What would you say is the difference between the Premium Content Library and Perks? I set up the Premium Content Library tab on my homepage and listed all the goodies that paid subscribers receive. So would Perks be something else? Like downloads?
Hi Betty! You can think of perks as your most valuable assets. Some of the things on the perks page might also be on your premium content library, but typically it will be individual assets that people really want to get access to while the premium content library basically showcases your entire library, which can also contain individual articles. The perks tab is really more like a storefront of the ultimate deal breakers that will make someone want to join.
That being said, it's not absolutely necessary to have both. We do have clients who actively decided not to set up the perks page right now because they have spent so much time on the premium content library and other pages on their publication. They just don't want to add one more section to their publications, and that's fine! :)
Awesome content thanks for sharing! Would be awesome if Substack allows us to actually arrange the perks within the page or divide them by tiers clearly at least.. I feel like its an easy feature they could ship and makes such a difference to all of us!
Thank you for the ideas! But you've missed one crucial feature: it has to be reverse engineered. Before you create a tiered structure with perks you have to have gifts, downloads or specific perks in place. This is a little bit cart before the horse.
I literally mention (in the first few sentences) that this is not the first thing you'll set up 😅 So yes, of course, you first need to build the assets.
The idea that stood out to me most is that **tiers need different promises, not just different prices.**
It’s easy to think of a paid subscription as simply “more content,” but the stronger approach is to make the value tangible—something readers can immediately understand, use, and feel they own.
I also really liked the point about Perks being a retention tool, not just a conversion tool. When members can actually see everything they have access to, the subscription becomes a product rather than just another recurring payment.
The “start with one genuinely useful perk” approach feels especially practical for creators who are still building. Great breakdown of the strategy behind the feature, not just the feature itself.
What would you say is the difference between the Premium Content Library and Perks? I set up the Premium Content Library tab on my homepage and listed all the goodies that paid subscribers receive. So would Perks be something else? Like downloads?
Hi Betty! You can think of perks as your most valuable assets. Some of the things on the perks page might also be on your premium content library, but typically it will be individual assets that people really want to get access to while the premium content library basically showcases your entire library, which can also contain individual articles. The perks tab is really more like a storefront of the ultimate deal breakers that will make someone want to join.
That being said, it's not absolutely necessary to have both. We do have clients who actively decided not to set up the perks page right now because they have spent so much time on the premium content library and other pages on their publication. They just don't want to add one more section to their publications, and that's fine! :)
Thank you for clarifying!
You're welcome!!
This was helpful! Thank you! Workbook please.
Thanks for the amazing breakdown and advice, as always!
Can’t wait to dive into this- I haven’t set up my perks section yet! 🙌🏼
Workbook
Hey there! Grab your Substack Bestseller Workbook here: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
Awesome content thanks for sharing! Would be awesome if Substack allows us to actually arrange the perks within the page or divide them by tiers clearly at least.. I feel like its an easy feature they could ship and makes such a difference to all of us!
Thank you for the ideas! But you've missed one crucial feature: it has to be reverse engineered. Before you create a tiered structure with perks you have to have gifts, downloads or specific perks in place. This is a little bit cart before the horse.
I literally mention (in the first few sentences) that this is not the first thing you'll set up 😅 So yes, of course, you first need to build the assets.
The idea that stood out to me most is that **tiers need different promises, not just different prices.**
It’s easy to think of a paid subscription as simply “more content,” but the stronger approach is to make the value tangible—something readers can immediately understand, use, and feel they own.
I also really liked the point about Perks being a retention tool, not just a conversion tool. When members can actually see everything they have access to, the subscription becomes a product rather than just another recurring payment.
The “start with one genuinely useful perk” approach feels especially practical for creators who are still building. Great breakdown of the strategy behind the feature, not just the feature itself.