From 0 to 1,000 Subscribers: How I Grew My Substack Audience 🚀
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
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Table of Contents:
00:00 From 0 to 1,000 Subscribers: How I Grew My Substack Audience 🚀
00:39 Fastest Place to Start
01:12 The Foundation
02:09 Newsletter Category
02:43 Newsletter Description
03:20 Look & Feel
03:47 Consistency
04:43 Open Rates
05:07 Promote on Any Social
05:59 Networking
06:29 Engagement
06:57 The HOPE Principle
07:41 Give Everything Away for Free
#Substack #Newsletter #Writing
✅Join my "The Online Writing Club" newsletter and my "Substack School" membership experience to kickstart and grow your newsletter for $9 per month: kristinagod.substack.com/ ✅
You are very encouraging. Thank you!
Can't wait to get started on Substack!
Hi Helly, Wooohoo! Smart choice :D With my newsletter you can now also join the Substack School community: kristinagod.substack.com/ See you soon on Substack, Kristina
Thanks so much for this! I'm new to Substack & still feel a bit overwhelmed, but I am committed to make it a success because I know I have valuable, first hand knowledge to offer my readers.
Love your energy & appreciate the inspiration.
Hi Conchita, awesome! Fingers crossed 🤞🤞 would you mind sharing the link to your Substack so I can connect with you? Have a nice day and talk soon Kristina
TLDR: By consistently creating valuable and original content, optimizing newsletter descriptions and appearance, utilizing various platforms for promotion, and building trust with subscribers, it is possible to grow a Substack audience and potentially monetize it.
00:00 🚀 In just five months, the speaker grew their Substack audience from zero to 1,000 subscribers without relying on friends or family, highlighting the platform's simplicity and potential for monetization.
01:27 🚀 If you want to grow your personal brand, it's okay to use your name for your newsletter, but if you want to focus on a specific topic, give it a catchy name; also, selecting the right categories and having a clear newsletter description are important for discoverability.
02:48 🚀 The description and look of your newsletter are important for discoverability and attracting subscribers, so make sure to optimize them for a clean and minimalistic look and feel.
03:37 🚀 By repurposing successful stories and consistently creating original content, the speaker was able to grow their Substack audience, despite the challenges of being a busy working mom.
04:30 🚀 Creating original content on Substack, Medium, and TH-cam helped the speaker attract new subscribers and keep existing ones engaged, resulting in high open rates for their newsletters.
05:38 🚀 Utilize various platforms to promote your newsletter, collaborate with other writers, engage with their content, and help one person every day to grow your Substack audience.
07:17 🚀 Each subscriber represents a unique individual with their own needs and desires, and by offering valuable content for free, the speaker builds trust and credibility, leading to increased engagement and potential sales.
08:35 🚀 Start a subset newsletter on Substack and grow your subscriber base to over a thousand within five months for a significant impact on your part-time business.
thanks, AI!
Just moved my author newsletter to Substack and I LOVE it! 🙂
Are we already connected there? I don't think 🤔 so. Where did you import your contacts from? MailChimp or ConvertKit? I recommended Convert Kits Creator Network to my hubby and he's growing there pretty fast. I guess they *stole* the recommendations of the engine machine idea from Substack but WOM word of mouth isn't new at all so I think it's fine and it's cool to see how email newsletter providers are evolving. You're not creating in a silo anymore. Your newsletter issues are public and anyone can access, share and recommend them
Oh and spoiler alert. I'll soon publish part 2-5 of my Substack series and an interview with a spokesperson from Substack. Stay tuned ❤️
Great information. You helped me grow on Medium with your course. Now I'm trying Substack. Thank you, Kristina :)
Wonderful! Is it you, June?
Awesome. You have inspired me to start my own Substack newsletter and finally build and grow an email list. Thanks so much for sharing your journey so far.
That's super cool. Time to take inspir-action! Once you're ready, share your Substack with me. I'd be happy to promote and recommend it.
Hi mate, how's it going?
