Benefits of Starting a Substack Newsletter

Yesterday, I started a Substack Newsletter for SpaceTime and shared it on my personal LinkedIn and Twitter. (https://spacetime.substack.com/)

The results:

• LinkedIn generated 1400 impressions and counting
• Twitter generated 121 impressions (and counting... slowly - my # LinkedIn connections >> # Twitter followers)
• The newsletter was viewed 133 times
• Gained 9 subscribers to the Newsletter
• Gained 3 Twitter followers for the SpaceTime twitter
• Got 4 (non-recruiter) LinkedIn connection requests, one who is a productivity geek (setting up coffee to discuss ☕️)

Humble beginnings. But in addition to the immediate social media statistics, there are higher-order benefits:

• Email marketing - we've long known that an email list can be an extraordinarily powerful channel to reach people. Someone opts in to a mailing list willingly, by typing out their email address. This has a higher activation energy than a follow on social media.
• Writing - in order to write well, one must think clearly. A newsletter forces you to do this, but allows for a more casual tone. Somehow, imagining I'm writing an email is easier than writing a blog post. It took me 2.5 hours to write this newsletter (a blog post regularly takes me 6 or more)
• Regularity - consistency is the basis for compounding and by promising a weekly newsletter (of which, most sections are formulaic - metrics, highlights, lowlights), I intend to become a better writer, ensure I have something interesting to write about weekly (become a better maker), while slowly growing that subscriber list

You should consider doing the same!