{"id":74,"date":"2024-08-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/06\/substack-is-the-new-branding-frontier-for-founder-influencers-is-it-working\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T10:00:00","slug":"substack-is-the-new-branding-frontier-for-founder-influencers-is-it-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/06\/substack-is-the-new-branding-frontier-for-founder-influencers-is-it-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Substack Is The New Branding Frontier for Founder-Influencers. Is It Working?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to <\/em>Trends<\/a>, a weekly newsletter with the zestiest business trends and actionable insights for entrepreneurs.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The best part of my job is being surrounded by content-obsessed folks. <\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re pros at creating great content, but also at sniffing it out.<\/span><\/p>\n

So when two of them, without coordination, point me to <\/span>Substack<\/a>, I pay attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Source: Google Trends, six-month rolling average<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Apparently, the self-publishing platform is enjoying a <\/span>fresh <\/a>boost<\/a>\u00a0in popularity \u2014 many entrepreneurs are seeing it as a better alternative to social media. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSubstack is the new Instagram,\u201d <\/span>Free People<\/span><\/em>\u2019s director of brand marketing, Libby Strachan, told <\/span>Glossy<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Old Is New Again\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Substack was founded to help content creators, writers, and journalists connect with their readers in a way that wasn\u2019t possible in traditional media. <\/span><\/p>\n

They get to be their own publisher, and build up a loyal audience who\u2019s willing to pay them directly for their work. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yup, that’s creator economy 101 stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what\u2019s interesting <\/span>now<\/span><\/em>\u00a0is that a wave of D2C founders are rediscovering this platform as their <\/span>personal branding outlet<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Melanie Masarin of <\/span>Ghia<\/a> (that vintage chic non-alcoholic brand), for instance, has a Substack newsletter where she shares \u201cfounder musings\u201d and other snippets of her life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Source: <\/span><\/strong><\/em>Substack<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a more curated take on \u201cbuilding in public,\u201d where founders get to connect with potential customers in a more intimate way.<\/span><\/p>\n

They write like influencers \u2014 about <\/span>what they wear, what they eat, where they travel to<\/span>\u00a0\u2014 and plug their products when the time is right. <\/span><\/p>\n

The writing\u2019s clear: as social media and short videos divide consumer\u2019s attention into a million different pieces, blogging is back in full swing to ensure you \u2014 and your brand, as an extension \u2014 get seen. <\/span><\/p>\n

Is It Working?<\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udc4d Yes\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Creators own the audience they earn on Substack. These are real email lists (leads) that can be taken with them to any other platform. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also easier to monetize than social media, even with a way smaller subscriber base. <\/span><\/p>\n

Say you charge $50 per annual subscription, 2,000 fans will get you to 100k ARR. Not too shabby. (That\u2019s <1% of Trends<\/a>\u2019 subscriber count\u2026 maybe we should get on Substack??)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Jumping into Substack like\u2026 Source: <\/span><\/strong><\/em>GIFDB<\/a><\/p>\n

And if folks fall under your influence, then they\u2019re more likely to buy your products, too. This could work wonders for D2C brands in fashion, beauty, wellness, or food & bev \u2014 where people are more prone to follow the advice of a founder-influencer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc4e \u2026And No<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

But where does your personal brand end, and your \u201cbrand\u201d brand start? <\/span><\/p>\n

D2C investors are concerned<\/a>\u00a0about their ROI if a company\u2019s founder is constantly posting on Substack about their life and musings. Sometimes it can even mask the fact that the company isn\u2019t doing so hot. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Get back to work. Source: <\/span>Digiday<\/a><\/p>\n

So whether Substack will work for you depends on your goal. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re fully invested in your business and see it as a new channel to meet customers, go for it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re here for personal clout, or use it as a backup plan in case your business doesn\u2019t pan out \u2014 it most likely won\u2019t pan out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Want more content like this? <\/em>Sign up for our weekly Trends email<\/a>, filled with data, deep dives, and trend insights for business builders, entrepreneurs and innovative professionals.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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