How To Get Your First 100 Subscribers

This is a surefire way to please the god of algorithm on Substack.

I think at this junction I’m certified to write about this topic.

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy… I am excited but this is just the beginning.

I write what I live, so the authenticity and essence will forever be there. And in this article, I will be brutally honest.

It didn’t take me a day or night to get 100 people to follow: They dash monkey banana.

Like most of you reading this article, I started with 0 subscribers and 0 followers.

I will post on both Notes and Post (Newsletter) and end up with crickets.

Let me define the meaning of crickets: no comment, no likes, no impression, none at all. I was posting into the void, just like screaming inside a bucket of water, hoping someone heard me.

This happened the first day, then 1 day turned into 2, 2 days turned into a week, a week into 3 weeks, and 3 weeks into a month. After a month of constantly dishing out content back-to-back, you might even call me The Supplier. I was just supplying the algorithm with 0s and 1s hoping the god of algorithms would reward me with massive followers, like 1k, just like that.

But the sad truth is that life doesn’t work like that.

So, here are 4 ways to please the algorithm’s god on Substack:
(Do this, and you will never fail to stop amassing subscribers.)

1. Stop Being A Supplier ONLY.

Do you see that “only”? It is in capital letters for a reason: to capture your attention.

Stop feeding the algorithm consistently; you’ll just be throwing poop on the wall, hoping it sticks. Maybe it worked for others and their poop got stuck, but you see me, eh? e no work like that.

Instead, be both a supplier and an engaged party.

Let me define who an ‘ENGAGER’ is: as the name implies, you engage people, and their posts on both notes and posts. I took mine a step further and engaged people in others’s comment sections.

For that singular act, I have collected lashes and names that do not define who I am (look at this comment below). The guy did it more than once, and I was like- ‘Shey, is it a crime to make others heard and seen?’ I have my reason for doing so, and I will stick with it.

Stick with what works for you.

Be an ENGAGER & a SUPPLIER.

2. Be Kind To Others.

What is life without kindness? Kindness and Generosity are two totally different things.

Kindness is the selfless act of putting a smile on a stranger's face (you don’t know this person from Adam). Generosity is being kind but with a price.

Let me explain:

I am KIND by liking a random person's note or post, taking my time to leave meaningful comments, re-stacking other’s notes and posts, following strange creators, and subscribing to their newsletter. That is me being kind.

I am GENEROUS by buying other creator’s coffee, becoming a paid subscriber, buying their books, or supporting them financially. That is me being generous; it comes with a cost.

So my kind advice is to start at your level. Don’t be pressured to be generous, but always be kind. They are seeds planted that, when the harvest comes, you’ll reap from them with a smile on your cheeks.

You can be generous to me by buying me a cup of coffee (winks).

Yes, I would be Generous.

3. Don’t Post Text-only Content.

Before I end this, I don’t know how long this trend will last, but don’t stick with text-only content; experiment with images or videos. That is why you’re creative. You are not meant to be stuck in a box; live outside the matrix.

If you follow me, you’ll see how I post a profound quote one moment, and the next I’m posting memes. If you judge me by that, you might say this user is not serious.

I AM A CREATIVE DAMMIT.

Be creative and be expressive.

4. Be You.

Dear reader, this point is supposed to be the first, but all in all, don't try and be someone else; be you!

You are a bundle of mystery and beauty; some people are attracted to your uniqueness. It could be the state of your mind, the tone of your writing, or your style of expression.

Or, even for the weirdest of reasons.

You’ll never know the magic that just being yourself will create if you don’t be yourself.

I will end with this note:

There are no rules or a sure guide set on stone to follow, but there are patterns; follow the pattern in a creative way.

I wish you all the best in your Substack journey.

P.S. It took me close to 4 months to amass my first 100 subscribers. Most of them were from Substack. And thank you, amazing souls, for choosing to be kind to me.

You can also be kind by restacking this post so those newcomers on the street of Substack can benefit from this experience.

I’m rooting for you,
Lawrence D. U.

This was between April and May, when I made the internal resolution to take the streets of Substack seriously.

This was the first week of June. Not quite encouraging bah? I know! But regardless, I kept being consistent.

This was in-between the end of June to July. I didn’t get worried about the growth just kept on being kind and valuable.