how to get your first 100 subscribers on Substack

my honest take on Substack growth

hi there, how’s it going? this is Han from work in progress, where I share about cool apps and things I learn here and there. hope you’re having a great day 🥳

before we start, thank you, yes, you, the one who’s been reading my blog and keeping it alive. you’re one of the reasons I’m sharing this. I like to think that I care about my audience enough to put some extra effort in publishing these pieces.

disclaimer:

1. Substack growth is not everyone’s appetite, just like how one doesn’t like to get more followers on social media. if you don’t care about performance goals, this post is not for you.

2. this works best and in the easiest way if you’re already in a writing community to start with, or participating in a writing challenge (yes, that counts). I’ll tell you why.

context: when I started my Substack, I was actually joining a blogging course where everyone learn and write at the same time. we had a 30-day writing challenge in which you’re encouraged to write at least 25/30 post to get the reward of 1 million dong. sounds fun, right? this community already helped me a lot in generating new subscribers.

“what if I am not joining any blogging course?” you might ask.

let’s start with why having more subscribers is important, at least to me.

“I want my work to be popular, not necessarily my personal brand” - that sounds ideal when many people answer this to the question “do you ever wanna be famous?”

before Substack, I didn’t have a fancy social media follower base nor I was having a huge network of people who would be ready to become my subscribers at any point of time.

my Facebook looked like a fake account with zero post, while my Instagram had less than 100 followers at the time, plus I rarely have a proper profile picture with my face in it (at least not before I joined the writing community and started networking). just so you know, everyone gotta start at some point.

but if I operate my Substack the same way as how I did with my personal social accounts, I could never get to the point of 100+ subscribers within 45 days. I couldn’t receive private messages from people who said they appreciated my writing, or that some of my pieces got them thinking. my posts would just be forever the raw notes once slept peacefully on my iPhone.

my growth graph, from start to now

if we write without an audience, then we’d rather be journaling instead. who cares who’s reading?

Finding an audience is your job, regardless of who you are.

the thing is, how?

#1 be ready to be more exposed

with whoever that are potentially your audience.

starting your personal blog is similar to starting your own business, whether you monetize it or not. in startups, everyone understand that onboarding the first 100 users for your product is a cruel task.

rule 1.1: always start with your network

meaning your best friends, your mum/dad, your sister/brother, your work buddy, whoever you feel close and safe enough to share your blog with.

then whoever’s in your friend list on social media. you can try below checklist:

• ✅ make sure your Substack link has enough visibility: on your Facebook/Instagram bio, your LinkedIn profile, resume or portfolio (if you write about professional work)

• ✅ write an introduction for your blog, on your personal social accounts

• ✅ share your blog in your dm, to someone who you know would definitely support you in doing this (I don’t wanna sound pathetic but got my first 2 subs by this lol)

rule 1.2: maintain that visibility consistently

maybe people won’t subscribe to your blog in the first place, but they get the gist of it, or at least some would come and read your work. so you could definitely try:

• ✅ share your post in your Instagram story, or any other social accounts

• ✅ re-up your post on your other social accounts (if you don’t want your personal account to do anything with it, then create a separate account for this purpose)

• ✅ bring in a teaser on your social account for your blog post, then put the Substack link in the comment section (post with no link tends to get more reach on Facebook)

rule 1.3: advertise, as if your blog is your most critical product

find or have communities where the participants are also your potential audience, then spread your words to them. think about:

• ✅ your target audience

• ✅ where they are on the Internet

• ✅ what values could you bring to the table, in their environment

eg: you write a lot about personal knowledge management. you and your audience both enjoy Obsidian - Second Brain Facebook group. you help people in the community discover different use cases using Obsidian with PKM by sharing your stories and tips. then somewhere in the comment you said: “I write more about this topic here, you guys might wanna check it out.”

