Faceless Video For Substack Creators (Beginner Guide)
The Faceless Video Formats Driving Growth on Substack
Howdy, Wealth Gangš¤
Todayās Post Is In Collaboration Withā¦
Pinkie from AI Meets Girlboss.
Over the past eight years, she worked on 500+ branding videos across long- and short-form formats, including podcasts and social content for large corporations, with average monthly reach in the millions.
We asked ourselves a question: How do you use video on Substack without turning the camera on yourself?
In this post, youāll learn:
How creators on Substack are using video without showing their face
Which faceless video formats actually work (with real examples)
How to pick one format you wonāt hate and test it in 10 minutes
āVideo = faceā is lazy thinking on Substack
AI Meets Girlboss: On Substack, podcasts, video posts, and lives already do a lot of the heavy lifting. Video is clearly a priority surface, and most large publications use it in some form.
But that doesnāt mean it only works if youāre on camera.
What the platform actually rewards is recognisable, repeatable formats. A small group of creators are already using video as an awareness and engagement layer without ever showing their face.
As a little experiment, I scrolled through Substack Explore, and I could load the Notes feed four times before hitting a video. When I did, one example was a faceless video cover by Jess LeĆ£o for her post Dance of AGI Dragons. It stood out immediately against a wall of static images and text. Inside the post, she continued using GIFs to carry ideas instead of repeating them in prose.
Iāve always preferred being behind the camera. Designing systems, visuals, and structure feels natural. The moment Iām expected to sit in front of a lens, the energy shifts.
Faceless video on Substack removes the pressure to perform and replaces it with something more sustainable: formats people recognise and trust.
A Menu of Faceless Video Formats You Can Start With
AI Meets Girlboss: If video feels intimidating, the problem usually isnāt confidence or skill. Itās not knowing where to start. Video feels overwhelming when itās treated as one big thing. In reality, itās a set of containers. You donāt need all of them. You need one that fits how you already think.
Below is a short menu of faceless video formats creators are already using on Substack. Treat this as a pick-one list.
Video format #1: Screen Recordings
If you teach, explain, or work through tools, this is the easiest place to start. Your screen does the talking.
Why it works: people see proof instead of promises
Try this if: you already explain things in writing
Tools: Loom, Screen Studio, OBS
Karen Spinner walked her followers through how to set up Google Analytics for Substack. No face, clear narration, and it resulted in high engagement numbers. This video did incredibly well, even for Karen, who is a star anyway.
Video format #2: Illustration Videos
If you think visually or like working with metaphors, illustration videos let you tell stories without explaining them out loud. Motion carries the idea.
Why it works: illustration creates instant differentiation.
Try this if: you already sketch ideas, use metaphors, or want your visuals to do more of the talking.
Tools: Envato, KlingAI 01
atom š uses illustration and motion to communicate ideas directly through visuals. The style is instantly recognisable, and the message lands because the visuals are the story.
Video format #3: Visual Essays & Slideshows
If you work with complex ideas, frameworks, or step-by-step reasoning, this format helps you pace understanding visually instead of dumping everything into text.
Why it works: visuals slow the reader down and make dense ideas easier to absorb. This format is especially strong for saves and restacks.
Try this if: your writing already has structure and you often think in frameworks.
Tools: Canva, Midjourney (for consistent slide visuals), ElevenLabs (for narration)
ToxSec regularly shares video explainers on complex AI security and cybersecurity topics. He uses AI-generated images as slideshows with AI narration, making difficult concepts approachable. His visuals are highly consistent. When you see them, you immediately know itās him.
Video format #4: AI-generated B-roll videos with narration
If you like systems and repeatability, this format turns scripts into video without filming anything yourself. Once itās set up, itās low-energy and scalable.
Why it works: it separates thinking from execution. You write once, the system does the rest.
Try this if: you value consistency over spontaneity and want a workflow you can reuse.
Tools: Runway, Pika
Dheeraj Sharma shared a full workflow for automating faceless videos end-to-end: script ā images ā video ā narration ā final output. Heās built a repeatable system that produces steady video content without being on camera.
Video format #5: Video covers for posts
If you already publish consistently, video covers are one of the lowest-effort ways to add motion without creating āvideo content.ā
Why it works: motion stops the scroll.
Try this if: your posts are solid but you want more people to actually click them.
Tools: Canva, Envato, GIPHY
I tested video covers on my own Substack after only using static images. The first post with a video cover brought in two subscribers immediately.
Thatās the format side. Handing it over to Timo Masonš¤ on where faceless video fits into Substack growth.
Where Faceless Video Fits in Substack Growth
Howdy Peopleš¤
Pinkie walked you through the formats you can use.
āBut why do they work and how they help you grow on Substack?ā
The answer lies in the principle of moving against the massesā¦ Most Substack creators only write, this is a M-A-S-S-I-V-E opportunity for you.
When everyone does the same thing, the person who adds one more dimension automatically stands out.
Standing out in a positive way = growth.
Video does exactly that.
Video Reaches A Different Type Of Reader
Timo Masonš¤ : Some people love reading long-form articles, while others prefer watching and listening. Substack knows this so theyāre pushing video harder with every update.
More videos surface in Notes and articles, not to mention every single subscriber gets a notification when you start up a live video.
