It truly is, we're all either guarded, frantic, or both. Meanwhile I feel we're all looking for connection, but are being guided towards engagement instead. My hope is that these CSPs will address that.
Very smart. I have been working on a table of contents post for my own work in my spare time. I was thinking I would periodically update and email it to subs showing them what they might have missed.
Thank you 😊 Yeah I don't have that many pieces yet, eventually I think I might make a static page as well to navigate my publication.
The idea of a CSP is slightly different though. It's more akin to a newsletter, but includes the Notes to it. In my next one I'll expand on how it's more like a magazine/tabloid. To really highlight the community side of it.
The way out of the primary group is by us forming community and doing what we can for each other :) Glad it resonates and helps! I'll post more ideas once I gathered data from this run. So probably a month from now.
Sharing the link to your profile or publication might be enough for some people, but here are the reasons why I choose to provide a directory in a CSP:
- it improves SEO for your publication
- it allows you to highlight to your subs which posts you find important
- it gives an easy way for your subs to support you - saving them time, while providing a simple interface, and helping them stay away from the content of the select group Substack promotes in their feed. You effectively help people to not focus on "the elite".
- notes disappear in the feed since Substack barely pushes that content, so any value you provide there is lost. By linking to it in a directory, you give that value back to your audience - which saves you effort as well. And makes that your subs don't need to scroll.
- Substack requires you to post a note daily, in order to have the algorithm work for you at all. But by using a directory, you can skip that requirement. Now you can just post a note whenever it matches your schedule. As you're not relying on the algorithm to promote you. You have your circles to do that for you instead (because you give back). It allows me to create higher quality notes personally.
- If you feel like posting a lot of Notes on a single day, they get pushed less by the algorithm. So instead of needing to also keep to that rule, you have a directory you can refer to.
- You have a reference list/archive for your notes in a post you and your subs can find back. Useful for looking up something, since Substack doesn't have a good search option for notes. It also creates incentive for Substack not to delete notes over time.
- A CSP acts as a filter for you as an author as well, to figure out who your core community actually is. You get clear notification trails of people that go through your stuff, because they chose it. Not because it happened to be fed to them. It's the difference between connection & engagement. Support and coincidence.
- It saves everyone time. Subs can always check out your profile, but you can only pin 1 post on your profile and you can't pin Notes. By using a directory as I did, you can highlight what you would like people to read. And you also become more aware of what you're actually asking of your audience in time commitment.
- With consistency, you can also promote other authors you collaborate with. Further strengthening the social network. So overall it gives you control back, instead of relying on an algorithm to work for you.
Anyway, that's what I can think of from the top of my head. In general though, I have that subs chose to want to see my content, but instead barely get to see it. Because of Substack's agenda. That just doesn't feel right. Not for me and not for my subs.
Also sorry for repeating myself 😅 I find it hard to pinpoint the exact things, but I think you get the gist.
Sometimes repetition is good when you need the message to go through and sting. Thanks for taking the time to share. The experience is tempting indeed.🙏🏽
Sweet :) looking forward to seeing your CSP ;)
Sounds like an innovative model. Humane connection is hard these days, isn't it?
It truly is, we're all either guarded, frantic, or both. Meanwhile I feel we're all looking for connection, but are being guided towards engagement instead. My hope is that these CSPs will address that.
I hear you. I just take my time to know people. But people lack the time. So apparently need quick stuff to know each other. :))
Very smart. I have been working on a table of contents post for my own work in my spare time. I was thinking I would periodically update and email it to subs showing them what they might have missed.
Thank you 😊 Yeah I don't have that many pieces yet, eventually I think I might make a static page as well to navigate my publication.
The idea of a CSP is slightly different though. It's more akin to a newsletter, but includes the Notes to it. In my next one I'll expand on how it's more like a magazine/tabloid. To really highlight the community side of it.
Thank you for laying it all out. I’m in the primary group but this kind of direction is exactly what I need.
The way out of the primary group is by us forming community and doing what we can for each other :) Glad it resonates and helps! I'll post more ideas once I gathered data from this run. So probably a month from now.
I love this!
Question for you Mars:
Isn’t one sharing link to my profile like this👇🏽
https://substack.com/@terodnaej?r=5wghkb&utm_medium=ios
the same as sharing multiple links to each of my publications or notes?
Because it gives you the same access to all of ‘em.
Great piece and initiative btw.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for the question Terod :)
Sharing the link to your profile or publication might be enough for some people, but here are the reasons why I choose to provide a directory in a CSP:
- it improves SEO for your publication
- it allows you to highlight to your subs which posts you find important
- it gives an easy way for your subs to support you - saving them time, while providing a simple interface, and helping them stay away from the content of the select group Substack promotes in their feed. You effectively help people to not focus on "the elite".
- notes disappear in the feed since Substack barely pushes that content, so any value you provide there is lost. By linking to it in a directory, you give that value back to your audience - which saves you effort as well. And makes that your subs don't need to scroll.
- Substack requires you to post a note daily, in order to have the algorithm work for you at all. But by using a directory, you can skip that requirement. Now you can just post a note whenever it matches your schedule. As you're not relying on the algorithm to promote you. You have your circles to do that for you instead (because you give back). It allows me to create higher quality notes personally.
- If you feel like posting a lot of Notes on a single day, they get pushed less by the algorithm. So instead of needing to also keep to that rule, you have a directory you can refer to.
- You have a reference list/archive for your notes in a post you and your subs can find back. Useful for looking up something, since Substack doesn't have a good search option for notes. It also creates incentive for Substack not to delete notes over time.
- A CSP acts as a filter for you as an author as well, to figure out who your core community actually is. You get clear notification trails of people that go through your stuff, because they chose it. Not because it happened to be fed to them. It's the difference between connection & engagement. Support and coincidence.
- It saves everyone time. Subs can always check out your profile, but you can only pin 1 post on your profile and you can't pin Notes. By using a directory as I did, you can highlight what you would like people to read. And you also become more aware of what you're actually asking of your audience in time commitment.
- With consistency, you can also promote other authors you collaborate with. Further strengthening the social network. So overall it gives you control back, instead of relying on an algorithm to work for you.
Anyway, that's what I can think of from the top of my head. In general though, I have that subs chose to want to see my content, but instead barely get to see it. Because of Substack's agenda. That just doesn't feel right. Not for me and not for my subs.
Also sorry for repeating myself 😅 I find it hard to pinpoint the exact things, but I think you get the gist.
It’s ok rider
Sometimes repetition is good when you need the message to go through and sting. Thanks for taking the time to share. The experience is tempting indeed.🙏🏽
I'm intrigued by this idea—one. I think I'll give it a try—two.
I saw, thank you so much 🙏 suddenly had 90 notifications between you and HVR. I'll be expecting you to tag me in your CSP so I can return the favor 😉
I like the setup here.
Same here, if we resonate the conversation will continue. If not, we had a good encounter. But it does require an investment of time.
Then again, with access to so many people, we also need to filter rather fast. The balance can be tough to manage sometimes.