I Hit 100 Subscribers on Substack. Here’s Why It Means Nothing… and Everything

If your growth feels slow, read this

Just woke up to 100 subscribers, and it’s been 1 month since I’m actively publishing content and engaging on the platform.

That feels good, but at the same time, I keep a few things in mind. In this post, I want to share them. Consider it your motivation boost in case your Substack journey feels too slow.

Do you want many subscribers, or the right ones?

First of all, I see people doing anything they can think of to get attention and grow their audience. But why?

These random followers or subscribers won’t really convert into paid ones, they probably aren’t opening your emails or actually reading your posts.

They are followers, but not true subscribers.

So, I hit 100 now, but that doesn’t mean much, at least not yet.

The right people on this platform haven’t even started finding me yet because I’ve only been here for a short time. The algorithm doesn’t know exactly what my topics are and who my ideal reader is.

Once it knows, more will be happening. But that takes time.

This milestone doesn’t change much.

I still keep showing up on Substack daily, figuring out how it works, documenting my journey on this second publication I just started (because it’s fun), engaging with others and posting on Notes often.

When I hit 500 subscribers, I’ll do the same.

When I hit 1000, probably the same.

This is your reminder that chasing 100 subscribers isn’t really your vision, it’s just a random number and someone many writers want when they first start out on Substack. But once you’re there, it’s really nothing.

But at the same time, it’s everything.

100 people said Yes to you, you have access to them, and can form relationships.

Realistically speaking, each of them might convert into a paid subscriber in the future even if they weren’t interested in the topics you cover, or didn’t think they’d ever pay for a publication.

But if you find the right angle, create the most helpful content, and really offer big wins with your paid posts, anyone who finds you and subscribes for free, might later be tempted to check out your exclusive content.

So both of these are true at the same time. Take this milestone seriously, but at the same time - don’t take it too seriously.

The momentum you build is priceless.

People need proof that what they are doing is working. And if you really engage with others in your first month on Substack, post on Notes and write longer pieces too, things will be happening for you.

You will see likes, comments, followers and subscribers. That creates momentum and it can be the sole reason why we don’t give up and actually build the habit of showing up on here daily.

After all, consistency is all we need to play the long-game. And if hitting 100 subscribers helps us get there, so be it.

Let’s compare it to Instagram, where the algorithm is so bad now that you’re not likely to grow your new account. If you already have a big following, chances are most of your followers are not seeing your new posts anymore.

I’m in the process of leaving Instagram behind, honestly. I was never a fan of it, but the lack of any engagement and progress is really demotivating.

I’m a writer at heart and Substack feels fulfilling. It was just an experiment, but as I see things happening for me here, I have hope and this keeps me going.

Our journeys will be different.

I know you often see big Substack accounts that teach how to earn on this platform and make it seem like it’s easy, can happen quickly and if you’re not earning already, you’re left behind.

Don’t let this bring you down.

Your journey will be different. There are so many factors that go into this.

Yes, it can be quick and easy too, but why expect that and why compare yourself to others?

It takes time to figure out your niche.

To find a publishing schedule that works for you.

To build a daily Substack routine.

To learn about the algorithm, and to give it time to start showing your posts to the right people.

It takes time to decide how to monetize, and find the courage to actually do it.

There are many mindset shifts you’ll need to make too.

Show up daily if you can, do your thing, get a little better every day, find your voice, and let the platform and the fellow writers do the rest.

Time to step up your game.

100 people are watching. Time to post better Notes, write better newsletters, and create a Substack strategy you’ll stick to.

The boring phase might be around the corner.

I hit 100 subscribers in 1 month. But I did quite a lot and was pretty consistent. Still, things happened rather quickly and I feel good about it.

However, there’s a slow first phase for writers on here and it can last for months. Just because I like how things have been going on so far doesn’t mean it will continue this way.

Maybe things will slow down now, and that will be pretty discouraging. The thought of giving up will start crossing my mind then, especially when I don’t get my dopamine from growing metrics anymore.

And that’s exactly when you need to push through and keep doing what you’re supposed to do.

In my case, keep showing up on here, posting Notes, reading other people’s posts, leaving meaningful comments, following each other, supporting our work, inspiring each other, learning more about Substack as a business model, and publishing good long-form content.

At the end of the day…connect.

Don’t forget that we are here for the conversations, to share our voice in written form but to also give back to the community. Engagement really is key.

So if you’ve just been posting but not responding to comments or not reading other people’s posts or not engaging with the Notes of totally new writers on the platform, you’re missing out.

And that’s what I wanted to share with you today.

The next post of this type I write will be when I hit 500 subscribers and 1000 subscribers, but also when I get my first paid ones.

If you’re interested in following my journey, subscribe (this is my second publication and it’s where I talk about my Substack growth, what works and what doesn’t).