DIARY directory recently spoke with Farrah Storr, Head of Writer Partnerships at Substack UK, to uncover top advice for new writers looking to grow their audience. In this conversation, Farrah shares how creators can thrive by focusing on authentic content, collaborating with others, and leveraging the Substack network for growth. She also discusses the importance of understanding your audience for monetisation and the best ways to integrate affiliate links naturally.

Farrah reveals key strategies for balancing free and paid content and offers valuable tips for PRs looking to build lasting relationships with Substack writers, highlighting the potential for brand partnerships in the platform's future.

What’s your top advice for new Substack writers looking to grow their audience?

Start by writing or creating what you know. Substack is very much a meritocracy - the better your work, the wider it is shared by the Substack community, and the more you will grow. But also collaborate with others. We have just launched live video, and we are seeing incredible cross-pollination of audiences when creators do live events together. The thing to remember is that 50 per cent of your audience will come from the Substack network.

What are the most effective ways to monetise a Substack newsletter, and what common mistakes should writers avoid?

Firstly, I always tell people to stop thinking of Substack as a newsletter platform. Whilst it started life as that, you can now create video and audio, host private community chats and take part in live events all on Substack and all in the palm of your hand on the Substack app. There is no quick, surefire way to monetise your Substack. It’s different for everyone. It's about understating what your audience wants and what they are prepared to pay for. What I would say, however, is that people will generally pay for work they can't find anywhere else. If you are doing free recipes all over Instagram, for example, it’s going to be hard to monetise that. But maybe instead, you can monetise the private chat channel where community members can talk to one another.

How can Substack writers integrate affiliate links in a way that feels authentic and not overly sales-driven?

People do use affiliate links on Substack, and how they use them is entirely up to them. But because Substack tends to be longer form content, I personally find that affiliates feel more natural if the creators have taken time to explain why exactly they love a product and why they think their audience will too.

How should writers balance paid content with free content to maintain engagement and subscriber growth?

We usually suggest that whatever you think is your best content, leave that free. That way, it can be shared far and wide and will bring in a new audience for you. Paid stuff tends to be the more intimate, connection-focused work. But everyone is different. I see a lot of people doing lists of ‘best hotels’ or ‘best London restaurants’, and they often paywall those lists after about three entries. This seems to work well. I think the thing to remember is that people who pay don’t always want more content. What they want is a deeper connection.

What is the most effective way for PRs to connect with and build long-term relationships with Substack writers?

Reach out to those whose Substacks you love. Let them know you read their Substack. The PRs that I personally engage with for my own Substack are those who I can see read my work (and we can see!). So it’s a great opportunity for a PR to develop a relationship with a writer, which may have been more tricky when they worked on bigger media outlets. Look on our leaderboards to see who are the biggest Substacks. See how engaged their communities are. Go to our homepage to see the leaderboards - this is a good indication of who has the biggest audience (though, of course, there are some who are not on the leaderboard who are much smaller but who have very engaged readers).

Tailor your pitches to their specific Substacks. In terms of innovation, I suspect the sky is the limit because people tend to be up for experimentation when it’s their business. I have had brands reach out to me to do drinks and dinners for my community, for example. I haven’t done this yet because the fit is not always right, but I have seen others do this. Be bold, support them, and see where they need help. Think about the value you can offer them. That’s how great, long-lasting relationships are made.

What are Substack’s future plans in terms of monetisation and brand partnerships?

It’s very early days here, and we do not have any plans from a platform point of view to do anything here. But we are beginning to see Substack creators work with brands and occasionally do partnerships. I have seen newsletters sponsored by brands, for example. But it’s very early days, and it’s very much up to each individual creator what they want to do and what the take-up will be for their community.

Dd members can now see Substack links on journalists’ profiles in DIARY directory – making it even easier to connect in a meaningful, targeted way.

Look for the Substack icon when browsing media contacts and creatives on Dd.

Are you a journalist or writer wanting to add your Substack to your Dd profile? Send us your details here.