Amazing advice! I love what you say about not having an agressive strategy around paid subscription. I decided to stay free because adding a paid subscription would cause too much self inflicted pressure. Thanks for sharing this for free x
I love a good freebie for all every now and again. Feels like you live the world in a better place. Self-inflicted pressure is not the one, maybe there are other ways / things you can sell with your audience another time when it feels good.
Thank you for this piece. I'm early stage in my newsletter in the area of chronic pain and so appreciate your advice to promote outside the platform. I want to hype my work on this and see your strategies as valuable and actionable. TY!
Love this post - and totally agree with what you say about nurturing the free subscribers. 'Free' subs are still paying you with their emails and attention, and this is SO valuable. I want to respect everyone who signs up - I hate giving away my email to a writer and then feeling as though I am not valued.
Wow! This was so spot on. It is reassuring and motivational to read your advice and views on growth.
I don’t have gifts yet for my paid subscribers' onboarding, I will work on that for sure.
As for the world outside of Substack feeding your Substack, you are right. People read people and IRL interactions can bring even more eyes and ears to your writing.
Any new writer and/or more robust ones should save this for later. I did!
I do gifts for both free and paid. slightly different but I think it is good to show people what you are about.
I worry if there is a bit of a substack subscription fatigue if you only go after people on this platform? I could be wrong. Thank you for commenting and saving.
You are welcome! I like newsletters I can refer to as tools.
I would love to have a feature where I could curate a personal playlist of posts following a theme and have them in my profile for later.
I agree, I will add a free gift on the other side.
I noticed a lot of traction from writers already here, who understand the culture of how Substack functions (Notes, threads, liking, etc.). But I also realized that most of my readers receive everything by email, and they come from many different places. So yeah, relying solely on Substack may not be that great.
I don't know about the ''Substack subscription fatigue'' but I guess the moment you opt into the platform, you are pushed to read and discover more. Live meetings can perhaps help overlook those backend tactics.
True, it could work well. But for me, there are too many steps :). It would be awesome to have it as an in-built feature on Substack. I am sure the tech can assist if many of us have this need.
That is an important number. They are email readers for sure. I had a bug for months with receiving emails from my favorite writers. The problem was solved, and I felt a great relief. I am not always on the app, and that long horizontal scrolling to read your listed publications can be overwhelming. I tend to scroll down on Notes and then leave the app. Email is quite straightforward.
Great read Lucy, thank you for sharing! I launched my Substack last week so feeling a bit like the new kid at school who doesn't know my way around yet, so really helpful to read all your brilliant insights. Also refreshing to hear your unique take on what's worked for you personally, even if it's going against the grain.
Awww welcome welcome! It is a really lovely place to be. I still feel a bit like that to be honest. 🤣 I think because I was always a bit of a drifter rather than in a set gang of folks, similar here really. Trying to embrace my Lone Ranger tendencies. As with anything I think it is experimenting on what works for you and time.
Thank you thank you! Aw I love this, I am all for experimentation so also great to hear that there's no right or wrong, more about finding what works best for us. Looking forward to reading your next one.
I loved this advice! Thank you for compiling it in one place. I really resonated with supporting the new and the small. A writer with a large platform supported me early on and I really enjoy paying it forward. There's so much great writing waiting to be discovered!
Going paid immediately hit home. I have seen so much of advice about growing the free list first. When I turned on the paid version, I was afraid. Now, I feel like it was the right decision since I can figure out the exclusive posts beforehand.
Definitely. Going paid was based on the posts for me rather than segregating the subscribers. I don't know if it makes sense to others. But it does for me.
I think knowing what you are about and doing is actually very underrated. If you lead with the confidence and clarity I’m sure your audience will feel it too? X
This is such great advice, thank you and it chimes with a lot of what I've been thinking. I'd much rather interact with writers here with smaller accounts rather than the "big names". And I'm very happy to stay small myself, growing slowly but focusing on just showing up for those who follow me
🫣 haha thank you - was a bit worried that I'm not gushing over all the Substack functionalities and I know for sure that has worked for others. Just not my ticket. (Maybe one day?)
Writing, creating and building a membership on Substack is part of my strategy to move away from Instagram. However, I continue to post my articles and class announcements there as I spent years building a relationship with my audience. I continue to see followers move over to Substack, where I encourage them to check out my long-form content. Overall, I'd like to limit my time on IG as much as possible, but I still see value in communicating with my readers there. Some of them don't quite get Substack yet...I imagine overtime they will convert as I continue to educate about my offerings here.
Yes exactly, I just tread Instagram a bit like my micro advertising department for which I don't have to pay. I just pop up what I have going on and send people over. I probably do need to do a bit more around the educating around Substack part but its all ok for now.
