How TikTok creators are bringing their followers to Substack
Own your audience and earn money with subscriptions
For TikTok creators like
and , the Substack app is a multimedia platform where their audiences come together for livestreams, video posts, group chats, podcasts, and written posts, all powered by direct subscriptions. With the Supreme Court debating whether to uphold a TikTok ban in the U.S., we’re making it easy for more creators to join Substack, preserve their audience, and build a loyal community. We’re even offering a $25,000 prize for TikTok creators who creatively inspire others to join Substack and spark a trend.Substack gives video creators, podcasters, and writers the ultimate power: true independence through audience ownership. On Substack, creators own their creative work and mailing list, guaranteeing that they can always connect directly with their community—even if they decide to leave the platform.
If you are a TikTok creator who’s new to Substack, here’s everything you need to know.
How to get started
1. Download the Substack app
When you download the Substack app via the App Store or Google Play, you will be prompted to create a profile and claim a handle. We recommend using the name and handle that most people know you by on social media to make it easy to find you.
2. Connect to Stripe
Substack allows you to monetize your creative work. If you’re coming to the platform with an engaged audience, turn on paid subscriptions. You can decide on a post-by-post basis what to keep free and what to put behind a paywall.
You can also choose to keep everything free, with paid subscriptions functioning like donations to support your work. If you have behind-the-scenes or exclusive content like recipes, reviews, or day-in-the-life videos, you might experiment with free previews of your paid posts. Learn more
3. Post
Substack supports live video and written posts in the app. If you’d like to share long-form video or audio posts, you can do so via the web. Your first post can be simple: a short explanation of what’s coming soon or an example of the content you plan to post going forward, like a recipe, a review, or an episode of your video series. Be sure to include a subscribe button early in the post.
@Faiths Fresh teases her Substack with a coming-soon post:
Nara Smith of Paper Pantry introduces herself and then gets behind the scenes using a flexible paywall:
Live video allows creators to broadcast in real time to free subscribers, paid subscribers, or the wider Substack network directly from the app. For example, @HRH and @Leo Skepi regularly go live on Substack to share exclusive insights with their paid audiences, offering them a direct and unique experience they won’t find anywhere else.
Don’t forget to use Substack’s other features, like Notes, which are short-form posts, images, and videos that the broader Substack network can discover in the home feed. You can also host chats with your subscribers, in a community discussion space where you make the guest list and the rules. It’s like having a group chat or Reddit thread connected to your Substack.
4. Tell your TikTok followers
With the TikTok ban looming, your followers will be wondering where they can find and support you now. When sharing details about your Substack on TikTok, let them know they can connect with you directly on the Substack app.
uses a greenscreen to preview some of the features that people will find on his Substack. He pinned the video to his TikTok so that everyone who visits his profile knows where to find him.
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Add your Substack to your link in bio or Linktree so TikTok followers, old and new, can quickly subscribe. Consider updating the text in your bio explaining what’s on your Substack, like
of did.
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