How to Use Substack as a Beginner (My Honest Experience and Tips)

The best way to get started is to start today!

Why I Love Substack

Substack is truly a breath of fresh air. As a business owner and content creator, I’ve found it to be a welcoming and pressure-free platform where I can share my thoughts, expertise, and creative work without the overwhelm of social media.

If you’re an introverted business owner, content creator, or writer, or if social media overstimulates you, Substack might be a perfect fit. You don’t have to be a professional writer to get started. Substack allows you to get your message out to the world and monetize your message without the pressure to show your face, follow trends, or constantly engage in the way traditional platforms require.

The community is supportive, and there’s a sense of authenticity that’s refreshing compared to other platforms. Plus, it’s very straightforward—you get out of it exactly what you put in, without having to be anyone other than yourself.

What is Substack?

When I first heard about Substack, I wasn’t sure what it was. Someone on YouTube mentioned it as a platform for writers, and that intrigued me. After researching, I quickly signed up—but I let my account sit for months before actually using it. I wanted to observe, engage, and get a feel for the community first.

So, what exactly is Substack?

It’s a blog and newsletter platform that allows you to:

✅ Publish blog posts and newsletters
✅ Host a podcast
✅ Go live
✅ Post audio notes
✅ Host chat threads and direct message subscribers
✅ Create paid subscriptions for exclusive content

One of its biggest advantages over traditional blogging is that Substack has built-in discovery. Unlike a personal website where it can be hard to get traffic, Substack helps people find your work organically—which means more visibility for your content.

How Much Does Substack Cost?

Substack is completely free to start. You don’t pay anything unless you decide to offer paid subscriptions. If you do, Substack takes a percentage of your earnings. Otherwise, you can use the platform entirely for free.

How to Get Started with Substack

1. Sign up for a free account. Super user friendly and easy to get started.

2. Feel free to explore the platform before posting. Read other people's Substacks, engage with their content, and get a feel for the community.

3. Decide on your topic and voice. Take your time figuring out what you want to write about and who you want to attract.

4. Fill out your settings and profile. You don’t need to complete everything right away, but set up your blog name and general details.

5. Start posting! You can begin with a simple note (similar to a social media post) or a full-length blog post.

How I Use Substack (My Content Strategy)

I didn’t want Substack to feel like "extra work"—so I integrated it into my content creation system. Here’s how I use it:

1️⃣ I post all my ideas to Substack first. It’s my foundation for content.
2️⃣ From there, I turn my Substack posts into YouTube videos.
3️⃣ I extract the audio from my YouTube videos to use on my podcast.
4️⃣ I use AI to repurpose content into social media posts and emails.
5️⃣ I also use Substack to update my community about new content across my platforms.

One thing I love about Substack is that it allows me to work at a pace that feels natural. I tend to create content in seasons—I’m not posting 365 days a year. With social media, taking a break can hurt your reach, and the algorithm tends to punish inactivity. But on Substack, I’ve written a post, disappeared for a while, and then very quickly was able to gain momentum again.

That flexibility makes it much more sustainable for someone like me who values flowing with content instead of forcing constant output.

I also recently turned on paid subscriptions, and I’m excited to introduce my paid community, Commerce, Coffee & Jesus Insiders. If you’re interested in exclusive content, deeper discussions, and additional resources click below:

Tips for Using Substack as a Beginner (that I’ve learned while hanging out here)

1. Ease into the platform before posting

Instead of jumping in and posting right away, spend some time engaging with the community. Follow other writers, comment on posts, and explore different content styles.

2. Decide how Substack fits into your current content plan or lifestyle

Think about:

• What kind of content you want to share

• How Substack can complement your existing work

• How to make it feel natural and not overwhelming

3. You don’t have to replace your existing platforms

If you already have a newsletter, blog, or community elsewhere, don’t feel pressured to move everything to Substack immediately. Take your time and see if your audience is already using Substack before making any major shifts.

For example, I still maintain my blog on my website and send emails through my existing newsletter platform. I simply repurpose content across different platforms instead of choosing one over the other.

4. Subscribe authentically

It’s tempting to subscribe back to everyone who follows you, but only subscribe to content you genuinely want to read. This keeps the platform authentic and engaging for everyone.

5. You get out what you put in

Substack won’t bring instant traction—but the more consistent you are, the better. If you’ve never posted before, don’t expect immediate results. Start slow, make it fun, and experiment with different types of content.

6. No pressure to use every feature at once

Substack has a lot of features, but you don’t need to use them all right away. Focus on what feels natural to you, whether that’s blogging, posting notes, podcasting, or engaging with the community.

Bonus Tips and what you should know:

👉 Substack promotes your content for free!

Every time you publish, Substack automatically shares your work with your subscribers—whether it’s a free post or paid content. This built-in promotion makes it easier to get discovered without extra effort.

👉 Running out of notes or blog ideas? No problem!

One thing I do often is repurpose content. For notes, if I’m out of fresh ideas, I take content that I’ve posted on other platforms and post them here on Substack. For blog ideas, I find it helpful to keep a running list of ideas on your phone and computer. This way you can dump your ideas onto the notepad on the go!

👉 Engage & connect

Most of my subscribes have come from right here on Substack. I do my best to come in a few times each week, read and engage on posts. This is an amazing platform full of wonderful writers who love to support others. So go show some love and it will come back to you.

Final Thoughts

Substack is what you make of it. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and the best way to use it is in a way that feels fun and natural to you.

For me, Substack offers the freedom to create when I feel inspired, without the pressure of constantly being online. That alone makes it a game-changer compared to other platforms.

💬 Now I’d love to hear from you! Have you tried Substack? What has your experience been like? Drop a comment and share your thoughts! And if you found this helpful, feel free to share it with others who might benefit.

🎥 Watch the full YT video HERE
🎙️Listen to the podcast version HERE