Wow. Thank you for sharing your advice, Lucy. I’ve been at my newsletter for four years and have gotten to 1700. But realize I haven’t focused on growth and isolated myself too much from the Substack community. It’s a wonderful community and I’m enjoying my new friends and their work. Over the course of my time here my focus has narrowed. I look at what I do as comic relief, relatable stories, and inspirational stories for midlife women who have stalled and don’t like their reflection anymore and sad their kids are gone. I provide women’s stories for motivation and encourage experimentation. It’s a great time of life and Substack creates a brilliant community
Well I'm learning to retire my people pleasing position to Goddess.
But I'm showing up on here sharing my intuitive message and wisdom I get from nature. I try to help people remember how magical they are because they're not separate from nature. I also help people learn how to build a sacred reciprical relationship with their own land so they can be supported no matter what happens.
I love the fact you're in favour of value for free subscribers! I find it super frustrating when I like the sound of a topic but cannot read anything. I mean, obviously I'm not going to sign up for a paid subscription if I don't know what I'm getting - so I wouldn’t expect my readers to either.
It is a hard balance for sure but I try to give as much value as I can for my free readers and then having that next tier up for my paid. Glad you appreciate the work. Hope the article was helpful for you. x
Congrats on your success, Lucy! Loved your point about not being afraid to go against the grain, so overlooked. And interesting results in focusing off Substack vs spending more time here to grow your audience. I was wondering about that. First time reading Hype Yourself, just subscribed so thanks again!
Thanks Mack! Welcome welcome to Hype Yourself. I know that in some ways it probably is easier to grow on here using the functionalities but I find it easier on my mental health sometimes to not play too hard on one social media platform.
Amazing advice! I love what you say about not having an agressive strategy around paid subscription. I decided to stay free because adding a paid subscription would cause too much self inflicted pressure. Thanks for sharing this for free x
I love a good freebie for all every now and again. Feels like you live the world in a better place. Self-inflicted pressure is not the one, maybe there are other ways / things you can sell with your audience another time when it feels good.
Thank you for this piece. I'm early stage in my newsletter in the area of chronic pain and so appreciate your advice to promote outside the platform. I want to hype my work on this and see your strategies as valuable and actionable. TY!
Yes! Podcasts and people who talk about chronic pain in other places could work so well for you and your call to action can be to come over here.
Love this post - and totally agree with what you say about nurturing the free subscribers. 'Free' subs are still paying you with their emails and attention, and this is SO valuable. I want to respect everyone who signs up - I hate giving away my email to a writer and then feeling as though I am not valued.
Very much this - you also just never know what gems you have in there.
Wow! This was so spot on. It is reassuring and motivational to read your advice and views on growth.
I don’t have gifts yet for my paid subscribers' onboarding, I will work on that for sure.
As for the world outside of Substack feeding your Substack, you are right. People read people and IRL interactions can bring even more eyes and ears to your writing.
Any new writer and/or more robust ones should save this for later. I did!
Thank you for sharing 🙏
I do gifts for both free and paid. slightly different but I think it is good to show people what you are about.
I worry if there is a bit of a substack subscription fatigue if you only go after people on this platform? I could be wrong. Thank you for commenting and saving.
You are welcome! I like newsletters I can refer to as tools.
I would love to have a feature where I could curate a personal playlist of posts following a theme and have them in my profile for later.
I agree, I will add a free gift on the other side.
I noticed a lot of traction from writers already here, who understand the culture of how Substack functions (Notes, threads, liking, etc.). But I also realized that most of my readers receive everything by email, and they come from many different places. So yeah, relying solely on Substack may not be that great.
I don't know about the ''Substack subscription fatigue'' but I guess the moment you opt into the platform, you are pushed to read and discover more. Live meetings can perhaps help overlook those backend tactics.
You could just set up a draft post and save them there for now and it could be your own personal playlist at your own cadence.
I am the same, I think over 90% of mine receive via email.
True, it could work well. But for me, there are too many steps :). It would be awesome to have it as an in-built feature on Substack. I am sure the tech can assist if many of us have this need.
That is an important number. They are email readers for sure. I had a bug for months with receiving emails from my favorite writers. The problem was solved, and I felt a great relief. I am not always on the app, and that long horizontal scrolling to read your listed publications can be overwhelming. I tend to scroll down on Notes and then leave the app. Email is quite straightforward.
Great read Lucy, thank you for sharing! I launched my Substack last week so feeling a bit like the new kid at school who doesn't know my way around yet, so really helpful to read all your brilliant insights. Also refreshing to hear your unique take on what's worked for you personally, even if it's going against the grain.
