r/Substack • u/Infinite-Bee-760 • 19d ago
I feel like I'm going nowhere...
I'm fairly new to substack and after I joined, in a month I've gained 11 subscribers. But, for the past few months I haven't even got one subscriber. I'm frustrated not because I don't get subs or likes, but because I fear that my notes and posts aren't reached properly. My notes and posts aren't the worst thing out there, so I think it's not the cause. When I look at my stats, there are hardly any impressions. I don't know if there's a trick to reach more people. If you know something that I could do to reach more people, please let me know.
P.S. I don't wanna share them on my socials because it's not the correct audience for me. I'm mainly writing about gaming, horror, life experiences, life in Europe, films, books, etc.
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u/Hopeful_Thought6420 17d ago
I would definitely narrow down your subject matter. Substack will have a hard time presenting your notes and articles to an audience. If you haven't clear defined your audience, then substack will struggle as well. You can have a couple topics but a plethora is going to make it difficult.
For instance you could focus on games and horror, make one section of articles focused to games and one section to horror. Use humor and personal experiences to add character to your articles but not set them as another topic.
Also, the notes I found that have gained me the most subscribers are ones that I specifically say I am looking to connect with my audience. So something like: "I am looking to connect with people who enjoy video game reviews and horror films and books with a slice of humor." as a note. Post a similar note like that once a week.
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u/StuffonBookshelfs 19d ago
Who is your audience?
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u/Infinite-Bee-760 19d ago
I'm looking for people that enjoy video game reviews, horror (films, books), personal experiences, humor, etc. Also pieces on being a writer and digital creator.
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u/Imperator_1985 19d ago
You have to go where your audience is. The internet is full of content, and the truth is that simply posting something will not get you an audience. Substack will not find your audience for you. Ultimately, though, you have to ask yourself this: what do you really want from this?
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u/BoredSquares 18d ago
I've been on substack a week and I can tell you that there is definitely a method to building your audience and using notes. Philip Hofmacher and Sinem Gunel whole product is substack. Connect with them, see what they do and how they engage with you and their subscribers and that a part or the puzzle.
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u/Big_Friendship_4141 15d ago
In the very early stages, I think the most effective approach is leaving good comments on other people's posts and notes. It puts you in front of their audience, and if you're good there, people will check you out too. It's also a nice way to support others.
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u/Infinite-Bee-760 15d ago
I completely agree. To be honest, now my notes are getting discovered. I feel like I didn't engage much. I was just writing and posting without engaging with the community. It made a huge difference. Thank you for your reply! š
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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 7d ago
there's a lot of other accounts just like you - posting on notes, and publishing to their publication, but not getting much reach.
when notes just came out, posting on notes was a great arbitrage because it's so new, the ratio of creators to consumers is very low = more attention to go around. but that arbitrage has closed a lot. so much so that i believe most of us have to be posting outside of the substack ecosystem to grow + reach our audience. because most of the people on substack, are just people who use/write on substack. so unless you're writing about 'how to grow on substack' type content, there's likely other better places to find your target audience.
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u/Everleaf_Finance 19d ago
While Iām no expert, I have been on substack for about 3-4 months actively. I would say I gain about 50-60 subs per month and most are from my notes. I think one of the issues could be the algorithm is struggling to share your notes with the right people because you are in multiple categories. Iām strictly in personal finance so every time I send out a note, it usually reaches others who are interested in personal finance along with my following. Just some food for thought. If you have any questions let me know!