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

Photograph created by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash

The publishing and news platforms offer writers the opportunity to monetize their work in a sustainable manner. Instead of setting up affiliate programs, or filling websites with advertisements, writers can spend their time doing something they love -- writing.

It is a mutually beneficial exchange between members and authors. Authors get paid for the creation of content, and readers have the option to access the content they enjoy in a way that is without ads. If you're a journalist, writer or even a student of writing this comparison will assist you to make an educated decision about which platforms most suits your needs.

Substack

Substack's primary goal is empowering writers and provide writers with the tools they need to achieve their objectives. Substack provides a variety of options to meet the demands for self-employed content creators. From opportunities for monetization to audience ownership Substack allows writers to take control of their creative process and build a lasting career.

Pricing and features

The company is described as "a space for writing that is not dependent," Substack offers writers an chance to design an online newsletter that's paid for as well as build community. They also make money from subscriptions. The company claims that there is no technical knowledge required and aims to "take entire responsibility except for the difficult part (the writing the content itself)." They claim to provide "true independentness" where the writer keeps the copyright for all of the content they publish.

It's a simple process. Writers are able to upload posts that they've published using different platforms, such as Mailchimp, WordPress, Tinyletter, Medium, Tumblr, or even custom-built sites and create a brand new website by starting from scratch within just a few minutes. Once the website is up and running, the author decides the content that is available free of charge and what content is locked behind the Substack paywall. Substack will take 10% of revenue when a creator starts making money, however up to that point, the site is entirely free to access. The Substack team says it's feasible to "start your process of setting up your Substack during breakfast and start earning money prior to lunchtime." Discover how to do that.

Dashboard/Posts

The Dashboard page displays any content that you've already published, and also the most basic information of your most recent article. You can see the number of total views and emails sent, as well as the open rate.

Additionally, there are various buttons that allow you to create your new work of art. These buttons let you Create an entirely new blog post, podcast episode or even create a brand-new thread. From this main dashboard, you can gain access to your Subscribers, Stats as well as settings.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack posts homepage

Within Substack newsletters, they are referred to as "posts" and every post is posted on the creator's Substack page for profile. If an account becomes active, Substack automatically creates a first draft post. This auto-message invites users to sign-up for Substack's newsletter, which is for subscribers paid. They can later, to share the information via social networks. Edit the first post, or write the next article.

Substack's posts on the home page

The procedure begins with adding the subtitle, title and author -- you could even ask writers to guest and contribute. Then, you'll get a sophisticated text editor that gives you the ability to add paragraph copy, headings images, buttons as well as bold and italic quotes, and bullet points.

When you hit the Settings button you'll have the opportunity to alter the visibility of your post. It is possible to make your page accessible to the public or private, and select whether or not. In this section, you can edit your post's publication date along with the URL as well as the secret "draft link" should you choose to share the post with your friends or family members (even prior to publication). You can make a sample email, or modify the preview for social media to make sure that the pictures are perfect before you send it to your followers.

After you've published and scheduled the article, visit the Posts page to check how many people have read each of your blog posts.

Subscribers

The dashboard for subscribers displays the total number of subscribers and paid customers and also the gross annualized revenues, as well as number of subscribers over the past 30 days and 90 days, and throughout the day. The dashboard displays the email address of each subscriber as well as the type of subscription they've (free and paid) and the date on when the subscription was signed up is, along with the amount of revenue they earn per user.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack add subscribers

In order to add additional subscribers, you may manually add them using their email addresses or export your current mailing list by using MailChimp, TinyLetter, Patreon and similar platforms into an CSV file. After that, you can upload it. Substack's upload tool Substack upload tool will import every email address it can find but only those who are on your email list.

Stats

On the Stats page, you will be able to learn about the number of visitors that came to your website in addition to the quantity of email messages were sent over a 30 interval either for 90 days or when the launch of your newsletter.

The Traffic tab displays the latest month's internet users, as well as the site from which they came. This may be directly from your original blog post, as well as your profile page for yourself on Substack as well as other any social media platform, including Twitter.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack stats

The Email tabs will provide complete information about each article, including titles, date of publication and an audience of either type (public as well as private) in addition to information on the delivery of each article, including rates of openings, the rate at which opens are made as well as subscriptions that are free after one day, as well as engagement (likes and comments).

Settings

This is where you can alter your title of publication and also the content. You can also alter the options for discoverability (such tags) as well as customize the About page with a description of benefits of taking a look at the publication, as well as signing for subscriptions.