Awww welcome welcome! It is a really lovely place to be. I still feel a bit like that to be honest. 🤣 I think because I was always a bit of a drifter rather than in a set gang of folks, similar here really. Trying to embrace my Lone Ranger tendencies. As with anything I think it is experimenting on what works for you and time.
Thank you thank you! Aw I love this, I am all for experimentation so also great to hear that there's no right or wrong, more about finding what works best for us. Looking forward to reading your next one.
I loved this advice! Thank you for compiling it in one place. I really resonated with supporting the new and the small. A writer with a large platform supported me early on and I really enjoy paying it forward. There's so much great writing waiting to be discovered!
I LOVE paying it forward. Such a joy and a gift to so many people that is so easy to do.
Going paid immediately hit home. I have seen so much of advice about growing the free list first. When I turned on the paid version, I was afraid. Now, I feel like it was the right decision since I can figure out the exclusive posts beforehand.
Yea! Well done. I definitely think there is something to be said for practicing in public.
Definitely. Going paid was based on the posts for me rather than segregating the subscribers. I don't know if it makes sense to others. But it does for me.
I think knowing what you are about and doing is actually very underrated. If you lead with the confidence and clarity I’m sure your audience will feel it too? X
This is such great advice, thank you and it chimes with a lot of what I've been thinking. I'd much rather interact with writers here with smaller accounts rather than the "big names". And I'm very happy to stay small myself, growing slowly but focusing on just showing up for those who follow me
Definitely - I love my meaningful relationships that I’m building with writers!
This is awesome Lucy, so many things for me to try, I appreciate it. Going to share this in my newsletter too :)
Oh wow - thank you. I really appreciate that.
epic read, Lucy! So many great tips - especially the 'unpopular' ones!
🫣 haha thank you - was a bit worried that I'm not gushing over all the Substack functionalities and I know for sure that has worked for others. Just not my ticket. (Maybe one day?)
Writing, creating and building a membership on Substack is part of my strategy to move away from Instagram. However, I continue to post my articles and class announcements there as I spent years building a relationship with my audience. I continue to see followers move over to Substack, where I encourage them to check out my long-form content. Overall, I'd like to limit my time on IG as much as possible, but I still see value in communicating with my readers there. Some of them don't quite get Substack yet...I imagine overtime they will convert as I continue to educate about my offerings here.
Yes exactly, I just tread Instagram a bit like my micro advertising department for which I don't have to pay. I just pop up what I have going on and send people over. I probably do need to do a bit more around the educating around Substack part but its all ok for now.
Such a helpful checklist. Thank you!
Take what works and leave the rest! Thank you for reading x
Wow. Thank you for sharing your advice, Lucy. I’ve been at my newsletter for four years and have gotten to 1700. But realize I haven’t focused on growth and isolated myself too much from the Substack community. It’s a wonderful community and I’m enjoying my new friends and their work. Over the course of my time here my focus has narrowed. I look at what I do as comic relief, relatable stories, and inspirational stories for midlife women who have stalled and don’t like their reflection anymore and sad their kids are gone. I provide women’s stories for motivation and encourage experimentation. It’s a great time of life and Substack creates a brilliant community
Oh wow Kim. I'm on the midlife journey. I'm checking out your stuff.
Tell me about what you're up to, Jocelyn!
Well I'm learning to retire my people pleasing position to Goddess.
But I'm showing up on here sharing my intuitive message and wisdom I get from nature. I try to help people remember how magical they are because they're not separate from nature. I also help people learn how to build a sacred reciprical relationship with their own land so they can be supported no matter what happens.
I love the fact you're in favour of value for free subscribers! I find it super frustrating when I like the sound of a topic but cannot read anything. I mean, obviously I'm not going to sign up for a paid subscription if I don't know what I'm getting - so I wouldn’t expect my readers to either.
It is a hard balance for sure but I try to give as much value as I can for my free readers and then having that next tier up for my paid. Glad you appreciate the work. Hope the article was helpful for you. x
Yes, it really was - thank you! I'm very much at the beginning of my journey - but I know what I want to achieve and I've got stamina 😅
The last part is the winning ticket. Pace yourself still x
Loved it. I'm thinking about subscribing cause that was pretty damn awesome. It felt very real and from the heart. Thank you!!!
Awww 🥰 thank you. I do like to do a free dump on one subject every now and again x
Congrats on your success, Lucy! Loved your point about not being afraid to go against the grain, so overlooked. And interesting results in focusing off Substack vs spending more time here to grow your audience. I was wondering about that. First time reading Hype Yourself, just subscribed so thanks again!
Thanks Mack! Welcome welcome to Hype Yourself. I know that in some ways it probably is easier to grow on here using the functionalities but I find it easier on my mental health sometimes to not play too hard on one social media platform.