Thanks for sharing
You're very welcome. Let me know if you have any questions or watch my playlist for more. Thanks for your comment ❤️
Thankyou
WoW, I have found your content to be very valuable. I'm a newbie writer on Medium and looking to start a Substack newsletter to link. ...however, I am curious: you have so many avenues of content (Medium, Substack, Twitter, TH-cam videos) how many hours per day do you work on these? Do you have a schedule video that you have done ("A Day in the Life")? I find it hard just to keep up with one of those platforms! Kudos to you!!🎉🙌 keep up the amazing content!
Hi Merrideth, so nice hearing from you. Thanks for reaching out. Welcome to Medium then! Your approach is super smart. Don't put all the eggs in one basket. To make your dreams come true you need to build a list so it's smart to link from Medium to Substack and vice versa. Do you have my Medium Kickstarter Guide? It's free. There I share how to kickstart your Medium writing journey. You're right. I should also add Substack as an option to build a list. Great idea! I think newbies should start their list from day one. With Medium you can also build a list. When people subscribe they get your posts in their inboxes. Make sure to ask them to subscribe as long as you're on the fence about joining Substack. Once you're ready, I can help you. With my premium newsletter comes also the Substack School. I'll launch it tomorrow so you won't feel overwhelmed. We also talk about repurposing content. I work in the evenings or during lunch break. I have a baby and a toddler so... My part-time is limited. I have a trick though which I can share in a video. But I also wrote about it. It's batch creating. I write several posts in one session e.g. hope this helps already. Talk soon, Kristina ❤️
Oh a LONG response 😂
UPDATE: 🚀 Grab my NEW & FREE Grow Your Substack Checklist 2024: kristinagod.gumroad.com/l/growyoursubstack
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📧 Newsletter: kristinagod.substack.com/
OMG the same categories as my newsletter (business and education) since mine is about feminine leadership
Really? Cool! What's the name of your Substanck? Let's connect!
Kristina, you always inspire me! i like the way you framed this and am thinking about what i envision a newsletter of my own would look like. you always makes dreams tactile.💡
Hi Leonora, 🌸 Awesome to hear this! I'm here if you need someone who is holding your hand once you're ready. I wanted to record a video and show how to create a newsletter with Substack. Would this be something for you? Once your ready, you could follow the steps and create your own newsletter. Hugs!
@@_KristinaGod yes! cannot wait to see it!
@@fdotleonora Alright. Then I will definitely make a video about it and maybe also share a little e-book. Have a nice day and thanks for the inspiration and feedback ❤️
Krinstina - GREAT content!! I started a Substack on July 10th "Nosy About Nutrition" and I'm here to see what you say about how to get subscribers. I feel like there's a LOT to be said about consistency. I plan to write every other day. I am semi retired and have quite a bit of time to write about nutrition.... AND.... as I'm researching a specific topic, it's making me learn a LOT more too!
You have a great channel here and I just subscribed! Thumbs WAAAAAY UP!!!!
Super cool. As far as I know we already met on Substack, am I right? Hope it's going well. Event if you're reaching a plateau, it's just a phase and you have to keep at it. Health and nutrition are definitely popular topics. I guess it's important to focus on a specific niche then. Do you have one? You can start by writing about nutrition in general and then see which post gets the most engagement. Make also sure to tag it correctly before you hit publish. You can tag it with #nutrition, # health and your niche. There's a Medium writer who is also successful on Substack with 12k revenue p a . She writes about food safety for instance
Absolutely amazing content! Been a huge fan of your Medium articles and just discovered your TH-cam channel!
Excited to binge everything you’ve uploaded 😄
Hi Michael, I guess I need to promote my new channel more but I don't want to annoy people with multiple call to actions. Hah. Glad you found me here! One of my next videos will be about the Boost with interviews. That's gonna be awesome. Thanks again and let me know if there's something you want me to cover. Have a lovely day! All the best, Kristina
@@_KristinaGod I think you're doing an amazing job walking that balance. I'm looking forward to it! Hoping that I can become as good a writer as you one day - always been lowkey jealous of your mastery over writing lol.
