🧱 How To MAKE Them Subscribe?
Great posts alone won’t cut it—learn how to break the 3 biggest barriers between your work and your readers.
Great posts alone won’t cut it.
Here on Substack, you need to break the visibility barrier first.
Why? Because for the most part, the only people seeing your posts are your current subscribers.
Your article won’t make it to other people's feeds unless someone likes or restacks it. And if you’re starting from zero? That reach is practically nonexistent.
So here’s the deal:
Your writing is great—but nobody’s seeing it.
The Simple Fix?
Remove the barriers to subscription
These barriers are the things most readers check before finally hitting that subscribe button.
Especially when you're still building up—say, somewhere between 0 and 1,000 subscribers.
Let’s go through those barriers and how to cross each one.
Barrier 1: Getting Their Attention
Even if your headlines are 🔥, that won’t matter if people never even see your post.
Substack is built differently. Your posts don’t magically appear in everyone’s feed like they do on Twitter or Instagram. Restacks are rare. Most people don’t scroll through articles—they scroll through Notes.
✅ The Fix: Start with Notes.
Notes are your ticket to visibility, and here’s why:
They’re fast.
People don’t need 5 minutes to “get” what you’re saying. They read Notes in seconds.They’re easy to engage with.
A like or a restack on a Note is frictionless. That boosts your reach more than a full-length post would.They spark curiosity.
When you write a really good Note, people click on your name.
They visit your profile.
That’s where the second barrier kicks in...
Barrier 2: Your Profile
Once someone clicks on your name, your profile needs to hold up. This is your first impression.
Your profile includes:
Your publication name
Your profile picture
Your bio
Let’s break those down.
🧩 Publication Name
I got a super helpful tip from my friend Mac:
Use this formula — Audience + Problem + Desired Outcome.
So something like:
“Clarity for Creators: Helping New Writers Build a Consistent Writing Habit.”
It’s clear, it’s focused, and it tells people what they’re signing up for.
You’re not trying to be clever. You’re trying to be understood.
🧩 Profile Picture
People trust people.
If they see a real face, it feels more personal—it humanizes you.
But hey, if you’re not ready to show your face yet, that’s totally fine. This isn’t a requirement. Just one of those little credibility-boosting tweaks you can try when you’re comfortable.
🧩 Your Bio
This is where a lot of people mess up.
They write bios like they’re applying for a job:
"Dog lover | 26 | Amateur cook | Overthinker"
Cute, but that’s not what someone’s looking for. They’re asking:
“Should I give this person a space in my inbox?”
So here’s what to do instead:
Tell them—in under 250 characters—what they’ll get if they subscribe.
And don’t overthink it! You can change your bio anytime. You’re not marrying your niche.
I’ve changed mine at least five times since I started. I just knew I wanted to write. Clarity came later.
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Barrier 3: Proof
They clicked. They liked what they saw. But now, they’re checking for receipts.
They want to know if your content is worth the commitment.
This is where your archive—your library of posts—comes in.
Don’t focus on going viral.
Focus on building value through consistent, useful content.
Build a Library & Pin Your Pillar Pieces
Before we talk visibility, profile tweaks, or welcome emails—let’s talk about the core of your Substack:
🧱 Your actual work.
Everything else—your Notes, your profile, your layout—is there to support your writing. So first:
Make a library of valuable posts.
Why? Because when someone finally clicks through to your page, they’re not just scanning—they’re judging.
They’re asking:
“Is this person worth subscribing to?”
That’s why having a handful of your best, most valuable posts pinned right at the top of your homepage is crucial.
📌 Pin Your Pillar Pieces
These are your foundational posts—the ones that:
Showcase your style
Represent your main topics
Offer standout value
Are most likely to convince someone to hit subscribe
If your newsletter were a book, these would be the chapters that hook the reader.
You can pin posts under the "Website" settings in your Substack dashboard.
Choose your strongest posts and make sure they’re the first thing people see.
💡 Tip: If you write about more than one topic, pin at least one post for each. That way, no matter what brought someone to your page, they'll find something that speaks to their interest. Still, if possible, try to limit your topics or define them clearly—this helps reduce confusion and makes your newsletter easier to follow.
If you're still early and don’t have many posts yet, that’s okay. Start building now.
A strong library of content is a way better investment than obsessing over one “viral” post. You don’t need to go big—you need to go deep.
Now, Let’s Talk About Visibility
Even with a great archive, people need to actually find you. But Substack is a different beast.
Here’s what you need to know:
Make it easy to explore your work:
Use subsections
Found under Settings > Website > Subsections. Group posts by theme or topic.Create word art
That little banner or stylized publication name at the top? You can make one in Canva. It adds a touch of polish.Pick the right homepage layout
Choose from Magazine, Newsletter, Feature view, etc.
Put your best and most recent work up front
Bonus: Don’t Forget the Welcome Email
Okay, this isn’t a subscription barrier, but it’s your first impression after they subscribe.
You get one shot at that welcome email—so use it well.
Here’s a structure (based on the book DotCom Secrets):
Introduce yourself (as a relatable or aspirational “character”)
Highlight your best content or offer
Ask what they want to learn from you (you can include a survey!)
Simple. Friendly. Human.
A Gentle Reminder
You don’t have to do everything at once.
Tweak your profile today.
Try a Note tomorrow.
Update your bio next week.
This stuff isn’t permanent—it’s meant to evolve with you.
The key is to start.
When I began, I didn’t have a niche or a polished system. I just wrote.
That’s how most of us get going.
Up Next:
How do you cut through the noise when everyone’s writing about everything?
In my next post, I’ll dive into strategies for standing out in a crowded space and getting your voice heard, even when it feels like the market is oversaturated. Stay tuned to learn how to rise above the noise and capture your audience’s attention.
That’s all for today!.I appreciate you so much for reading up until here! 😊 If you think this article could help someone, feel free to share it or like it—it really helps expand its reach to help others as well. 💌
Frey.
All my articles are free to read. If you’ve been enjoying them and want to show a little love, you can buy me a coffee ☕ using the link below. Your support truly helps me keep creating.
Want to go deeper?
Subscribe for free to join my subscriber-only chat—a space where beginner creators like you connect, ask questions, and grow together.
I share behind-the-scenes updates and early drafts.
Daily prompts to spark your creativity.
My personal notes, systems, and strategies as I build.
Weekly Q&As where you can ask me anything directly.
You even get to help decide what I create next.
And now you can share your work, get featured, and grow alongside other creative subscribers.
Let’s build better content—together. 🚀
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Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!! This is incredibly useful information. Substack can be a lot of work—and I’m not talking about the writing!—and I wish they had a help desk. 😊