99% Of Substack Profiles Suck, Here's How To Become Part Of The 1%

optimize your name, picture and description with this full masterclass

Howdy, Wealth Gang🤠

If you are serious about growing on Substack, there are a few non-negotiable things to set up.

One of them is 100% your profile.

It’s the main gateway to bring a reader to your content, and if your entrance hall already looks like an old, shabby back-door garage, every single visitor will do a 180 and get out of your Substack profile before even seeing what you have to offer.

That’s why I created The Perfect Substack Profile Trilogy.

It’s a 3-part series where we fix every part of your profile from the ground up.

1. Name
2. Picture
3. Description

Today, I give you the full trilogy in one shot, + some extra infographics as a bonus. :)

By the end, your profile will be optimized to make sure all your visitors will become loyal subscribers. :)

Now, we start with…

Part 1: Your Perfect Substack Profile Name

You will learn:

✓ Why your Substack profile name and your publication name are two completely different things (and why mixing them up is costing you trust)

✓ The difference between your Name and your Handle and exactly what to put in each field

✓ Why your profile name is the internal Substack SEO nobody talks about and how to make sure people can actually find you

Your name sounds like the easiest thing to get right.

Well… It isn’t. ;)

Your Substack Profile Is You, NOT Your Publication

First, we have to get clear about one thing.

On Substack, you have two different types of “identities.”

1. Your Publication

That’s your newsletter. It has its own name, its own page, its own branding. “Write Your Way To Wealth” is my publication name for example.

2. Your Profile

It’s your personal identity on the platform. The name that shows up when you comment, when you get mentioned, or when someone searches for you.

Mine is Timo Mason🤠.

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They are not the same thing, but creators constantly treat them like they are.

They put their newsletter name in their personal profile name field and wonder why they are not able to build an engaged audience

When your profile name says “NewsletterGrowthHQ” instead of your actual name, you don’t look like a person anymore.

You look like a brand account and people don’t connect with random brands.

The second your profile stops feeling like a real person, you lose trust before you even open your mouth.

“But what if I’ve been using my newsletter name as my profile name for months?”

Change it today.

The sooner it’s right, the sooner people trust you.

If you are afraid that some people might be confused, send out a quick mail to your audience and tell them about the update you made.

Keep the newsletter name for your publication, and your profile name for you.

Just Use Your Name (But Read This First)

There’s something worth knowing before you type in your name.

When you open your Substack profile settings, you’ll notice two separate fields.

Name and Handle.

The Handle

Your handle is how people find you and mention you on Substack.

When someone tags you in a comment or a note, they’re using your handle.

Keep it clean.

No emojis, no special characters, just your name in plain text.

Mine is simply timomason

The Name

This is where you have a little room to play.

Your name field is what displays publicly next to your profile picture. It’s what people actually see.

This is where you can add something that makes you visually distinct, like an emoji or symbol, something tied to your brand.

Mine is Timo Mason🤠

That cowboy emoji is part of my brand. And here’s the thing… whenever I get mentioned anywhere on Substack, I stand out immediately. The emoji makes me impossible to miss. :D

It’s a small detail that adds up to real recognition over time.

“But wait… do I have to use my actual legal name?”

Nope.

Timo Mason isn’t even my real name. You don’t need your exact legal name, just something that sounds like a real human being and is easy to find.

So pick your name, keep the handle clean, and add something small to the display name if it fits your brand.

Your Profile Name Is The “SEO” Nobody Tells You

I once tried to find the Substack profile of a client and when I put her name in the Substack search bar, nothing came out, like she… didn’t exist.

She was daily on the platform, but her profile name wasn’t her personal name, so Substack Search was like: 🤷‍♂️

Now think about what that means for you.

A potential collaborator heard your name somewhere or a reader from another platform wants to follow you on Substack.

They search your name, and if that’s not aligned with your internal Substack name they won’t find you.

Your profile name is your internal Substack SEO, and unlike Google, there’s no algorithm to game, you either have your name there or you don’t.

The 30-Second Fix

Please don’t just read and think “cool, I fix that someday” do the following right now while you are reading this article.

Go to your Substack profile settings.

You’ll see two fields:

1. Name

Put your real (or “could be real”) name here. Add an emoji or something on-brand if it fits.

2. Handle

What people use to find and tag you. Use the name you put into the first field without any extras.

That’s it, thirty seconds and your profile name is optimized for growth and trust.

Part 2: Your Perfect Substack Profile Picture