Why I Wanted to Understand Substack Better
Lately I’ve been hearing more and more people ask about connecting Pinterest and Substack, but before even thinking about strategy, I realized I didn’t fully understand what Substack actually is anymore. So I sat down with Carla Contreras to talk through all of it, because she has been deeply immersed in the platform since 2021 and has watched it evolve in real time.
What stood out immediately is that Substack is no longer just a writing platform. While many people still think of it as a sacred place for writers and newsletters, Carla explained that it has shifted into something much bigger. Audio, video, podcasts, live streams, notes, community interaction, and newsletters now all live inside the same ecosystem. And according to Carla, the platform clearly prefers multimedia content, even if they won’t outright say they prioritize it.
The Most Interesting Thing Carla Shared About Podcast Growth
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was hearing how moving her podcast onto Substack completely changed its growth trajectory. Carla shared that after moving her podcast directly onto the platform, her show experienced massive growth over the following year. She believes part of that came from how Substack surfaces audio content combined with her intentional use of SEO and keywords.
What I appreciated most was that she didn’t frame this as some overnight success story. Instead, she talked about how she experimented, tested things, rebuilt parts of her publication multiple times, and stayed curious about how the platform was evolving. It reminded me so much of Pinterest in the sense that the people who tend to succeed are the ones paying attention to shifts in behavior, language, and strategy instead of expecting instant results.
Related: The #1 Growth Strategy for Pinterest Marketing
Substack Is Becoming More Social Than People Realize
Another big takeaway from my conversation with Carla was that many creators think they’re leaving social media when they join Substack, but that’s not really true. The platform has quietly become much more profile and engagement driven through features like Notes, Lives, comments, reposts, and follows.
Carla explained that one of the biggest mistakes creators make is assuming the platform works like a traditional newsletter tool when it actually behaves much more like a media ecosystem. And because the platform changes so quickly, it can honestly feel confusing even for people who teach it professionally. I really appreciated her honesty about that because I think so many entrepreneurs assume they’re “bad at tech” when really the platform itself is constantly moving and evolving.
Related: How the Pinterest Algorithm Works
How Pinterest and Substack Can Actually Work Together
What became really clear during our conversation is that Pinterest can be an incredible traffic driver for Substack when used intentionally. Carla emphasized that instead of sending Pinterest users to random Notes or temporary content, it’s much more effective to send them directly to a publication post that contains strong keywords, clear messaging, and pathways to deeper content.
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She also shared something I loved, which is that even though she uses Substack heavily, she still treats her website as the true home of her content. Her Substack posts regularly link back to her website, podcast blog, offers, and resources. It’s not about abandoning your website for Substack. It’s about using Substack as another layer of visibility, storytelling, and connection while still maintaining ownership of your core platform.
Related: Troubleshooting Pinterest Part 3: Content
My Biggest Takeaway From This Conversation
Honestly, this conversation made me realize how important it is for creators to stay flexible and curious right now. Platforms are changing incredibly fast, and the people who are thriving are usually the ones willing to experiment instead of demanding certainty before they begin.
What I loved most about Carla’s approach is that she’s not teaching from theory. She’s actively building, testing, refining, and observing the platform in real time while helping other entrepreneurs do the same. And underneath all the strategy, algorithms, and features, there was one message that kept standing out to me: your content should ultimately serve the person consuming it.
Whether it’s Pinterest, Substack, podcasts, newsletters, or blogs, the goal is still connection. The tools may evolve, but creating meaningful experiences for real people is still what matters most.
You can find this podcast episode by going to Apple or Spotify
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