Does A Premium Substack Subscription Get You More Placement? Yes, But Not For The First Reason You’re Thinking.
Plus lots of press opps for all of your lifestyle clients! OPEN THIS NOW!!!
Happy Monday!
Let’s get to this quickly because there’s a lot of info here. I think this is one of the most important posts I’ve written. But first…
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Real Simple Opps
Please use "Substack + Article Title" as the subject line.
Do not pitch me your clients. Just have them answer the questions. Thank you! ALSO I AM HAPPY TO TAKE PITCHES FROM PROS WITHOUT PUBLICISTS. YOU CAN PITCH YOURSELF TOO!
Things Interior Designers Always Have In Their Homes – URGENT NEED BY 3/5 AT 8:00 AM PST
I’m thinking about things like bold light fixtures, a mix of fabrics, etc. Why do you have these in your home? What do they add?
Things You Should Never Wash Together in the Laundry Machine / Things You Should Always Wash Separately – Need by 3/6 at 8:00 AM PST
Would love laundry experts for this one. I’m thinking of things like towels and all other laundry, bras and sweaters, etc. Why shouldn’t you wash those items together? What’s a better solution?
This Is Why Your Laundry Always Fades – Need by 3/7 at 8:00 AM PST
What are the reasons your laundry fades? Could it be water hardness/quality, detergent, cycle, or water temperature? Let me know the reasons and why. Also, any fade-prevention tips?
How Often Should You Wash Your Dog's Bed? – Need by 3/7 at 8:00 AM PST
Would love to hear from veterinarians. How often should you wash your dog’s bed? What’s the best way to wash it? Any detergent types that are best for pets? What happens if you don’t wash your pet’s bed often enough?
Tips for Maintaining a Lawn in Shady Areas – Need by 3/7 at 8:00 AM PST
Would love to hear from gardeners and landscape architects. Please share your best tips and why.
Things You Should Declutter From Your Porch/Patio – Need by 3/10 at 8:00 AM PST
Would love to hear from pro organizers. What should you declutter? Why? What’s a better spot for those items?
How to Make Cheap Furniture Look Expensive, According to the Pros – Need by 3/11 at 8:00 AM PST
Open to any ideas, but I am thinking of upgrading the hardware, using high-quality linens (for a cheap bed), etc. I want to hear from interior designers and DIYers for this one.
Things You Should Always Clean Before Putting Back in Seasonal Storage – Need by 3/11 at 8:00 AM PST
This could include things like seasonal equipment/gear, linens, decor, appliances, cleaning equipment, etc. Would love to hear from pro organizers and pro cleaners.
Unexpected Home Items You Should Buy at Aldi – Need by 3/17 at 8:00 AM PST
Would love to hear from designers and DIYers. I’m thinking flowers, but what else can you get at Aldi? Why is it a good deal?
Things You Should Never Throw in the Trash – Need by 3/17 at 8:00 AM PST
Most of these will likely be due to safety, environmental, and legal concerns, but some could also be things that shouldn’t be thrown away because they should be recycled or composted instead. What are these things and why?
Does a Premium Substack Subscription Get You More Placement? Yes, But Not for the First Reason You’re Thinking
I was going to call this Ethics Schemethics. But I wasn’t sure about the SEO of it all…
Let’s start by giving credit where it’s due. This post was inspired by Aly Walansky, another Substack creator (and perhaps the busiest freelance writer in the biz!), who wrote:
“I recently saw a conversation on social media, where a few publicists and small business owners were discussing how they’d never invest in a paid subscription of a Substack if it did not directly relate to a journalist regularly writing about their clients.
A reminder: NO ethical journalist ever puts sourcing requests for a story behind a paywall.”
To be very clear, this is not her entire quote. You should read her post, but I’m not going to re-publish it. That said, I agree with everything she’s saying (and not saying) here.
Also...Someone recently asked if purchasing a premium subscription would guarantee their client a feature. I don’t have the time, energy, or desire to respond to emails like that—you already know the answer.
But before I get to all of my thoughts on this…
If this is your first time here: Hiiii. Also, premium subscribers get weekly industry insight posts and monthly AMAs—sometimes with other journalists.
