A Beginner’s Guide To Grow Your Substack Newsletter Within 30 Days
9 Simple yet smart strategies that made my Substack newsletter grow exponentially within less than 30 days.
I launched my Substack newsletter just recently, on April 24, 2024.
And I’m so humbled by the significant progress I made in less than one month.
I already have over 70 subscribers and I even welcomed my first paid subscriber.
I know, it’s insane.
Knowing that someone values my writing enough to pay for it, is just…
So. Incredibly. Motivating.
I also gained 128 followers and I have an open rate of 56.19%, which is actually pretty good since the average open rate for Substack newsletters is around 50%.
I’m sharing this not to brag, but to demonstrate my expertise.
Side note: I have over 100 subscribers on tMedium right now, but I haven’t moved them to Substack yet.
And just to put things in perspective:
I’ve been active on Medium for over 6 months, and in terms of subscriber count, it doesn’t come close to what I’ve achieved on Substack in the past three weeks.
For me, the best thing about building a newsletter on Substack is that you don’t need to have an existing audience to grow. I’ll explain why later in this article.
The main things you need to know if you want to start building an audience on Substack are:
You need to provide genuine value. In general, Substack-ers are intelligent, woke people. They recognize a BS story when they see one.
On Substack you get to build real and meaningful relationships with your readers.
So, you came here to find smart and simple strategies to build a a loyal audience on Substack.
Let’s jump right into it.
1/ Value, Value, Value
I know, I know.
I already mentioned this in the introduction.
But seriously, this is what will lead to that instant growth on Substack.
Every decision you make — from your content to your audience interaction — should revolve around providing value to your readers.
I can’t repeat this one often enough.
Keep it in the back of your mind, whatever you do.
What does “value” mean?
Value means:
solving a problem your readers have,
teaching them something new,
or simply entertaining them.
You need to give your readers something they can’t find anywhere else.
Something that makes them think,
“Wow, I’m so glad I subscribed to this newsletter!”
How to put value first
Another cliché that’s worth mentioning here (and I’ll explain why in the next paragraph) is to find your damn niche.
What are you most passionate about?
What knowledge can you share that a lot of people can’t?
Can you bake the most delicious croissants in the world?
Do you have a unique perspective on something?
There’s an audience for everything and everyone.
So find your niche and own it.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
Instead, identify a specific pain point your ideal reader faces.
And write content that solves it.
Also, don’t just tell people things.
Show them how to do it.
Give your readers concrete steps they can take to implement your ideas.
Why you need a niche
On Substack, people can actually pay you to read your work.
However, they’ll only be willing to pay if they know they’ll receive high-value content, preferably focused on a topic they’re interested in.
There’s one exception, though. You might not need a niche if you’re an exceptional writer and people follow you purely because they love your work.
So, take a moment to reflect on this.
Take me for example.
I’m very aware that I’m not an exceptional writer. Better yet, I don’t even feel confident enough to label myself as a ‘real writer’.
So I know for sure that, to expand my audience, I need to find a niche. It’s the only way I can set myself apart from the crowd:
I need to offer unique value that can’t be found anywhere else.
2/ Publishing Schedule
I used to have a friend who promised me to meet me for coffee every week.
But then she used to cancel me last minute.
It was frustrating.
And that’s how your readers can feel if you’re not being consistent.
Aim for a publishing schedule you can realistically stick to.
I would recommend starting with sending out 1–2 newsletters a week.
How to be consistent
Plan ahead.
And treat the publishing like any other important appointment.
Consider creating content in batches.
And plan a specific time to:
brainstorm ideas
to write drafts
to edit your content
If something unexpected comes up and you have to miss your regular publishing date, be transparent about it.
Always let your readers know what they can expect.
3/ The Notes Feature (Highly Refommended)
Another thing I would highly recommend is to post 1–3 Notes a day.
What is the Notes feature all about?
Substack Notes is a feature that allows both writers and readers to share short-form content with their network.
It’s microblogging platform built within Substack and it’s like Twitter/X, but better.
Here’s what you can do with Notes:
Write short posts with text, links, images, and quotes.
Restack (share) other Substack posts you find interesting.
Promote your own Substack content by sharing snippets or highlights.
The nice thing about Notes is that they’re Public.
They can be seen by anyone on the Substack network. Not just your subscribers.
They appear in the home feed of people who either follow you or subscribe to your publication.
Notes are a great way to keep in touch with your audience lowkey, in between newsletters.
