I Grew to 100 Substack Subscribers After I Learned These Secrets
Use them to grow to 100 Substack subscribers too.
I’m lost for words, but I’ve reached 100 subscribers.
Just two months ago, when I had only 17 subscribers, I felt like giving up. I had lost all hope and thought that I’d never grow. And it got worse when I saw others celebrating reaching 10,000 subscribers in a month.
But fast-forward to today. After nine months, I’ve finally achieved one of my goals for this year.
Let me show you how I did it.
Don’t be like other Substackers who ignore Notes
Many Substackers ignore Notes.
I must admit when I started writing on Substack, I completely ignored Notes. I only wrote newsletters and never posted a single Note.
But everything changed when I saw everyone talking about how they were growing from Notes. So, I decided to join them and started writing on Notes.
My first Note was horrible. I was the only person who liked it. But I didn’t stop there. I joined a webinar that taught me how to write better Notes.
I’ve been following its tips since then.
Now Notes drives most of my subscription so I can confidently say that writing on Notes gives your newsletter lots of attention and subscribers.
What I do:
- I use Notes to share my achievements, like reaching 87 subscribers.
- I also post Notes on counterintuitive thoughts. For example, if writing doesn’t keep you up at night, you don’t want it badly enough.
- And I share my newsletters as Notes.
Use Notes to drive attention and subscribers to your newsletter.
Don’t compete on Substack. Instead, collaborate
Substack is more fun when you form relationships.
Instead of blindly DMing someone and asking them to recommend your newsletter immediately, get to know them better. Read their Notes or newsletters. Leave thoughtful comments and like their posts.
And sometimes, it’s hard not to have a competitive mind seeing someone ahead of you. I’m also guilty of this.
But the best creators on Substack collaborate.
I recently got a DM from a huge writer I admire. He said he read one of my posts and loved it. Then he subscribed and recommended my newsletter. And his recommendation gave me a new subscriber.
But he wouldn’t have known me or my newsletter if I hadn’t engaged with his posts.
Collaboration grows. Competition destroys.
No one knows you unless you do these 2 things
Many of us creators are unknown.
Just because I have 100 subscribers doesn’t mean I’ve become famous overnight. Many others have reached this milestone and no one has ever heard of them.
That’s why if you don’t post daily and consistently and engage with other creators, you’ll remain a creator no one has heard of.
You must humble your ego. And don’t expect readers to know who you are.
I only reached this level by putting myself out there through:
- Responding to the comments I get.
- Posting 1–3 Notes daily and a weekly newsletter.
- Spending 15–30 minutes engaging with other writers.
- And turning my comments on other people’s posts into new Notes/newsletters.
Post and engage daily to be noticed.
Never back down
Don’t chase virality.
Sometimes growth is slow. I’ve been through these hard times. I’d look at my stats daily and see no change.
These hard times are when you need to be strong.
Writing challenges your determination. That’s why you can’t quit. Because if you learn the right tips to grow and stay consistent, you’ll surely grow.
Growth isn’t linear. Look at me for example, it took me 7 months to gain 17 subscribers. But it took me another 2 months to reach 100 subscribers.
Back then, it was tough to continue. But I vowed never to stop writing. And now it has paid off.
Write for a year before expecting results.
Final Thought
Substack is powerful.
The engagement and reach it gives creators are awesome. And I’m one of those creators.
Are you going to be one of these creators?
You get to decide.
What was your favourite secret? Tell me in the comments below.
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