When I started my weekly newsletter journey, I faced a dilemma: which platform to choose? I knew about Substack and Medium, but Web3 alternatives like Mirror and Paragraph also caught my eye. To streamline my decision-making process, I categorized the platforms based on customization levels and hosting options.

After thorough research, I opted for hosted newsletters. I chose Substack and Paragraph, viewing each publication as a unique "stock-keeping unit" (SKU), emphasizing content as my product. Here's a breakdown of my considerations and choices:

Options:

• Hosted Newsletters Platform

  • Substack (selected) - SEO Optimized, Newsletter

  • Paragraph (selected) - SEO Optimized, Newsletter

• Hosted Blogging Platform

  • Wordpress (based on Wordpress)

  • Medium (closed source)

  • Mirror (closed source)

• Customizable Self-Publishing Tools

  • Wordpress.org (open source)

  • Ghost (open source)

  • Next.js(open source)

  • Hashnode (closed source)

• Hosting Providers

  • WP Engine (Wordpress hosting)

  • Vercel (NextJS hosting)

• Community

  • Dev.to

  • Twitter

Considerations:

1. Newsletter-First vs Blog-First Platforms:

   • I chose newsletter-first platforms due to their combined blog functionality, finding them more convenient. Blog-first platforms like Medium felt cumbersome due to their paywall options.

2. Hosted vs Flexibility:

   • I opted for hosted platforms to focus solely on content without dealing with additional maintenance tasks. Hosted platforms offer networking benefits and convenience for new writers.

3. Web2 vs Web3 Platforms:

   • While Web3 seemed natural for my content, existing options proved challenging due to complexities like minting. I decided to publish on both Substack and Paragraph to understand their nuances and audience differences.

4. Community Platform:

   • I deferred community-based platforms for organic reach, planning to revisit this option if needed later.

5. Discoveries:

   • Native SEO support was vital, and my chosen platforms excelled in this area.

   • I appreciated the diversity in writers and topics, enriching my experience.

   • Noteworthy differences existed between closed and open-source platforms, although this didn't impact my choice.

   • Interestingly, Web3 products like Mirror and Paragraph being closed-source didn't raise ethical concerns, a departure from previous debates in other Web3 verticals.

6. User Experience:

   • I'll explore the subtle differences in the onboarding experience in a future post, focusing on my first-time writing experience on Substack and Paragraph.

For now, I'll publish on Substack and Paragraph, aiming to identify a clear winner or continue on both if they prove distinct. Stay tuned for updates. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to email your questions. See you in the next post!