7 Things You Should Do to Set Your Substack Up for Success in 2026
With this checklist, you've got everything covered.
Happy New Year! 🎉
We hope 2025 treated you well - both personally and on Substack.
Over here at Write • Build • Scale, we’re excited about what’s coming this year.
Substack has been evolving fast, and 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for creators on the platform.
So, if this is the year you want to grow faster, monetize smarter, and take Substack more seriously, here are seven things you should focus on to set yourself up for success.
#1: Upgrade Your Profile
Your Substack profile is one of the first things people see when they just discover you, so it’s key to make a great impression here.
Your profile should show who you are as an individual (for example, by having a clear photo of yourself and a personal description in your bio) and what you write about here on Substack.
If you clearly communicate what you do and who you are, that’s a big step in turning strangers into followers and subscribers.
Suggested actions for 2026:
Add a clear profile picture (your face, not a logo)
Write a concise bio explaining what you do / write about
Add relevant links to your profile (freebies, products, etc.)
Add a custom banner image for your profile
#2: Optimize Your Publication
Your Substack publication is your home base here on Substack, so it’s essential that you spend time and effort optimizing your publication.
One of the most important steps to take is to clearly describe what your publication is about, who it’s for, and why people should consider subscribing.
(Make sure to feature this on the about page, for example.)
Another key step is to design your publication’s homepage so it has a professional look and feel - and it clearly shows new readers if your publication is right for them.
Suggested actions for 2026:
Define the 1–3 core topics of your Substack
Identify who your ideal reader is
Write a clear, engaging description of your publication
Pin the most valuable post (or a dedicated ‘hero’ post) to your homepage
Write a clear, compelling ‘About’ page
Create a custom design for your homepage
Write a solid welcome email for new subscribers
Set up tags for your posts (one tag per category) to categorize your posts
#3: Optimize Your Content
Your content is ultimately the main reason why people subscribe to you here on Substack, so this is an essential aspect of succeeding on the platform.
One of the most important things you can do is to follow a consistent publishing schedule.
(I recommend at least one long-form post per week, and one Substack Note per day).
But aside from consistency, it’s key that you deeply understand what your audience wants and needs so you can create what they absolutely love.
This turns casual readers into superfans and, potentially, paying customers.
Suggested actions for 2026:
Choose and follow a consistent publishing schedule
Write attractive headlines for your long-form posts
Analyze your audience to understand what topics they’re most interested in
Add multiple subscribe buttons within your long-form posts
Publish at least one Substack Note per day
Create a unique thumbnail for your long-form posts
#4: Create Multimedia Content
More and more people are already using AI to produce a lot of written content (something which AI is pretty good at), so in order to stand out, it will be important to create multimedia content from time to time.
Think podcasting, (short) videos, Substack Lives, or the occasional personal photo posted as a Substack Note.
These different types of content are harder to replicate by AI (which makes you instantly stand out), and they create a more personal connection with your audience.
(For example, listening to a podcast or tuning into a livestream is a completely different way to connect with your favorite creator than just reading their words.)
Suggested actions for 2026:
Host your first Substack live (solo)
Host your first Substack live (with another Substack creator)
Record and publish your first podcast episode
Post your first 1-min video as a Substack Note
Share a picture of your personal life as a Substack Note
#5: Collaborate More
I’m convinced that the Substack creators who focus heavily on collaborations in 2026 are the ones who will grow the fastest.
When you collaborate with another creator - whether in a guest post, livestream, or newsletter recommendation - you instantly get your message in front of their audience, which is one of the fastest ways to grow your own audience.
(Especially compared to just posting in ‘the void,’ hoping that the algorithm magically shows your work to others.)
Besides, it makes the whole Substack journey a lot more fun and inspiring when you work together with awesome people (like our friends from Sacred Business Flow, Phil Powis ❤️⚡️ and Carolina Wilke)
Suggested actions for 2026:
Approach three Substack creators every week and suggest a newsletter recommendation exchange
Write one guest post for another Substack publication every month
Follow the 10-5-1 Rule for every Note you publish (like 10 other Notes, leave 5 comments, send 1 DM)
Host one Substack live with another Substack creator every month
#6: Optimize Your Paid Tier
Don’t just slap a paywall on your articles and hope people will upgrade. It’s not going to work. Instead, treat your paid tier like any other product.
Ultimately, the foundation of getting more paid subscribers is to build a premium Substack that’s so valuable people almost feel stupid saying no.
So, focus the majority of your premium content on the topics your audience is most interested in - and make sure your premium content is often in a different format (like a workshop, digital download, template, guide, etc.) than your free content.
Suggested actions for 2026:
Define what paid content and premium perks you’ll offer
Determine your monthly pricing
Determine your annual pricing
Write attractive copy for paid subscriber benefits
Set up and follow a consistent premium content schedule
Determine your Founding Member pricing
Define what perks your Founding Member plan includes
Write copy for the Founding Member plan
Write a solid welcome email for new paid subscribers
Write a solid welcome email for new Founding Members
#7: Promote Your Paid Tier
Once you’ve got the foundation of your premium Substack sorted, you’ll still need to focus on promoting your paid tier.
“Build it and they will come” simply isn’t true.
But promoting your paid tier doesn’t mean you have to be sleazy or salesy.
It simply means you make people aware that your premium Substack exists, show them the value in upgrading, and make it as easy as possible for them to make a decision whether they want to join or not.
Suggested actions for 2026:
Create a ‘Become a Member’ page and pin it to your navigation bar
Add at least one call-to-action to your paid Substack on your About page
Create a ‘Premium Content Library’ and pin it to your navigation bar
Run a dedicated promotion (with a discount or exclusive bonus) multiple times per year
Collect testimonials from your paid subscribers and feature them on your publication
Add a paywall halfway through your premium posts to give free subscribers a clear taste of your premium content
Download The 2026 Substack Success Checklist
As a paid-subscriber perk, you’re getting this downloadable (and printable) checklist to make sure you’re taking all the essential steps to succeed on Substack in 2026.
Click here to download the 2026 Substack Success Checklist:
