Could substack marketing be the smartest move you make as a copywriter this year?
A few years ago, someone named Jeannine Ouellette launched a Substack with no following, no online course, and no big brand behind her.
In her first year, she hit 700 paid subscribers and $40,000 in annual revenue.
How did she do it? Well, of course, not everyone who starts a Substack hits these numbers in their first year, but she had ONE massively unfair advantage that most do not…
And in just a minute, you’ll find out exactly what that advantage is, and why you have it too.
So if you’ve been thinking about starting a Substack, stop and read this post before you do anything else.
In this blog post, I’m going to show you exactly why Substack is the biggest opportunity writers are sleeping on right now.
And why I wish I had jumped on this sooner.
That’s right. I’m starting a Substack, so make sure to stick around to the end of this blog post for the big reveal.
But first, when it comes to Substack, you might be thinking…
“Well, that’s great for Jeannie, but she started early… and Alex, you already have a big audience. I’m starting from scratch, zilch, nada and I’ve missed the window of opportunity.”
If that’s you, let me stop you right there and address the question everyone is asking.
Is It Too Late To Start A Substack?
Absolutely not. Here’s what the numbers actually say.
The platform now has roughly 50 million active subscriptions and over 5 million paid subscriptions at the time of this blog post.
The number has more than doubled from 2 million since 2024.
This tells me 3 things:
1) The platform, in terms of user base, is growing. Fast… I mean, look at this growth for the search term “Substack” over the last 7 years.
2) People are absolutely willing to pay for premium newsletters. Especially right now when EVERYONE is desperate for real human insights and perspectives.
3) Substack is still VERY young compared to platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or even TikTok.
And, ironically, when I started my YouTube channel 7 years ago, people told me I was too late and that the platform was “too saturated.” Look how that turned out.
Now, to really drive this point home, your girl did a bit of digging and some math.
So, for comparison sake, look at this… when I started my YouTube channel in 2019, there were 2 BILLION monthly active users… today, YouTube has 2.58 billion monthly active users.
That’s a 29% growth.
In 2019, YouTube had 18 million premium, or paid, subscribers. Those are people who PAY to view premium content. Today, it has 125 million premium or paid subscribers.
That’s approximately 594% growth..
Now, while I was unable to find the number of free users Substack had in 2019, we know they had about 50,000 paid subscribers. Today they have 5 million.
This means that, looking at premium subscribers alone, Substack has experienced a staggering 9,900% growth in paid users over the same period—a 100-fold increase.
No wonder investors just poured another $100 million into Substack, pushing the company’s valuation to over one billion dollars.
So stop asking, “Is Substack still worth it?” And start asking, “How do I get started today!”
If you’ve been thinking about starting a Substack, or you’re even just a little curious to learn if this platform is right for you.
And ooooo let me tell you, if you’re a writer or a copywriter, pay close attention because I’m about to make your whole day.
Here are 3 reasons why Substack should be your #1 social strategy starting now.
And the biggest mistake I see copywriters making when starting on Substack.
(And Spoiler Alert, reason #3 is the real reason you’re here).
1) Substack Was Made For Writers
For years, writers were told: “You need to become a creator.” – post more on Instagram, make videos, Reels, TikToks – all the things (*cue the awkward cringe from introvert writers worldwide).
But now we’re watching the opposite happen.
Creators are trying to become better copywriters. They’re buying hook templates, studying storytelling, learning persuasion, and building newsletters.
Why? Because eventually every audience-building strategy runs into the same reality. Attention without trust is just noise.
And to build trust, you need to know how to communicate, tell stories and share your lived human experience.
Finally, there is a social platform powered by words and stories not visuals.
But it gets better…
Because on most social platforms, you’re lucky if a small percentage of your audience actually sees what you post because, unfortunately, a follow does guarantee reach, thanks to the algorithm.
But on Substack? A subscriber is way more likely to see your content.
Many newsletters are seeing open rates between 35% and 55%. Some average around 44%.
Substack has the metrics of email marketing, but with the discoverability of social media.
Do you know what this means?! As a copywriter, you have an unfair advantage that you can take all the way to the bank.
Because you already know how to…
- Grab attention with a great hook.
- Keep attention with open loops.
- Build trust with storytelling.
- Create desire with persuasive positioning.
- And inspire action with a great offer.
These aren’t just copywriting skills.
These are the skills you need to explode your audience, authority and income on Substack.
Remember that story I told you earlier, about Jeannie who reached 700 paid subscribers at $40,000 in her first year on Substack?
Her unfair advantage? She was a writer. Just like you.
And don’t you dare tell me you’re not a writer. If you are here reading this blog post, then I already know you’re a writer at heart.
