I have gone back and forth on this for quite a while now, and honestly, I’m getting tired of myself. :) So I think when you get tired of your own thinking, it’s probably a sign that you need to make a decision. So I did. I’ve decided to go back to running my own newsletter through my website on Squarespace, and it feels so good. It feels like I’m building my own little home. A place for the things I believe in, the things I’m proud of, and the things I genuinely think could be helpful to entrepreneurs out there. A place that connects what I write about with what I do and the business I’m building.
So why did I move to Substack in the first place? Well, I have to admit that I was influenced by the people who were doing it really well. I saw how they were building audiences, sharing their thoughts and creating communities around their writing, and I wanted a piece of that. I wanted to be part of it. What I failed to consider, however, was that I don't have the same kind of business as many of them. I still believe Substack is a wonderful place for writers. But even though I write, I’m not a writer in the traditional sense. I run a business where I sell my services, and I need my writing to be connected to that business. I want people to read something I've written, become curious about what I do, and be able to understand quite easily who I am, how I can help them, and what working with me might look like. I’m sure people with Oprah-sized platforms can make all of that work just about anywhere. But I’m not there yet, and I need to build my business in a way that makes sense for where I am today.
And this is where I think we sometimes get a little distracted. We see someone doing something successfully, and we assume we should be doing it too. We follow the trend, sign up for the platform, change our strategy and spend time trying to make it work.
But we don't always stop to ask ourselves the most important question: what do I actually need this to do for me?
Because Substack and having your own newsletter on your website can both be great options. They just serve slightly different purposes, and understanding those differences can help you make a decision that works for you rather than simply following what everyone else seems to be doing.
So, let's talk about Substack.
Substack is a great option if you're a writer, journalist or creator who wants to get started without having to think too much about the technical side of things. You sign up, start writing, and your posts can go straight to your subscribers' inboxes while also living on your public page within the platform. You don't need to build a website, figure out an email service or spend days making everything look right before you can publish your first piece. It also comes with something that can be difficult to build when you're starting from scratch: a network. Through recommendations, Notes and the wider Substack community, people have opportunities to discover your writing and find you through other writers. If your main goal is to write, build an audience around your ideas and potentially turn that audience into paying subscribers, there is a lot to like about it.
But there are trade-offs as there are with everything. You have less control over how your content looks, how your brand is presented and how you connect your writing to the rest of your business. You are building within someone else's platform, with its own design choices, features and rules. And while your posts are available online, you have less control over the technical side of your website and how you optimise your content for search engines than you would with a website you manage yourself. None of this makes Substack a bad choice. If you want to write, publish and build a community without worrying about all the other stuff, it can be a brilliant place to do that.
And what about having your own newsletter?
This is where having your own website, with a newsletter connected to it, starts to make a lot of sense, particularly if you run a service-based business. You have your own domain, your own branding, and much more control over the experience people have when they come across your work. You can connect your articles to your services, your offers, your case studies, and the other parts of your business. Someone might find an article through Google, read your newsletter, explore your website, and eventually get in touch because they understand what you do and how you can help them. All of those things can work together.
You can also build a library of content that continues to work for you over time. A useful article doesn't have to disappear into an inbox after a few days. With the right structure and search engine optimisation, it can keep bringing people to your website months or even years after you publish it. And because your website is yours, you have greater freedom to shape the experience as your business evolves. Of course, there is a flip side. You need to set things up, choose your tools, and take responsibility for maintaining your website and newsletter. Depending on your setup, that might mean paying for hosting, an email marketing service, or additional features. And unlike Substack, there isn't an existing network of readers waiting to discover your work. You need to find your audience, build relationships, and bring people to your website yourself. It takes a little more thought and effort, and it isn't automatically the better option for everyone. But if your writing is one part of a bigger business, and you want your content, brand and services to work together, having your own home online can be a very sensible long-term investment.
So, which one should you choose?
I don't think there is one right answer here. And I certainly don't think everyone needs to leave Substack and move back to their own website because that's what I'm doing. That would rather defeat the point of this whole exercise, wouldn't it? :) If you're a writer, journalist, or creator who wants to focus on publishing, build a readership, and explore paid subscriptions, Substack might be a wonderful fit. It removes a lot of the friction and gives you access to a community that can help people discover your work. If you're an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, or service-based business owner who wants your writing to support your business, build credibility, and help potential clients understand what you do, your own website and newsletter might be a better fit. You have more control over how everything connects, and you can build a content library that supports your business over time.
And, of course, you can do both. There is nothing stopping you from using Substack to reach new readers while keeping your main content and newsletter on your own website. But before you decide to add another platform to your already very full to-do list, it is worth asking whether you actually need it.
I'm choosing my own website because it makes sense for my business, my goals, and the way I want to connect my writing with my work. And if Substack is that place for you, wonderful. If your own website is that place, wonderful. If you need both, that's fine too. Just make sure you're choosing because you understand what you need, not because everyone else seems to be doing it.
With love,
Alexandra