Also, I forgot to mention in my first comment but your video setup is AMAZING! Those blue lights in the background are the bomb!
@@Michael-Macaulay oh no. You don't have to envy my writing skills. They are 15 + years in the making. Why? As soon as I could hold a pencil I started writing short stories. Later,I studied journalism. So I guess you can learn some things from me. Better try to feel inspired by me. My life isn't so rosy. Work,family, side hustle... A lot of balls to juggle in the air. The setting is from my husband's videos. 😂 He felt flattered when I shared you love our setting and background colour. Unfortunately we'll soon change it because our creativity hub will move upstairs. Have a nice day and many thanks for being my subscriber and giving me this awesome feedback!! If there's anything you'd like me to cover, just send me an email or leave a comment. All the best, Kristina
Would you recommend doing multiple categories? I’m wanting to write about both culture (film/tv), but also sports and I have experience in sports. Would you recommend combining a newsletter into multiple categories or do separate newsletters across each category
Hey, niching down definitely is cool if you know exactly what you want to write about. You could start two Substacks and see which one performs better. You could also combine both categories. I recall a masterclass I participated in and a Substack employee said once a writer told her she loves chickens 😂 and politics. Guess what her recommendation was. Combine both. This writer belongs now to the most successful writers on Substack 😅 true story. So it really depends on your time and energy. I could also start multiple newsletters for instance one about AI and one about marketing. I'm also thinking about combining both because I'm not a full time creator. You have to keep your target audience/s in mind, too and ask you how you can serve them best. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas 🎄 🎁
I love that you focus on helping the "one" person. I believe in this. If we focus on serving our audience, we will make a bigger impact and, in turn, will have that reciprocated over time.
Are you from Hawaii? Watched your shorts on Oahu! Looooove the Hawaiian island. Went there for my honeymoon. Wonderful people and awesome time.
Spot on, Yahnny. Are you from Hawaii? The HOPE mindset really helps me when I feel stuck or want too much. Focusing on helping this one person makes it much easier to create content with ease.
@@_KristinaGod I moved from Hawaiʻi to Sweden and now between there and France. I believe that if we can focus on that one person, who is essentially us 2 to 10 years ago, we can help/teach/share our knowledge and skills without ever feeling imposter syndrome.
@@yahnnysanluis5150 WOW! From Hawaii to Sweden? I live on the island of Sylt. Not far away from Sweden! I love Germany's westcoast and how easy it is to travel to Denmark.
@_KristinaGod ahhh yes! I'm familiar with Sylt 😊 Perhaps one day, our paths will cross!
I'm intrigued. Maybe I should get going on Substack! Thanks for all the info.
Hi Jenny, you should start a Substack newsletter! To really take insoir-ACTIOn I created my first video in my Substack for Beginners series: th-cam.com/video/o-_ghiwWVps/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RaqXYSSdOlu945pd Let me know what you think and what else you're interested in and would love to learn more about. Talk soon, Kristina
When you are already on medium, they also have newsletter feature I rhink. what's better with substack?
Great question. I recently wrote about it and will share the link asap. Medium seems to be down so I can't send it to you today.
In a nutshell: you can build and grow an email list on Medium but since this is not Medium's core feature and their goal is to get you more followers and views, the focus isn't on gaining subs you OWN but to build a following you RENT. If Medium would go away tomorrow or you'd get banned,you'd lose all your followers.
With Substack you can really focus on growing a list you own! That's what I love about the platform.
However, you can combine both and import your Medium subs to Substack.
In my interview with Anne Bonfert she shared that with 180K followers she only has a handful of subs.
Since your email list is your most precious business asset my tip is to go with Substack for building a list. With Medium you can grow an audience and convert them into (paying) subs. Merry Christmas 🎄
Thanks I was trying to research Substack more, you made it exciting lol
Someone called me a mental fitness coach for online creators ^^ He said I would inspire others. So I'm happy you feel this excitement and hope you will take inspir-ACTION! To help and guide you, I started my Substack for Beginners series: th-cam.com/video/o-_ghiwWVps/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RaqXYSSdOlu945pd Would love to hear from you
Do you have a video that shows how to turn those free subs to paid subs?
