Creator EconomyMediaMarketingDigital Marketing

How to Use Substack as a Complete Beginner in 2026 (Full Tutorial)

HubSpot Marketing
HubSpot Marketing•Jun 8, 2026

Why It Matters

Because Substack gives brands direct audience control and a scalable monetization path, early adopters can capture market share before the space saturates.

Key Takeaways

  • •Substack search interest has tripled over the past two years.
  • •Successful newsletters require specific niche validation using four filters.
  • •Begin with a realistic publishing cadence to avoid burnout.
  • •Repurpose existing content as Substack hub, then create spokes.
  • •Monetize via practical paid upgrades priced around $10/month.

Summary

The video is a step‑by‑step tutorial for beginners on launching a Substack newsletter in 2026, emphasizing why brands should adopt the platform now.

It outlines the Substack Business Playbook, the four‑filter niche validation framework (specificity, authority, monetization path, competition), and the importance of realistic publishing frequency based on time, research effort, subscriber base, and revenue model.

The creator shares personal examples—importing contacts from HubSpot, converting a YouTube transcript via AI, and setting a $10/month paid tier—while noting that 45 % of Substacks become inactive without clear positioning.

The guide stresses that Substack bypasses algorithmic limits, offers direct audience ownership, and can become a profitable revenue channel if brands treat it as a hub for original content and systematically grow their list through cross‑promotion and paid upgrades.

Original Description

Learn how to use Substack for your business — step-by-step setup, niche validation, and subscriber growth strategies included.
Download the free Substack Business Playbook — every framework, prompt, and decision tree from this video, ready to use for your brand: 🔗https://clickhubspot.com/qfhw
How to Avoid Inauthentic Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vr1HFPVzdU
Stop renting your audience from social media. It's time to own it.
In this step-by-step Substack tutorial, I set up a Substack for my business from scratch and walk you through every decision so you can do the same. Searches for Substack have nearly tripled in the last 2 years. The first brand in your niche to build this right will own that space.
By the end of this video, you'll have a validated niche, a realistic publishing cadence, a subscriber growth plan, and a Substack monetization strategy — all built around your actual business.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or small business owner tired of algorithm changes killing your organic reach, Substack gives you a direct line to your audience that no platform can take away.
00:00 Why Your Brand Should Start a Substack
1:44 What is Substack?
3:01 Is using Substack sustainable?
04:47 How do I set up Substack for my Brand?
06:25 How often should I post to Substack?
08:21 What should I post on Substack?
11:07 How to grow your subscribers on Substack
12:18 How to track if it's working
13:19 How to make money on Substack
14:43 How much do I charge?
15:40 How to convert free subscribers to paying customers
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About HubSpot
HubSpot is a customer platform that provides education, software, and support to help businesses grow better. The platform includes marketing, sales, service, commerce, operations, and website management products that start free and scale to meet our customers’ needs at any stage of growth. Today, thousands of customers around the world use HubSpot’s powerful and easy-to-use tools and apps to attract, engage, and delight customers.
⚠️ Disclaimer
The videos on our YouTube channel are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as an endorsement for any of the products or services that we feature.
#HubSpot #Substack #SmallBusinessMarketing

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