Substack vs. Medium - Substack settings

There's a myriad of options to customize your magazine's tone and design. your magazine. This includes the cover image, your logo and also the email banner as well as your greeting email content (which will be sent to your subscribers immediately following their signup). It is possible to edit the email-sending options, such as your sender's name, day you want to receive replies via email for your article as well as the email address for RSS feeds, such as [email protected[email protected]. You can also choose to join and detach your social media accounts and Stripe for processing payments.

Integrations and compatibility

One of the main benefits of Substack's platform is the ability to import content that is already on other platforms. This saves time since it's not necessary to copy and paste content for every platform that you visit. Substack offers import capabilities for the most popular platforms, including mailchimp, WordPress, TinyLetter, Tumblr streaming RSS feeds on the web, RSS feeds Stripe and more.

That said, much of Substack's work on integrations is focused on data and tracking. 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. As an example, if you include Facebook's Facebook Pixel ID (found on your Facebook Business Page) to your Substack, Facebook can track the number of people who view ads that are relevant to them.

Medium

Medium is, however, it is a content-creation and publishing platform which hosts diverse writings by various authors. Medium is a social-based discovery platform where authors have the chance to interact with an audience of a wide range and interact with other readers and magazines that have the same interests. Medium has a simple interface with a wide range of social features along with an integrated distribution network.

Prices and Features

Medium.com provides a variety of capabilities and features that are suited to writers and readers. Medium.com has evolved into a preferred platform for individuals and companies to exchange ideas, stories as well as information with a worldwide public.

It's easy to write and edit articles using an intuitive and simple editor. Medium is a free online writing platform that offers all essential formatting options like list headings, headings, images, and embedding multimedia content. After you've written your article, you can choose to publish it to be available to anyone or limit the publication to an exclusive group of readers.

Access to unlimited access is $5 USD/month if you pay monthly or $50 USD/year if an whole year's worth of costs are paid up front.

Dashboard/Home

Similar to other platforms for social media, Medium offers an extensive audience of followers and readers who constantly seek fascinating information. Thanks to the algorithm and curation system including an editor's pick magazine, articles can get exposure and reach an extensive population. The system can aid authors and creators reach out to readers, build an audience, and expand their influence in their fields.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium home page

Medium has a large audience, giving authors the opportunity to interact to a larger number of people and gain exposure for their works. Medium's vast reach guarantees that your material is able to be read by people with an interest in the subject.

The platform's curate sections assist present your content to readers who are interested which increases your chances of being exposed and engagement. By using these discovery tools, it's possible to connect to Medium's distribution network and boost the visibility and visibility of the content.

Post editor

Medium offers a broad array of content creation tools which include advanced formatting tools as well as embedded media support that includes videos and images, as well as the possibility of adding customized codes to the fragments. The platform enables writers to create visually appealing content with rich media components which makes it ideal to digital writers seeking a visually appealing approach.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's post editor

The flexible editor for posts on Medium editors are able to alter the look and design of their posts to reflect their individual brand. Media integration is provided by the platform, which allows for the seamless addition of photos as well as videos along with other interactivity elements. No matter whether you'd like to display your photography skills or communicate images Medium lets you create stunning multimedia.

Network effect

Medium promotes a sense community through features like highlights, comments, as well as guidelines, which allow writers to interact with users. These tools facilitate productive discussions and create a supportive environment for writers to connect to their audiences.

Substack vs. Medium - Medium's network effect

The effect of networks on Medium plays a crucial role in amplifying the visibility of the content. When users interact with articles through comments, claps and even sharing, the algorithms of Medium will take note of these interactions and surface the content for a wider public. The network effect allows writers to expand their reach beyond existing followers and attract new readers who are interested in their specific field.

Making money with your business: Medium's Partner Program

Medium's model is built on distinct model of monetization that is known as the Medium Partner Programme. Medium Partner Program. Authors are able to join the program and earn money according to how much engagement their content receives that includes claps (Medium's equivalent to likes) and reading time. (While the possibility to earn money on Medium, it's possible that the earnings is more uncertain in comparison to Substack's subscription program.)

Substack vs. Medium - Medium Partner Program

The Medium Partner Program encourages authors to write engaging and thought-provoking articles that are a hit readers. Through rewarding content based on readers' feedback and interaction, Medium promotes the development of quality content that is captivating and has the ability to inspire readers. Medium offers a chance to make money by maintaining a completely free 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 supports independent writers by offering monetization possibilities along with audience-owned content, and also provides a simple and focused writing experience. Contrastingly, Medium offers a vast user base, accessible features as well as a sense of belonging.

If you provide valuable and original content to your subscribers You can earn money and sustain your creative endeavors. Each option serves a distinct purpose, and it's your choice to determine which option is right for your readers and you. Enjoy writing!

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