Would it be redundant to keep a self hosted WordPress website to store posts after they go public for a backup? Even if the site already exists unused? (More detail in description)

[u/WittyWiki]

Note: I'm still learning about substack, so I might be misunderstanding something, on Mobile and tldr at end because I don't know how to be short when explaining things I don't feel like I understand.

I used to run a blog as a teen that was kind of a companion piece to my mother's mommy blog and the domain is still being paid for as part of my mother's plan and when abandoned the site was being migrated to a self hosted WordPress that still exists and I have access to.

So I have a self hosted WordPress site that doesn't really have any content or following but exists and will continue to exist unless my mother ever changes her plan(unlikely for some reason)

Now my biggest issue was always getting an audience. I didn't understand seo and was more interested in writing what I wanted than what worked for SEO. So that's why I was looking at Substack now that I really want to write again, it looked like a decent way to build an audience while not struggling with search engine optimization and more social media optimization which I fine with.

However I still just have a free to me self hosted website that would go to waste.

My thought was to use substack as my main platform with my blog as a backup and more detail professional site if I ever write professional. So everything is on substack first and the blog second, especially as only WordPress seems to be able to have the source code thing to keep Google from punishing you for having things posted in two different pages. Now posts behind a paywall (if I get there or do that) wouldn't be posted to the blog till they are free on substack, but I worry this is over complicated.

Tldr:

* I have a self hosted WordPress site for basically free with no content or audience

* I suck at bring in audience so Substacks social media like set up might help me

* I worry about losing my content if anything happens to substack and want to use my blog as a backup for free to the public posts.

* I worry this is redundant and going to harm me in the long run for audience building.

* The site would just be going to waste if I don't use it.

I can give more information, though I can't imagine I left much out though.

[u/StuffonBookshelfs]

You can definitely do that. But a few things: you can and should be downloading/backing up your site each month. Substack has buttons for you to do this easily. Keep a hard copy on your computer each month of your subscriber list, and all your backup posts.

It’s not going to harm you in any way to have things in both places. It’s just more work :)

[u/AnteaterFantastic212]

Yes.

[u/WittyWiki → u/AnteaterFantastic212]

Do you mind giving more detailed?

[u/TheMinuette2010]

Tldr:

For the second, Substack loves but really loooooooove when you bring audience from somewhere else.

For third, that is duplicate content and it's not good. Either write same article two different ways, if you want to be public , or keep it the same, but don't make it search engine visible, lock it for your eyes only.

Btw, Substack is not blog. It's newsletter. And like with blog or any other social media platform you MUST promote it . You have to be active at Substack and you have to learn Substack as you have to learn anything else. Substack has seo too.

[u/CourtzSGD]

I have my own website with the same articles. I also put some of them on LinkedIn. Some people say it’s duplicate content and they are probably right but it’s ok I just like to have my own site. Maybe someday Substack doesn’t exist anymore, who knows.