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On BrandedAF last week, Nat asked me a simple question:
“Which newsletter platform should I use?”
I gave her a one-word answer: LinkedIn.
That answer was true — but incomplete.
Platform choice is not a feeling; it’s a strategic lever. Where you publish tells me what you’re prioritizing right now: visibility, discovery, or ownership. And if you follow my doctrine — do less, do it well — you’ll pick one platform that matches your outcome and where your audience actually lives.
Because, as a founder or thought leader, choosing your platform isn’t a tactical decision. It’s a strategic one.
This is the full breakdown Nat sparked — plus a clean decision path so you can ship without spinning.
Start Here: What Outcome Do You Need?
Before you touch a platform, decide on the result you want within the next 90 days:
- Business development visibility (B2B momentum, pipeline, credibility)? → You want immediate reach inside your network.
- Nurture and deepen an existing community (loyal audience you can email tomorrow)? → You want ownership and intimacy.
- SEO juice and discoverability (strangers finding you via search/algorithm)? → You want readers beyond your circle.
Outcome chosen? Now match the platform.
LinkedIn Newsletter = The Visibility Multiplier
If your brand strategy is about business development and professional visibility, LinkedIn is your platform.
Every time you publish, subscribers get a notification ping. That signal boost is rare. You’re showing up in the place where buying conversations and credibility cues already live. That’s algorithmic leverage you can’t buy. Newsletters on LinkedIn position you as a thought leader in your space.
Every time someone follows you on LinkedIn, they get a notification inviting them to follow your newsletter – all with zero effort on your part. It’s automatic subscriber growth!
Strengths:
- Great if you are building your reach from zero.
- Wild reach within your professional network.
- Growth can snowball fast if your content resonates.
- Perfect for B2B credibility and lead generation.
Beware: You don’t own the list. Subscribers stay inside LinkedIn’s walls. If the platform changes, you can’t take them with you.
When LinkedIn wins
- You sell services to other professionals or companies.
- Most of your warm leads are already on LinkedIn.
- You can post consistently but don’t want to wrangle email tooling yet.
Mini‑scenario A consultant targeting mid‑market ops teams starts a LI newsletter with sharp, practical posts. The ping effect triggers comments from 2nd‑degree connections; within weeks, she’s fielding intro calls from exactly the persona she was chasing. No list migration, just platform-native momentum.
Substack = The Power of Ownership
If your brand thrives on community and loyalty, Substack is your anchor.
It’s email-first: every post lands in inboxes. That intimacy is unmatched — you’re not just in someone’s feed, you’re in their daily scroll. And if you want to monetize, Substack has built-in paid subscriptions.
Strengths:
- Awesome if you have a large following already that lives naturally inside Substack.
- You own your subscriber list and can export it anytime.
- Depth of relationship is stronger than other platforms.
- Monetization is baked in from day one.
Beware: Growth is slow. Discovery doesn’t come easy… you have to bring readers in yourself, or ride Substack’s internal recommendation engine.
When Substack wins
- You already have followers elsewhere (IG, podcast, speaking) and want to bring them “home.”
- Your work benefits from longer essays, letters, or serialized thinking.
- You care about recurring revenue from readers.
Mini‑scenario A coach with a lively Instagram audience moves deeper reflections to Substack. She promotes sign‑ups on IG weekly; within a quarter she’s emailing a few hundred opt‑in readers, launching a paid tier with behind‑the‑scenes audio — small, steady, sovereign.
Medium = The Engine of Discovery
If your focus is SEO juice and discoverability, Medium is your ally.
It’s a reader-first ecosystem: the algorithm surfaces your work to strangers, and Medium articles often rank on Google and are read by the media. It’s the best way to get discovered outside your bubble.
Strengths:
- Built-in distribution to people who don’t follow you.
- Strong SEO performance = posts rank fast.
- Polished, easy-to-use publishing experience.
Beware: Readers belong to Medium. Your audience lives inside their ecosystem. You can’t export them, and monetization depends on their rules.
When Medium wins
- You’re building topical authority and want search traffic on specific themes.
- You can publish evergreen explainers and “how to” pieces that age well.
- You’re comfortable converting readers later (via links to your site/offer).
Mini‑scenario A productized‑service founder publishes clear, keyword‑aligned tutorials on Medium that point back to her site’s lead magnet. Searchers discover her via Google/Medium, click through, and enter her funnel — discovery first, ownership second.
The Best Strategy? Do Less, Do It Well
The common mistake? Trying to publish across all three from day one. That’s not strategy — that’s signal theft. Pick one platform that matches your outcome and where your ideal audience already is. Ship weekly for 8–12 weeks. Let the data and dialogue shape the voice.
Only after you’ve built cadence and proof should you consider light layering:
- Keep your primary on the chosen platform.
- Cross‑post occasionally where it makes sense (e.g., a top LinkedIn issue ported to Medium for SEO, or a Medium hit summarized on LinkedIn).
- Invite people to the sovereign home (Substack or your site) when appropriate.
Minimalist layering path (optional, later):
- LinkedIn primary → quarterly SEO remix on Medium → clear link back to your site.
- Substack primary → occasional LinkedIn summary thread → invite to subscribe.
- Medium primary → LinkedIn highlight post → invite to download a lead magnet on your site.
Decision Checklist (3 Questions)
- Where is my audience actually active right now? (Be honest.)
- What result do I need in the next 90 days? (BD, community, or discovery?)
- What cadence can I sustain without hating my life? (Weekly beats perfect.)
Pick the platform that answers all three with a clean yes. Then commit.
FAQ
Which newsletter platform is best for reach?
LinkedIn for professional visibility. Medium if you want strangers and SEO discoverability.
How do I build a subscriber list I own?
Substack. It’s the only platform that lets you export and keep your subscribers.
Can I use all three without burning out?
Technically yes, but strategy beats scatter. Pick the one where your audience lives and your goal aligns.
Is it bad to republish the same piece across platforms?
Not if you adapt it. Change the title, intro, and CTA to fit the platform’s energy. Always point back to your owned hub (site or Substack).
What if my audience is split across platforms?
Choose the one where buyers or true believers are most reachable, then make a simple ritual to invite the rest across.
The Real Question
Nat’s ask was simple. But the real question isn’t “Which platform?”
It’s: “What outcome are you really chasing?”
If you want visibility for BD, choose LinkedIn.
If you want community you control, choose Substack.
If you want discovery beyond your bubble, choose Medium.
Your brand doesn’t need to be everywhere. It needs to be exactly where it matters.
Need help? Contact me!
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