess is that before offering coaching calls, there would need to be a season of writing essays just around the adjacent themes that show up within your 1:1 coaching calls. This would help you get a sense of whether or not readers are wanting to connect in that way, and it would also help lay the ground for readers if you did decide to offer them.
The "wheel of life" concept is new to me so I'm drawn to what that means, but perhaps it's familiar to others? You're right about the 60-minute aspect being pretty unsustainable after a while — is there a re-interpretation that could turn it into a 10-minute group practice? Just thinking out loud on this one ... :)
Writing about coaching and what it means to me and what kind of coach I am is my plan for November+ to tie it all together. It does make me think about the long term though - it will have to continually tie things together (which I think is possible).
I don’t do the wheel of life with all of my clients but it’s an exercise to look at a snapshot of your life at the moment and reflect on how fulfilled you are in each of the areas and where you might want to make some changes. Often the reflection is as simple (and powerful) as: I’m more fulfilled and balanced than I thought I was.
It’s something I WANT to offer so I think I’m just going to go with it to begin with and then adjust as it becomes unsustainable - I like the masterclass idea but don’t have anything like this at the moment.
I am learning here that I actually already knew what I wanted to do but need courage to go for it. And this right here is giving me exactly that. Trust, I know! :)
Happy to have you here! Also, I'm guessing brainwashing = brainstorming? :)
I'm sure you'll find lots of good company here while trying to strike the balance between harnessing Substack as a place for yourself as a writer and also as a professional. What's feeling good these days about your newsletter, and what's feeling a little off?
There are some great ideas here Amanda, thank you so much. Right now I am taking a little break from posting my newsletter so I can find some clarity to move forward.
Great brainstorming article! I have a couple ideas for my health coaching newsletter.
1. The monthly coaching group call. What worries me about this one is, I have 4 paid members. What if no one shows up? And I’m unsure of how to promote it. A bit of imposter syndrome there lol
2. A lifestyle protocol to help men get rid of their dadbod and improve their health markers after a doctor visit. I know I can help with this, and it’s a super specific market, so all I need to do probably is create it. Again, unsure how to get the word out to the right people
Hi Tim - Thanks for having "first comment courage" today. :) I think both of those ideas definitely have a lot of potential, but where my curiosity goes first is: What's already resonating with your readers? Have you seen my free mini editorial audit post? (I'll link to it below, just in case.)
The reason I'm asking about the mini editorial audit is because as a general offering, people have LOTS of opportunities to join coaching group calls or read lifestyle protocols. So if those formats are something you're drawn to, the real opportunity here is to identify how to differentiate your interpretation as specifically as possible. The mini editorial audit usually helps illuminate an important dynamic: where our interests/expertise intersect with what's already resonating with readers.
Also, I'd highly encourage you not to over "productize" your paid tier prematurely. With four paid members, you're already on your way! Keep doing what you're doing, take a look at the audit and keep listening to what readers say. There's some gold in here that will come to the surface.
As someone who just recently started posting to Substack and is still getting familiar with the platform, this article was so helpful.
I write about womanhood, motherhood,and reproductive justice in a world that’s burning, and I feel like I’m still at the point where I need to grow my audience before I even start thinking about paid subscribers.
When I do get to that point, I’m intrigued by the idea of the behind-the-scenes essays and giving paid subscribers the chance to choose the essay topic once a month. With how many writers seem to offer workshops, the idea of figuring out a way to differentiate feels intimidating.
I’d also love your thoughts on when’s the right time to start defining paid tiers. Is it ever too early? Is there such a thing as too late?
Hi Iva — Great questions. So, I think there are a handful of ways to look at the paid tier questions you're asking.
First, I'd want to know how long you have been writing about the topics that your newsletter centers on. If you've been in this space for a long time and you know you're not interested in writing about anything drastically different, I'd say you're good with launching a paid tier as soon as you've really found your groove in your newsletter. And by groove, I mean you see consistent free sign-ups; your readers are moved to action regularly; they're engaging and sharing their own perspectives in response to yours. If that's what you're seeing, the next thing we'd want to consider is the size of your list. It's very hard to effectively "nurture" a list to upgrade when you have less than 1,000 readers. Certainly it's possible, but from an energy perspective, I think it's worth staying focused on quality writing and posts until you get to 1,000 and from there start nudging readers toward upgrades.