Daily note Ideas
Here are some examples of the type of Notes I like to write:
Share a quick tip. Preferably one that’s related to your niche. This is a great way to find out what content resonates most with your audience. For example, I transformed the following Note to the article you’re reading right now:
Ask a question. I think this is a great way to connect with readers and to find out what struggles they have:
Briefly highlight an interesting article or note you came across. Or add something valuable to it:
Offer a sneak peek at what’s coming up in your next newsletter.
4/ Engagement Strategy
Another amazing thing about Substack is that you can interact with your readers directly.
Reply to their comments, start a thread or send them a Direct Message.
It shows your readers you actually care about them. And about their thoughts and feedback.
It’s a great way to build a community.
Engage in ‘Substack style’
Be genuine and friendly towards your readers.
But don’t hold back your personality.
Readers want to communicate with real, authentic people.
Consider thanking your readers personally for subscribing and commenting.
Answer any questions directly.
If someone disagrees with you: be respectful and open to a conversation.
And most importantly, don’t waste their time.
5/ Stick to Your Publishing Schedule, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
I can assure you that there will be days when you struggle to write even a single sentence.
That’s totally normal.
But, every successful writer has pushed through those moments.
Whether they’re caused by an emotion or by lazyness.
Strategies to stick to your schedule
1) Don’t try to write a whole novel every week.
Start with manageable chunks of text.
You can gradually increase your output as you get more comfortable.
Or to put in in
’s words: writing a piece of 250 words today and a piece of 250 tomorrow, leads to an article of 500 words.
2) Experiment with different writing times. And different environments.
Maybe you’re a night owl who gets the best ideas after midnight.
Or maybe it’s the morning sun that fuels your creativity.
3) Treat yourself to a coffee or something you like after finishing a draft.
Or take a relaxing break after a productive writing session.
6/ Ask Your Subscribers What They Need
Your readers are your co-pilots on Substack.
They’re the ones who will ultimately determine the success of your newsletter.
So, take the time to ask them what they want.
What are they struggles?
What questions do they have?
What do they expect from your newsletter?
Ways to Get Reader Feedback
Start a ‘Poll’
You can use Substack’s built-in polling feature to ask questions.
Here’s how to start a poll:
Write a new post.
Click ‘More’ in the post editor toolbar.
Choose ‘Poll’ from the menu.
Fill in your question and answer options (up to 5).
Click ‘Save’ when done.
Publish your post, and your readers can vote.
Q&A session
Dedicate a newsletter or daily note to answer reader questions or start a thread.
Let your readers know you value their feedback. Invite them to share their thoughts in the comments section.
Listen actively to your audience. Adjust your content to their needs and interests.
7/ Invest Some Extra Time In Your Headlines
Your headline is the first thing readers see.
And it’s the only way to bring them in.
Read that again.
So it needs to be clear and interest enough to make them want to click and read more.
Some specific headline tips
Your readers shouldn’t have to decipher a code to understand what your story is about.
Think about the terms your ideal reader might use to search for content like yours.
And incorporate those keywords naturally into your headline.
Or use a keyword tool like ahref.
Ask a question.
Tease your reader with a benefit.
Or use strong verbs to get your reader’s attention.
8/ The Restack Feature
I’ve seen a lot of talented writers on Substack and they’re creating amazing content.
Share their work and learn from them.
By sharing their work, you’re not only giving them a shout-out, but it’s also another way to provide value to your readers.
It’s a win-win.
How to share and learn
Recommend other Substacks in your newsletters or Notes using the restack feature.
Interview other writers. Share their insights with your audience. I think
does this really well.
Engage with their work.
9/ Substack Analytics
Substack shows you a ton of data about your readers and how they engage with your content.
Use it.
And find out what’s working and what might need some tweaking.
How to use Substack Analytics
1) What type of articles get the most views?
Is it longform or shortform content?
What specific topics are most popular?
Double down on that.
2) Track your subscriber growth.
This can help you measure the effectiveness of your growth strategies.
2) Identify where your readers are coming from.
Find ways to get more readers from the best traffic sources.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see any progress right away.
Try applying the mentioned tips for at least 30 days and then see what happens.
If you do, I’m sure you’ll be well on your way to building a loyal community by then.
P.S. Another thing that has been really helpful is Substack’s Recommendations Feature. But because I’m so excited about this topic, I’ll share more about this in a seperate post.
Subscribe and let’s start building high value content together in a smart and sustainable way.
Lately I have been struggling with Number 5, I am moving in a few weeks to a new state and have some turmoil in my life and it has been a struggle for me to write consistently, I need to work on that :).
Notes and engaging with my audience all the way for me. With both of my Substacks I have grown exponentially by only using Notes (no social media) and engaging with my people. When I look at my little graph right now it says I've gained 713 subscribers in just 30 days.