Summary of "Substack Tutorial: 3 Tips to Double Your Growth"
Overview
The video presents 3 immediate Substack execution “tweaks” (no long strategy overhaul) to convert first-time visitors into subscribers and paid members. The creators behind the approach (Write Build Scale / Write Your Substack) claim results including:
- 45,000+ subscribers
- 1,500+ paid members
- 9,000+ subscribers attributed to Substack recommendations
Key growth levers (the 3 tweaks)
1) Rewrite your About page as a conversion asset (mini sales page)
Problem identified
- Many creators leave Substack’s default About page (generic, impersonal).
- Others rewrite it as a CV/resume (credentials first), which misses the visitor’s real question: “Is this worth subscribing to?”
Conversion framework / positioning logic
Use a reader-first order (outcomes + fit, then identity):
- Share what the newsletter is and who it’s for
- Explain what the reader gets after subscribing (benefits/outcomes)
- Place the subscribe button in the middle (not at the bottom)
- Then explain who you are and why you run the publication
- Clearly lay out free vs paid tiers
- End with a final CTA to subscribe / join the community
Concrete examples
- Ilham (1% Wiser): Opens by mirroring the reader’s internal voice (“deep feelers… overthinkers… adulting so hard”). Uses bullets in reader voice and promises transformation outcomes (“Untangle the mental noise… regulate… quiet…”). Credentials are casually inserted later.
- Genie (Restoration Center Encouragement): “Clean template” version that follows the recommended structure with minimal friction.
- Melissa (Grow Healthier and Happier):
- Opens with the visitor’s literal question (“What is this newsletter all about?”)
- Adds human personality details (how to address her)
- Uses a soft permission line to lower pressure (“If you decide it’s not for you, simply unsubscribe…”)
- Jordan (Data Gibberish) (advanced): Treats About as a full sales page including:
- Reader pain in 2nd person
- Paid membership details
- Testimonials
- FAQ
- Pricing + refund policy
Actionable recommendation
Pick the About-page “mode” that fits your maturity:
- Reader-first masterclass style (Ilham)
- Clean copy-paste template (Genie)
- Personality-led (Melissa)
- Full sales-page treatment (Jordan)
Starter kit
The speaker references a free Substack Starter Kit (Notion dashboard) that includes the fill-in-the-blank About page template.
2) Use Substack’s dynamic Subscribe block on your homepage
Core idea
Most creators don’t use this feature properly. The Subscribe block is dynamic, letting you write 4 different messages so Substack shows the right one based on reader type/journey stage.
Reader segmentation (the 4 message types)
- Non-subscribers: answer “Should I sign up at all?”
- Free subscribers: answer “Is the paid tier worth it?”
- Paid subscribers / founding members: “Is there a reason to join/foundation thanks?”
- The video implies tier-aware messaging beyond just one default CTA.
Setup process (step-by-step)
- Dashboard → Website editor
- Team editor → toggle “use custom body layout”
- Add block → select Subscribe block
- Place it high on the page
- Write the 4 versions (one per reader type)
Examples of message copy
-
Non-subscriber: “Subscribe for weekly articles on Substack growth, digital writing, and building your online business.”
-
Existing free subscriber (upgrade nudge): “Member perks, exclusive guides, templates, workshops to build your Substack business.”
-
Paid / founding: “Thank you for being a paid subscriber. We appreciate you.”
Actionable principle
Be specific about cadence + topic + value:
- Generic: “Subscribe to my newsletter”
- Specific: “Subscribe for weekly articles on X, Y, Z”
(Shown as the difference between losing vs gaining a subscriber.)
3) Proactively build growth via Newsletter recommendation partners (network flywheel)
What it does
Substack’s recommendation feature sends you subscribers from other publications automatically after you’re set up. The video frames this as a set-it-and-forget-it lever you “don’t even pay for.”
Claimed proof / metrics
At Write Your Substack:
- 9,000+ subscribers came via recommendations
- 700+ publications were recommending them
Operational playbook
- Don’t chase “50 partners this week.”
- Start with 3–7 recommendation partners with audience overlap.
- Keep adding over time (ongoing practice, not one-time sprint).
Audience overlap definition
Not identical niche; overlap means the same reader could want both. Examples:
- health + productivity
- marketing + creator business
- parenting + personal growth
Partner onboarding workflow
- Identify candidate publications with audience overlap.
- Warm up for several days:
- Follow
- Like notes
- Leave thoughtful comments
- Re-engage to build familiarity
- Send a DM without an immediate “ask”; lead with appreciation + a specific compliment.
- Use a collaboration-oriented script (avoid “favor” language).
- Include “no pressure” language to reduce friction.
- Follow up once if no response (DMs can get buried):
- Follow up with a short bump message (once).
DM script elements (actionable template)
- Specific compliment (must be real)
- Introduce your publication + who it’s for + what it helps readers do
- Mention audience overlap
- Ask about a potential collaboration / recommendation swap
- No pressure wording
- A follow-up script example is provided (“Just bumping this up… no pressure if it’s not the right fit…”)
After the first “yes”
- Set up recommendations in the dashboard:
- Recommendations → Add recommendation → search publication → confirm
- Then escalate to bigger collaborations:
- guest posts
- Substack lives together
- interviews
- joint workshops
Compounding effect (growth model)
- “5 DMs this week = 20 DMs this month”
- Even if half respond, you can add multiple partners in a month.
- Every partner’s growth sends more subscribers to you via recommendation.
Time-to-impact claim
Each tweak takes less than an hour to set up (combined, they reshape visitor experience and discovery→subscribe conversion).
KPIs / results mentioned (high-level)
Publication growth targets/results used as proof points:
- 45,000+ subscribers
- 1,500+ paid members
- 9,000+ subscribers via recommendation channel
- 700+ recommending publications
No explicit conversion-rate, CAC, LTV, or churn targets were stated.
Presenters / sources
- Sina (speaker; co-founder at Write Build Scale)
Referenced contributors/students/examples
- Ilham (1% Wiser)
- Genie (Restoration Center Encouragement)
- Melissa (Grow Healthier and Happier)
- Jordan (Data Gibberish)
Organization / program mentioned
- Write Build Scale
- Write Your Substack
- Substack Starter Kit (Notion dashboard)
Category
Business
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