Substack V Instagram - 15 Things I’ve Learned in a Year.
This is NOT one of those smug ‘How I grew to eleventy billion on Substack’ posts!
HOME & HORT is now a year old! - can you believe that? There is now a huge archive of interesting home and garden articles, videos and audios. We also have a wonderful vibrant, friendly community here. If you’d like to be part of the club and have full access to everything, then consider upgrading. It’s only £0.94p a week!
Substack is pretty darn marvellous really. It’s my new favourite place. It has a few faults, which I’ll go into in a mo, but overall, if you’re thinking of starting your own Substack, or even just want to hang out here, then don’t wait another moment. Dive right in! It’s one of the most diverse platforms I’ve ever come across, it doesn’t dictate and it’s super friendly. My one regret is that I didn’t move my blog over years ago. I became a Bestseller on here in less than 8 months, I’m within the Top 20 in the Design category and my readership has quadrupled in a year. But first, the beginning of my story…
Six years ago I inadvertently and quite surprisingly became some kind of ‘influencer’ on Instagram. A friend had convinced me I should start an account to promote my salon. That lasted about three minutes as I soon realised how mind-numbingly dull it was to take photos of the back of people’s hair, so I threw in the odd crazy shot of my home and garden just for variety. Something very peculiar happened. Complete strangers started following me. Who were these pervy people who sought access to my inner sanctum and what did they want? It had to be sex! Why would you follow a totally random slightly plump (plumper now) blond man from The Surrey Hills who’d posted five pics of the back of ladies heads and the odd shot of an eiderdown with a bunch of peonies unless you wanted some sordid form of rumpy pumpy?
But, it kept happening and before I knew it I had nearly 200 of the saucy devils! I soon realised they didn’t actually want my body (story of my life) after they wrote comments like: “Ooh, love your Paniculatas! Where did you buy them please?’ Note the ‘please’, you won’t see that much in a comment anymore!
Instagram was a happy, thriving hotbed of imagination and individuality, where anything seemed possible and everyone was welcome. For the first time in my life I felt like I had found my tribe. I would spend my spare time creating funny captions and inventing tableaus for an interior or garden photo, knowing that I was amongst a group of supportive like-minded people. The countless hours that were lost crouching in the bath like a demented yogi, or shape-shifting into a corner to get a wider angle. Oh those were the days!
I started getting paid work from brands that I had long admired and somehow, inexplicably, it began to take over from my day job. Getting the work was tough and the competition fierce, but I concentrated on putting out quality and originality and engaging like a devil-possessed.
About nine months in I started to get this nagging feeling. Something kept repeating itself in my head, over and over and then, one morning, quite astonishingly and without warning, my husband actually said it out loud: “You know you don’t own anything you put on that thing? They can take it all away from you in a heartbeat. You don’t even own the page, let alone the content.”
He was right. Blunt, but right.
At any point in time I could either be hacked, or the Insta police could just remove my account without so much as a wham bam thank you ma’me. The brand work would disappear and I’d be back to doing a half head of highlights faster than you can say: “Goin’ anywhere nice on yer ‘olidays?”
That’s why I started a blog. I’d always enjoyed writing, indeed I did it for a living when I worked in PR. There’s a half finished semi-autobiographical novel on a laptop somewhere that I must finish one day. My favourite part of Instaland was writing the captions. I’d spend ages creating mini stories. Wonderful discussions would ensue with witty repartee and the odd double entendre thrown in.
My blog would be an extension of that joy, but I’d be able to write in long form and share my decades of renovation and gardening experience mixed with funny stories from my life. More importantly though, it would be mine! Whatever happened in the world my blog would still be there and I would have my email list. That list would become so much more important than I ever knew. I did well, I had a great readership, I even won awards, but a blog is a lonely thing and feels quite one-way. I wanted more.
Fast forward a few years and my worst fears about Instagram started to come true. It became TikTok. Photos were replaced with seven seconds videos and repetitive trending audios. The conversations dwindled along with most of the captions and, in my opinion, other than the odd moment of brilliance from the few, it became a never-ending monotonous stream of the same reel.
Instagram started actively encouraging people to use a ready-made template, choose their recommended audio (which they recommend to everyone) and follow the crowd. To me that’s not artistic or creative, it’s the adult version of a colouring in book.
I’m not being critical of anyone else’s work and there are still some amazing accounts. Everyone is just doing their best to try and get by. But, it seems to me that not many people are there for the joy of it anymore. It’s all about going viral, particularly as organic growth is almost non-existent now and there are so many rules, it’s thoroughly exhausting. Going viral is also often not the answer to your prayers either as now half of your audience is overseas and UK brands don’t want that. I have a relatively decent amount of followers, just over 58K, nothing like the viral figures you see nowadays, but I have great engagement because I work bloody hard at it and therefore regularly get work. Numbers are not everything.
A year ago, disillusioned with the gram and tired of SEO and the impossible task of ranking my blog on Google, I decided to take the plunge and move it to Substack. I’d still continue with Instagram, partly because I’d miss some of the amazing friends I’ve made there, but also due to paid work. But, I reduced the time I spent there to 3-4 days a week and concentrated more on my writing.
