Substack, Social Media, and Platforms: How to Use Them Without Losing Control

By now, you might be thinking, “Okay, I get it. I shouldn’t build everything on borrowed land. But what do I actually do with platforms like social media or Substack? Should I just ignore them altogether? Should you go all in? Or is there a smarter way to use them?”

And that’s what we’re going to be talking about today. Remember, this episode is part of the series Don’t Build on Borrowed Land: Smarter Content Strategy for Authors. And today is all about balance. Because platforms do have value, but only when you understand their role.

Is Substack Worth the Effort?

You know, the reason I started this series was that I had been hearing all about Substack, and then I went to an author’s conference, the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference, and so many of the authors were talking about Substack. And so I came home, and I had shiny object syndrome, and I thought to myself, “I’ve got to figure out why all these authors are talking about this platform.”

But deep inside, I knew that I had spent so much time building my website that I did not want to throw all that time and effort away. So that’s where this series came from. So I, after spending some time there, I realized that I was right. I felt like I was right. It was another platform, and platforms are tools, not foundations.

So let’s start with Substack, because it’s something a lot of authors are exploring right now. And we’re gonna talk about the pros. The pros of Substack are that there are some real benefits. It’s simple to set up and use. It was so simple for me to get started with it. You can write and publish quickly.

There’s a built-in ecosystem for discoverability. It combines blogging and email all in one place, and it even lets you monetize. And for many authors, that simplicity feels really appealing. But simplicity doesn’t always mean or equal sustainability.

So here’s the cons. Here are a few things to consider. You don’t fully own the platform. Customization is limited compared to your own website. The SEO capabilities there aren’t very robust, and your content lives inside someone else’s ecosystem, which means you’re building on borrowed land. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use Substack. It just means you shouldn’t be the only place that you’re building.

What About Social Media?

But the same is true for social media. Social platforms are incredible for visibility. They’re great for connection, for starting conversations, for getting your message in front of new people. But they are never designed to be your content library or your foundation. Posts on social media disappear quickly.

Algorithms change constantly, and you don’t control who sees the content. So, use platforms for distribution, not for storage. So, what this looks like practically, instead of creating content only for social media or writing only on Substack, think of it this way:

• Your core content lives on your website
• Your email list is where you build your relationships
• Platforms are where you share and amplify your message

So, you might do the following. Let me just give you a simple example:

• You might write a blog post or record a podcast
• You might send an email to your list and share snippets on social media, and then
• Optionally, you can repurpose it over on Substack

What is the Point of Platforms?

But everything ultimately points back to your own website. Now, you might be thinking, “But it’s easier just to post on social media or on Substack,” and that’s probably true. But easier in the short term doesn’t always serve you in the long term. The goal isn’t to avoid platforms; it is to use them strategically.

You’re not just posting content; you are building an ecosystem, and every platform that you use should have a clear purpose within that system. After all, platforms are powerful, but they should support your strategy, not replace it. So, in this next episode, I’m going to walk you through how to actually build a simple content ecosystem so you’re not guessing and you’re not overcomplicating it.

And if you’re trying to figure out how this all works together, I want to remind you that you can download my Content Repurposing 101 class for free. I’ll be back. Catch you next time.

If you’d like support in building a simple, sustainable marketing system for your book or your business, you can connect with me.