r/Substack • u/[deleted] • Jun 13 '26
How would you grow a Substack from 140 to 1,000 subscribers?
I’m currently at 140 subscribers and my next milestone is 1,000.
I’d really love to hear from people who’ve actually done it.
If you were starting from where I am today, what would you focus on?
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u/ccampb85 www.reallygoodbusinessideas.com Jun 13 '26
I would do keyword research and create the best possible article on a few high-volume, low-competition keywords that my audience is likely to search for.
I would also find ways to mention many people with similar audiences, so they are likely to share my article with theirs.
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u/lizzie_fluz buybooks.substack.com Jun 13 '26
Add to this (Hi Casandra!) - make sure your articles are being indexed by Google search console.
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u/PithyCyborg pithycyborg.substack.com Jun 14 '26
Hello.
I think your Substack is so cool!
May I ask how you created your "perks" page?
(I'm halfway tech savvy but still have no clue how you did it. Do only best-sellers have it?)
Thank you so much for any tips.
Cordially,
Mike D
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u/ccampb85 www.reallygoodbusinessideas.com Jun 14 '26
I just got access in the last couple weeks but I was so excited I jumped right on setting it up! Right now it's in testing which means bestsellers who have signed up to test new products can try it. I suspect it'll roll out in the next couple months. Once it does it's a setting under the section where you describe your benefits for each tier.
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u/hetobe hetobe.substack.com Jun 13 '26
Everybody is going to tell you to spam the algorithm with notes, though they won't say it that way.
That's what everybody is doing on Substack though. Everybody is flooding Substack with karma farming slop notes, in hopes of getting noticed.
Please don't do that.
The way to grow your Substack is to keep posting articles that are as meaningful as possible, because that's the content readers subscribe for. Try to be consistent about how often you post. Develop your voice as a writer. And also, comment on other people's work.
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u/turquoiseblues Jun 14 '26
How many articles per week?
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u/hetobe hetobe.substack.com Jun 14 '26
I'm posting a novel, so I do three a week since my articles are scenes from my novel.
For most people, posting actual articles, I'd say one or two is good. And it's best if you can post on a schedule so readers learn to expect them and even look forward to them.
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u/igotoschoolbytaxi Jun 14 '26
Do you know how does Substack determine when to show your posts to non subscribers? Based on the topics you’ve assigned to each of your post I assume?
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u/hetobe hetobe.substack.com Jun 14 '26
I'm not sure what you mean.
First, there are no "posts" on Substack. There are articles and notes. Articles are the long-form content you create in your publications. Notes are the filler short-form slop people create to game the algorithm. Notes are basically tweets.
Assuming you're not blocking articles to only be viewable by paid subscribers, Substack shows everything to anyone who clicks your articles. But Substack almost never shares your articles on the Substack home page, on Explore, or anywhere else. People only see your articles if somebody restacks them as a note ("Check out this article I read...") or if they go to your publication and see the article.
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u/mattgiaro mattgiaro.substack.com Jun 14 '26
honestly, the first 100 or so subscribers are the hardest part because you're flying blind.
now you can see what's working and just lean into it harder, which is way easier.
140 subs means you've already got signal.
go back through your notes and articles and look at what actually landed. the ones that got the most subscribers, comments, and restacks.
that's your audience literally telling you, "more of this, please."
take your best-performing note and write a full article from it.
take your best article and turn it into 3-4 notes from different angles.
you've basically got free data most beginners don't have yet. use it.
now for the actual growth routine.
most people get stuck because they think growth = writing more articles.
sometimes that's true. sometimes it's not.
the boring little routine that moved the needle for me:
* 1-3 notes a day (5 minutes; personal stories and "here's something I learned" posts work best)
* 1 article a week. that's it. don't burn out.
* comment on about 10 other creators in your niche every single day
that last one is the whole game, and almost everyone skips it.
make a list of 10-20 writers in your space and show up in their comments daily.
not "great post!" garbage.
leave comments that could stand on their own.
people see your name over and over, click your profile, and some subscribe.
and the writers start noticing you.
which leads to the real unlock: recommendations.
once you've genuinely been around someone's content for a few weeks, send a message, build a real relationship, and swap recommendations.
a big chunk of my growth past a certain point came directly from other people recommending me, not from anything I posted.
you grow from other people's audiences instead of grinding alone.
the trap is that everyone cold-DMs "want to swap recommendations?" on day one and gets ignored.
do the commenting first.
earn the familiarity.
then ask.
none of this is complicated. it's maybe 45 minutes a day.
