Note: The audio above is a slightly different, more podcasty version of this post that breaks this down into three categories and nine reasons.
Onward…
I run a monthly meetup for Substack bestsellers. It’s casual, just an opportunity to connect and brainstorm.
At this month’s meeting, many talked about what they were having the hardest time with.
You’d think bestsellers—many of them mega-bestsellers—would complain about having too many paid subscribers (sigh) or being unable to keep up with their growing revenue (woe is me).
But no. The main issue was getting and keeping paid subscribers.
I see this with my private clients who have thousands of paid subscribers and those who just got (or have yet to get) their first one.
Note: Yes, yes, not everyone wants paid subscribers. If you have the luxury to play on here, blessings—and don’t expect people to pay to watch you play.
Still, read on because paid subscriber growth is personal growth. It will tap into all your insecurities and—if you go about it the way I’m inviting you to—help you value your work and your readers way more than you ever have before.
Earning an income on Substack is as much about growing personally, professionally, and creatively as it is about making money.
It’s also a long game—a fun one if you stay with me.
You don’t need millions of subscribers to have paid subscribers
Before we get to why people will pay you to do what you love to do on Substack, I really want you to think about something: You don’t need millions of subscribers to have paid subscribers.
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game and chase subscribers.
We’ve been conditioned by social media to senselessly go after more and more “followers.”
But on Substack, you don’t need millions of subscribers to have paid subscribers.
You just need to find your people and keep them.
Value your work and your readers equally
Keeping them isn’t easy. It takes valuing—but not overvaluing—your work. Newer writers tend to overvalue, seasoned ones tend to undervalue.
It’s challenging to strike a balance between loving what we do and loving our readers—and it’s not a bad problem to have.
The 3 reasons people will pay to subscribe to your Substack
Paid subscribers get access to guidance from my proven proprietary Substack Growth Framework—trusted by 700+ private clients and tens of thousands of subscribers and Mastermind members who’ve achieved real, measurable growth. Reach all your Substack goals by joining us today.
