Everything I Know About Substack Lives in 30 Minutes

Building a community in 2026 means stepping out from behind the screen.

First of all, sorry for my bad camera! I don't know what was going on that day, but it just wouldn't get any better than this. Especially next to Patricia's crystal-clear setup, it's a shame 🙈.

But well, here we are. I hope you enjoy learning more about Substack Lives.

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Let’s get into Substack LIVES

I sat down with Patricia Hidalgo Espinoza, who built a thriving YouTube channel with nearly 100K subscribers, to talk about what actually works when going live. She shared her hard-won lessons, and I chipped in my two cents too.

Key takeaways from this live:

• Mindset shift: Treat your live as an experience you’re creating for your audience, not just content you’re sharing. Before you start, ask yourself: what feeling or takeaway do you want people to leave with?

• Structure matters (but keep it simple): Stick to three main points max. More than that leads to distractions and fewer takeaways. If it’s a pop-up live with just one idea, present it from three angles: a story, the main point, and an example.

• Start with a hook: Especially if you’re repurposing the replay, lead with something compelling.

• The energy thing is real: The camera zaps your energy. You might feel excited, but it comes across as less on screen. So dial it up a notch (while staying authentic).

• Balance interaction carefully: Pause after completing a thought to engage with comments, but don’t build your whole session around Q&A, because sometimes people jump in and out without responding. Also, don’t ignore an active chat for too long or people feel unseen.

• Keep it short: 20-30 minutes tends to perform better than hour-long sessions, especially for replays. Most people will watch the replay, not the live, so be mindful of length.

• Pop-up vs. scheduled: Both work. Pop-ups feel spontaneous and Substack surfaces them well. But for meatier topics, scheduling can help. A mix is probably ideal.

• Lives are relationship builders: Someone once said she writes newsletters to get attention, but conversion happens when people hear her talk. Lives let your personality shine through in a way text can’t. In the age of AI, that human element is your superpower.

• End with a call to action: Even if you’re not selling anything, close with something meaningful. Subscribe, check out a link, whatever gives people a clear next step.

• Start early, start small: Don’t wait for a big audience. Fewer subscribers means less pressure, more room to practice in public, and you get better before the stakes are high.

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