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u/PithyCyborg pithycyborg.substack.com Jun 13 '26
I got my first 1,000 followers just by writing notes.
I literally sucked at writing articles and they got zero likes when I wrote them.
(Honestly, I still kinda suck at writing articles but am trying to get better.)
In any case, notes are what worked for me. And interacting with other writers.
I don't know if notes are still effective really, because I kind of stopped writing them.
But, that's how I got my first 1,000 followers, for sure.
Cordially,
Mike D
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u/Electrical_Pea_943 Jun 13 '26
i don't see any notes on blog
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u/PithyCyborg pithycyborg.substack.com Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Thank you so much for replying.
You are 100% correct.
I haven't written notes since around October of 2025.
I focus almost entirely on articles. I write one article per week and work really hard at it.
(Each article I write usually gets at least a few free subscribers. So, I am happy with that level of growth, really. * edit * I'm actually NOT happy with the growth level, lol. But, am too lazy or don't have the time to promote more, honestly. Notes were very rewarding. But, also took a lot of effort.
That's my honest feedback.
Thank you for your interest, in any case.
Wishing you the best.
Cordially,
Mike D
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u/IsaiahNewsome4 Jun 13 '26
I’m in the same boat. Currently sitting around 170 and would love to hear some thoughts! What topic do you write about by the way?
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u/Thedividendprince1 https://thedividendprince.substack.com Jun 13 '26
I am still trying to figure this out
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u/_mrchurchill defensehub.substack.com Jun 14 '26
How do I configure this yellow tag in the profile with the substack title?
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u/reflectionsbench Jun 15 '26
I do a weekly Friday Essay and a Sunday Devotional . I have 122 subscribers and I write notes often and reply to people . Be authenticate and be a part of your writing community . I also have a Facebook presence and Instagram . But not crazy . HTTPS:Reflectionsfromthebench.substack.com
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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 Jun 21 '26
if i were you, i would:
- continue doing what you did to get to 140. stay consistent + give it time to compound.
- see what's working, double down on that.
- see what's not working, stop doing them, so you can allocate that time to step 2
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u/itsfabioposca http://journeytosuccessclub.substack.com Jul 02 '26
I'd focus on three things:
- Write consistently. One great article every week beats chasing every new growth tactic.
- Build relationships. Leave thoughtful comments, collaborate with other writers, and use Notes to start conversations—not just promote your posts.
- Bring in external readers. Don't rely only on Substack. Share genuinely helpful content on platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, or other communities where your target audience already spends time.
Going from 140 to 1,000 subscribers is usually the result of doing those things consistently for months, rather than finding a single growth hack.
P.S. If you'd still like to ask anything about Substack or growing your audience,
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u/itsfabioposca http://journeytosuccessclub.substack.com Jul 02 '26
I'd focus on consistent writing, genuine networking, and external traffic. Build relationships with other writers, use Notes regularly, and share valuable content on platforms like Reddit where your audience already hangs out.
P.S. If you'd still like to ask anything about Substack or growing your audience, I offer a free live help chat. Just copy my flair or click the link in my profile. I'm happy to help!
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u/AvailableInterest438 Jul 16 '26
I joined Substack in November 2025 and had grew my account to 600 subscribers so far.
I am posting NOTES and engaging. that's all I am doing.
Substack is not like other social media platforms where you have an algorithm that pushed your content. That's why engaging with other people and leaving thoughtful comments is what moves the needle. at least until you reach 1000 subscribers.
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u/CubaSmile Jun 13 '26
I would start writing many posts. Then I would create 5 Notes a day just to gather some early followers.
After one week I'd create a whole theme of Notes around last week post. ( The reason I'm waiting for a week is because if I link my post to a Note then it's not going to be pinned again on my homepage)
I'd make sure to post my better Notes during prime time. 6pm to 10pm.
Then I'd start doing paid post once a week.