The deciding factor as to which platform to move to was that Substack doesn’t own your work or your list, you do! At any point I can take everything, up sticks and move somewhere else if I so wish. I have no intention of doing so, but it’s important to have that security and clarity.
I read a plethora of Substack posts a bit like this one, which really helped and is the main reason for writing mine today. I decided the best option for me was to start as a free newsletter, but to make it abundantly clear from the outset that I would be moving to a paid model at some point. I spent about two weeks on my Instagram stories telling everyone about it and drumming up interest. This is something that you’ll have to get used to. Self-promotion, however uncomfortable it feels, is imperative for any kind of success. No one is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. It still makes me cringe beyond belief harping on about my work, it’s not a very British thing, but it works.
The day finally came when I needed to press the send button. I was absolutely terrified and exhilarated at the same time. In the end I used my age-old trick of forcing myself. I announced on Instagram that I would be launching the next day. It’s the very best way of making sure that I didn’t bottle it. Once it’s announced it has to happen. Then the hard work begins!
15 Things
I’m writing this in between scraping varnish off of 500-year-old English oak beams and painting a cerise pink wall a jolly shade of the ocean blue. If my wretched arthritic sausage fingers give out, then you’ll only get half a post, so I’m getting straight on with the 15 things I’ve learned. Buckle up!
It’s NOT a get rich quick plan! Supposedly only 5-10% of your total subscribers will ever become a paid subscriber. I’ve heard in reality for a lot of people it’s more like 3%. So far, my experience has been that it’s closer to 6.3%, which I’m super happy with. But, and it’s a big but, it is very much a side stream of income at the moment and I won’t be retiring from becoming my alter-ego Gladys the Chambermaid at our holiday let any time soon. It’s also bloody hard work and relentless. I’m always writing every spare hour I get from my other jobs. But, I love it. It makes me very happy and pressing that publish button is the biggest dopamine hit I could ever wish for.
It’s all about the readers. Forget this at your peril. You are not here to show off, you’re here to give people want they want. You are here to entertain, educate, solve problems and inspire. By all means be flamboyant in the process, but you must deliver what people can’t get somewhere else, particularly if they’re going to pay for it. If you’re lazy, or make excuses for yourself then don’t bother starting a Substack.
If you are interesting, have talent and work extremely hard, like harder than you’ve ever worked on the gram, produce quality work, join in and be consistent, then it usually pays off, unlike Instagram nowadays. There’s no algorithm, no adverts and no rules for what you can post. You can be yourself, in fact you must unless you’re boring, and you can shine in all your glorious colours. You may not reach the dizzy heights of No. 1 on the leaderboard, but your work will be seen by all the people that subscribe as long as they open your emails!
Recommendations. This my friends is the Holy Grail of growth on this platform. If you recommend an author’s Substack then they tend to recommend you back and the numbers speak for themselves. To date 912 of my subscribers are from other authors recommending me and I have generated 2118 subscribers for other people. It’s a very lovely symbiosis.
Commenting. Ok, this one might be contentious, but oh well! Everything about publishing online is about engagement. It’s not enough that you press the button and run. People are paying to read your work and support you. If they have bothered to leave a comment and interact with you (and by the way it’s hard to get people to do that, let alone pay), then the least you can do is reply or give it a like. It doesn’t have to be immediately, maybe not even that day, we all have deadlines and busy moments where we just can’t do it all. Don’t think this is just about the big players on Substack either, I’ve seen it across the board, even from people starting out, which I just don’t understand. You are here because subscribers enable you. Be gracious, generous and kind.
Read and become a better writer. One of the greatest joys of joining Substack has been discovering other writers and ways of communicating with the world. It has totally reignited my love of a good read and there are newsletters that I can’t wait to open when they hit my inbox.
is one of those. She has an incredible ability to make me smile whenever I open her gifts of joy. It’s like a friend has popped over for coffee. She also teaches me so much about art, history and the human condition. is another prime example. Her generosity knows no bounds and I now have a book-buying list as long as my arm!Some other favourites are:
, , , , , , , , and , who incidentally was the person that gave me the final push I needed to join Substack. In reading great work I believe my writing is improving too, so it’s a win-win.People are friendly and want you to succeed! It’s like the good old days of Insta when people shared each other and actually talked. A community. I was very lucky as almost as soon as I joined Substack the fabulously talented garden designer
befriended me and took me under her wing. It was a totally altruistic gesture. Her tenacity, endless enthusiasm and joy for life has taught me so much. I can never thank her enough for that. Back in August last year there were hardly any UK interior and garden folk on here. It was really quite scary. Having someone to be able to chat to and ask questions was invaluable. I hope to be able to do the same for others.Sometimes you are your niche (but NOT in a Me, me, me way!) Yes my subject matter is mainly interiors and gardening related with the odd life lesson or disastrous moment thrown in, but that’s not it. It’s about the delivery. It’s about giving something more than just the facts. People want to be entertained, delighted, made tearful or elated. It’s about bringing yourself to their inbox, in a humble, yet inspiring way, like a good friend that somehow makes their shitty day that little bit brighter. Again, it’s about their delight, not yours.
