Struggling With Substack Visibility? Read This Before You Publish Another Post
Struggling to get readers on Substack? Learn the visibility strategies that help writers attract subscribers, increase engagement, and build a loyal audience through community, promotion, and long-ter
Most Substack writers struggle with the same problem.
And that problem isn’t growth.
It isn’t publishing consistently.
It isn’t even their writing style.
The problem that almost every creator on Substack faces is visibility.
I assume you’ve experienced it yourself: spending hours writing something meaningful.
You pour your emotions onto the page and genuinely believe that this piece will resonate with a large audience. You take the time to format it properly. You choose images that carry a message. Sometimes, you’re even willing to dig through your personal archive just to build a stronger connection with your readers.
And yet, after you hit publish, nothing really happens.
You receive one or two comments, some of which may even be AI-generated. Then you begin to wait.
That waiting turns into an endless stretch of uncertainty, and eventually, you start doubting:
Yourself
Your writing
Your abilities
The platform
The truth is that every one of us has found ourselves in this situation. That’s exactly why I wanted to talk about it more openly.
I believe Substack is filled with incredibly talented writers, and every one of them is waiting to be discovered. As the old saying goes: “If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must go to Mohammed.”
That is precisely the lesson I learned some time ago.
I’ve observed many authors with thousands of subscribers whose engagement levels don’t actually reflect the size of their audience. I say this as someone who has struggled with the same issue. That’s exactly why I decided to study it on a larger scale - to give you the skills and confidence to make the algorithm work in your favor.
What nobody tells you is that one of the most effective ways to gain visibility on Substack is to engage with content that is similar to your own.
I know that sounds a little confusing, but I’ve realized that I’m not just a writer - I’m also a reader.
Very often, the things I write about are the same things that interest me as a reader. That means I actively engage with and read content related to mental health and storytelling. And when something truly resonates with me, I leave a comment.
There have been countless occasions when this has helped me build stronger relationships on Substack. It has also led many readers to resonate with my comments enough that they decided to explore my own work as well.
I want to clarify something: I never promote my content under another author’s posts because I don’t consider that particularly respectful.
Instead, spend five minutes reading their work and leave a genuine comment. Talk about your own experience. Acknowledge and appreciate someone else’s effort
Very few people will tell you that if you want greater visibility, it’s worth participating in promotional challenges hosted by larger creators in their chat communities every week.
This has helped me countless times—not only by boosting the visibility of certain Notes, but also of my posts.
All you need to do is research the creator and understand what they offer. More often than not, these are Substack accounts focused on growth and positioning strategies that have found ways to support their communities through weekly challenges in their chats.
One important note: whenever you promote yourself in a chat where self-promotion is allowed, always include a sentence about who you are and what you do. Also, be consistent when sharing your work.
Every post requires proper positioning - not only through Notes but also outside of Substack
Another thing that has helped increase my visibility is promoting my work beyond Substack itself.
That includes Pinterest, where I recently shared the strategy that’s bringing me not only new subscribers but also sales. I also use certain Facebook groups and Threads to connect with people who are only just discovering the Substack platform.
SEO optimization is one of the keys to generating long-term traffic.
That’s why it’s important to build platforms outside of Substack that can direct readers back to your posts.
Most importantly, never stop promoting yourself and your work.
Be your own biggest fan.
Be the support that you need.
Show up in Notes every day.
Restack your articles every day.
Support other writers.
Make an effort to build genuine friendships with authors whose mindset resonates with you.
If there’s one thing I know for certain helped me gain visibility on Substack, it’s the relationship I’ve built with my audience. I know that they are the people I owe everything I’ve achieved on this platform to.
That’s exactly why I created my visibility project on Substack, a digital magazine, and why its third edition is now a reality.
Thank you to everyone involved in this initiative, through which I hope to provide greater support to writers who are searching for the “right audience.”
I encourage everyone to take a look at the magazine and engage with the essays written by the authors they resonate with.
I have to admit, some stories made me cry, while others left me smiling from ear to ear.
You are all incredibly talented, and you deserve to find your readers.
And if you’d like to be part of this project, send me a message.
I’d be delighted to see you featured in the fourth edition of Not Exactly Magazine.
Special thanks to the contributors featured in this issue:
Tsetsy Johnathon Haney Sue Reid Diana S. Franklin Life Coach Julie Stead, BSc (Hons) Curiously Delulu When I Come Up for Air 🐳 Jana Brožová James Strickland Mariangela Tee Dee Haide Wall Giesbrecht Melanie | The Pup Mommy Candy Kennedy Chris Craft Refractions of Light Letters From Lily Alan Wearring-Smith L'House Lakeya Quiet Observations Anne ✨ Michael Owusu Nkansah, MEd Through The Meat Grinder Michael Khripin TJ Farnum Bailey Marie
😍These types of posts will always remain free, because I believe that reassurance has no price. If you still wish to support me, you can always do so with a cup of coffee.
Thank you for the advise. I’m still finding my way.
Thank you for this opportunity to join the issue #3!
This is awesome!