Grow Your Audience with Substack: A 2-Part Intensive for Authors

Join us in May as we dig into the topic of Substack. Our deep dives are more than just training. It’s also guided implementation with an expert.

Ready to tap into the power of Substack to grow your audience and connect with readers? Join us for a 2-part interactive workshop designed specifically for authors! Led by Substack expert Claire Tak, this series combines actionable training with hands-on implementation to help you confidently set up and grow your Substack newsletter. Whether you’re brand new or looking to level up, you’ll learn everything from setting up your account and migrating your email list to optimizing your strategy for audience growth and monetization. Can’t make both sessions live? No worries—recordings will be provided!

🗓️ Schedule Overview:

Day 1: Substack Setup & Launch (May 7th 10am-12pm US Eastern)

• Duration: 2.5 hours
• Focus: Getting started with Substack — from account setup to your first post
• Style: Teaching + implementation time + Q&A

Agenda:

1. Welcome & Overview (10 min)

• What is Substack and why authors should consider it
• Workshop goals and what to expect in Day 2

2. Substack Fundamentals (30 min)

• Overview of platform features
• Free vs. Paid content options
• How Substack differs from traditional email marketing

3. Setting Up Your Substack (45 min)

• Creating an account and customizing your publication name, bio, logo, etc.
• How to choose categories/tags and layout themes
• Setting up your first post and newsletter template

4. Email List Import & Management (30 min)

• How to migrate your existing email list (including what to tell subscribers)
• Understanding subscriber settings and permissions
• ⚠️ Addressing: “How to deal with people getting autosubscribed to others” (*Technically, you are not being autosubscribed, I’ll explain more in the workshop!)

5. Post Types & Publishing (30 min)

• Your options for content medium Substack offers:
  • Posts, Notes, and Podcasts
  • How to think about a content strategy that offers a mix of posts, notes, and podcasts for engagement
• How to schedule content
• Creating content that grows your list
  • How to check your dashboard for engagement, open rate, growth

6. Q&A + Homework Assignment (20 min)

• Homework:
  • Set up and customize your Substack
  • Import your email list (if applicable)
  • Draft your first post (don’t publish yet!)
  • Optional: Write a welcome message or pinned post

🗓️ Day 2: Optimization & Growth Strategies (May 14th: 2:30-4:30 pm US Eastern)

• Duration: 2.5 hours
• Focus: How to grow your Substack consistently
• Style: Teaching + examples + live reviews + implementation/Q&A

Agenda:

1. Recap & Share Homework Wins (20 min)

• Share what participants accomplished and lessons learned
• Troubleshooting common issues

2. Subscriber Tiers & Payment Models (30 min)

• How to set up Free, Weekly, and Paid options
• ⚠️ Addressing: “How to think about content delivery (i.e., a weekly vs monthly option, paid vs free subscribers)
  How to segment content by tier/frequency

3. Growing Your Substack (45 min)

• How to attract new subscribers:
  • Using Notes, Recommendations, chat feature
  • Using recommendations to promote other Substack authors
  • “Restacking” other Substack authors’ posts, sharing on Notes, and commenting on others
  • Guest posts and cross-promotions

4. Marketing & Monetization (30 min)

• Launching your Substack like a book
• Creating lead magnets or teaser content
• Paid subscriptions, tips, and premium offers

5. Growth Mindset & Expectations (15 min)

• What to expect in the first few months, especially if you start with zero subscribers
• The number of subscribers doesn’t = success
• How to incorporate more engagement and community in your Substack experience

6. Live Reviews + Final Q&A (45 min)

• Review a few participant Substacks live
• Q&A about monetization, design, or growth

7. Wrap-Up & Next Steps (10 min)

• Ongoing content planning
• How to stay consistent and keep growing/ Invite to a private author Substack community (if applicable)