Write what excites you & in your own voice. Don’t try to emulate anyone else. It never works and you won’t be able to maintain it. Write what makes your heart sing. Chances are it has the same effect on others. It’s important to have your own voice and stay truthful to who you are, even if that means sometimes you write things that others don’t agree with.
Don’t use AI, you can tell! This follows on from the point above. You’ve got to love writing. If you’re finding it a struggle to sustain a regular format then please don’t turn to AI. It can never ever replicate all the nuances and idiosyncrasies that make up what is fundamentally you. It’s also downright bloody cheating and all the over-flowery language and sentences starting with Firstly and Secondly make it completely obvious it’s fake. Set aside time to write, be strict. There is always time to be found if you try hard enough.
Don’t be afraid to go off piste. Some of my most read posts are the ones that are nothing to do with interiors or gardening. These are the posts where you can really express yourself and tell people more about you and your life experiences. People want to be able to connect and have an affinity with you. It also gives them a chance to tell their story in the comments, or in Chat, so that you can learn more about them. Personal posts nurture the relationship between you and the reader. They build trust as you’ve dared to show vulnerability and imperfection.
Some of my most popular off-piste posts are:
The tale of Freddy the Console Table. This one has an interiors theme, but told through a story.
You will piss people off on Instagram. Followers on the gram are used to getting everything for free. In fact, charging for content/access in any way is a relatively new idea in the UK and it takes some getting used to. But, you have to be brave if you want to pay the bills. Substack and Instagram take up at least half, if not more, of my working week (that’s a seven day week by the way, weekends don’t exist). It’s not possible to maintain that level of work without being paid. Yes I could do more brand work on Insta, but followers moan about that too. I’ve done five years of writing my blog for free and six providing knowledge and entertainment on the gram without pay, other than through the odd advert or two. I do want to retire one day, so that means a paywall.
Don’t go paid too quickly. You will be advised by many to go paid straight away, or very soon after launching. Unless you are a very well-known author, or have a huge following, I would advise against that. You don’t want to be doing all that work for a few people. One of the hardest things to do is turning on that paywall, it’s frightening as hell. Use the Pledge facility. Tell people that they can pledge their support, remind them on every post. I did and it gave me the encouragement to turn the paywall on after three months when I had a good number of lovely people saying they would happily pay. I can’t tell you how good that feeling is and it still blows my mind!
Things that aren’t so wonderful:
Sometimes hard work doesn’t pay off. Sometimes you totally bomb.
The Design category sucks big ones. I’m amongst newsletters about woodworking and brand packaging. We desperately need a Home/Garden & Lifestyle category.
When someone unsubscribes it crushes your soul. I’ll never get used to that.
I don’t like the 7 day free trial feature and have it turned off. I think it brings in the kind of person that just wants to consume and move on.
Imposter syndrome is real. You are amongst greatness here, some of the most successful writers on earth. That can be hard. Try not to compare yourself too much.
Affordability - I think we need to look at a model where you can pay so much a month for 5 or 10 Substacks.
Things that are wonderful:
Your first subscriber paid or not.
Finally feeling like I can legitimately say I am a writer.
There’s very little cattiness, it’s democratic and fun.
I no longer think about SEO or rating on google. When I’m on here I don’t have to think about hashtags, trending audio, templates, limiting my work to 7 seconds, minuscule captions, or any other bullshit.
You don’t have to write all the time. Use the video, podcast and audio features too.
Notes is basically like X, but a hell of a lot kinder. It’s a great way to get discovered and for finding other amazing writers. It’s also hugely entertaining, but be warned, it can swallow up the time that you’re supposed to be writing!
DMs are here, which I initially thought was a bad thing due to the endless messages on Instagram, but here you can limit them to Paid subs only - offering it as a perk.
So who wins, Instagram or Substack? Well, it’s a darn sight more fun here and the freedom is wonderful. I’ll always have a soft spot for Insta and I’ll still be there working with brands and making people laugh. But, Substack has my heart now.
Go on, leave a heart ♥️, a restack (that’s the recycle symbol below) and/or a comment. It’s so easy to do and makes a huge difference. Thank you!
JP! You are one of my absolute favourite substackers - I love your idiosyncratic mix of expert design insight and irreverent humour. It’s like nothing else. And I am SO touched and honoured to warrant a mention. Thank you.
I nodded so vehemently along with these points that I fear I looked like Churchill the dog in that insurance advert. I love reading and writing on here - it’s a pure joy. And it’s nice additional income stream but I shall not be retiring from the day job (err, also writing) any time soon!
I find it a bit crushing when I am chastised by people on Instagram for the paywall. Content for either platform, as you say, takes AGES to produce - and we’ve been doing it gratis for years. But someone once told me that if you don’t value your work, why should anyone else? And it has really stuck with me. And I also value your work and cannot wait to read, review and shout from the hills about that book of yours!
xx
Mmmm? I’m not sure which I prefer, Sunday mornings or mid week musings? I look forward to both. Mid week musings with a cuppa and a piece of cake and expectations of you joining me, Sunday mornings before I get out of bed and start the day? Both a must! Well done JP. ❤️