Substack Diaries: How the heck did I jump from 27 to 180 subscribers?!

Lessons from an absolute beginner :: Jan 2024

Feb 02, 2024

Ummm….a lot has happened since my last December update (where I celebrated gaining 20 subscribers)!

Somehow, I’m almost at 200 subscribers! What!?! How did that happen??!!

Firstly, I just want to say, thank you to my awesome subscribers who’ve been with me from the start! You subscribed when I was still figuring things out! I’ll never forget your thoughtful comments (especially when it felt like I was writing into the void). You really kept me going! 🫶

Secondly, thank you to my new subscribers who saw something they liked and decided to stick around! I’ve loved talking to you in the comments and I love having you onboard this journey!! Here’s to new friendships! 🥂

Lastly, thank you so so much being so lovely and restacking my posts and notes. Thanks to you, I have been able to get in front of so many people! You’re the best! 💐

Ok…so what happened?

I think these were some of the key things:

I invested in learning.

I wanted to improve my writing and learn about Substack, so I joined the paid subscription for

Sarah Fay

’s

Substack Writers at Work

and

Claire Venus

’s

Sparkle on Substack

. (I had no idea that they both foster networking within the community! Bonus!!) I applied what I learned and shared about “The doubt train” (here’s an excerpt):

“The “Doubt Train” has large windows.

You get a great view of others, so you can compare yourself.

You get a great view of your flaws, so you can stay small and safe.

You get a great view of your other obligations, so you can use the excuse that you don’t have enough time.

You get a great view of the many different tracks you can take, so you become confused and scared of going down the wrong track.”

It seemed to resonate and got people talking about whether they needed to hop off the “doubt train”.

I prioritised crafting my headlines

I learned about the importance of headlines. (Instead of calling the piece ‘The Doubt Train’, the headline was: ‘Chartering your own journey outside the comfort zone’, with the sub headline: Breaking free from the ‘Doubt Train’ after leaving my job’.)

A compelling headline is your golden ticket to capturing interest. It's the first impression, the sneak peek, the irresistible teaser that invites readers to click and explore further. I spent more time crafting headlines and updated old ones.

I had fun connecting

I continued to leave meaningful comments and was active on notes, including restacking pieces from other writers that resonated. This lead to writers restacking my notes and people finding my writing. With my new headlines, they could easily see what my writing was about.

Then,

Sarah Fay

did a post where she generously allowed space for writers to meet other writers in the comments. I found a lot of new publications and a lot of new people found me!

I practiced gratitude and celebrated milestones

Every time I checked my email and found a new subscriber, I took a moment to read your name and with a big smile said, “thank you” (I also did the sign language gesture for 'thank you' - bringing my fingers to my chin and moving them forward). Taking a moment to appreciate every step has been a key part of my enjoyment on Substack.

I marveled at the incredible support within the community when individuals achieved milestones. While it felt a bit unusual to highlight my own achievement, I couldn't help but express gratitude for reaching 100 subscribers on January 20th! The response to my note was heartwarming, with numerous kind comments and many of you even restacking. Sharing a bit of my journey in the note, including the 8-month draught, seemed to strike a chord and also piqued curiosity, drawing new eyes to my publication, and new subscribers.

I shared my Substack knowledge

I was super excited about the power a well-written “hero post” and put together an easy to follow guide with examples. It got a lot of restacks and traffic to my publication increased.

I guess posts about Substack seem to get a lot of shares because we are all trying to figure out how to show up on Substack.

I think that’s why my most popular post is “Substack Diaries: What to do if you’re not growing as fast as others”. I shared some of my struggles and gave hope and reassurance. It’s my ode to any new Substack writer. I hope anyone who gets discouraged reads it, so they know they aren’t alone.

So that was January! What a ride!!

I would love to know where did you find me and what made you subscribe?!

My January (real) numbers

I love it when people open up about their journey, especially the nitty-gritty details of starting something new. Here's me, sharing it all, stepping into the Substack world with no email list to my name.

Created my Substack publication: April 2023

Total subscribers: 190

I gained 163 amazing new subscribers in January, after starting the month with 27 subscribers!

Total posts: 13

Apr: 1
Oct: 1
Dec: 6
Jan: 5 (including this one)
I’ve been posting every week since the start of December on Fridays (NZ)

Total recommendations: 15

14 new recommendations this month. What?! Thank so so much! I am beyond honoured that you recommended musings by mika. Last month I was so excited to get one! Never ever imagined more! There is a Japanese word “ongaeshi” which means, requital of a favour (favor); repayment (of an obligation, kindness, etc.). The Japanese-side of me wants to give you a nice box of Japanese treats as a thank you! 💝

Total subscribers from recommendations: 6

6 of you joined through recommendations in Jan!

Revenue: $0

It is a totally free newsletter. I turned off paid subscriptions and pledges.

Things I tried:

I created an email account and linked it to this publications, so all my notifications and newsletters go there! Game changer!
Started a weekly chat thread called “Substack Accountability Corner”. It’s lots of fun and has helped me stay accountable and complete my weekly Substack goals.
I created my own ‘hero post’! (It’s odd having my face on my publication instead of all my illustrations.) I really hope subscribers will use it as a way to say “hello” to the community. My wish is for people to find “their people” in the comments. So if you haven’t already, say “hi”, and introduce yourself!
I created a bookmark for new subscribers. I thought it could be a “lead magnet”, but I don’t think it incentivised anyone to join. It was still an interesting experiment to use welcome emails in a different way and now new subscribers get a gift! (Has anyone printed it out yet?)
I updated my welcome email and included a link to the referral programme I set up. I thought people might like to refer people in order to get their own personalised signature. I don’t think it’s taken off. 😆

What I learned:

Let’s face it, posts about Substack do well. I had no idea!
I got a bit distracted and started thinking about creating mini videos to help newbies with their Substack look and feel. Thankfully, I caught myself. I don’t like filming videos and I don’t like editing videos. I got distracted because I like helping people. I almost went off track. To keep your Substack on track, think about where you want your Substack to be in 5 years time. What are you talking about? What differentiates you from others? What are you offering your readers? (videos? commuity? workshops? weekly/monthly posts?) Whenever you feel a bit lost, remember the list – it'll keep you from getting distracted and going off track!
Substack is the perfect place to celebrate every milestone, big or small! Give yourself permission to toot your own horn! 🥳

What I’m struggling with:

I want to read every newsletter that I subscribe to (and I subscribed to a lot in January). I just can’t! I really really wish I could! So I need to figure out what to do. Just accept that I will miss reading a lot of newsletters? Unsubscribe to some? I’m not sure.

✍️ Let me know in the comments: How did you find me and what made you subscribe?!