This is the second in an interview series designed to share the nuts and bolts of how writers have gone independent and grown their audiences on Substack.
Good advice on this. I am especially heartened to see that more people want to support for the sake of patronage and not "bonus content". I'm only a month into paid subscriptions, and it is difficult to gauge what motivates people to become paid subscribers. I'm also going to take to heart the idea of constantly promoting the newsletter. Thank you, Judd Legum!
Popular Information is an online newsletter that covers politics, policy, and power in the United States. The newsletter is known for its investigative journalism, in-depth analysis, and advocacy for progressive causes.
Here are some ways in which Popular Information rallies its readers:
Investigative journalism: Popular Information provides in-depth reporting and analysis on important political issues, often uncovering stories that other news sources miss. This type of journalism can be eye-opening for readers, who may not have access to this kind of information elsewhere.
Advocacy for progressive causes: Popular Information is unabashedly progressive in its political views, and often advocates for policies and candidates that align with those views. This can be empowering for readers who share these values, as they feel they are part of a community working towards a common goal.
Actionable information: Popular Information often provides its readers with actionable information, such as how to contact their elected representatives or how to support a particular cause. This can give readers a sense of agency, as they are able to take concrete steps towards making a difference.
Engaging writing: Popular Information's writing is engaging and accessible, making complex political issues easy to understand for a broad audience. This can be appealing to readers who are looking to stay informed but may not have the time or background knowledge to dive into more in-depth reporting.
Overall, Popular Information rallies its readers by providing them with valuable information, advocating for causes they believe in, and engaging them in the political process.
Like you were last year, I have been on Substack for one month. I am a career and networking expert and a professional networking speaker. I have retired and planned to provide my expertise to free subscribers, however the only ones signing up are from my direct contacts. I have sent my links to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and have not generated any new subscribers. When you take a break, would you please take a look at my sight and offer recommendations. Perhaps there is something I should be doing that I am simply unaware of.
Judd thanks for the tips, as a newbie Freelance Writer/Blogger and Researcher I've only been on Substack since this week and only started my Freelancing in Nov/December and was really inspired that you said you quit your job to do the newsletter, true dedication! I'm still finding my writing niche and have decided that I'll have a few sections under one publication and decide the focus of the main newsletter based on readership. Hope that doesn't sound too salesy, but I want to write about a lot of things and want it to be impactful, so feel like I have to write about the things people want to read otherwise I'm just writing/talking to myself, which isn't exactly going to make waves. Looking forward to hopefully sharing some groundbreaking Substack stats in a year or so!
Hi Judd, well done so far (with more to come, no doubt!). Very inspiring! I've got a question.
Can you tell me why you decided to make all your content free for everyone after March 2020? What was it about the model that you had from Sept 2018 - early 2020 (approximately half free, half paid) that didn't work for you?
I just redid my "about page," after practically memorizing every brilliant word of this! Thank you, Substack! Thank you, Mr. Legum!!
Good advice on this. I am especially heartened to see that more people want to support for the sake of patronage and not "bonus content". I'm only a month into paid subscriptions, and it is difficult to gauge what motivates people to become paid subscribers. I'm also going to take to heart the idea of constantly promoting the newsletter. Thank you, Judd Legum!
Popular Information is an online newsletter that covers politics, policy, and power in the United States. The newsletter is known for its investigative journalism, in-depth analysis, and advocacy for progressive causes.
Here are some ways in which Popular Information rallies its readers:
https://router-guide.com/
Investigative journalism: Popular Information provides in-depth reporting and analysis on important political issues, often uncovering stories that other news sources miss. This type of journalism can be eye-opening for readers, who may not have access to this kind of information elsewhere.
Advocacy for progressive causes: Popular Information is unabashedly progressive in its political views, and often advocates for policies and candidates that align with those views. This can be empowering for readers who share these values, as they feel they are part of a community working towards a common goal.
Actionable information: Popular Information often provides its readers with actionable information, such as how to contact their elected representatives or how to support a particular cause. This can give readers a sense of agency, as they are able to take concrete steps towards making a difference.
Engaging writing: Popular Information's writing is engaging and accessible, making complex political issues easy to understand for a broad audience. This can be appealing to readers who are looking to stay informed but may not have the time or background knowledge to dive into more in-depth reporting.
Overall, Popular Information rallies its readers by providing them with valuable information, advocating for causes they believe in, and engaging them in the political process.
Thank you for this.
Like you were last year, I have been on Substack for one month. I am a career and networking expert and a professional networking speaker. I have retired and planned to provide my expertise to free subscribers, however the only ones signing up are from my direct contacts. I have sent my links to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and have not generated any new subscribers. When you take a break, would you please take a look at my sight and offer recommendations. Perhaps there is something I should be doing that I am simply unaware of.
I would greatly appreciate it.
https://bonniea.substack.com/p/industry-expert-part-2?utm_source=url
Judd thanks for the tips, as a newbie Freelance Writer/Blogger and Researcher I've only been on Substack since this week and only started my Freelancing in Nov/December and was really inspired that you said you quit your job to do the newsletter, true dedication! I'm still finding my writing niche and have decided that I'll have a few sections under one publication and decide the focus of the main newsletter based on readership. Hope that doesn't sound too salesy, but I want to write about a lot of things and want it to be impactful, so feel like I have to write about the things people want to read otherwise I'm just writing/talking to myself, which isn't exactly going to make waves. Looking forward to hopefully sharing some groundbreaking Substack stats in a year or so!
Hi Judd, well done so far (with more to come, no doubt!). Very inspiring! I've got a question.
Can you tell me why you decided to make all your content free for everyone after March 2020? What was it about the model that you had from Sept 2018 - early 2020 (approximately half free, half paid) that didn't work for you?
I didn't realize Judd was so handsome!