Could Substack be for you?

Substack has been around since 2017, but it keeps growing - and much of that growth looks like a reaction to frustration with social media algorithms, where you see only a fraction of the friends and accounts you chose to follow. (On Facebook and Instagram, there are ways to view only friends or favorites, if you look for them.)

A prominent marketing keynote recently made the case that Substack is one of the most important new platforms, for two big reasons.

Lead generation: raw information has become a commodity, but people will still pay attention and engage when they connect with the specific person sharing it.

Subscription revenue: the potential is large enough that some professionals could eventually earn more from paid subscriptions - typically in the $3.99 to $9.99 per month range - than from their primary practice.

Substack is usually positioned as a written-newsletter platform, but it also has a strong live video feature. A recent Substack Live session hosted by the Center for Humane Technology - a wide-ranging discussion on how AI is changing what it means to be human - showed how smooth the experience is: one tap from a social post took viewers straight into the app, registered their interest, and offered an add-to-calendar option.

The platform is often recommended for professionals who write well but feel awkward on camera - yet you can write, stream video, grow subscribers and build community all in one place. If algorithm fatigue has you looking for a more direct line to your audience, Substack is worth a serious look.