Why Substack's Subscriber Chat Might Become Your New Favorite Feature
Discover how to build stronger connections, boost retention, and enhance your content strategy with Substack's Subscriber Chat.
A Quick Outline:
💬 Why Subscriber Chat Is More Powerful Than You Think
🛠️ Smart Ways to Use Subscriber Chat (with Examples)
🚀 Why You Should Start Even Without a Big Audience
🗂️ How I Organize My Subscriber Chats (Simple System)
🧠 Key Takeaways to Remember
🔮 What’s Coming Next: Why People Don’t Hit Subscribe
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Depending on your niche or the category you're writing in, Subscriber Chat can offer way more value than most people realize.
It's still massively underused and underrated compared to Notes.
And I've seen a lot of substack writers confused about what it is for,, they ask:
"Isn’t Notes and Subscriber Chat basically the same? Why bother doing both?"
Here’s how I see it:
Notes = Visibility. If you post smartly and consistently, Notes bring new readers in.
Subscriber Chat = Retention and Relationship. It makes your newsletter feel premium and personal.
It’s about keeping readers close, making them feel like they’re part of something, not just consuming something.
If you want an audience that stays loyal, grows with you, and feels connected, you need both.
Practical Ways To Use Subscriber Chat (and Why It Matters)
Subscriber Chat isn’t just a casual messaging space.
When used intentionally, it becomes a high-value tool for both you and your reader’s growth.
Here are different ways you can use it — with a quick why + how for each:
1️⃣ Share Behind-the-Scenes Content
How It Helps
Behind-the-scenes content isn’t just filler, it’s at times more valuable than the final product itself.
People want to see how you think, plan, and create.
Sometimes, the process holds more insight than the polished outcome.
Sharing the why and how behind what you do helps readers feel more connected and learn from your journey in ways your finished work alone can’t offer.
Plus, this is also a chance to allow your readers to get to know you more because people subscribe to a person, not just a faceless newsletter.
How To Use It:
Share your future article ideas, launches, or even rough drafts.
Talk about the decisions you’re making (e.g., “I’m debating between these two titles, what do you think?”).
You could even casually post your writing setup, small rituals, or project planning behind the scenes.
Bonus Tip:
You don't have to overthink it. Even a raw, one-paragraph update about your workflow can feel intimate and special.
Like everything else, you can observe what works best and adapt later on.
2️⃣ Post Writing/Notes Prompts or Challenges
How It Helps
It turns readers from passive consumers into active participants.
Also, prompts can spark conversations you didn’t even expect!
You’ll also support your readers in their creative process by sparking idea generation, offering inspiration, and prompting key questions that help them break through creative blocks and push their work forward
This could spark ideas for your next note or post, and when you collaborate, the possibilities are endless.
How To Use It:
Drop a small prompt like: “What’s one thing you’re struggling with this month?”
Run tiny creative challenges: “Write a 5-line story based on this image.”
You can answer them too, to keep the conversation alive.
Bonus Tip:
Use prompts to build towards a theme or series — then later compile the best responses into a special community post.
3️⃣ Update Readers on Newsletter Growth and Changes
How It Helps:
Sharing growth and changes makes subscribers feel they’re part of your journey. It builds trust and transparency.
Subscribers aren’t just readers — they’re part of your newsletter itself.
When someone subscribes, they’re not just investing in your articles — they’re investing in the full experience and value your newsletter offers.
They become an active part of the community you’re building, helping to shape its direction and spirit.
That’s why it’s so important to keep them in the loop as you grow and evolve — because they’re not just watching your journey, they’re part of it.
How To Use It:
Share things like:
Big Moves & Plans: Whether it's a shift in content direction, a partnership, or a special project, keeping your readers informed on what’s in the pipeline shows you value their involvement. Or,
Give your subscribers a sneak peek at upcoming content or projects. It’s a great way to build anticipation and keep them excited for what’s next.
Growth & Progress: Share how your newsletter is developing—whether it’s in terms of followers, subscriber count, or new content initiatives. This helps your audience feel included in the growth journey.
Celebrate Milestones: Whether it’s reaching a content milestone, achieving a personal goal, or receiving feedback, celebrating wins—big or small—helps foster a stronger connection with your community.
Insights & Lessons Learned: Share what’s working, what’s not, and how you're adjusting. Being transparent about the ups and downs makes your community feel more connected to you and your journey.
Bonus Tip:
This creates healthy pressure to stay accountable to your goals — and your readers will cheer you on.
4️⃣ Promote Other Offers (Without Being Salesy)
How It Helps:
Your Subscriber Chat is made up of people already aligned with your work.
These are the people most likely to benefit from and invest in your other offers, whether it’s a course, a book, or whatever you have.
They’re not just readers; they’re the core group who already trusts you and is actively engaged with what you’re doing.
This makes your Subscriber Chat an ideal place to promote any new offers because they’re the audience most likely to take action.
Or maybe they’re already wondering, just waiting to see if you have more to offer.
How To Use Itc
Soft-drop links when it makes sense ("Just finished this project I've been mentioning here—here's where to check it out if you're interested!")
Ask for feedback on your offers before you finalize them.
Share behind-the-scenes progress as you build it.
Bonus Tip:
Treat it like sharing excitement, not selling. It’ll feel natural, not pushy.
5️⃣ Maximize the Value of Your Subscriber Offers
How It Helps:
As we discussed earlier, Subscriber Chat offers a lot of value to your subscribers.
You can spotlight this on your subscription offers, whether they’re signing up for free, paid, or a founding/early membership.
Set Up Tiered Access
Tiered access creates exclusivity and real benefits for paying subscribers. It’s an efficient way to monetize without adding extra work.