Hi Kristen, I have already the footage for the Going Paid video. I guess it will be published within the next week when I find time to edit it.
What about starting a paid newsletter from scratch? I mean, not about a free newsletter turned into a paid, I mean paid subscriptions since day one. Any suggest?
Hi Giuseppe, sure! You can also start with a paid newsletter. I think this depends on your topic/niche and also how many followers/subs you have on other socials. I would always recommend to have at least 100-500 subs but that's just me. I will offer a paid edition when I reach 3,000 and have a concept for my premium newsletter. What I also love is Substack's new referral program. You can reward your free subscribers with eBooks, coachings or whatever fits and they can help you grow. I don't have a concept yet but will soon offer rewards for all people who recommend to newsletter. I already won 350 subscribers thanks to subscribers recommending it. From my experience as marketing professional I know that you can make money from 100 or 500 subs! How? It's all about true fans. The more true fans you have the better. They will be willing to buy from you because they live your content and want to support you. On TH-cam, there are also creators with smaller channels and they earn via Patreon 10,000 USD to 100,000 USD per year. Crazy! Hope this helps.
congrats
Thanks. Stay tuned for more ❤
Thank you so much for this Kristina! This gives me strength to start.
When you started, did you never had any doubt about writing in English because it isn’t your native language?
I’m currently (over) thinking this myself (too much, I bet).
Wishing you all the best!
Great question! Where are you from? I'm from Germany. I learned Latin (!) and then English. I love the English language and my English has definitely improved since I started writing in English online. It's different to my Business English C2 Level. It's more casual, there are wonderful new words I learn around the topics and so many international people I can connect with.
Better done than perfect!
Start before you're ready!
That's my mantra!
Write write write improve your English and craft and I bet on your way you'll feel way more comfortable than now.
Your future YOU will thank you!
On Medium.com for instance you can start writing, experimenting and even earn money - it's all about the value and the stories you can share. Your English don't need to be perfect.
So I'd start with Medium.com and then go to Susbstack or repurpose your stories on Substack or the other way around.
Hope this helps, my friend 🌼
Check out my content library for more here on TH-cam or my Medium profile.
How do you feel about these suggestions?
medium.com/@kristinagod
th-cam.com/users/shorts7XPFE3bjoH4?si=EcyVds3-NZ6uCfW6 this may help too 😀
Hey kristina, stumbled across your channel, where did you get inspiration for design for your substack? And was naval ravikant an inspiration ?
Hey! I didn't know about Naval R. until now. Do you mean this Substack: navalsarchive.substack.com/ ? To be honest, I think I went with the default design. haha. I know that you can customize your Substack (which I did by adding a Leaderboard for instance, I could also link to my courses or TH-cam channel or add aspecific topic, e.g. Writing on Medium, Writing tips or something like this) in the navigation bar.
I don't have a logo or Wordmark yet but I'm working on it in the background :D I think Adobe Firefly can really help you when you want to design a logo as a part-time creator.
As Naval did with black and red, you can build a visual brand. You can customize font styles, headers, colors and more to customize your Substack publication.
In an upcoming episode of my Substack for Beginners series I'll cover this topic: th-cam.com/video/o-_ghiwWVps/w-d-xo.html
Many thanks for your great question it really helps me with my Substack for Beginners series since I now know that you're interested in the visual design aspect.
If you open/opened a Substack, feel free to share the link so we can connect.
Have a wonderful day and (hopefully) talk soon, Kristina
@@_KristinaGod yes I did, forgive me, I am bit of a disciple of his!
Cool! What about gdpr compatibility in europe ?
