Is 2026 your year to take building your online following seriously?

If you've been around here for a minute, you know I'm a fan of creating your own thing ASAP.

Even if you don't know *exactly* what you're doing yet... I'm team "Start and figure it out along the way." 😂

And if you're an expert in anything (even if you consider it a hobby) you can 100% grow an audience and an email list around it and turn it into income (and my favorite place to get started right now is SUBSTACK).

Everyone's heard the story that inspires them — maybe it's even your favorite creator or author — who did it.

They started writing about something they were experiencing that they cared about, and it turned into a real business.

Like, for example, James Clear who wrote Atomic Habits.

He was getting over a head injury and needed to build incredible habits in order to continue to heal and succeed through college.

Or Ramit Sethi, who knew stuff about credit cards and money and his friends were bored an uninterested so he took to the internet to spread the word. (look who's laughing all the way to the bank now!?)

So because I know a lot of people have told me they want to start something but they aren't exactly sure what or how or IF they even should do it (maybe you're in that camp), I realized, why not write something that can help you envision it for yourself?

And — even better — how to make it easier — by using a type of format for your newsletter.

Because if you have a format or framework that you can come back to week after week, 50% of the work is already done.

So with that in mind, here are 5 types of newsletter/post STYLES you can copy that get you on the right track for creating a post-style or theme you can stick to. Not just because “yOu hAve tO stAy cOnsiSteNt!” but because you want to pick something you actually love doing that makes it feel more fun and perhaps even effortless.

Here we go!

The Curated Roundup

This is the one that kicked off this whole post — and it’s probably the most flexible format out there.

What it is: A regular digest of things you’re discovering — articles, podcasts, tools, products, books, videos, Substacks, whatever fits your world. You’re essentially saying “here’s what caught my attention this week” in a structured format. Think Tim Ferriss’s “5-Bullet Friday” where he shares what he’s doing, reading, following, and listening to.

Why it might work for you: You’re already consuming content in your area of interest. This format just captures what you’re naturally doing. No need to generate original insights from scratch — your value is in the filtering and your taste.

The potential trap: It CAN become a massive research project if you treat it like journalism. The key is to only share what you’ve actually consumed, not go hunting for things to fill slots. For example… if you’re passionate about natural parenting and you’re already reading articles, listening to podcasts, and discovering new accounts in that space… you’re already doing the work. The newsletter just sums it up.

The upside: Any curation post can spark a deep-dive. Found one thing that really grabbed you? That becomes its own post where you go deeper.

Who does this well on Substack:

​Downtime by Alisha Ramos (formerly Girls Night In): 135K+ subscribers. Lifestyle recommendations, book lists, cozy finds. She started this as a side project when she was burned out from her tech job—sharing things that brought her joy during her “nights in.” It grew entirely through word of mouth because people loved her curation.

Flow State: 43K+ subscribers. Daily (!) instrumental music for focus. Just two hours of music recommendations each weekday morning with artist context. Pure human curation, no algorithms. The founder literally just sends music he’s already listening to while working.

The Collaboration Model

This one surprised me when I noticed how well it works.

What it is: Instead of writing everything yourself, you co-create most of your posts with guests or collaborators. Your newsletter becomes a space for connection, and other people bring half the content and energy.

Why it might work for you: If you love networking and meeting interesting people —if that energizes rather than drains you — this could be a brilliant fit. Every post becomes an excuse to connect with someone new, and you’re building relationships while building your newsletter.

The thing to know: You need to genuinely enjoy the outreach and coordination. If the idea of pitching collaborations sounds exhausting, this isn’t your format. But if it sounds exciting? You might have found your thing.

Who does this well on Substack:

​Slow AI by Sam Illingworth: 5.5K+ subscribers. A professor and poet who writes about using AI more mindfully and reflectively. What makes his approach interesting is that almost all of his posts are collaborations — he regularly invites other writers to contribute prompts, reflections, and guest pieces. He even has an open invitation on his site: “If you enjoy Slow AI and would like to create something together, I would love to collaborate.” His archive reads like a who’s-who of thoughtful AI writers, and each collaboration expands his reach into new audiences.

