How I Built My Substack to 6k+ Subs
Not in 4 weeks or 4 months, but in 4 years....
Usually, when people make these types of “how I did X thing” it’s usually something boast worthy. Something that makes you click because you think “wow, how did they do that?”
Well I’m truly allergic to doing what everyone else does and I’m also allergic, and against, making people think that anything in life, especially online, is built quickly, easily and without a hefty dose of dedication.
So I’m sharing my numbers here not to boast but to be real with you about how I stayed the course here on Substack and why I’m glad I did and how you can learn from these 4 years.
I’m putting a lot more time into Substack lately as it’s a platform that feels rewarding and I enjoy writing and sharing the monthly audio episodes for paid subs.
My usual Friday email will be going out as per usual but this extra bonus post is for paid subscribers so if you like what you read in the free portion of this post and you want to learn from me about how I’ve grown on here and beyond, consider upgrading and supporting me.
The first rule of Substack is, we definitely DO talk about Substack
It feels like every man and his dog are jumping over to substack right now and causing a lot of meta content (just like this newsletter) where people talk about how much they love substack on substack.
Users also seem to love to talk about other writers and how much they love their work, as well as sharing their growth wins no matter how small.
It just all feels super cosy and I think considering the less than cosy things happening across the globe right now everyone is down for their daily dose of Substack, with lot’s of internet dwellers ditching IG etc. completely.
This is GOOD NEWS for those of you who have felt left out of the online conversation the last few years with the rise of video content and how much of a barrier that has put up for regular people wanting to share their voice, art, creations or life with the world.
Substack has entered the chat and we are all jumping on with a positive mindset ready for this new platform that feels like older ones we mourn the decline of.
But how do we use substack? What’s the etiquette here?
Should we try and grow and if so, what should we expect if we do?
Is this worth our time as creatives and what opportunities could be around each newsletters corner if we go all in?
What if I don’t know exactly what I want from substack yet but would kind of like more than 2 subscribers….?
Keep reading and I’ll tell you.
Getting started is the hardest part
Getting started is super awkward.
What will I call my substack? What will I post about? What if no one reads it?
In the beginning we let all these questions bog us down and we delay getting started. Just get going and the rest will come - it can even change too. My substack has changed over the last 4 years and over the next 4 it will change with me.
It’s always in the realm of what it started off as though so as long as we are creating adjacently to what we have built up as our known “thing” or “niche” then it’s totally fine.
We are human and multilayered and of all the platforms I think Substack allows the most fluidity within ones interest/genre/niche/area than other platforms that box you in so quickly and tightly you develop a crippling claustrophobia to your very own niche. Trust me, you don't want that.
So Substack is great for spreading your wings a little and sharing the many faces of you, as long as you could join the dots from one face to another and it all connect up to create, well…YOU!
So if you are someone who has jumped on here and hasn’t shared yet - let’s change that. Make a post, say hello, share an existing piece of writing, some helpful tips or something interesting you found online that you want to start a convo about.
I call them runs on the board. You gotta get some runs on the board so it’s not awkward. This is your season of put your head down and post - don’t worry about who’s reading now, or who’s not, think about who is GOING TO BE READING and write for them.
You are building up your stockpile or your library of newsletters that help to illustrate what your corner of Substack is all about.
Just keep writing, keep posting and then all the other stuff can come later.