ENTER: Headers: the most overlooked real estate on Substack

The Wows! and Warnings! of Headers.

In front of every residence there is a space, whether it’s a yard, stair steps, or a front door of an apartment. Call it a portal to the lives within; call it curb appeal. It is the transition from “out” to “in.” In that space, magic happens. In an eye-blink, before rational thought, a feeling, an impression, is born, coloring everything that comes after.

In the community of Substack, 84% of the authors ignore that space as if it doesn’t exist.

(based on a study of 50 posts referenced below)

But it’s there, free real estate, offered by Substack, with a reminder from them on every email post.

The power of the EMAIL HEADER (we’ll leave the footer for another day).

Substack created this real estate and offers “how to” information, but I have not found any Substack advice on the purpose of this element which actually sits in a key opening position for every post. Not only can it help ENTICE readers into your post, it plays an ENTER role, creating that critical first impression.

There are some tricky aspects to using this valuable real estate and we’ll talk about them below, but first, let’s explore the benefits.

• Remind people who you are and why they are getting this email

• Connect with your reader on a personal level

• Entice them into the content

We know who we are and what we’re writing about … it’s easy to forget that a reader sitting there with 200 unopened emails may have forgotten why they subscribed to your newsletter. Every post should build the relationship and unless readers immediately understand the value of reading your post, it’s way too quick and easy to just delete and move on. (Remember: it’s common to have 7 out of 10 of your subscribers ignore your email … better than a 30% open rate is considered good.

We work really hard to gain subscribers …

we should do everything we can to entice them to open the emails we send.

Everything at the top of every post needs to TELEGRAPH value and connection.

Karen Cherry at PubStack writes about headers in 3 Quick and Easy Tips for Substack Success (a members-only Medium post but this part is open)

‘Headers and footers are important parts of every email. Headers provide an important introduction/reminder about why your email is in your reader’s inbox. Footers are a great place to ask your readers to take action (marketers call this your CTA, your Call to Action).

Improving your header and footer is a great way to improve your publication. I saw a major jump in free-to-paid conversions after re-writing the headers and footers shown to my free subscribers.

Use your headers and footers to show off your unique ‘voice’, remind readers about your mission, tease upcoming content and ask for shares, likes and comments.’

Header Warnings!

Headers are powerful, but tricky. I think I’ve made every one of these mistakes at least once.

1. Headers are date related … not post related. Whenever a post is published, it picks up the current header. Therefore, if you want a specific header to go with a specific post, you have to double check that they are in sync. This gets tricky if you schedule your posts.

2. Headers only show up on emails. Therefore, if content is used in the header, it must be reworked into the body of the post so that the website version of the post is complete.

3. Ideally, headers are customized for each post. Which makes the posting workflow a little more complicated.

4. “Standard” headers quickly become noise and don’t serve your purpose of connecting with the reader. Example: one of my newsletter heroes, as well as a stunningly example of long-term newsletter success (depending upon donations only), Maria Popova, uses a semi-standard header that has become mostly noise to me, but is always there for readers who need the information.

5. Beware of selling in the header. Since this is “first impression” space, selling here is very LOUD.

Whether or not you decide to incorporate headers into your Substack is completely your decision. Examples are few, far between, and generally less effective than their potential. You can do better, however, it takes thought and strategy. 

UPDATE: Here is a simple, effective use of the header space. It is brief, informative, and love that the last word links the reader to her About Page, which is also really well done. It is not as chatty and personal as some Substacks might be, however, it fits her niche and avoids the challenges of changing headers mentioned above. It’s not surprising that she has 8000 subscribers.

What Works is a newsletter and podcast that questions our assumptions about work, business, and leadership. Learn more about What Works and me, Tara McMullin, here.

Out of 50 of the posts in my current inbox, here are the 8 headers found and anonymized:

BOGO! Upgrade yourself and someone you love to access monthly Q&A’s, the full archive, (paid content), and the upcoming on-demand (content). (50% off pitch)

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Hi (author) here. As always, thanks for your support. It really means the world to me.

As a paying subscriber, you have full access to our community, including all the extra ways to get your writing in front of new readers.

For shorter (and weirder) shots of (substack) , check out my Notes, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Threads. (all linked)

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Morning all,

I am SO delighted to be sharing the (content) process I've gone through with (other author) - available to members next week (and all Subscribers a few weeks later). 

Read more in the post here ...

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On September 12th of last year, I wrote from our annual trip to Maine, about our love of the place, the water, and how we've returned every year with our aging dogs. We weren't sure whether or not we'd be there again with Pete this year, but as I write this, we are packing the car to drive north for three weeks. I'll be writing from the seaside, but until then, please enjoy this post from our last trip to the ocean.

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For as much we like to talk about strategies and maximized return on investment of time and effort, it's important to remember where it all starts...

Health is wealth. (Header for a cross-post)

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 (Substack) is thinking through a better future (Mondays), writing utopian fiction about it (Fridays), and studying utopian thought (for paid subscribers). Become a paid subscriber to support my work and join the literary salon! 

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(Substack) is a reader-supported publication that pays contributors. Please consider supporting this work by becoming a paid subscriber! Thank you.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of (Substack)

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More below … but first a word from Dory:

Putting these Field Guides together to help more of us succeed in this amazing space is a creative joy that I would probably pay you for … however, Dory complains when there’s no fish food.

So, Dory and I have decided that if we get enough fish food, we’ll keep these posts and Field Guides and discussion groups open to everyone. If that works for you, just click the purple button …

Bonus: While going through these 50 emails, I noticed how few email banners are being used. These images are like showing readers your face. And, remember, borrowing ideas from others is a fundamental part of creativity. Enjoy!

PS … my reaction after seeing all these together would be to vote for a graphic that includes the name of your Substack with an image. We’re going for a memory hook here.

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