LUNCH & LEARN: SUBSTACK MASTERCLASS

Christina Loff , Head of Lifestyle Partnerships at Substack , joined The BOARD for an insightful masterclass on the platform's potential for creators, businesses, and brands. With a background in book publishing and marketing, Christina has personally witnessed Substacks rapid growth over the past 2 years - and increasing interest from various industries, including fashion, beauty, and politics.?

Thank you BOARD MEMBER Rachel Roberts Mattox for the introduction to Christina!

We all LEARNED SO MUCH in this exchange - so in the true spirit of Community - we are sharing the top five takeaways from the conversation:

??- DEFINE YOUR UNIQUE VALUE

To be successful on Substack, you need to clearly define the unique value that you offer to your subscribers. Consider using personal content as part of your strategic paywalling. By sharing unique personal content unique to this community? - you can give the subscribers to your other channels a reason (to pay) to access you here.?

?????? LEVERAGE THE COMMUNITY FEATURES

Substack provides various community features, such as chat and notes, along with recommendations for subscriber growth. Utilize these tools to foster engagement and build a loyal following.

??EXPLORE MONETIZATION OPTIONS

Consider different monetization strategies, including paywalling, pledges, and various subscription models and pricing tiers. Experiment to find the best fit for your content and audience? - and remember that paid content does not always need a paywall.?

?FOCUS ON AUTHENTIC CONTENT

It is critical to build trust and maintain consistency and authenticity in your content, whether it's text, audio, or video. Successful Substack creators, such as Caroline Chambers (https://whattocook.substack.com/) and Patty Smith (https://pattismith.substack.com/) emphasize the importance of providing genuine value to their audience.

??EMBRACE COMMUNITY BUILDING

Brands and businesses can use Substack for community building and deepening the personal connection to the brand or the founder. Great examples are Clare Vivier and TORY BURCH who?demonstrate the potential for fostering meaningful relationships with your audience.

Throughout the SUBSTACK MASTERCLASS Christina emphasized the value of

1- Owning your email list

2- Monetizing content without advertising

3- Maintaining a realistic and consistent cadence

4- When it is time to launch - make some noise!

As Substack continues to attract creators from advertising, fashion, wellness, beauty, marketing, branding, and design - it is clearly THE place to be! It presents an incredible opportunity for businesses and individuals to share experiences, knowledge, and thought leadership? - while focusing on growth, engagement, and monetization, by building engaged communities.

Check out BOARD MEMBER Substacks and look out for ours COMING SOON!? ??

It's Not Sustainable by Tiffanie Darke ?? https://tiffaniedarke.substack.com/

metaXmoda by McKenna Sweazey ??https://metaxmoda.substack.com/

Tabs Open by Sydney Badger ?? https://tabsopen.substack.com/

SOUL OF THE BRAND by Rachel Roberts Mattox ??https://rachelrobertsmattox.substack.com/

THE VIBE SHIFT by Jenifer DeSofi ?? https://thevibeshift.substack.com/

Three Lines by Molly McDermott Walsh ?? https://threelinesconsulting.substack.com/

All Too Well by Erica Huss ?? https://ericahuss.substack.com/

Faheem Siddiqi by Faheem Siddiqi ?? https://faheem.substack.com/

IN GOOD CO By Kirsten Ludwig ?? https://ingoodco.substack.com/

New & Now by Noria Morales ?? https://brandlovelab.substack.com/

writing in black and white by christine morrison ?? https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/

DEEP THINK by Steve Tate ?? https://tateco.substack.com/