I love it when I see people launching their first Notion template.
After all, it's where I got started. I launched my first free Notion template in December 2020 and countless more after that. And by far the best advice I ever received from seasoned template creators was to put it on Gumroad.
When you're first starting out it's tempting to just give your template away with your naked Notion link, especially if you have the intention of keeping it free. And while that's admirable, there are some very compelling reasons that you shouldn't do that.
Track What Resonates. With a naked Notion link you can never track how many people downloaded or used your template. By putting it on Gumroad you get real analytics and can see what is resonating with your audience (a hint to create more of that).
Build An Audience. If you're not going to make money, then build an audience. You can be sure that if people are interested in one product from you, they will be interested in more. Kill two birds with one stone and build your product as well as an audience.
Make Some Money. For the love of God, it's totally OK to make money as a creator (even a 'small' one). By putting it on Gumroad you are giving people the chance to say thank you in a monetary way for your hard work and your IP. Don't rob them of that opportunity.
Next time you're tempted to just throw a naked Notion link out, think again about taking the extra step to put it on Gumroad and start build your creator assets.