When Podfest founder Chris Krimitsos suggested I do a talk on my recent deep dive into Substack, I had two concerns:
Most podcasters wouldn’t have much experience with Substack.
That lack of knowledge might lead to a poorly attended session with low interest.
Chris, of course, is a master at creating positive experiences for event audiences. His transformation of Podfest from a small meetup into one of the world’s premier conferences for independent creators earned him induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame. So, I trusted his instincts and followed his advice.
Chris saw Substack as a cutting-edge topic that Podfest needed to address. After hearing about the features and benefits I discovered through my own use of the platform, he encouraged me to share what I’d learned about podcasting on Substack and introduce attendees to how it works.
I was right about one thing—most of the podcasters who attended my session were new to Substack. But a lack of interest? Not even close. The room was nearly filled to capacity, and the Q&A session had no shortage of eager questions. Over the following days, attendees shared that they planned to explore hosting their podcasts on Substack.
A Unique Opportunity for Podcasters
Let me be clear: I haven’t been on Substack long enough to guarantee that your audience will grow simply by creating a publication. However, I can say with confidence that Substack’s features and culture provide a unique opportunity to grow and monetize your podcast in ways that compare favorably to other platforms.
Here are five key reasons I shared during my talk (which I’ll dive deeper into in future newsletters):
Discovery: Substack’s recommendations, video feed, and sharing features help new listeners and viewers find your podcast.
Notifications: Every time you post a new episode, an email is automatically sent to your list.
Community: With features like Notes (think Twitter), Comments, and Chat, Substack fosters engagement.
Multimedia: A single post can host video, audio, and text—all on one platform.
Monetization: Built-in tools make adding paid subscriptions straightforward.
The Biggest Takeaways
While those points summarize why I believe Substack is a great fit for podcasters, here are the three biggest takeaways from my talk and the audience’s response:
Email notifications are a game-changer. Most podcasters aren’t emailing their list when a new episode drops. By hosting or posting on Substack, an email is automatically sent to your subscribers. It’s an effective way to get more eyes and ears on your content.
You own your audience. When someone subscribes to your podcast on Substack, they’re added to your email list, and you get their email address. Neither Apple Podcasts, Spotify, nor YouTube offers that.
Livestreaming is a powerful tool. Real-time engagement with your audience is enhanced by automatic email notifications when you go live.
And one more bonus: It’s free to host audio and video on Substack.
Your Turn
Now it’s your turn: If you’re not yet hosting or posting your podcast episodes and videos on Substack, what’s holding you back? Leave a comment or reply to this email—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Stay tuned for more from Podfest, including highlights from our LinkedIn panel and other key takeaways from the conference.
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