Why I Blog on Substack
Spoiler: This not an article about substack.
I wrote this blog post for the blog tab of the new online shopping platform I use for my own business, Playthings Studio, called Pattern. It occurred to me that it was better suited for art|Works Initiative audiences who would appreciate it as a real-world case study in technology and business decision making.
In essence we’re talking about simplifying our message and using tools that already exist. We do that by leveraging the many and referencing the one. Come with me.
Why I Blog on Substack
This is the first and last blog post you will see on my Pattern. Why? Because I use Substack to blog.
Now you're asking yourself, "Why did she write a blog post here just to tell me she's not going to write a blog here?" Touche. How else would you know about my substack?
That's enough about substack. Here's The Why.
In working with art|Works Initiative, I've discovered a few things that will make my life significantly easier as an artist & entrepreneur. One of the foundational principles I apply to my marketing strategy is to use what exists and minimize repetition. OK. That was 2 ideas. But they go together.
Here's an example.
The 1 link I use for everything:
Here's another example.
The 10 Platforms you can discover me on:
Despite appearances, these 2 examples are complementary. I am pointing my existing customer base to a single location, Linktree, and I am leveraging existing market-places where an algorithm can help strangers discover me on their own.
So if you are still here with me, it's because you discovered my Pattern. If you're into Blogs, you will want to follow me on Substack. The link to my substack is the same as the link to everything else. I look forward to seeing you there - that is wherever you end up.
XO Jessi Stead
End Scene. As you can see this article was not about Substack. Instead, we addressed the underlying why behind the business decision. Jessi at Playthings Studio isn’t too terribly different from Jessi at art|Works Intitiative in that sense. Both Jessis chose substack for 3 reasons:
It satisfied her need for a blog
It has an open-faced market-place that makes Jessis’ blogs discoverable
It already existed. It’s easier to color with crayons that exist already than it is to make them from scratch.
There are other reasons to choose substack over competing blogging platforms, but that is a post for another time.
Take care, fellow artists and artisans.
Jessi Stead
Creative Director | art|Works Initiative