I’ve also experienced that this works, but what are your thoughts around the longevity of subscribers obtained in this you scratch my back, I scratch your back kinda way? I.e. Are they true fans and are you experiencing sustained engagement, open rates, etc?
Hey Robert! I have a system for making sure these budding relationships turn into actual friendships over time. I also try to encourage people to comment on articles they connect with. If they do that, then they're already starting off on the right foot. This is a method with an expiration date, though. I think you do this to find your 50-100 or so people that you really love reading/supporting, and after you find them, just focus on supporting them.
I've been attempting to comment on several posts daily, but I have found that many accounts are set up to only allow comments from paid subscribers. This poses an obstacle as I cannot pay to subscribe to that many accounts. I still like the posts I enjoy, but I'm not sure if it does any good in the long run.
Hey Dawn, you definitely run into some people who only allow comments from paid subscribers (which is misguided). What's annoying/sad is that a lot of times these people have like 2 likes on their article and no comments in the first place. So...it would behoove them to encourage commenting since they aren't getting any. But that's their loss. We just got to roll with the punches and find other people to engage with.
Agreed, Tom. Engagement is the key from courting to sales to building a community. Commenting with little value on Substack reminds me of the guys who has no idea how to get past first base.
Long, long, ago when I was sitting on a barstool and a dude came up with some ridiculous pickup line, as I stood up to my full height of 6'5" (plus 3" heels), I'd chuckle, look down at him, and say, "Wanna stand up and say that?" 🤣
Wow. Mind completely blown! Looks like there's a whole hidden agenda here, with the hope we get back more than we give. But makes sense if this gets the ball goong. Sure, I'll pay to learn and try your idea as soon as I get home. I never would have ever crossed over into the paid world if you never said anything, with too much overwhelm to read as it is. Looking forward to giving it a try and learning more.
Thank you. It can be really overwhelming to massage a brain that was not trained to think about publishing in this way to understand the various nuances of the platform. It'd be nice if all of my witty posts didn't just fall to the crickets. Hopefully this is a step in that direction.
I love this idea! in gonna give go and report back <3 I'm eager to try it since my content is in Spanish to see if it will work but nevertheless it will be a fun experiment.
Commenting to get some subscribers
Doesn't *quite* work like that. 😆
You have to comment and give value, not just comment to say nothing. The whole point is connecting to people.
(Way to recognise the joke)
There was no emoji or punctuation, so it seemed you were serious. All good.
No worries.
Will ensure all facetious comments include emojis henceforth.
I’ve also experienced that this works, but what are your thoughts around the longevity of subscribers obtained in this you scratch my back, I scratch your back kinda way? I.e. Are they true fans and are you experiencing sustained engagement, open rates, etc?
Hey Robert! I have a system for making sure these budding relationships turn into actual friendships over time. I also try to encourage people to comment on articles they connect with. If they do that, then they're already starting off on the right foot. This is a method with an expiration date, though. I think you do this to find your 50-100 or so people that you really love reading/supporting, and after you find them, just focus on supporting them.
That makes sense. Thanks for the response Tom.
you are a wild man.
This is good - it’s like commenting is micro-content with a macro effect
Oh yessss - good way of putting it!
I've been attempting to comment on several posts daily, but I have found that many accounts are set up to only allow comments from paid subscribers. This poses an obstacle as I cannot pay to subscribe to that many accounts. I still like the posts I enjoy, but I'm not sure if it does any good in the long run.
Hey Dawn, you definitely run into some people who only allow comments from paid subscribers (which is misguided). What's annoying/sad is that a lot of times these people have like 2 likes on their article and no comments in the first place. So...it would behoove them to encourage commenting since they aren't getting any. But that's their loss. We just got to roll with the punches and find other people to engage with.
Hiii! Are you commenting on notes as well?
TBH, I'm still figuring out Substack. I have commented on a couple Notes, but not many. I guess i will try doing that as well! Thank you for the idea!
Being on notes has REALLY helped me!
Good idea. I comment all the time, but hadn't thought to do a specific number of comments per day. What could it hurt?
Thanks for this insight Tom! This is also an encouraging read😊
I'm taking this advice to heart, thank you 😊
Thanks for sharing. This is very helpful even as someone who is not starting from scratch!
Hi Tom, hi guys. In theory, if I leave a genuine comment on different Substacks -- like this one -- I should get subscribers?
Here is a test! I am posting a comment.
Agreed, Tom. Engagement is the key from courting to sales to building a community. Commenting with little value on Substack reminds me of the guys who has no idea how to get past first base.
Long, long, ago when I was sitting on a barstool and a dude came up with some ridiculous pickup line, as I stood up to my full height of 6'5" (plus 3" heels), I'd chuckle, look down at him, and say, "Wanna stand up and say that?" 🤣
Ooh. I just wrote most of today's note 🎯
Wow. Mind completely blown! Looks like there's a whole hidden agenda here, with the hope we get back more than we give. But makes sense if this gets the ball goong. Sure, I'll pay to learn and try your idea as soon as I get home. I never would have ever crossed over into the paid world if you never said anything, with too much overwhelm to read as it is. Looking forward to giving it a try and learning more.
Thank you. It can be really overwhelming to massage a brain that was not trained to think about publishing in this way to understand the various nuances of the platform. It'd be nice if all of my witty posts didn't just fall to the crickets. Hopefully this is a step in that direction.
I’m just happy to be read.
I love this idea! in gonna give go and report back <3 I'm eager to try it since my content is in Spanish to see if it will work but nevertheless it will be a fun experiment.
Can I borrow your energy?