Ask HN: What's the best place to start a newsletter?
12 comments
Consider starting on platforms like Substack or Mailchimp for user-friendly interfaces and tools. Additionally, building an audience through social media or your website can help kickstart your newsletter's growth.
Remember, content is key, so focus on delivering value and engaging your readers to keep them coming back for more. If you some guidance on how to use it, you can check ours! https://www.ratherlabs.com/newsletter
Remember, content is key, so focus on delivering value and engaging your readers to keep them coming back for more. If you some guidance on how to use it, you can check ours! https://www.ratherlabs.com/newsletter
What's you goal with the newsletter? Talk about cool things? Make Money?
As a reader I hate substack because it's so damn pushy about signing up and paying for subscription. As a creator, I guess that drives your revenue.
Imho, everyone is doing newsletters now and it's a completely overcrowded field. I recently unsubscribed from almost all newsletters, because most provided little to no value for me. Sure, having 10k subscribers is fine but how many of them actually read it?
As a reader I hate substack because it's so damn pushy about signing up and paying for subscription. As a creator, I guess that drives your revenue.
Imho, everyone is doing newsletters now and it's a completely overcrowded field. I recently unsubscribed from almost all newsletters, because most provided little to no value for me. Sure, having 10k subscribers is fine but how many of them actually read it?
Talking about cool things in a little more depth than social posts.
And yes, I agree; it is getting too crowded :(
And yes, I agree; it is getting too crowded :(
Mh substack, medium, hackernoon. Many places, all sinilar and all not that great for that :/
Eventually making money from something you enjoy doing is a win-win. But starting off somewhere to later restart elsewhere is gonna be painful.
Substack apparently has (or had?) a good reputation, but I read people switching to other platforms, and started doubting it.
Gotta look up hackernoon. Thanks :)
Substack apparently has (or had?) a good reputation, but I read people switching to other platforms, and started doubting it.
Gotta look up hackernoon. Thanks :)
I am kind of in the same boat as you. I just started a blog on my personal website jut I am looking to monetize at some point in time. I don‘t lile substack because it harasses the reader too much. Hackernoon has a really nerdy vibe to it.
I think managing the newsletter yourself is really the best way to go and then talk about it on social media. My main problem is that once you want to make money with it everything becomes less enjoyable. Gotta start thinking about your funnel, your landing page, etc.
I think managing the newsletter yourself is really the best way to go and then talk about it on social media. My main problem is that once you want to make money with it everything becomes less enjoyable. Gotta start thinking about your funnel, your landing page, etc.
Have you heard of beehiiv? It's apparently quite creator focused.
About the money-making aspect, it seems like a later stage thing atm. But yes, I get where you're coming from.
About the money-making aspect, it seems like a later stage thing atm. But yes, I get where you're coming from.
I haven't used beehiiv. Looks similar to what other offer, too.
For me it feels like either you want to make money or you don't and that is the major drive behind the choice. Most tools have some way to export/import subscribers.
I would probably try to have a newsletter and also publish on your website for example. This way, people will have a chance to checkout your content before subscribing.
For me it feels like either you want to make money or you don't and that is the major drive behind the choice. Most tools have some way to export/import subscribers.
I would probably try to have a newsletter and also publish on your website for example. This way, people will have a chance to checkout your content before subscribing.
I just recently went through this decision process. My aim is to write code and math oriented posts so I need good support for nice syntax highlighting (at least colored) and mathjax (preferable) or katex. Substack is the most popular newsletter platform but fails at these two criteria. I love how math and syntax highlighting (plus numerous other features) work in MkDocs Material, which recently added a Blog plugin.
I wanted to combine the best of both: Substack as an amazing email social network, and MkDocs Material’s awesome look. So I’ve gone with using Substack as the core platform which I use to manage subscribers, and use it to post either math/code-free posts or a short teasers pointing to my main blog site on MkDocs Material when I need to show math/code
https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/
I wanted to combine the best of both: Substack as an amazing email social network, and MkDocs Material’s awesome look. So I’ve gone with using Substack as the core platform which I use to manage subscribers, and use it to post either math/code-free posts or a short teasers pointing to my main blog site on MkDocs Material when I need to show math/code
https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/
Hugo and Ghost are good possibilities for math/code oriented blogs but nowhere close to Substack for email newsletters and subscription management
If you're aware of the pros-cons, it'd be super helpful. Thanks!