When someone DOESN'T have that kind of energy already naturally building around what they offer for free, I know from a strategist's perspective that it's pretty challenging to architect a paid tier that's compelling enough to upgrade for. (Because we don't want to slap a price tag on stuff that readers are shrugging their shoulders at. We want to design an irresistible offering that's "adjacent but different" to the newsletter they already love.)
Thanks for the questions! If you still have more that you're pondering, feel free to bring your ideas and questions to Pivot Hour on Wednesday (I saw you registered!). :)
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for your insights! The scenarios you describe in which it’s optimal to start nudging readers to upgrade are super helpful and make me feel like I’m not doing anything wrong by focusing on the writing first and moving towards a paid strategy later (because though I’ve been writing in my niche for a bit and have no plans to deviate, I am definitely still very new to Substack and learning to navigate just the basics).
Hi Amanda,
I help women grow gorgeous gardens in 10 minutes a day as the antidote to burnout.
I have an existing paid substack model that i’d love to grow.
My free offerings include my 'What to plant in your garden & how to keep it alive' guide PLUS occasional life & garden musings to inspire you to get growing
Paid offerings include:
Subscriber only weekly mindful gardening & floristry activities direct to your inbox, so you can get gardening and feel joyful!
Access to all 'How to' articles and Adventures with Flowers TV episodes to help you solve any gardening issues.
The ability to ask for my advice on your garden in the comments!
There’s also a founding tier where they get all of the above plus A 60 minute online gardening consultation to get a plan for your garden sorted!
I’d love to know your thoughts.
Kendall
Hi Kendall - Thanks so much for chiming in and for sharing about your paid offerings. My first instinct here is to wonder if there's a clear enough line of differentiation between free and paid offerings. I also wonder about the weekly pacing of gardening activities. Without knowing a ton of specifics, I wonder if that might actually be too much to be sending to paid readers. I know that might sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes more and more just becomes overwhelming to readers — and they either don't upgrade or they unsubscribe because they can't keep up with the volume (aka they start feeling like they aren't able to make the most of their investment). It's a delicate balance to strike! So I would start there and think about what you know about your ideal customer (I took a peek at your Substack and saw that you are a Mindful Gardening Coach!) and how that could inform a clearer line between what free readers need to spark their interest/passion/connection with mindful gardening and then what is the clearest, most manageable and supportive value line in the sand for upgrading to paid.
Cheering you on!
Thank you Amanda. That’s interesting about the weekly activities- I hadn’t considered it might be overwhelming people. I’ll have a ponder and make some tweaks 😍🌷
Amanda!
These lists are fabulous. Thank you.
Even though I had received one of these types of gifts from you, it never occurred to me until I saw it as part of this series to provide the gift as part of the welcome/thank you for subscribing email.
Lightbulb moment!
Newsletter aimed at leading with empathy and avoiding burnout, for purpose-driven leaders.
My brainstorms here for welcome email delivered gifts (but what would be the nudges to get people to subscribe?)
Monthly: code for free audio to my book (I'd actually have to DM that as those are unique codes)
Annual: pre-recorded video about implementing one of the tools/worksheets from my book (the worksheets are already free to download on my website)
Founding: PDF version of my book licensed for organizational use with the guide to use with your leadership team
I definitely like where you're headed here. I'm always cautious, though, about anything manual because that does become challenging to scale. Maybe you could do a short promo for 1 month offering free audio to your book, highlighting that this isn't an ongoing offering, but something you're doing because you know the value in hearing XYZ?
Love this feedback. Thank you for this. I appreciate it.
Love the ideas, and the coaching ones feel validating because it's in line with what I've been drafting. I think I've been getting hung up on the details.
Here's what I have planned so far (I'm a life & career coach with an A(u)DHD lens) - I'd love your thoughts.
1. No additional / paid only newsletters. I feel like this would be restricting for me and my writing.
2. A monthly or quarterly space to reflect and think (maybe seasonal). I could see this turning into a gentle group coaching call but want this to be very easy to access (for example, no pressure to bring a topic). I am unsure of the right cadence.