That said…
Before I continue, two things:
If you are reading this because you’re in college studying communications or a PR intern, please email me, and I am more than happy to upgrade your subscription for free.
The opps are always free, and I try to do as many free posts with industry insights as time allows. Even a free subscription is valuable.
Premium Subscriptions Are Tax-Deductible
I’m not a professional accountant, but I’m sure yours will back me up. Just putting that out there for anyone who is on the fence. This applies to publicists, writers, marketing professionals, and business owners.
Do the Math (Not Girl Math)
Many opportunities on Substack are free, but when you’ve invested money, you’re more inclined to check emails, stay engaged, and actively seek out opportunities. It’s like the old saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Substack gives you more chances to see what writers are working on, which, mathematically speaking, increases the likelihood of securing placements.
I think the real advantage of Substack—something I’ll be posting about soon—is that it allows writers to share what they’re working on with an audience that genuinely wants this information.
It’s not like HARO, which, as we all know, no longer exists. While Help a Reporter Out used to be a fantastic tool, it eventually became more trouble than it was worth—at least for me. I don’t want to go to a party where everyone and their AI robot is invited. Sorry. And thanks a lot Cision for ruining a good thing. I’ve never seen such a good idea become so mismanaged.
Substack Is the Best Place to Get Industry Insights
Publicists sometimes lose sight of what’s truly important—such as relationship-building and understanding the behind-the-scenes dynamics of journalism. Many assume they know what’s going on in the media world, but that’s not always the case.
Substack provides direct access to insider knowledge. While Facebook groups can also be helpful, engaging directly with journalists through Substack offers a deeper level of understanding. Having that insider perspective can be extremely useful, no matter your niche or the clients you represent.
Substack Helps You Build Relationships
As I’ve said in many posts, getting a feature is more challenging than ever these days. However, I also think getting a feature is easier when you have relationships with the writer. Relationships aren’t easy to build, but Substack makes it easier.
Now, this might be a bit controversial, but I’ll say it anyway: I believe a premium Substack subscription can also make your pitches more likely to be noticed.
Many writers, myself included host monthly AMAs, Zoom calls, or virtual sessions where publicists can ask questions and discuss their clients. When I hold AMAs, I encourage publicists to pitch me. I can give them my undivided attention in a way that simply isn’t possible via email.
I CAN’T GUARANTEE PLACEMENT, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE I’LL LISTEN AND CONSIDER YOUR PITCH.
For example, one of my subscribers emailed me multiple pitches, but her brand didn’t initially stand out to me. However, during a Google Meet for subscribers, I saw that her client had a fantastic product that fit perfectly into a roundup I was working on (she also sent me samples). On top of that, I was able to feature the brand in another publication, using the founder as an expert source. In the end, she landed two top-tier placements—all because she was a premium subscriber and attended an AMA. That alone makes the investment worthwhile.
Also, if you pitch me something via email and remind me that you’re a premium subscriber, I am 100% more likely to read and respond.
At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I get 100+ emails a day minimum, and it’s impossible to respond to everything.
A Final Plea
Still not convinced? At least subscribe for free. Also, lots of writers will give you industry insights. But, I’m funnier and way more honest. Just saying…
Here are some of my funnier posts.
Why PR Is Like Buying A Birkin
I also share things you can forward or copy and paste to your clients.
I love your deep dive into the reasoning here. We're not AI bots, so the connection piece - email + virtual face-to-face moments = relationships that go deeper than a long-forgotten bottom-of-the-inbox pitch.
A bit tangential to your point on the tendency to pay more attention to things you pay money for, but we're having some of those same conversations with companies who assign lower value to things that are "paywalled" like subscriber only content on Substack. To me, it just feels like a rehashing of the conversations we all had way back when the traditional outlets started paywalling - but on a much more granular level, which is an important distinction. If a brand gets included in content that's behind a Substack paywall (as long as the audience is relevant, obvi), shouldn't we see that audience as higher quality, even if smaller? Those are active hand raisers who are paying to get the information that person is providing. You'd then assume they're more likely to trust that source, read, and engage with the information. Different outlets/channels serve different purposes, and you have to understand the value and nuance of all of them.