Last week, I had a great conversation with
about how more and more writers are combining Substack with other tools to create a better experience for their readers.What’s driving this shift?
It mostly comes down to a few recurring issues:
Substack’s email delivery issues
Lower-than-expected open rates
Buggy sending or formatting problems
Because of this, many are starting to use Substack just to grow their audience—then exporting subscribers to platforms like ConvertKit to handle email sequences and regular sends.
If you're curious about how to set this up, this post breaks it down step by step.
Personally, I don’t think using Substack only as a free lead magnet is a great long-term strategy. With all the VC funding they've taken in, Substack will need to double down on monetization. If too many people just use it to collect emails and move them elsewhere, the model falls apart.
That could mean one of two things:
Substack improves its email infrastructure,
or they start limiting exports, especially for free subscribers. We’ve seen platforms like Medium go that route recently.
As you'll see in the video, David and I both use ConvertKit primarily for product sales, while Substack remains our main space for newsletters and content subscriptions. We might optimize our ConvertKit setups soon, but neither of us plans to fully leave Substack’s email system anytime soon.
Do you use different newsletter/product platforms? If so, how are you combining them? Let us know in the comments.
And if you like to know more about the systems I have in place to make my solopreneur business run more automated and built on systems, upgrade here.
Here is an AI-generated SUMMARY of the video for those of us with little time available. 😌
The meeting explored how writers are using Substack and ConvertKit together to improve email marketing. Key concerns included Substack’s email delivery, open rates, and reliability. Participants shared pros and cons of each platform, focusing on strategies to leverage both effectively using tools like Zapier.
David uses ConvertKit for product-focused emails and automation, offering short email courses to grow his list, which has quadrupled in three months—mostly through Substack. Claudia raised concerns about Substack’s delivery issues and noted that many writers treat it as a lead magnet, exporting emails to platforms like ConvertKit for better performance.
They also discussed Substack’s evolving features, such as note scheduling and live content. David emphasized Substack’s strength in discovery and audience connection, while ConvertKit shines in automation.
Other topics included content strategy, using notes to build relationships, GDPR concerns around automation, subscriber management, and the difference between subscribing and following. The session wrapped with thoughts on article length, growth patterns, and the value of building trust through simple, consistent content.
Chapter Overview
Substack & ConvertKit Integration
Writers are pairing Substack’s growth potential with ConvertKit’s automation for more control and segmentation.
Email Delivery & Platform Strengths
Substack struggles with delivery; ConvertKit performs better technically. Substack is strong in reach, ConvertKit in backend systems.
Content Strategy & Engagement
Use ConvertKit sequences to warm up new readers. Notes help build personal connection, publications provide depth.
Platform Evolution
Substack continues expanding—users want note scheduling, better formatting, and new engagement tools.
Automation & Data Protection
Zapier enables integrations, but data privacy laws (especially in Europe) require consent-based systems.
Audience Insights
Stats on Substack can be misleading. Open rates vary, so many focus on views and reader responses instead.
Growth & Cleanup
Subscriber growth fluctuates. Cleaning lists didn’t bring noticeable benefits.
Writing Advice
Start with short, relationship-building content before publishing longer pieces.