3. A 60 minute "wheel of life" or similar session with me (one time). I am worried this will be too much eventually, but for now, I don't expect that many paid subscribers and it would be a great way to have that 1-1 connection.
Hi Hannah - I think these options mostly sound within reach. I think the thing I'd want to focus on is how do I make sure these offerings are distinct enough to be valuable. Coaching calls are good — what would make yours different enough to draw readers in? My guess is that before offering coaching calls, there would need to be a season of writing essays just around the adjacent themes that show up within your 1:1 coaching calls. This would help you get a sense of whether or not readers are wanting to connect in that way, and it would also help lay the ground for readers if you did decide to offer them.
The "wheel of life" concept is new to me so I'm drawn to what that means, but perhaps it's familiar to others? You're right about the 60-minute aspect being pretty unsustainable after a while — is there a re-interpretation that could turn it into a 10-minute group practice? Just thinking out loud on this one ... :)
Thank you for your detailed reply, Amanda!
Writing about coaching and what it means to me and what kind of coach I am is my plan for November+ to tie it all together. It does make me think about the long term though - it will have to continually tie things together (which I think is possible).
I don’t do the wheel of life with all of my clients but it’s an exercise to look at a snapshot of your life at the moment and reflect on how fulfilled you are in each of the areas and where you might want to make some changes. Often the reflection is as simple (and powerful) as: I’m more fulfilled and balanced than I thought I was.
It’s something I WANT to offer so I think I’m just going to go with it to begin with and then adjust as it becomes unsustainable - I like the masterclass idea but don’t have anything like this at the moment.
I am learning here that I actually already knew what I wanted to do but need courage to go for it. And this right here is giving me exactly that. Trust, I know! :)
I really appreciate this list, Amanda. Specific but not prescriptive ideas - so helpful!
Great brainwashing article. I’m figuring out how to offer things as both a writer and a psychotherapist
Happy to have you here! Also, I'm guessing brainwashing = brainstorming? :)
I'm sure you'll find lots of good company here while trying to strike the balance between harnessing Substack as a place for yourself as a writer and also as a professional. What's feeling good these days about your newsletter, and what's feeling a little off?
There are some great ideas here Amanda, thank you so much. Right now I am taking a little break from posting my newsletter so I can find some clarity to move forward.
Great brainstorming article! I have a couple ideas for my health coaching newsletter.
1. The monthly coaching group call. What worries me about this one is, I have 4 paid members. What if no one shows up? And I’m unsure of how to promote it. A bit of imposter syndrome there lol
2. A lifestyle protocol to help men get rid of their dadbod and improve their health markers after a doctor visit. I know I can help with this, and it’s a super specific market, so all I need to do probably is create it. Again, unsure how to get the word out to the right people
Hi Tim - Thanks for having "first comment courage" today. :) I think both of those ideas definitely have a lot of potential, but where my curiosity goes first is: What's already resonating with your readers? Have you seen my free mini editorial audit post? (I'll link to it below, just in case.)
The reason I'm asking about the mini editorial audit is because as a general offering, people have LOTS of opportunities to join coaching group calls or read lifestyle protocols. So if those formats are something you're drawn to, the real opportunity here is to identify how to differentiate your interpretation as specifically as possible. The mini editorial audit usually helps illuminate an important dynamic: where our interests/expertise intersect with what's already resonating with readers.
Also, I'd highly encourage you not to over "productize" your paid tier prematurely. With four paid members, you're already on your way! Keep doing what you're doing, take a look at the audit and keep listening to what readers say. There's some gold in here that will come to the surface.
LINK: Here's the link to my free mini editorial audit. https://theeditingspectrum.substack.com/p/newsletter-magic-mini-editorial-audit
Perhaps instead of a monthly call you could do a monthly chat for paid subscribers? You can promote it in a post and on Notes.
That’s a good idea too. It’s definitely easier to arrange and keep up with.
Or you could record a teaching for them that they can watch asynchronously and then it’s not an issue about people showing up?
It's a good starting point as you continue to grow, a call might be a nice addition.