substack_growth v1.0.0

name: "substack_growth" description: "Grow a Substack publication through the built-in network: the recommendations network, Notes strategy, and free-to-paid conversion tactics. Use when the user asks how to grow their Substack, get more subscribers, convert free readers to paid, or plan a launch."

Substack Growth

Purpose

Turn the Substack network (recommendations, Notes, discovery) and the publication's own funnel into a repeatable growth system, and turn free readers into paid subscribers without a paywall that kills growth.

Workflow

1. Fix the conversion basics first

Before any growth work, check these. Growth with a broken landing page is wasted effort.

• Tagline under the name tells a stranger in one line what they get and who it is for. It shows on every Note and comment, so it gets read more than any post.
• About page answers three questions and stops: what a reader gets, who it is for, why you write it. Add a subscribe button.
• Homepage gives visitors somewhere to go: a "Start here" post or a list of five best pieces.
• Welcome email is customized (never the platform default): short author intro, what cadence to expect, links to three best articles.

2. Build the recommendations network

This is the lowest-effort discovery lever on the platform. When someone subscribes to any publication, Substack shows them that writer's recommendations at signup, and recommends back when you recommend someone.

1. Add 4-6 publications you actually read. Go to Recommendations in your dashboard and write one honest sentence on why you recommend each. Only recommend work you would vouch for in person.
2. Find partners through Stats > Audience: publications your readers already read are your most natural partners. Audience overlap matters more than size. A small newsletter whose readers open emails beats a big unrelated one whose readers never do.
3. Ask writers you already know and genuinely read to recommend you back. Substack prompts them when you add them, but a short personal note converts better.
4. Review the inbound traffic in Analytics monthly and rotate partners every 30-60 days. Keep the ones that send engaged readers, drop the ones that don't.

3. Run a Notes routine

Notes is the discovery feed inside the Substack app. It rewards conversation, not broadcast. Give the algorithm 50-100 notes before judging it; compounding typically kicks in around months 4-6 of consistent posting.

• Post 1-2 standalone-value notes per article: one carrying the article's sharpest idea (worth reading even if they never click) plus one soft teaser with the link. The 80/20 rule: 80% pure value, generous, or conversation-driven notes; 20% soft CTAs to paid content or offers.
• Formats that convert to subscribers, in order: personal story tied to a specific number or result; contrarian take that challenges a belief the niche holds; quick fix (one sharp problem, one fix, fully in the note); vulnerable confession; behind-the-scenes numbers; a genuine conversation starter. Motivational quotes get likes but rarely convert.
• Format: plain text, hook in the first line, short lines, no hashtags, no markdown. Write for your 3-4 content pillars so new followers know what they are signing up for. A viral note off-pillar converts nothing.
• Engagement habit: 15 minutes a day. Ten thoughtful likes and five real comments under writers in your niche with a few hundred to a few thousand subscribers. Replies that add a fact, an example, or a real question beat "great post" every time. Posts earn the subscription; comments earn the visit.
• Restack your own post the morning after publishing. It typically adds 20-30% more views.
• Spread notes across the day rather than batching: mornings reach, midday engages, evenings convert.

4. Turn free readers into paid ones

Free list first, paid second. Paid conversion is a function of a trusting free list.

• Know the benchmarks before you plan. Substack's own guidance says 5-10% of free subscribers converting, but independent data (beehiiv's 2026 report) puts the median newsletter closer to 0.62% with the top quartile at 2-5%. Plan revenue at 1-2% unless you have evidence otherwise. Growth features bring in low-intent readers who convert at lower rates.
• Don't turn on the paywall below roughly 1,000 engaged free subscribers. It usually costs more in growth than it earns.
• Content ratio around 3:1 free to paid. Paid converts on utility (templates, playbooks, downloads, depth, community), not on longer essays.
• Paywall placement: put about 1,000 words of real value above the wall, then gate the utility bonus (template, spreadsheet, audio, report). Prove value before asking for payment. Never cut mid-sentence.
• Fees math: Substack takes 10% and Stripe takes ~2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, so you keep roughly 87%. Price with that in mind.
• VIP outreach: in the Dashboard, filter subscribers by engagement score (4-5 stars) and send those readers a direct message with a personal note and a special rate or invite to the paid tier. Direct outreach converts better than a paywall in ordinary posts.
• Offer a discount, limited-time sale, or founding-member tier to create a reason to upgrade now rather than someday. The bestseller badge unlocks at 100 paid subscribers and adds a small trust signal.

5. Measure monthly

• Track: new free subscribers by source (network vs external), free-to-paid conversion rate, open rate on paid vs free posts, churn on paid tier.
• If growth is flat, diagnose with this sequence: tagline clarity, welcome email, recommendations list recency, Notes volume and format mix, paywall timing. Fix the top of the funnel before touching the price.

Output Contract

When the user asks for a growth plan, deliver:

1. A verdict on their current state (one line each): tagline, About, recommendations, Notes activity, paywall readiness.
2. The next 3 actions in priority order, each concrete enough to do today.
3. The numbers they should be tracking, with the benchmarks from references/benchmarks.md so they plan against reality, not hope.
4. No fluff, no motivational filler. Plain talk, specific moves.

Operating Rules

1. Every benchmark, stat, and fee in this skill is sourced in references/benchmarks.md. Never invent numbers, dates, or quotes. Unverifiable claim? Cut it or frame it as opinion.
2. Recommend only work the writer actually reads. Fake recommendations burn the one trust transfer that makes the network work.
3. Keep Notes on the writer's 3-4 pillars. Off-pillar content grows vanity metrics and nothing else.
4. Never recommend turning on a paywall as the first growth move. Free list first.
5. Skip any step the writer's situation makes wrong. Below 100 subscribers, the priority is the tagline, the welcome email, and 5 good recommendations, not paid conversion math.