You’ve had a nudge to start expressing yourself through the written word to become a copywriter or a content writer or to learn how to communicate more persuasively and effectively in your messaging.
And that tells me something about you.
While everyone else is out there outsourcing their voice to AI, imitating others and desperately trying to sound human.
You already have the one thing that sooooo many people are wasting hundreds of dollars every single month in AI subscriptions looking for a point of view.
The problem is that most writers are using their point of view and creative skills to build someone else’s audience. That changes today!
Reason #2 that this is the platform for you as a copywriter…
2) Substack Is The Ultimate Portfolio
Most writers think of Substack as a newsletter, but it is so much more than that.
I think of it as a living portfolio. The ultimate way to showcase not just your writing skills and persuasion techniques.
But also who you are.
Because here’s the truth…
A traditional portfolio shows what kind of work you’ve done for other people – your clients.
And yes, it is important to showcase your skills in those ways. But potential clients don’t just want to know if you can write.
They want to know how you think, how you communicate, what you believe, what your perspective is, your personality.
Substack is one of the few places where people can experience your voice.
Not your client’s voice. YOURS. But here’s where I think a lot of writers accidentally get stuck…
The Biggest Mistake Copywriters Make with Substack
They think:
“Well, I’m a copywriter, and I want to grow my audience, so I guess I’ll start a newsletter about copywriting tips.”
Borrrring…. I mean, that could work for you, but that’s not why people will subscribe, and it’s definitely not how to attract your dream clients.
Think about your favorite creators.
You don’t follow them because they know something.
You follow them because of their perspective, their story, their opinions, values, experiences, and the way they share those things with the world.
And I think this is where the real opportunity exists.
So don’t just write about what you do. Don’t just write about copywriting, especially if you’re not an expert yet.
Write about life.
Write about parenting.
Or write about entrepreneurship.
Write about books.
creativity.
mistakes.
weird observations.
lessons you’ve learned.
things that frustrate you.
things that inspire you.
or things that make you laugh.
Because that’s what creates connection. That’s what people subscribe to. That’s what truly showcases your talent as a writer.
I once hired a copywriter based on her personal blog. I honestly didn’t care at all about her experience or previous clients. And I saw she could craft a mean hook and write with personality, and BOOM, I hired her.
Your Substack can become the ultimate portfolio that showcases both your skills and your humanity.
And now for reason #3 why Substack should be part of your social strategy as a writer, and this is a big one.
Money.
3) Substack Can Make You Money
A question I see a lot is “Can I really make money on Substack?” And the answer is YUP, and there are three ways to do it.
But first, here’s something cool to know.
Nearly 100,000 publications now earn money on Substack. Up from roughly 50,000 just one year ago.
Which means that the number of publications earning money doubled in just one year. And writers collectively earned roughly $450 million through Substack last year.
Of course, it will take some time to get there. You won’t be making money right away.
Focus on building your audience and creating content they love to consume first.
Then once attention and trust exist. Monetization becomes a whole lot easier.
But before you consider your monetization strategy, you have to get clear on what your purpose with Substack is.
Are you using it as a platform to grow your audience and build leads for an email list? Then you might want to keep your Substack content free.
And if and when you are ready to monetize, there are three ways to do this…
Three Ways to Monetize Your Substack
The first is Paid Subscriptions
You’ll notice a lot of Substacks have paid levels – or tiers, where certain content is available for free to everyone, and then premium content is exclusive for subscribers.
Most people think the money is in paid subscriptions. But for copywriters, that’s actually the slowest path.
Because as a copywriter, you already know the power of attention and how to convert that attention into revenue through lead generation and irresistible offers.
That leads me to the second and probably fastest way to monetize your Substack.
Premium Client Packages
Or in other words, using Substack as an authority engine to build trust, create interest, and generate client leads.
This could be as simple as having a static “Book a call” call-to-action on your Substack profile and in your publications.
Which brings me to the third way you can monetize your Substack.
Selling Courses & Resources
Once you start building your audience and authority, there’s no limit to what you can offer.
In addition to your premium services, you could sell templates, courses, memberships, coaching programs, or other digital resources.
And when you do all three of these strategies together, you’re truly monetizing your Substack like a boss.
And you don’t even need a huge audience. In 2026, business owners with 1,000 Substack subscribers are out-earning companies with 100,000 social followers.
You can do this. But before you get there, you have to start. So what do you say? Will you join me in launching your Substack?!
Which brings me to my big reveal…. My Substack is called [ROUGH DRAFT]: Life Notes For Imperfect Humans.
Whereas this blog is where I share practical and strategic marketing advice, this publication is where I get things off my chest, spill my unfiltered tea, and share the messiest moments of entrepreneurship, leadership, and everything I’m not saying anywhere else.
And as always, it is never ever written by AI.
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