Hey, another good question. What exactly do you mean re the data protection law? I'm not a lawyer. All I can tell you is that people from the EU are using it. I see Substacks from German writers (as I am but my audience is international) and also from people from Spain or Italy. I know that Substack is in the middle of expanding their reach and that they want to grow in Europe. I'll soon interview someone from the Substack staff and I can ask her your question if you send me your exact question. Thanks for being a bit more specific and asking two questions here🎉 really appreciated, Kristina
Hey thank U. I don't think data security should be a thing. But by browsing the internet about substack and EU regulations it brings up some "concerns" and unsolved questions here and there. As the servers are in the us and it seems not always clear what data substack gives to which third party for example. I think it will be no problem, but as U know the European data regulation ambition, you might find problems if U search for it. If U have more info to this would appreciate. You do a great job by the way
I will ask the Substack employee about this in our upcoming interview. Great inspiration and questions! Merry Christmas.@@om6418
Watched some of your videos. Really fell in love with them.
Hi 👋 so nice to e-meet you! Thanks so much for your feedback. If you have any suggestions for videos or questions, let me know. All the best and talk soon, Kristina
@@_KristinaGod Can you make a video on how to earn at least $100/month through Medium without enrolling in MPP.
@@suvwrites hey, I can show you what other options you have, for instance Medium's tipping feature. Would this be something for you?
@@_KristinaGod suree....
@@suvwrites great. Thanks for the feedback. I'll put this on my list
Do you post same articles on Medium? If so, why would they then subscribe to substack when it's free on Medium?
Great content !! I am wondering how many words should be in article?
800-1500
Great question. There isn't a word count or length restriction on Substack but at some point it says "post too long" or something like "you're reaching the post limit". This happens to me often. My stories are 3 to 5 minute reads. Guess about 3,500 words. On Medium I write a lot of short form stories (150 words) with a read time of one minute. I link to my long form stories at the bottom. On Substack I tend to post long form stories. Why? Because I want to provide in depth articles in which I share my personal experience on a deeper level. The purpose of my Sub is to connect on a deeper level with my subscribers to engage them. So I think longer articles are mich better to reach this goal. If you want to send quick updates, shorter posts might be better. It really depends on your goals, target group and message you want to convey. Hope this helps
@@voice_against_domestic_vio7489thanks for your reply. Why do you think so?
@@_KristinaGod Its an average estimate, not my personal thinking.
@@voice_against_domestic_vio7489I see. Thanks. I found a post on Reddit about it. Will dig a bit deeper whether there's a rule of thumb
Nice one Kristina! 👏 I'm all about Substack and Medium now! Joined both platforms this month. You have a new subscriber 😁
Awesome! Thank you! How can I find you on Medium? Let me know if you need any help or send me an email😊
How do you make money on Substack if your newsletter is free. Is there another way?
@@Emmilie4 I am on Substack but am not currently writing on the platform. If your newsletters are free (some people choose to do that and to always keep them free) you could invite your subscribers to check out your website and other social media platforms. Perhaps promote products in your newsletters from time to time.
I put a lot of effort into making my Substack look nice but wasn't getting any traction. That's OK I don't feel like writing right now. I may get back into it in the future. In terms of making some money as a writer without charging people, I recommend Medium! 🙂
To earn from your readers they do need to be Medium members. But you aren't asking your followers to pay up which is good. I personally don't think I will ever charge people to read my newsletters. I would offer products and services though. Just like other people do in regular newsletters.
Any tips? Currently finding motivation for writing. I really want to do writing full-time, but I don't know how to monetize it. Substack & Medium Partner Program isn't available in the Philippines, so I don't know how to monetize it.
Hi Harvy, good news! Medium will soon welcome voices from the Philippines and open its Medium Partner Program to the Philippines! From the Philippines, there are ways to get a Stripe account (just google it :)). On Substack, you can't get paid subs without a Stripe account but they can reward you with a Ko-Fi or Buy me a Coffee. Same on Medium. Hope this helps! All the best for your journey. I'm cheering you on!
Thank you so much! @@_KristinaGod
Amazing amazing AMAZING 🎉🎉🎉
Though you did have an audience before am I correct? Medium?
I thought you grew from absolutely zero.. is this still possible?
