36 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
36 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
# Substack Formatting Best Practices
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## Text Centering
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Substack's minimalist editor lacks a standard center-align button for regular body text. To center text: select it, click "Insert Quote", then choose "Pull Quote". This creates a visual break ideal for highlighting key phrases or statistics.
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## Content Hierarchy
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- Use **Heading 1** through **Heading 3** to create a clear, scannable structure.
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- Keep paragraphs short (3–5 sentences max) to maintain readability in both email and web views.
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- Use **Bold**, *Italics*, ~~Strikethrough~~, and hyperlinks to guide the reader's eye and improve scannability.
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- Use bullet points, numbered lists, and dividers to break up long sections.
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## Quotes
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- **Block Quote**: For clearly attributing long excerpts from external sources.
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- **Pull Quote**: For emphasis on a key phrase or statistic; renders centered and visually distinct.
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## Visuals and Media
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- Insert images, GIFs, or charts to break up heavy text.
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- Image width options: **standard**, **wide**, or **full** — choose based on the visual weight needed.
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- Always add a **caption** and **alt text** to every image. Alt text serves accessibility and organic SEO simultaneously.
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## Interactive Engagement Tools
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- **Native buttons**: "Subscribe", "Share your post", "Leave a comment".
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- **Custom buttons**: Insert any URL to drive a specific reader action (e.g., download, survey, external link).
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- **Polls**: Exclusive to paying subscribers; functions as a passive engagement and retention mechanism.
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## Email Subject Line Rules
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- Keep subject lines under 50 characters to prevent truncation on mobile.
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- Avoid ALL CAPS, excessive exclamation marks, and spam-trigger phrases like "Buy Now" or "Act Now".
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- Test deliverability by checking spam scores before sending to the full list.
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