#2 engage with other writers

you heard me. the fact that Substack seems like a healthier social network doesn’t mean it does not work like one. more accurately, Substack algorithm and search are even more difficult for baby writers to get exposed.

that means, when you’re on Substack, you don’t want to play this game alone. your email list does not grow organically without your Substack name appears somewhere on Substack community or other writers’ blogs.

rule 2.1: give comments to other blogs

be genuine, specific and creative about that as well. strangers wouldn’t look at your “I like this post” and then click straight into your Substack, would them? (actually they do if you’re lucky or simply someone is curious enough)

this is also part of increasing the visibility to your blog, but in a more subtle way. you can try to interact with:

• ✅ people who are also new on Substack, just like you.

  you know those kids using cross following (follow chéo) to push their social media followers? it actually tends to work cuz when you are in the similar position, you’re more likely willing to help the others and let them got your back.

• ✅ people who have way more subscribers than you currently have.

  maybe they won’t notice you and reply back, maybe their audience might. especially when you write a dedicated comment that show your way of thinking and people got hooked in it. boom, a potential subscriber is coming in your way.

rule 2.2: restack, better with a note

one of my favorite thing on Substack is that it lets you quote yours or others’ posts with notes. and those will be shown on Substack feed, just like your other social media feed.

think of it like this, you’re not only helping others but also helping yourself to be more seen on Substack just by restacking. similarly to commenting, people appreciate more when you share your authenticity on your restack notes, hence have more chance to visit your Substack to see how’re you doing.

be more generous, even before someone goes generous on you ;)

rule 2.3: mention someone in your post, or recommend them

and get them do it back, if you’re lucky.

I can’t thank enough those who have recommended my blog to their subscribers, and I wouldn’t really make it without them.

while on Substack, I discover many cool blogs based thanks to the recommendation feature, or when people have a small section at the end of their post to share interesting reads to their audience. in sum, you can try:

• ✅ mention someone’s name or their Substack publication link in your blog (preferably when you’re writing something relevant)

• ✅ bring in a recommendation section in your newsletter and share links to other blog posts (eg: your source of inspiration, discover weekly, etc)

• ✅ ask for cross recommendation on someone’s blog (better when you have close connection with the writer, or share similar goals)

rule 2.4: invite people to subscribe, whenever you can

meaning you gotta make sure the Subscribe button is visible in your blog post, at least to trigger newcomers. do it with a personalize message to make them feel more welcome.

#3 other golden tactics that you can try as you go

3.1: write Substack notes

or if best, write it continuously. write it as if this is your 2nd or 3rd social media account. maybe you don’t like it but Substack algorithm does. imagine how many posts would be published in one day, and how hard it is to stand out when you never say a single word outside of your publication.

write smart notes, funny notes, share memes that other writers might relate to, share your struggles/wins, etc. try and see what works best for you.

3.2: cross-post

share your audience with the other writers and let them share theirs. this works best when you collaborate with newsletters that are already popular.

3.3: give freebies

you know those brands who organize minigames and giveaway just so they can earn their potential customers’ contacts? or those who ask people to fill in their survey to receive digital gifts? this one is similar.

you can start a personal project curating whatever in your interests and strengths that you think would be benefit to others. eg: a Notion template, a mini ebook sharing your secret sauce to Substack subscribers, a collection of free resources you collect when you learn something, etc.

ask them to fill in their emails to receive the gifts. but remember to give clear consent letting them know that the emails they give out will be subscribed to your newsletter.

you can try this in different communities you’re in. or in your social media accounts if you have large follower base and want to convert them into your subscribers.

my last notes

Substack growth is tricky, and just like you, I’m just trying to learn how to get it right. but these guides wouldn’t mean anything if our posts suck. a lot of people might tell you to invest your time and effort in your writing first, before caring about numbers. that is agreeable, yet why not doing both at the same time? if you’re lucky enough, you can even get the feedback loop coming in as more people subscribe and read what you write.

as writers support writers, here’s a good piece in this topic that you can continue reading: Thành công của “Atomic Habits” và James Clear dạy người viết điều gì về sales? by

Akwaaba Tung

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you know what else that can make this easier? join a blogging course, lol, seriously. because you wouldn’t imagine how big the support could be when you’re in a writing community, especially when you’re just starting out. check it out here:

• Vietnamese: Học ăn, học nói, học gói, học Mở

• English: what I learn when I learn Writing On The Net

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thank you for reading this, and please hit subscribe if you haven’t already. your support means a lottttttttt to me, I mean it!

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Bài viết thuộc thử thách Viết Đều và Hay của Writing On The Net Alumni.

#wotn #vietdeuvahay