If you look at the navigation on my website, you will see re: blog and re: newsletter. You can subscribe to both. But you might be wondering what the difference is. In this article I share who my blog is for, and why I also write a newsletter on Substack.
But first, what the heck is Substack?
It’s a blogging platform. One of the things I like about it is that when you publish your article, it automatically emails it out to your subscribers so you don’t have that additional mental distribution hurdle. People who want to read what you have to say get your work in their inbox. They don’t have to go to Substack to read it.
Hang on Rachel, I thought you always say you should write on your website because that’s where you want people to go, and you own it so no algorithms, or billionaires, can snatch it from you.
Yes, I do and I stand by it. That’s why my business blog is staying here.
But for a long time I’ve felt there are things I want to write that don’t really fit here. This article about Schitt’s Creek, for example. It’s popular, but it’s got nothing to do with my business. It doesn’t really belong on my website. So what do I do when I want to write something like that?
This is where Substack comes in.
Business Rachel v writing Rachel
It’s a slightly moot distinction because I write no matter what, but what you read on The Writing Case blog is about writing for your business and how I can help you do that. What you read on re: writes is all the other things I want to write about.
It helps me keep my business blog on point. It also gives me a place where I can experiment and play around with topics and ways of writing, free from ‘professional’ me.
Which one should you subscribe to?
The Writing Case
This is for you if:
- You are thinking about working with me professionally
- You want to start writing for your business but you’re not sure how to go about it
- You run your own business, or you have a role in an SME where you want to make the case for quality writing.
re: writes
This is for you if:
- You like reading my writing but you don’t run a business
- You like reading my writing but you have no interest in reading about business writing
- You just want to support me as a writer.
Could this be a solution for your butterfly brain?
Maybe. Also, it depends. What’s going on with your writing? You have lots of ideas and you want to write them all: is the answer a second blog, or do you need boundaries on your original one? Here are some things to consider:
Are you clear on what your business blog is about?
Do you have clear content pillars? (Not sure what content pillars are? Watch this video)
Do you have a side hustle or a passion project which you could sustain writing about in its own right?
Do you have one audience or do you need to cater to different ones? (I know not everyone who reads my work is interested in business, for example.)
How much time do you have available? Are you able to sustain writing in two places? This one is really important. If you’re struggling to write consistently on your business blog, is one of the issues that you’re over-stretched?
Do you want to have to build a second audience? I’m enjoying writing on Substack but I have started from zero. I need to build an audience for that work, as well as growing the audience for my business blog. That takes time, effort, and stamina.
Have you fallen out of love with your blog and want to change direction? If so, revisit your business blog, think about what your content pillars are, and what you want to write about which will appeal to your audience.
Do you want some help?
If you’re wondering what to write about and how to share that topic in a way that works for you and your business, then get in touch about Master Your Message. It’s a 1:1 session with me where we talk about you, your business, and your clients and map out what you can write about and come up with topics for your initial blog posts to get you started.