Great video!! ❤
👋 Hey! Great question. In the video I share that I promoted my Substack via Medium where I have now about 9.5k followers. Back then I had I guess about 7/8k. Tapping into the audience you built already over the years is smart. Plus you should promote your newsletter on every social you're active. For me it's Twitter and TH-cam (since Nov 2022). I know lots of Medium writers with a small following and new writers who started their Substack and are pretty happy with the results. Getting 1,000 subs is a huge milestone but getting your first 10, then 100, 500 is too! You don't have a huge following or huge amount of subs to be successful or monetize your work. That's the beauty. You need engaged subs who are true fans and like and trust you. Hope this helps! All the best, Kristina
Plus the discovery feature on Substack is great and that people recommend you once they find your newsletter and like it.
@@_KristinaGod Thank you so much I really appreciate your tips and input.. I wish you continued success you’ve most certainly inspired me! ❤️❤️❤️☺️🥰🙏
@@sparecash7199 That's wonderful. All the best for you. I'm here if you need me. Just drop me a line.
@@_KristinaGod Thank you 😊 I certainly will.. I have so many ideas 💡 and this video has got my creative engine all fired up 🔥🔥🔥☺️🥰
How do you make money from your newsletters if they are free? If it's ads, what types of ads?
Hey, as shown in the video I don't make any money from it. I'll start monetizing it when I reach 3k and have a plan for my premium content. My recommendation is to build a subscriber base first and then offer a paid newsletter. If you want to make money while offering a free newsletter here are some proven ideas: sponsorships, ads, affilita links, links to your other socials where you earn money for your content. I link to my trending Medium posts. People click them and I earn money. Or I offer an eBook for free, people pay for it to say thank you. Hope this helps! All the best, Kristina
@@_KristinaGod Thank you for letting me know Kristina. I appreciate it :)
@@_KristinaGod thank you for the reply a big help!
@@KurtMueller99 Sure! I can dig deeper into this once I launched my premium newsletter, Kurt
@@jsoteldo8881 you're welcome. When I launch my premium newsletter I'll share further details on how to grow your Substack in regard to monetization
I love your vision - let’s celebrate it 🎉🎉 Thanks for the boost. But one thing. Do you think you should now look at stopping offering too much free stuff for all of your hard work and value.
Hi Mat, when I cross the 3,000 subs mark I will make my newsletter paid. In fact, I'll share this moment here on TH-cam. I started a series for beginners and I guess in two weeks, I'll make it paid and offer extras for my paid subscribers. It will be a mix of free and paid content. Special webinars/tutorial videos on demand will be available for my paid subs to help them monetize their work, promote their content... here's my new Substack for Beginners series: th-cam.com/video/o-_ghiwWVps/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RaqXYSSdOlu945pd
For a newcomer to Substack trying to follow a content creator the platform is not user friendly. Somehow that seems pretty counter-intuitive.
Hey, what exactly are you struggling with? Please let me know. I'd like to help you get started. Check out my video on how to set up your Substack. I'll continue this series next week. You can also ask me questions on Substack. It's really easy to use.
If you follow another person this means you'll see this writer's posts in your feed. So you're not creating in a silo. You can read what others share and connect with them.
Following = follow someone to see him/her in your Notes feed on Substacks.
Subscribers = people get your stories in your inbox.
Talk soon! Kristina
Your voice is so sweet
Thanks for the compliment ( in case it was one 😆)
Ok so it’s all from Medium 😮 dah
Hi N, nope. 1/6 of my subs come from Medium. It's not that easy to convert followers into subs. My goal is to gain more subs than followers on Medium in 2024 ^^ I'm at 3,300 now and 1/6 are coming via Substack's recommendation engine. Within the next few days, there will be a video about the recommendation engine with further insights. Maybe this video helps you, too: th-cam.com/video/4wgd-C5u4zM/w-d-xo.html&t#
tu es trop francaise ou belge ou suisse, ton anglais est incomprehensible
There are plenty of other channels you can watch (and maybe you should improve your English).
So whiney...