1. What is the larger goal with vertical short-form videos?
To empower creators with a new, engaging format to grow their audience, deepen relationships, and drive subscriptions—enhancing (not replacing) the core newsletter experience.
2. How might this affect newsletter vs. video engagement?
Boost discovery: Videos attract more eyeballs, especially mobile users.
Complement newsletters: Teasers or summaries can lead users to full posts.
Risk of distraction: If not integrated well, video may divert attention from core content.
Opportunity: Drive more cross-medium engagement and subscriptions when used strategically.
1. Are there any other ways to help creators to increase their audience? Why only videos? Doesn't it feel like a copy paste approach? X is prioritising videos, IG is doing reels, etc.
3. How are you measuring these? Like mathematically what is the exact metric?
1. Are there other ways to help creators grow their audience? Why videos?
There are other methods, but vertical short-form videos are effective for discovery, especially on mobile. They complement, rather than replace, newsletters by offering a dynamic format to reach new audiences and engage users.
2. How do you measure success?
Success is measured through:
Creator Adoption: Track how many creators are using the format.
User Engagement: Metrics include views, watch time, CTR (for full content), and interactions (shares, likes, comments).
Qualitative Feedback: Creator and user feedback, surveys, and sentiment analysis.
It’s really interesting to see Substack moving towards this more vocal and algorithmic format. It seems like a direct response to the difficulty many writers have in reaching new audiences. The question remains: will this discovery model prioritize consistency and depth, or will it end up favoring shallower, more viral content? I’ll be curious to see how this evolves.
1. What is the larger goal with the launch of vertical short-form videos?
To increase content discoverability and time-on-platform by adopting a familiar, addictive format (TikTok-style feed). The broader goal is to lower the friction between audiences and new writers, especially for creators who thrive in short, visual storytelling formats. It’s about expanding the top of the funnel and giving creators a new surface to express ideas quickly.
2. How might this feature affect engagement across newsletters vs. videos?
It may shift casual engagement toward short-form content, especially for readers who aren't ready to commit to full posts. But if done right, it can complement newsletters: videos become hooks, and newsletters deepen the relationship. But I also think that all of this comes with a risk: creators focusing too much on the algorithm, and less on depth.
3. If you were on the team, how would you measure the success of this launch?
- % of users who view at least one video per session
- Conversion rate from video view → newsletter subscription
- Time spent in the video feed vs. traditional reading time
- Creator adoption rate (% of active writers posting videos weekly)
- Retention uplift among new users exposed to videos in week 1
If I were the PM, I’d keep a close eye on whether this feature grows the reader base without compromising the writer-reader relationship that makes Substack special. Discovery shouldn’t come at the cost of depth.
1. What is the larger goal with vertical short-form videos?
To empower creators with a new, engaging format to grow their audience, deepen relationships, and drive subscriptions—enhancing (not replacing) the core newsletter experience.
2. How might this affect newsletter vs. video engagement?
Boost discovery: Videos attract more eyeballs, especially mobile users.
Complement newsletters: Teasers or summaries can lead users to full posts.
Risk of distraction: If not integrated well, video may divert attention from core content.
Opportunity: Drive more cross-medium engagement and subscriptions when used strategically.
3. How would you measure success?
Creator Adoption
User Engagement
Qualitative Feedback
Few questions and comments:
1. Are there any other ways to help creators to increase their audience? Why only videos? Doesn't it feel like a copy paste approach? X is prioritising videos, IG is doing reels, etc.
3. How are you measuring these? Like mathematically what is the exact metric?
1. Are there other ways to help creators grow their audience? Why videos?
There are other methods, but vertical short-form videos are effective for discovery, especially on mobile. They complement, rather than replace, newsletters by offering a dynamic format to reach new audiences and engage users.
2. How do you measure success?
Success is measured through:
Creator Adoption: Track how many creators are using the format.
User Engagement: Metrics include views, watch time, CTR (for full content), and interactions (shares, likes, comments).
Qualitative Feedback: Creator and user feedback, surveys, and sentiment analysis.
It’s really interesting to see Substack moving towards this more vocal and algorithmic format. It seems like a direct response to the difficulty many writers have in reaching new audiences. The question remains: will this discovery model prioritize consistency and depth, or will it end up favoring shallower, more viral content? I’ll be curious to see how this evolves.
1. What is the larger goal with the launch of vertical short-form videos?
To increase content discoverability and time-on-platform by adopting a familiar, addictive format (TikTok-style feed). The broader goal is to lower the friction between audiences and new writers, especially for creators who thrive in short, visual storytelling formats. It’s about expanding the top of the funnel and giving creators a new surface to express ideas quickly.
2. How might this feature affect engagement across newsletters vs. videos?
It may shift casual engagement toward short-form content, especially for readers who aren't ready to commit to full posts. But if done right, it can complement newsletters: videos become hooks, and newsletters deepen the relationship. But I also think that all of this comes with a risk: creators focusing too much on the algorithm, and less on depth.
3. If you were on the team, how would you measure the success of this launch?
- % of users who view at least one video per session
- Conversion rate from video view → newsletter subscription
- Time spent in the video feed vs. traditional reading time
- Creator adoption rate (% of active writers posting videos weekly)
- Retention uplift among new users exposed to videos in week 1
If I were the PM, I’d keep a close eye on whether this feature grows the reader base without compromising the writer-reader relationship that makes Substack special. Discovery shouldn’t come at the cost of depth.