Thank you, Shannon! I have as well over the last few weeks when I really started tracking it. Almost all of my new subs were people I had been engaging with over the previous few days. When I didn’t think anything was happening :)
This is so clear and practical. Proximity starts with familiarity just like IRL - when you say, “Hey, I’ve seen you around a lot lately, come join our table.”
Most people forget the same principles apply online.
Exactly, Goodness! But we’ve also been trained to expect an immediate reaction online, when it’s just not reasonable to always see that on Substack where relationship-building is so key. Thanks for your support as always!
I really enjoyed this post. It’s such a good reminder that those small, steady interactions add up, even if we don’t always notice them in the moment. I appreciate your perspective on trust-building and the importance of slow growth. This is my case, slow growth, and I am okay with it because I value quality over quantity. It’s encouraging and makes me want to keep showing up, even on the quieter days.
I’m looking forward to seeing your recap and hearing about the new strategies you’re trying.
Thanks for keeping it real and sharing your journey — it’s super inspiring.
Thank you, sis! Definitely, building a solid network that you are closely connected with is better than a large network of people you don’t know. Will be writing up and recording audio for Thursday’s post today!
Love the idea of a ‘Trust score’. I sometimes describe it as having an ‘emotional bank account’ - you can’t make a withdrawal if you haven’t been paying in! Great post Mack. 🙌🏻
I definitely need to engage more - Substack grew steadily in the first 8 months or so and since then it has massively stagnated - a change in the algorithm perhaps 🤔
IG is at a complete standstill actually going backwards, which is not too surprising since I suspect my old audience is the wrong one since I used that account strictly for music before. YouTube is growing slowly after I started doing shorts
I just use the Home feed. When I find someone that seems interesting, I will usually Follow them, engage, but also see who they are Reading and interacting with. I think that also helps conversions if they see me engaging with them as well as the people they follow, leads to more familiarity. It’s honestly a bit of a grind, but it also gives me a lot more control over who I add to my network because I’m doing it proactively, one connection at a time.
It's so true! I discovered this myself, but I couldn't have written it better.
Thank you, Shannon! I have as well over the last few weeks when I really started tracking it. Almost all of my new subs were people I had been engaging with over the previous few days. When I didn’t think anything was happening :)
How are you tracking it? With a spreadsheet?
This is so clear and practical. Proximity starts with familiarity just like IRL - when you say, “Hey, I’ve seen you around a lot lately, come join our table.”
Most people forget the same principles apply online.
Exactly, Goodness! But we’ve also been trained to expect an immediate reaction online, when it’s just not reasonable to always see that on Substack where relationship-building is so key. Thanks for your support as always!
Exactly, Mack. Thanks for the tag , brother.
I really enjoyed this post. It’s such a good reminder that those small, steady interactions add up, even if we don’t always notice them in the moment. I appreciate your perspective on trust-building and the importance of slow growth. This is my case, slow growth, and I am okay with it because I value quality over quantity. It’s encouraging and makes me want to keep showing up, even on the quieter days.
I’m looking forward to seeing your recap and hearing about the new strategies you’re trying.
Thanks for keeping it real and sharing your journey — it’s super inspiring.
Thank you, sis! Definitely, building a solid network that you are closely connected with is better than a large network of people you don’t know. Will be writing up and recording audio for Thursday’s post today!
You're welcome, bro.
So true, deep connections really make all the difference.
I'm looking forward to hearing your Thursday post!
Such a good way of framing it and I like the trust score concept
Love the idea of a ‘Trust score’. I sometimes describe it as having an ‘emotional bank account’ - you can’t make a withdrawal if you haven’t been paying in! Great post Mack. 🙌🏻
That’s a great way to put it too! Thanks Sarah!
I definitely need to engage more - Substack grew steadily in the first 8 months or so and since then it has massively stagnated - a change in the algorithm perhaps 🤔
Hmmmm…how is your growth on IG and YT? How does Substack compare?
IG is at a complete standstill actually going backwards, which is not too surprising since I suspect my old audience is the wrong one since I used that account strictly for music before. YouTube is growing slowly after I started doing shorts
How do you choose the people Mack? I do already do this for Code Like a Girl. But finding people there is easy. I am looking for women in tech.
My personal stack is harder. Do you just use the home feed? Or do you do like Goodnex with searches? https://substack.com/home/post/p-174827269
I just use the Home feed. When I find someone that seems interesting, I will usually Follow them, engage, but also see who they are Reading and interacting with. I think that also helps conversions if they see me engaging with them as well as the people they follow, leads to more familiarity. It’s honestly a bit of a grind, but it also gives me a lot more control over who I add to my network because I’m doing it proactively, one connection at a time.
Makes sense. That is basically what I do as well. So good to know!
Great post Mack. I love the comments too. A thoughtful group of thinkers growing together.
I remember back in the early days of Twitter we learned that engaging lead to a better following.
Yes, Vic! We learned a lot in those early days 😉