How I Got My First 100 Substack Subscribers

A short, step-by-step guide for new writers.

Image by Siggy Nowak: Pixabay

Most Substack success stories make my head spin. 

Hundreds of thousand of subscribers, 6-7 figures in revenue. 

It’s super inspirational, but also overwhelming. 

If you’re new, these stories sound lightyears ahead of you. 

So, let me share my 0-100 subscribers story. 

Secret to Success: How to Start on Substack 

Beginning of this year, I finally decided to start an e-mail list (after 10 years of postponing). 

I had 5K followers on Medium at the time, but few of them were “true fans”. 

Other than that, I had no audience. 

The first thing I did…

…Was to listen to the big guys and create a few freebies. I started writing on Medium again and ended each article with a link to a freebie leading to a Mailchimp subscribe form. I did this for two months. 

And I got 0 subscribers. 

Not ideal. 

So I stopped. 

I rethought my strategy. Freebies are great, but how many times had I downloaded a freebie that sounded interesting and then instantly forgot the name of the person who sent it? 

I didn’t want that kind of audience. 

I wanted the kind of people who subscribe to my newsletter because they like what I have to say. Because it makes them feel good, it helps them achieve their goals, it moves them forward. 

So I changed directions and started a Substack focused on the people I wanted to serve: free-spirited solopreneurs with big dreams. 

I launched One-Person Business Success and waited to see if the Substack community would jump on the opportunity to get e-mails from me. 

Of course, it didn’t. 

I’m in a few writers/freelancers Facebook groups. 

A few days after I started the newsletter, I saw a question I could answer. I answered it and invited the person to subscribe to my newsletter. 

Then she did! OMG! My first ever e-mail subscriber! 

I used Medium, too. I invited people to subscribe at the end of every article. No freebies this time. If they liked what I had to say, they were welcome to join. 

Also, when someone commented on a Medium article with a question, I answered it and invited them to subscribe. 

I think my first 5-10 subscribers came from personal invitations. 

Then, the wheels started turning. 

I talked (and still talk) about my newsletter everywhere I can. I started using X more and changed my bio to invite people to subscribe. I started posting more Medium stories and changed my Medium bio, too. I continued to invite people personally when I answered questions on social media. 

I reached out to the community. 

The great thing about Substack is that the audience is already here—and so are your peers.

I looked for other newsletters targeting solopreneurs and subscribed for all I could find. When I liked a newsletter, I recommended it to my audience. I also started conversations with the authors and invited them to recommend me. 

Since I hit 100 subscribers, I doubled my growth. 

In the beginning, I got 20 new subscribers per month. Since I hit 100 subscribers, I get 40 per month. Many Substackers say growth speeds up as you get more subscribers. It’s true. 

Here’s the strategy, summed up: 

• Start a Substack targeted at a specific audience.

• Share your Substack everywhere and invite everyone to join (this requires some psychological work if you’re not the type of person who’s comfortable selling themselves) 

• When I say “everywhere”, pair Substack with at least 2 other platforms. 

• Use the Substack community. Find similar newsletters, see if you like them and reach out to the authors. 

To be honest, I expected this to be harder than it turned out. 

Peek Behind The Curtain 

Recent Success: 

Okay, this isn’t tangible, but it’s super important. I just feel stronger lately, you know? When things don’t go as planned, I can feel my consistency muscle keeping me steady. I feel good about my decisions, even when the progress is miniscule. 

It’s weird, actually. I had lunch with my husband today, and he asked me why I’m in a good mood. I couldn’t put my finger on it. There’s nothing that exciting happening, and yet, every new subscriber feels exciting. You know? 

I hope this feeling lasts. 

Recent failure: 

It’s not so much failure as it is a realisation that sucks. I think the golden days of Medium have passed. Too many writers are giving up on it. I’m also not seeing the results I know I had. Not sure if I’m failing or the platform is failing me. 

I’ll keep writing there, but it’s not my priority anymore. I’m re-prioritizing and will keep you posted on what works. 

Something new I’m trying. 

I’m working on launching my first-ever digital course, the WOW Copy Course, where I’ll share the copywriting strategies I’ve used to build a 6-figure freelance business and keep clients coming back. 

It’s exciting! 

Sending you a piece of my good mood,

Maya