Your Substack Live Is a Podcast Episode. Start Treating It Like One.

I left podcasting behind... but now that Substack Lives are here, I'm planning my new one 😉

Substack is pushing lives and video hard right now, and I see that the “talk of the town” is whether to embrace it.

I’m planning on “going there”, too. I think even though this is a writing-first platform, using the features that the platform provides lets us layer in more things that help us get to know people on here (our readers and our fellow writers.)

Adding your voice and face to your writing accelerates the know-like-trust factor in a way that words on a screen simply can’t match on their own.

For anyone building authority in a new space, that matters.

Lives also give the algorithm a reason to pay attention to you — Substack rewards creators who use all their tools.

So yes, I say, go live.

But before you do, let me save you from making the same mistakes I’ve watched podcasters make for years.

Because here’s the thing: a Substack live is a podcast episode.

It just happens to be recorded in real time.

The same principles that separate a bingeable show from one that collects dust in someone’s feed? They apply here too.

And I’ll be honest — I haven’t listened to a single Substack live yet. It’s not because I’m not curious. It’s because every time I click on one, I get 90 seconds of “Hey, we’re just waiting for people to join...” and I’m out.

Which brings me to the first thing you need to fix.

Stop waiting to start.

When you hit the live button, go.

The first thing you need to say after you press start is what you’re going to be talking about. Get to the point, fast.

If you want to catch up with your guest and make small talk, do that before you press the live button. The moment you’re live, the clock is ticking on someone’s attention — and you’re losing it with every second of dead air.

This is the point that is most important: most people won’t catch your live in real time. They’ll hit play on the replay hours or days later. For them, that “waiting for people to join” intro isn’t charming. It’s a skip-forward-or-abandon moment. The replay is your main audience. Build it for them, because you’re competing with like a million distractions.

Your live needs an outcome.

Your posts have a takeaway for the reader. Why would your live be any different?

Within the first 30 seconds, tell people exactly what they’re going to get. “Today we’re breaking down the three biggest mistakes new Substackers make with their welcome email.” Done. (ooh wait that’s a good live to do 😂 I think I’ll put a pin in that)

Now the person listening — live or on replay — knows why they should stay. You’ve earned their next five minutes.

Then you can relax into the conversation. Warm up, be yourself, tell a joke. But the hook comes first, or the rest doesn’t matter because nobody’s there to hear it.

Fix your title.

“Live with John Smith” is not a title. It’s a calendar invite.

Nobody clicks on a name they don’t recognize. People click on a problem they want solved or a question they want answered. “How John Smith Built a 10K List in 6 Months” — now I’m interested. Your guest isn’t the draw. The topic is.

(Aaaaand I’m building out my lives plan in real time! Stay tuned, y’all.)

Have a structure (even a loose one).

You don’t need a script. But walking in with two or three points you want to hit is the difference between a conversation that builds authority and one that meanders into nowhere. Rambling works at brunch with mimosas. It doesn’t work when you’re asking someone to give you 30 minutes of their attention.

End like you mean it.

Don’t trail off with “well, thanks everyone, bye.” Land somewhere. Recap the one big takeaway. Give people a next step — subscribe, check out the guest’s Substack, reply with their biggest insight from the conversation. A strong close is what people remember, and it’s what prompts them to come back for the next one.

Restack your live and give the reader some bullets on what it’s about

Once your live is over, restack it to your feed and add some text. Tell people what they’ll get from listening so they know why they need to press play in the first place. Write your bullets in a way that make people curious, so they can’t help but press the ‘play’ button.

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One live, done well, can fuel your content for days. The conversation can become a written post. A great moment becomes a Note. A key insight becomes a hook for your next piece. All of your content can fuel other content on here. If you have gone live yourself and are recognizing some of these mistakes, don’t worry! Go back and listen, and mine that raw material for some written posts.

I spent years in podcasting learning what makes people actually listen.

I’m seriously considering turning that into something more structured for Substack creators — a training on how to make your lives listenable, bingeable, and worth people’s time.

Would that be useful to you? Click here and vote and let me know — I’ll build it if you want it.

Know someone who’s considering going live? Share this post with them!

Did you get something out of this post? If so, would you do me a huge favor and restack this post for your audience to see it? I would really appreciate it!