Nice recap, I always find these interesting. Here are my contributions to your calls to action.
Re: Do I subscribe to recommended pubs without checking them first? No. I struggle with inbox overwhelm as it is so I'm very selective about what I subscribe to.
Re: Tipping options. I wholeheartedly support this movement. Possibly because I worked in the service industry for many years and I see tipping as a normal occurrence. I use it sparingly in my Unstack Substack pub (like maybe once every 4 or 5 posts) and it seems to attract at least one tip each time. With today's post, someone tipped me $25!! So, I say ALWAYS leave the option open because you never know who will appreciate your writing and feel inspired!
Yeah there are lots of cultures where tipping is not the norm. It's interesting. Having bartended in hotels for many years, learning the tipping dynamics was enlightening.
I added one too a month or so ago! and a few days ago a friend of mine became a supporter and donated those £2! I was so grateful and surprised that a friend would do that. So nice feeling
Oh thank you for the reminder about recommendations, I keep forgetting about that function! Though to be honest, when subscribing to a newsletter I never look at their recommendations cos I already feel rather over-subscribed on here!
I'm having the same dilemma about paid subscriptions. I finally turned them on this week after getting a big nudge in the form of some pledges. But so far I haven't really drawn anyone's attention to the fact this is an option. Like you, I will probably experiment with mentioning it at the bottom of posts, and just see what happens for now 😊
Lovely to see your growth on here, you are doing an amazing job ❤
I am like you and feel totally over-subscribed! Although it doesn’t stop me from finding new writers I want to subscribe to!! 😆
I’ve been looking at a lot of people who have nothing behind a paywall and sometimes they give a “call to action” to upgrade and sometimes they don’t mention anything.
It’s impressive to see people pay for subscriptions even though everything is free. However, I don’t really know what the secret to conversion is. Let me know if you figure it out!
Thanks for your lovely words! I appreciate you being along for the ride from the beginning!
It's always great to catch up on your journey, Mika! I'm very grateful for how openly you share your wins and challenges 😊
Recommendations are amazing and I've found some awesome publications through them! I always first check the ones that spark my interest though, aside the few times when I've been too quick with the buttons and subscribed by accident haha 😅
When it comes to paid, I don't have any experience and this is where posts like yours are so helpful! Ever since I started on here and was thinking up plans for the future, I also felt like the no paywall approach would be the one I'd go for.
I also really like the tipping option. Sometimes you want to contribute but it is a bit overwhelming to decide whether you want to "commit" to a subscription. And the tipping is great middle ground/starting point :)
I’m so glad you find it useful! I love sharing what I learn.
I think it’s been good to be transparent about the money because it’s helpful to see the reality of someone writing on Substack that doesn’t offer anything behind a paywall. I think those who offer something extra might have a higher conversion to paid, but I’m not in that headspace so I like showing my journey in case others are in a similar headspace.
Thanks for sharing ever so transparently! I’ve not considered asking people to recommend me, but you’re using gentle wording, so it’s good food for thought. Not sure about buying me one of the coffee 🤔
I think we can tread lightly when it comes to these things and do it when it feels right not because we are expecting anything in return.
When I put the button to recommend, I am putting it there and am totally ok if they recommend other writers. If they feel like they want to recommend me because they like what I write, GREAT! I’m also totally ok if they don’t recommend me.
I should add that, if we approach it that way, then there is no heaviness about the outcome.
It’s not always easy. When I put the buy me a coffee buttons on for the first time, I thought that it would be helpful to people who don’t want to do a paid subscription. Turns out that no one has used it, so I am working to have no expectations around it by not checking it and being totally ok when no one uses it.
It's all test and trial; keep testing things out. I stopped obsessing about the subscriber count; I don't have a paid option and only visit notes when I feel like it. I try to engage with other writers in the comments and always like the post, at least for the effort writer put into it 😊
Recommendations are a really interesting tool/function here on Substack. I recently had a new subscriber and I noticed at the bottom of the email, they had come to my newsletter through a recommendation from another writer that I subscribe to. I really like how Substack let you know this!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I get so excited when I come across things that I think would be helpful or be honest about my journey so others don’t feel alone.