The Questionnaire / Same-Questions Interview

This one is genuinely brilliant for the right person.

What it is: You create a standard set of questions and run different people through them. The format stays the same; only the answers change.

Why it might work for you: Half your content is pre-written (the questions). You’re not starting from a blank page every time. Other people provide the substance — you just need to find interesting guests and let the format work. Plus, the repetition becomes part of the appeal. Readers start to anticipate how different people will answer the same prompts.

The key insight: This works especially well when your topic is clear, popular, and timeless. Something people will always be curious about.

Who does this well on Substack:

​Oldster Magazine by Sari Botton (I just love this one!): Tens of thousands of subscribers. She created “The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire” and runs everyone from Elizabeth Gilbert to Rosie O’Donnell to 95-year-old Holocaust survivors through the same set of questions about aging. The questionnaire IS the format. Readers know exactly what to expect, and the topic — what it means to get older — is endlessly fascinating and endlessly relevant.

The beauty here is that the format does the heavy lifting. Sari doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel each time. She finds interesting people, sends the questions, and the responses become the content.

The One-Thing Deep Dive What it is:

Each issue focuses on ONE book, product, tool, idea, recipe, album, method, or experience. You go deep instead of wide.

Why it might work for you: You don’t need to find 5 things — just one. And if you’re already exploring in your area of passion, you’re probably discovering things worth talking about. The depth is what makes it valuable.

The magic: This format automatically becomes experiential and story-based. You tried something. You read something. You went somewhere. And now you’re telling us what happened and what you think. That kind of first-person narrative always gets attention because it’s inherently human.

Ideas for one-thing deep dives:

A book review (not a summary—your actual experience reading it and what it made you think)

An album or artist you discovered

A tool or app you tested

A method you tried (a productivity system, a parenting approach, a recipe, a workout)

A place you visited

A product you bought

An event you attended

A course you took

Any niche can support a “one thing I’m obsessing over this week” format — restaurants, albums, hikes, recipes, business tools, skincare products. The trick is picking things you’re genuinely geeking out about, not things you feel obligated to cover.

The Conversational Q&A (Written Format)

What it is: You interview someone and publish it as a written Q&A — not a podcast, not a video, just a conversation on the page. The back-and-forth format makes it easy to read and gives you natural structure.

Why it might work for you: Other people bring half the energy and ideas. You’re not staring at a blank page alone. And if you’re naturally better in conversation than in solo writing, this plays to your strengths.

The real skill: Curation. You’re curating people who are genuinely interesting, funny, and have something to say. If you don’t enjoy the process of finding and vetting those people, this format will feel like a slog. But if you love discovering cool humans and asking them questions? You’ve found your format.

Who does this well on Substack:

Embedded by Kate Lindsay: 43K+ subscribers. Her “My Internet” Q&A series asks interesting people about their online habits—what’s in their bookmarks, what tabs they have open, what they’re reading and watching online. It’s simple, repeatable, and endlessly interesting because the guests are well-chosen. Mondays are essays, Wednesdays are interviews. The format is clear, the rhythm is steady.

The Meta-Point:

These formats aren’t “easier” in the sense that you can phone them in. Nothing worth doing is effortless. But they make your process more doable — more fun, more sustainable, more matched to your natural tendencies.

The reason these work isn’t just about structure. It’s that they give you a container. When you sit down to write, you don’t have to figure out what kind of thing you’re making. The format is already decided.

And when your readers subscribe, they know what they’re getting. That predictability builds trust and habit on both sides.

The question isn’t “which of these is best?” It’s “which of these would I actually enjoy doing week after week?”

Because the real unlock isn’t finding the perfect format. It’s finding the one you’ll actually stick with.

What format are you drawn to? Or is there one I missed? Hit reply and let me know if you subscribe to a type that is cool that I missed here.

Tracy

P.S. are we connected yet on Substack? If not, let's connect there!