Wow, I had no idea there was so much work behind it! You make the growth seem so effortless :)
And I'm very surprised about the LinkedIn stats, 150 per post is HUGE.
I also celebrate 1 year, while having a different journey :)
A very fast growth at the beginning, reaching 2k new subs a month between 5k and 10k, and then slowing to a CRAWL. Now it's around 200-300 a month, with most posts having a negative effect (more people unsubscribe than subscribe).
But I probably had it coming, except posting on LinkedIn I didn't do anything π I relied too heavily on recommendations.
Thanks for the answer, Tom πββοΈ β if you are not active, it means that it is not contributing much to the result.
Notes remain one of the only places where we do not get penalised for linking outside of the platform, as its users stay within the Substack Network π
To be fair to regular people, you do have a unique skill set thatβs enabled you to produce unique products that actually work. Dunno what the point of me telling you this was, but itβs always nice to hear how good you are ππ
No doubt. I donβt think thereβs a creator who doesnβt put the sweat in. Iβm under no illusions about the effort most things, that look easy, take to succeed. I yearn for it myself but Iβm struggling with direction and itβs hard to write with oomph when I canβt quite imagine the audience and how it relates to them.
Good news is the hardwork is fueled by passion and it feels less like work this way.
Thatβs very true. Iβm so slow though. Thats my biggest challenge. But I think when I get going Iβll be able to develop systems to overcome that. And Iβm very distracted. Itβll get better though.
I love how much value you offer, even in free posts like these. So inspiring to see your journey and youβve motivated me to step up my game. Thanks! π
Awesome post, Tom! BTW if we were looking to hire someone able to execute the tactics in this list (and ideally generate all these tactics and others), what job title should they have/would they have at their current role? Is it just "Growth Marketer" or something more specific?
Yup, I can't think of any specific roles other than growth marketer (perhaps "Organic Marketer?"). Growth Marketing is, unfortunately, very broad - but I'd try to look for people that answer these questions well: https://www.marketingideas.com/p/my-favorite-job-interview-questions
Wow, I had no idea there was so much work behind it! You make the growth seem so effortless :)
And I'm very surprised about the LinkedIn stats, 150 per post is HUGE.
I also celebrate 1 year, while having a different journey :)
A very fast growth at the beginning, reaching 2k new subs a month between 5k and 10k, and then slowing to a CRAWL. Now it's around 200-300 a month, with most posts having a negative effect (more people unsubscribe than subscribe).
But I probably had it coming, except posting on LinkedIn I didn't do anything π I relied too heavily on recommendations.
I spent 4 years building a LinkedIn community, it's nice to finally "pick the fruits" of it :)
Love this breakdown! Short pieces is so counter-intuitive.
But your most viral one indeed did have insane value not found on Google.
True Smart Brevity.
Thanks for sharing.
100% agreed! Thanks Aakash for being there with me along this journey π
Thank you for listing all these tactics, Tom!
This is pure gold in terms of showing all these diversifications that compound into the final result.
What is your take on Substack Notes?
I'm not very active here on Notes, so can't say for sure :)
Thanks for the answer, Tom πββοΈ β if you are not active, it means that it is not contributing much to the result.
Notes remain one of the only places where we do not get penalised for linking outside of the platform, as its users stay within the Substack Network π
I always feel like Notes is a distraction from the main event even though I know itβs free promotion.
Love π₯° newsletter.
And Iβm an accountant not a marketer!
Pure inspiration β€οΈ
It's so humbling to have readers who are non-marketers! Thank you π
And now Iβm feeling lazyβ¦ π€£
Haha π tho I'm pretty sure your growth rate is faster than mine π€
To be fair to regular people, you do have a unique skill set thatβs enabled you to produce unique products that actually work. Dunno what the point of me telling you this was, but itβs always nice to hear how good you are ππ
But itβs backed up by a lot of plain olβ hard work and dedication which makes all the difference.
No doubt. I donβt think thereβs a creator who doesnβt put the sweat in. Iβm under no illusions about the effort most things, that look easy, take to succeed. I yearn for it myself but Iβm struggling with direction and itβs hard to write with oomph when I canβt quite imagine the audience and how it relates to them.
Good news is the hardwork is fueled by passion and it feels less like work this way.
Just start Philippa, as soon as you enter the feedback loop you'll know what to do :)
Thatβs very true. Iβm so slow though. Thats my biggest challenge. But I think when I get going Iβll be able to develop systems to overcome that. And Iβm very distracted. Itβll get better though.
Write for yourself. Your audience will find you.
That? absolutely not true. Does Tom?
One of the best Substack growth articles Iβve ever readβ¦ and Iβve read a fewβ¦
Woah! Thanks Kevin :)
Thanks for the value Tom!
Thank you for sharing all of this valuable information, and thanks for the book recommendation. I am always looking for those.
Huh, I might write a full "my all-time favorite marketing books" article. Would you be interested in that Josh?
SO MUCH VALUE packed into this! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Matt! Glad you liked it :)
You deserve the growth π―%!
I love how much value you offer, even in free posts like these. So inspiring to see your journey and youβve motivated me to step up my game. Thanks! π
Thank you, Ruth! I really appreciate it
This is your most powerful post yet!
I read Lenny's post about how he reached 500,000 every few weeks to remind myself what to focus on. (https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/500000)
I think I'll have to reread your post every few weeks as well!
You are doing awesome job man, keep going π€©
Most powerful yet? Wow, now I must beat that with my future articles lol. Thank you!
Nice way to find out I'm in the top 1%.
So when is the next event?
You'll be the first to know ;)
Super helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience and strategy.
Great tips and ideas. Thank you for sharing. I am just getting started on Substack.
Awesome post, Tom! BTW if we were looking to hire someone able to execute the tactics in this list (and ideally generate all these tactics and others), what job title should they have/would they have at their current role? Is it just "Growth Marketer" or something more specific?
Yup, I can't think of any specific roles other than growth marketer (perhaps "Organic Marketer?"). Growth Marketing is, unfortunately, very broad - but I'd try to look for people that answer these questions well: https://www.marketingideas.com/p/my-favorite-job-interview-questions