I decided to do it from the beginning, even if it felt really odd. But I was so confused with this new platform that I knew others would be too. So I decided that I would share what worked and what didn’t. 😊
Thanks for being so open and honest about your growth. This brought me so much clarity about recommendations as I'm fairly new to Substack. I have recommended few publications but haven't gotten any yet 😅 perhaps with time it'll happen. I do want people to recommended me because they like to read my newsletter and not just as part of their marketing strategy.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this piece throughout and has some valuable lessons.
I don’t know if we will ever know the intention of the recommendation, but it feels pretty amazing when you get your first one!!
I think the more we concentrate on our writing and not the marketing the more likely we will get people who will be happy to recommend us. At least, that’s what I found.
You’re so welcome. I loved that you’ve been here from the beginning. I’ve loved seeing you explore different tools on Substack. How are you finding it all?
Hi Mika - I love reading about all you're discovering as you dig into Substack and to see what's working for you. I'm not a paid subscriber and my substack is all free - it's just too hard for me to do all that stuff, but I love seeing it work for others - and you deserve every recommendation and follower that comes your way <3
I get very little from it - but it's a steady trickle of a few dollars a week. I get most of my income from paid collaborations and occasional link inserts. I blog for a hobby, not for income, so I'm trying to create revenue (thank goodness - it's hard work!)
Thanks for all of this Mika! So helpful! Can you explain more of what you mean by "writing recommendations"? I know how to recommend another publication but I think you're referring to something else.
Doing more written recommendations is on my list - thanks for the prompt!! 🙌🏼
I also have a kofi link that I add at the bottom of all my posts, and I set that up before having the courage to turn on paid! It was after I started getting a few regular contributions through that (friends and family!) that I then turned on paid, but appreciate some people might prefer a one off "tip".
I've explicitly mentioned the paid option maybe two or three times since turning it on about 9 or 10 months ago, but I usually just leave it in as the standard "upgrade" link. Something to think about though, and good to try out different things of course 😊
Less so since I've turned on paid subs, as a few of the usual kofi-clickers kindly became paid annual subscribers instead. But there have been one or two instances where a non-subscirber has resonated with a post, or knows the person I've interviewed for a post, and has then bought a kofi coffee 😊 x
Nice recap, I always find these interesting. Here are my contributions to your calls to action.
Re: Do I subscribe to recommended pubs without checking them first? No. I struggle with inbox overwhelm as it is so I'm very selective about what I subscribe to.
Re: Tipping options. I wholeheartedly support this movement. Possibly because I worked in the service industry for many years and I see tipping as a normal occurrence. I use it sparingly in my Unstack Substack pub (like maybe once every 4 or 5 posts) and it seems to attract at least one tip each time. With today's post, someone tipped me $25!! So, I say ALWAYS leave the option open because you never know who will appreciate your writing and feel inspired!
I'm not sure if you ever saw this post I wrote about tipping but the comments are MANY and opinions vary widely! https://unstackit.substack.com/p/stop-feeling-awkward-asking-for-tips
We don’t have a tipping culture in NZ and we don’t usually ask for what we want. It makes it hard but it’s nice to have the option there isn’t it.
Thanks for sharing that you don’t mention it in every newsletter.
I noticed that Anne Cadet no longer invites readers to upgrade at the bottom of her newsletter.
Yeah there are lots of cultures where tipping is not the norm. It's interesting. Having bartended in hotels for many years, learning the tipping dynamics was enlightening.
I also support adding a tipping option, but for some reason it challenging to offer the option. Finally, I set up my own yesterday ✨
Congrats!!
I added one too a month or so ago! and a few days ago a friend of mine became a supporter and donated those £2! I was so grateful and surprised that a friend would do that. So nice feeling
Awww that is so so lovely! 🥰
I know! 🤩 so grateful 🙏🏻
Lovely to be here, Mika. I heard about you from @leannecrestingthehill
Thank you Corinne! I love Leanne. Her writing helped me so much when I felt out of my depth after leaving my job.