That means the platform is already training a new type of Substack user:
The one who watches first, reads second.
If youāre only writing, youāre invisible to them.
The smart move: serve both audiences
You donāt have to choose between video and writing.
You can do both in the same post.
Drop a faceless video at the top that teaches the core idea, then follow it with the written breakdown below. Now youāre covering two audiences without overcomplicating your posting schedule.
The video hooks visual learners. The text gives readers depth and searchability. You write the script, record a voice walk-through and then turn that same script into your article.
One idea, two formats.
You create value once and serve two different audiences.
This combo compounds like crazy. :)
But video is not all honey and butter like you might think, there are 4 major downsides you need to be aware of before you go into the media trenchesā¦
The Trade-Offs of Using Video on Substack
Video sounds like the ultimate growth hack until you actually start using it. It comes with constraints that writing doesnāt have, and ignoring them will cost you time, energy, and sanity.
Here are the four trade-offs you need to know before you commit:
1. Video Is Harder to Edit Than Writing
Spot a typo in an article? Fixed in 30 seconds.
Realise you said the wrong stat in a video? Youāre stuck.
You either reshoot the whole thing, live with the mistake, or add an awkward correction in the description. Text is forgiving. Video is permanent.
2. Video takes more upfront effort
Writing is: open a doc, type, edit, publish. Video is: script, record, check audio, edit, export, upload, add captions, pray the file doesnāt corrupt.
One article with my AI-workflow takes me 2 hours + video would be another 1ā2 hours minimum for production.
Even faceless formats require setup. Screen recordings need clean desktops and smooth narration. AI-generated videos need prompts, rendering time, and quality checks. Itās not hard, but itās not instant either.
3. Not Everyone Can Watch Video
Some people scroll with sound off, others are on slow internet and wonāt wait for a 5-minute video to buffer.
Text is universal. Video is conditional.
If your audience skews older, works in offices, or consumes content during commutes, they might skip your video entirely no matter how good it is.
4. When Video Can Hurt Consistency
Youāre already struggling with weekly articles, daily notes, then maybe video isnāt something to pile on.
Consistency beats quality every time in the early stages of building an audience.
If video slows you down so much that you go from posting twice a week to once a month, youāve lost.
If adding video means you canāt show up regularly anymore, skip it.
Stick with what you can sustain, and only add video when your system is stable enough to handle it.
When Video Can Wait (And Thatās Okay)
Your content needs frequent corrections
You donāt want to spend extra effort per idea
You want to optimize for reader experience only
Youāre already stretched thin and adding video would break your consistency
Video is a tool, not a requirement.
Use it strategically instead of blindly.
Youāll grow faster by being consistent in one format than inconsistent across two.
What Now?
Now you know the upside: video helps you stand out and reach a different audience
And you know the downside: it takes more effort, canāt be edited easily, and might break your consistency if youāre not ready.
Thatās enough to make a smart decision about whether video fits your workflow right now.
But you wonāt actually know until you try it.
Test it once, low-stakes, just to see how it feels.
Thatās why Pinkie built a 10-minute challenge for you.
Just one quick experiment to see if faceless video clicks for you.
I hand it over to herā¦ š¤
A 10-Minute Faceless Video Challenge (No Camera Required)
AI Meets Girlboss: If this post made video feel possible, donāt bookmark it. Try one thing now. Set a 10-minute timer. Your only goal is to create a rough first version, not something publishable.
The Video Format Finder Prompt (Copy & Paste)
Choose one Substack post youāre proud of but feel deserved more attention.
Use the Video Format Finder Prompt below.
Follow the recommendation and sketch the video. Stop when the timer ends.
You are a content strategist helping Substack writers increase engagement using faceless video. Analyze the attached Substack post and identify:
1. The core idea of the post in one sentence
2. The moment where readers are most likely to hesitate, skim, or drop off
3. One faceless video format that would most effectively support this post (choose from: screen recording, GIF, illustration video, visual essay/slideshow, AI-generated B-roll, or video cover)
For the selected format:
- Explain why this format fits the post
- Suggest what the video should show in the first 3 seconds
- Outline a simple 20ā30 second version of the video
- Recommend 1ā2 tools I could use to create it quickly
Keep the recommendation practical, low-effort, and aligned with a Substack audience. Avoid suggesting talking-head or on-camera video.In the comments, shareā¦
Which faceless video format feels most doable for you right now
Whatās been stopping you from trying video so far
Bonus points if youāve already experimented, link it, we love seeing these and restacking them š
Faceless video on Substack isnāt about becoming a video creator. Itās about using the right format to help more people discover the ideas youāre already writing
If you try the 10-minute challenge and post your result in Notes, tag me.
Iāll be watching.
See ya soon,
Pinkie š©·š¦© and Timo š¤
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Timo Masonš¤
I'm really happy with the joint post we created Timo!
The part where you shed light on the pros and cons is super useful and down to earth. Video is not for everyone and timing is so important! Great work and thank you for doing this with me!š©·š¦©
I write whimsical stories. My latest ones have illustrations. I'm a seasoned writer, but not a polished illustrator. Can I do this with ai? What are your recommendations?
I've also written stories without illustrations that I want to get out there first. And I'd love to do audio with illustrations