Again, subscribers aren’t just reading articles — they’re investing in access to a community. This community is where they can connect, share, and network with like-minded individuals, which often adds more value than the content itself.
Having access to this network is a goldmine. It provides exposure, support, and collaboration opportunities that are invaluable.
With tiered access, you can even restrict replies or paywall certain parts of the chat, allowing you to control engagement levels and exposure.
How To Use It:
You can mix and match options like:
Starting from the Beginning: The basic option is to give value to your free subscribers by allowing everyone to see and reply to chats.
Next Level: Only paid subscribers can reply to chats, while free subscribers can still view them.
Paid Subscribers Only: Restrict chat visibility to only paid subscribers.
Paid Subscribers Can Start Threads: Limit thread creation to paid subscribers.
Founding Members Only: For an even more exclusive tier, allow only founding members to start threads.
Note: These advanced options may seem like they’re only valuable for creators with large subscriber bases and significant exposure, especially if you're a well-known figure in your field.
For example, imagine starting a thread on Substack like Nicolas Cole, who has 103k subscribers and is a prominent voice in the writing community. The value of being able to engage directly in that space and connect with others close to him is immense.
Larger creators, like those mentioned above, often prefer stricter offerings because it adds exclusivity. As your community grows, you naturally attract more people eager to join, but if everyone can join, the effectiveness of the subscriber chat could plateau. By offering a more curated and exclusive approach, you attract higher-value subscribers, which, when done strategically, can have a significant impact.
So you might be wondering: Does this only benefit creators with large followings? Does this mean you should only start working on your subscriber chat once you’ve built a big subscriber base?
Answer: No, and I’ll explain why later in the article.
Bonus Tip:
You can layer it: for example, founding members start threads + paid subscribers reply + free subscribers only read.
Or you can open occasional chats to free members to showcase what they’re missing.
Extra Layer:
You could even reward top contributors in chat with free upgrades, exclusive gifts, or shout-outs!
6️⃣ Create Mini Games or Contests
How It Helps:
It turns your chat into an experience, not just a communication tool.
It helps you get to know your readers, encourages engagement, and builds a more active, involved community.
How To Use It:
Run “first to comment wins” games.
Post small trivia related to your niche.
Give away mini prizes: free PDFs, behind-the-scenes calls, mentions in your newsletter.
Anythig you can think of creative and fun
Bonus Tip:
You don't have to run prizes every time. The fun itself creates engagement.
7️⃣ Share Exclusive Drops Just for Chat Participants
How It Helps:
Offering "chat-only" content adds extra value, making subscribers feel rewarded for being closer to you.
You can take advantage of this by tiering your subscription options, giving access to exclusive chats as we discussed earlier.
How To Use It:
Drop PDF guides, templates, bonus audio notes.
Share bonus essay ideas that didn’t fit into a main post.
Give early access to major announcements before you tell everyone else.
Bonus Tip:
Make the drops low-effort but high-value: like “5 lines of advice” posts, swipe file templates, a quick Canva graphic you made.
Now, on the Question Earlier:
Is this the subscribers’ chat for creators with large followings?
No, in fact, it's actually better to start as early as possible, and I wish I did.
1️⃣ Start Early for Deeper Connections
Starting a subscriber chat early helps you form stronger, more meaningful connections with your first readers. Rather than just broadcasting content, you create a space for genuine conversations. It's easier to build relationships with 50 subscribers than 5,000, and these early connections will be more loyal and engaged.
2️⃣ Develop Your Chat Management Skills
Managing a subscriber chat is a skill in itself, similar to moderating small group discussions.
By starting early, you can practice and refine this skill while your audience is still small. This gives you the opportunity to learn how to handle different types of interactions and ensure that the space remains valuable for everyone.
3️⃣ Perfect Your Approach for Efficient Scaling
Once your audience grows, you'll already have a proven approach to and the most effective formulas in managing chats.
You'll know what works best in terms of structure, tone, and engagement.
When to send, what to send and and how to execute them.
By perfecting your chat management early, you can smoothly transition to larger audiences and maintain an effective, engaging experience.
How I Currently Track and Organize My Subscriber Chats
Here’s how I track and organize my upcoming subscriber chats: I currently use a simple Notion database to keep everything in order, and I’m working on building a dashboard for a more comprehensive overview at a glance.
For now, I’ve categorized my subscriber chats based on their frequency, which helps me keep everything streamlined and easy to manage.
Again this is a part of my overall Substack Notion Set up
Some of the other points I’ve covered in previous articles, which I’ll link below for you.
Summary
Notes = Visibility.
Subscriber Chat = Retention + Relationship.
Notes bring them in.
Subscriber Chat makes them stay.
It’s still a wide-open space right now on Substack.
The earlier you start building inside it, the stronger your future community will be.
Up Next:
Ever Wonder Why People Don’t Hit Subscribe?
Next time, I’ll be sharing the three main barriers that stop people from subscribing. Stay tuned to uncover what’s holding your potential subscribers back and how to overcome these obstacles to grow your community.
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.
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I used to write and publish every single day. I managed to keep up, but my growth was painfully slow, and my articles weren't getting much or any engagement at all, even though I put in at least three times the effort I do now.
Hey Frey, this is such a good guide on the value of subscriber chats. Will be restacking as soon as I finish this comment. I recently added a poll to one of my posts asking my readers if they wanted me to add a subscriber chat, and everyone voted against having one. Which I thought was odd, I can see the potential for them. Maybe most of the chats aren’t being executed very well and that’s why people aren’t fans.
Thank you! I had no idea how to use it.