Thank you for your support, it means so so much!
Oh that's great to know. She's so inspiring. As are you, of course!
Oh thank you for the reminder about recommendations, I keep forgetting about that function! Though to be honest, when subscribing to a newsletter I never look at their recommendations cos I already feel rather over-subscribed on here!
I'm having the same dilemma about paid subscriptions. I finally turned them on this week after getting a big nudge in the form of some pledges. But so far I haven't really drawn anyone's attention to the fact this is an option. Like you, I will probably experiment with mentioning it at the bottom of posts, and just see what happens for now 😊
Lovely to see your growth on here, you are doing an amazing job ❤
I am like you and feel totally over-subscribed! Although it doesn’t stop me from finding new writers I want to subscribe to!! 😆
I’ve been looking at a lot of people who have nothing behind a paywall and sometimes they give a “call to action” to upgrade and sometimes they don’t mention anything.
It’s impressive to see people pay for subscriptions even though everything is free. However, I don’t really know what the secret to conversion is. Let me know if you figure it out!
Thanks for your lovely words! I appreciate you being along for the ride from the beginning!
Yes I was quite shocked that two people wanted to pay even though everything is free and I wasn't asking anyone to pay 😆
It's always great to catch up on your journey, Mika! I'm very grateful for how openly you share your wins and challenges 😊
Recommendations are amazing and I've found some awesome publications through them! I always first check the ones that spark my interest though, aside the few times when I've been too quick with the buttons and subscribed by accident haha 😅
When it comes to paid, I don't have any experience and this is where posts like yours are so helpful! Ever since I started on here and was thinking up plans for the future, I also felt like the no paywall approach would be the one I'd go for.
I also really like the tipping option. Sometimes you want to contribute but it is a bit overwhelming to decide whether you want to "commit" to a subscription. And the tipping is great middle ground/starting point :)
I’m so glad you find it useful! I love sharing what I learn.
I think it’s been good to be transparent about the money because it’s helpful to see the reality of someone writing on Substack that doesn’t offer anything behind a paywall. I think those who offer something extra might have a higher conversion to paid, but I’m not in that headspace so I like showing my journey in case others are in a similar headspace.
Love the transparency thank you!! had no idea what recommendations were so looking forward to exploring that
Have fun! It’s a great way to give back to those writers you subscribe to for free!
Thanks for sharing ever so transparently! I’ve not considered asking people to recommend me, but you’re using gentle wording, so it’s good food for thought. Not sure about buying me one of the coffee 🤔
I think we can tread lightly when it comes to these things and do it when it feels right not because we are expecting anything in return.
When I put the button to recommend, I am putting it there and am totally ok if they recommend other writers. If they feel like they want to recommend me because they like what I write, GREAT! I’m also totally ok if they don’t recommend me.
I should add that, if we approach it that way, then there is no heaviness about the outcome.
It’s not always easy. When I put the buy me a coffee buttons on for the first time, I thought that it would be helpful to people who don’t want to do a paid subscription. Turns out that no one has used it, so I am working to have no expectations around it by not checking it and being totally ok when no one uses it.
It's all test and trial; keep testing things out. I stopped obsessing about the subscriber count; I don't have a paid option and only visit notes when I feel like it. I try to engage with other writers in the comments and always like the post, at least for the effort writer put into it 😊
Agreed. I don’t expect anything. Most of the time, I don’t expect reaction to a comment either, unless I am asking questions ☺️
I just set up my Ko-Fi account page yesterday after putting it off for ages! Not sure why, but happy to see you've shared it.
Thanks for the great Notes tip—I checked it out right away! 🤩
I’m slowly making my way around writing recommendations, but I could more. And I'm very grateful that my very first one came from you. ☺️💛🌼🌺
It’s a huge step to set it up!
Congrats!!
