Since starting Blogmas earlier this week, I’ve been thinking about my blogging strategy going forward into 2026. The last few years I’ve only been reviewing sporadically but now I’m looking for new writing motivation and different ways of sharing my posts.
Ever since Twitter was bought over and began promoting in-app conversations over link sharing I’ve struggled to find social media that helps the blog find readers. I joined Bluesky and Threads but they were much harder work than Twitter to gain any shares or likes.
Instagram I used to enjoy because I loved taking pretty pictures of my record collection and sharing classic pictures. Unfortunately since Instagram changed its layout and prioritised Reels I have been pretty much cut adrift from the algorithm there too.
Earlier this year I considered trying short form video content. I made one reel of my Dolly Parton books. But I was bad at filming and don’t like editing. In the end the video didn’t seem to get any more engagement than a standard photo, so I didn’t see the point in doing any more.
I downloaded TikTok but it gave me a headache. My preferred Internet experience is being able to read posts and articles while listening to music of my own choice.
For research into my post about AI and music blogging, I asked ChatGPT for some social media and blog sharing strategies that might actually work. Much of the advice felt hollow and obviously written by a robot: ‘build a clear magnetic identity’, ‘posts should be shareable and saveable’, ‘run a discovery week’.
However one of the more interesting suggestions was to start a Substack newsletter.
I’ve never bothered with downloading Substack before, although I have subscribed to a few. Since I already have a blog on WordPress, I didn’t understand why I would bother using another blogging platform.
ChatGPT explained that Substack was a place to share links, to appeal directly to your reader and to offer something different that complimented rather than replicated the blog. Consider me intrigued.
So I downloaded the app and was immediately impressed. Here was a place made for sharing writing. How had I not realised this before? So many great women in music were using the place and many had paid subscribers too. Everything on the app looked so minimal and calming too, especially in comparison with the hellscape of X.
In terms of how I will use the site, I’m committed to writing a post which shares a song of the week from my New Music playlist, along with an album of the week which will link to a review, plus a short list of links to other content and news updates, plus I will keep a running album release schedule. Some of these are things I’ve been wanting to do for a while but I wasn’t sure where they fit.
AI might easily be wrong and it may be a waste of my time in terms of gaining new readers to this blog. But I’m still hoping it will be a useful addition to those who already like to read Highway Queens, while also giving me connection with a different community. Whatever the results it will still be a good way for me to understand a new platform.
So yes please sign up to my newsletter here: https://open.substack.com/pub/highwayqueens/p/welcome-to-the-highway-queens-newsletter?r=2cph34&utm_medium=ios
If you have any suggestions for what I should put in my newsletter then please let me know in the comments.
Highway Queens 
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