On the podcast today we’re talking about one of our most frequently asked questions: “Do I need a mailing list provider like Flodesk or MailChimp if I have a Substack?”

The answer is of course, it depends. While Substack does offer some of the functionality available in an external email service provider, it is limited and depending on your business, goals and audience, Substack alone may not be sufficient for you. Alternatively, you may find yourself with both a platform like Flodesk and Substack and feel like you’re holding the equivalent of two left shoes—either could work—but using both at once is not only unnecessary but potentially problematic.

While it’s not a right/wrong, black/white answer, in this conversation we attempt to provide a way forward that’s easy to follow and hopefully create some clarity around the topic. Plus, we offer some ideas on how to make the most of both traditional emails and Substack.

In essence, we break down the answer into two categories:

Category one: doesn’t need both.

Category two: might find both Substack and a traditional email service provider useful.

We go into more details about which category you and your business might fall into and why in the episode, so give it a listen and let us know what you think?

BIG news: The Substack Soirée is open for enrolments!

If you’ve been waiting for the next round, we’re thrilled to let you know the wait is over. The first day of class kicks off on April 22nd and we’ll open up the doors a few days earlier so you can get settled and meet your fellow guests. This will be our first class for the year so if you want to make Substack the big, warm beating heart of your online endeavours then please know you’re invited and we’d love to have you join us. Click below to find out more!

Mentioned in this episode:

* Hello Funnels

* ‘Let’s talk about welcome emails’

* Substack Soirée class (we start in April!)

* Sara’s post: How to automatically add subscribers to Mailchimp, Flodesk etc.

Extra notes, caveats, disclaimers etcetera

There was mention of the next round of our class starting in March, however due to health issues, moving house, general #lyfe adventures between the two of us, we’ve moved the starting date to the 22nd April. You can read all about the class and sign up right here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesoiree.substack.com