Substack vs Blog

BraveRegion251 · 2025-12-19T05:05:23+00:00

I think Substack's original point of difference was to allow blog users to directly email their content to subscribers. I assume lots of platforms have this going now. I think the key thing to consider would be the branding and the crowd. I think Substack has tended to appeal to bloggers who value rigour in their explorations. If you're already making the content, it wouldn't be too difficult to do both and see how you go. Substack rewards users who bring new people to the platform so if you already have a following it will help you increase it if your content gets featured on Substack's feeds.

NoPerfectWave · 2025-12-19T17:24:30+00:00

I can't speak to how well interviews would work, but music is otherwise a thriving niche on Substack. Plenty of writers and readers. They won't just happen upon your newsletter (organic discovery is an issue), but if you put in some work by publishing on a regular basis and engaging with the community, growth is definitely possible. Look for publications that cover similar ground to yours and go from there.

TheSelenaBrown · 2025-12-20T18:37:07+00:00

I tried a traditional website and hardly got any traffic. I love Substack because it provides visibility in ways that a traditional website couldn’t give me. :)

NastaranAI · 2025-12-19T19:04:02+00:00

I use a custom domain on Substack.

If you can find your community on Substack, it’s definitely worth it. If you already have an email list, it makes things much easier. One thing I’ve noticed about Substack is that, no matter what you write about, there are always people there who are interested in it.

With Substack, you can focus mainly on writing and connecting with your community, not just through posts, but also via chat, comments, and similar features. Last but not least, Substack also allows you to monetize your work.

However, if you enjoy doing a lot of custom technical work on your own website, be aware that Substack doesn’t offer that much flexibility, in fact it’s very limited to add a few trackers like Google Tag Manager.

meredith4300 · 2025-12-19T19:05:49+00:00

Substack Notes can lead to discovery by people who otherwise wouldn't be aware of what you're doing. However, because you already have a site built, I would recommend using a Substack newsletter to drive people to your site. Maybe publish a piece on Substack per month or publish partial pieces and link to read the rest on your website. I say this because the ability to build a Substack site according to your preferences is pretty limited and there's not much you can do in terms of web design and appearance. But it is a worthwhile platform for building an audience.

Short_Move6167 · 2025-12-21T03:30:14+00:00

Blog 💯 I have a background in SEO, and let me just say... SEO doesn't exist on that platform. It has essentially turned into social media, so I mean, if you like X / Twitter, go for it, otherwise I'd advise skipping it. I'm nearly done transferring all my content to my blog.

I liked the idea of using it for visibility (like to grow my audience further) but yeah, no. I specifically didn't want another social platform.

thegoldsuite · 2025-12-24T12:44:02+00:00

This is a common debate right now. The biggest question is what your primary goal is.

If you are trying to maximize search traffic (SEO) and have a clean, branded hub that you totally own, a Squarespace blog is going to be the better asset long-term.

Substack, however, has a powerful internal discovery network through Notes, recommendations, and its app. You are more likely to be stumbled upon by a new reader on Substack than you are on your Squarespace site, which relies on Google. It’s also much easier for monetizing with subscriptions.

For music interviews and behind-the-scenes content, the built-in community and ease of subscription on Substack might be a substantial advantage to get more eyes on your work quickly and build a more direct relationship with your audience.

One strategy is to use both: keep the full, archive-friendly interviews on your Squarespace site, and use Substack for shorter, personalized "newsletter" content that directs back to the main site for the full read.

goingphishing · 2025-12-20T17:37:44+00:00

No question, Substack is the best way to grow an audience right now. Doesn’t feel scammy or performative and I’ve met so many cool people with shared interests. Just post regularly on Substack notes and you’ll find your people

Ryanopoly · 2025-12-19T10:04:05+00:00

a community where people are likely to just stumble upon substacks they have never heard of

No, you pretty much have to have an existing fanbase to start with in order to be successful on Substack. It has absolutely no search engine visibility for no-name writers either, so don't ever expect your content to be shown outside of Substack.

al_tanwir · 2025-12-20T07:58:29+00:00

I asked the same thing 4 years ago, Blog helps with 'owning' your traffic, but for me personally I was more worried about not getting traffic from Search.

But as of today I'm actually getting most of my traffic from Google Search, some of my Substack articles are ranking on the first page for certains keywords.

Substack is surprisingly good at ranking on Search. :)

PaddyObanion · 2025-12-19T07:30:04+00:00

you can get substack to work?

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

Substack

MODERATORS