Recommendations are a really interesting tool/function here on Substack. I recently had a new subscriber and I noticed at the bottom of the email, they had come to my newsletter through a recommendation from another writer that I subscribe to. I really like how Substack let you know this!
It’s sooo exciting when you see where they’ve come from!!
I get really excited because it means that writer is getting growth and that they have been gracious enough to recommend me. 💕
You always provide well-researched and experimente suggestions. Thanks. They are greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I get so excited when I come across things that I think would be helpful or be honest about my journey so others don’t feel alone.
This is such an interesting read! It’s really cool to see someone be so transparent about how to grow on here! ☺️
I decided to do it from the beginning, even if it felt really odd. But I was so confused with this new platform that I knew others would be too. So I decided that I would share what worked and what didn’t. 😊
Thanks for being so open and honest about your growth. This brought me so much clarity about recommendations as I'm fairly new to Substack. I have recommended few publications but haven't gotten any yet 😅 perhaps with time it'll happen. I do want people to recommended me because they like to read my newsletter and not just as part of their marketing strategy.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this piece throughout and has some valuable lessons.
I don’t know if we will ever know the intention of the recommendation, but it feels pretty amazing when you get your first one!!
I think the more we concentrate on our writing and not the marketing the more likely we will get people who will be happy to recommend us. At least, that’s what I found.
That's true...to focus more on writing not the marketing. This sounds great. Thank you!
Wow!!! I had no idea that you could see the note that converted subs—very cool! I love watching your journey unfold here, Mika. Thank you for sharing!
You’re so welcome. I loved that you’ve been here from the beginning. I’ve loved seeing you explore different tools on Substack. How are you finding it all?
Substack is most definitely my happy place these days. It's been fun to connect with others and find a slower pace over here.
I'm pretty sure I subscribed to you from a recommendation as well. Can't remember exactly, it was when I first joined substack anyway.
That’s so great to know! Thank you so much for subscribing and leaving a comment. 🥰
Hi Mika - I love reading about all you're discovering as you dig into Substack and to see what's working for you. I'm not a paid subscriber and my substack is all free - it's just too hard for me to do all that stuff, but I love seeing it work for others - and you deserve every recommendation and follower that comes your way <3
I like you’ve found a rhythm that works for you and that’s why you have been able to write such lovely content ALL these years!!
I’m curious do you get much from your ads on your blog?
I get very little from it - but it's a steady trickle of a few dollars a week. I get most of my income from paid collaborations and occasional link inserts. I blog for a hobby, not for income, so I'm trying to create revenue (thank goodness - it's hard work!)
Thanks for all of this Mika! So helpful! Can you explain more of what you mean by "writing recommendations"? I know how to recommend another publication but I think you're referring to something else.
We have an opportunity to write a “blurb” for the writers we recommend. This article should help you out: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/5036794583828-How-can-I-recommend-other-publications-on-Substack#:~:text=Next%20to%20%22Recommend%20other%20publications,why%20you%20recommend%20that%20publication.
Thanks for this resource, @Mika!
You’re so welcome! I hope you found it useful. 😊
Doing more written recommendations is on my list - thanks for the prompt!! 🙌🏼
I also have a kofi link that I add at the bottom of all my posts, and I set that up before having the courage to turn on paid! It was after I started getting a few regular contributions through that (friends and family!) that I then turned on paid, but appreciate some people might prefer a one off "tip".
I've explicitly mentioned the paid option maybe two or three times since turning it on about 9 or 10 months ago, but I usually just leave it in as the standard "upgrade" link. Something to think about though, and good to try out different things of course 😊
Thanks for sharing your journey!
Thanks for sharing! I love hearing how people use it. Do you find you get many people clicking on the Kofi link on Substack?
Less so since I've turned on paid subs, as a few of the usual kofi-clickers kindly became paid annual subscribers instead. But there have been one or two instances where a non-subscirber has resonated with a post, or knows the person I've interviewed for a post, and has then bought a kofi coffee 😊 x