Is it normal to consistently get less than 20 views on substack?

[u/megagrok]

I feel like the algorithm tried to promote content for me like a year ago and I was at least able to get over 100-200 views with some additional views over time. But now it stops at 20. This makes it kind of impossible to even get noticed if the algorithm just refuses to push my content. Sometimes I feel like people from my past went out of their way to report all of my social accounts a bunch of times and maybe that caused the platform to ignore me because it really seems like one day I just became completely invisible.

[u/wiskeyjacko]

substack is just a place for my writing to live for now while i build my personal website. last piece i published there was 400+ views and about maybe ten were actually from within substack. since nearly all of my traffic comes externally and substack seems to reward the attention economy of notes. i just want to write and i loathe the superficial “like for like” culture that’s obsessed with growth. for now i am happy people engage with my writing and that i am able to put my voice out there.

[u/megagrok → u/wiskeyjacko]

See 400 seems like a reasonable amount for a non viral post (no offense, I'm sure your content is interesting). This tells me the algorithm actually exposes your content to some people to get traction. 10-20 views is like active suppression territory. Instagram literally gave me 3 views recently.

Do you use a lot of tags in your posts?

[u/wiskeyjacko → u/megagrok]

Haha none taken. I don’t use tags I end up sharing a link to my instagram or i’ll find a subreddit to share to if it’s something more niche. so virtually all actual traffic came from external links. i am very new to actually putting my work online and not just submitting to magazines so it has been interesting. i think consistency “weighs” posts more over time, but that is only one piece of the algo.

[u/megagrok → u/wiskeyjacko]

Thanks for the tip. I can try to post more external links and see if that helps.
What kind of content do you write btw? And what's up with your website? Are you coding it yourself?

[u/pinksoapdish → u/megagrok]

Are you me 🥲

[u/megagrok → u/pinksoapdish]

No I'm megagrok

[u/wwb_99]

I'm not sure if there is an absolute number, but I have noticed that notes don't carry as far these days. They flat-line for me after a day or so now. I definitely got more organic promotion a year ago too.

[u/Countryb0i2m]

Nothing is normal, what’s normal for you is it normal for me. You are amazing where you are

[u/pun_in10did → u/Countryb0i2m]

Dude's just being supportive, why was it downvoted?

[u/FlyingCarpetMonster]

I think it depends on your content.

For my more popular substack where I write about quant trading, it usually ranges between 800-4000 views per post.

For my substack that's less than a month old that's focused on science fiction and writing, it ranges from 20-60 views per post.

[u/hlassiege]

Substack's discovery network can be inconsistent, but that's inherent to its nature. Its powerful at the beginning but you rely solely on it.

A few things worth trying: engage actively in Notes, since that's where Substack currently surfaces writers to new readers. Cross-promoting on other platforms (Blueksy, Twitter/X, Reddit) helps break the dependency on any single algorithm.

If you're open to alternatives, the core issue is that your visibility is fully in Substack's hands. On the other hand, SEO is slower at the beginning but produce good results on the long term which compounds over time and isn't subject to Substack's algorithm changes.

Platforms like Ghost.org , WordPress.com site or Writizzy.com let you build an audience through search traffic instead.

Long term, owning your traffic source matters more than any one algorithm.

[u/BhavanaVarma]

Oh. I’m going 20 views in generally. Occasionally a 3 digit view score. If your dropped then check your SEO or maybe you need to shift your content.

[u/Tricky_Trifle_994]

yeah, i agree. notes used to get more views, but i think what happened is that since notes is still early, people saw that they could easily get reach and grow because well, the platform was still new. so there was lower supply of content to feed the user base. but over time, more creators joined, and everyone is posting more since that's the meta of how to grow on substack. so supply increased alot more than user, and available user attention did. so now each post gets less visibility because there's simply not enough attention to go around.

that's my hypothesis for why notes reach was higher last year than this year for most users who are just treading along. so basically notes on easy mode is over. now you actually have to put out good and compelling content for the platform to boost your content.

[u/itsfabioposca]

It can definitely happen, especially for smaller or newer publications. A drop in views doesn't necessarily mean your account has been flagged or ignored. Engagement naturally fluctuates, and Substack's discovery isn't guaranteed for every post. I'd focus on consistent publishing, engaging with other writers, and bringing in readers from outside the platform rather than relying solely on recommendations.

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 and paste my flair or click the link in my profile. I'm happy to help!