I don't subscribe to that...

advice for staying sane in an online world that sometimes FEELS less than kind.

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

Warren Buffet

Hi all

I’ve been pondering on this topic for a while… I often get questions about unsubscribes here on Substack. I had this title in my drafts and was waiting to bring it to life in a way that felt measured and congruent. IE - I had more experience of unsubscribes.

I don’t have the unsubscribe notifications switched on but every 3 months I take a look to see what the % drop off rate is… I do this because this Substack is part of my business and I need/ want to be conscious in understanding the growth here. I know unsubscribes are part of life and business; I know energetically unsubscribes are good. ✨

I also want to be curious across my 3 publications

Creatively Conscious

,

Company of Two

and

Sparkle on Substack

and share with you so it impacts on your goals and sense of what’s possible here.

Curiosity is a beautiful way to be because it holds our heart in this work.

✨Unsubscribes 👎🏽 💙 ⚖️

Here’s where I’m at and what I’ve learnt;

1. PLAYFUL; When we are figuring out what we are doing here, our tone, our topics, our essence our publication is in a state of flux and creativity; sometimes that is confusing to readers; we have to guide them, we have to be to be a North Star of our own work AND we’re allowed this creative process…some people will go and might return. ENJOY this phase.

2. LOCKED IN; When we ‘stay safe’ in our writing we tie everything up in a beautiful bow and gift an experience to our readers they expect. Writing this way you’d expect very few unsubscribes unless the reader feels your writing is repetitive or boring. Read; this will probably happen over time! You can tell if it’s heading this way by the open rates. In other words; a nice little post on Substack never went viral! Yes subscribers will trickle in but is that enough for you?

3. EXPANSIVE; When we push our creative boundaries, collaborate, write about the shadows, a polarising topic or send personal essays, podcasts, photos, audio into the world; the vibe is electric, the receipt WAY more real and the unsubscribes are more. The subscribes and reads are also plentiful.

To better understand unsubscribes, ‘churn rate’ and what to expect in this space we have to understand where our writing is meeting people; both new subscribers and people who have been there a while.

For ‘success’ on Substack; we have to understand it because we have many many blind spots. That’s why I created the Sparkle Audit and the breakthroughs for folks have been OFF THE MAP!

Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash

Yes I know Substack and I’m best friends with creativity but the up level and real magic in these audits is fresh eyes, a compassionate heart, a way in to read a piece energetically and the ability wrap all that up and be a critical friend for my clients.

It’s pretty obvious to me why people subscribe here at

Sparkle on Substack

; it’s also obvious to me how I’m different to other Substack/ creative educators and that people may (and do) subscribe to most/ some/ all of us. I’m the one who pushes the ‘stay creative’ message; who tries to nurture creative voice across a range of people from those just starting out and learning the platform to best selling artists and creatives. It’s Substack tools and tech but with a focus on YOUR unique sparkle.

Over on

Creatively Conscious

it’s less clear currently but I saw VERY clearly why people unsubscribed across the course of last year… the publication is ‘successful’ but I am guarded there because it feels like an invite to my living room in many ways. I’m open to it but I also need to manage it because I absolutely couldn’t fit all 1922 subscribers in my living room. I need to have more intimate conversations in this season of my life over there and I want to nurture my creative projects in a way that feels safe and possible; it’s not a Ted Talk… well not yet anyway.

On

Company of Two

it’s a ‘niche’ publication and community; by mothers, for mothers. We have GRAND plans but no urgency to deliver them and so we grow slowly and that feels beautifully aligned and nice to

Laura Oldfield

and I.

To know yourself as a reader/ consumer…

…is both easy and complex.

Here’s an example; when my husband was very sick in 2022/23, I sought out other publications and sources that put chronic ill health at the centre of their writing. I needed to feel seen and connected to other similar stories. I didn’t mind if they were hopeful or not - I just needed to see that other people were in this same space and hear their words.

I don’t seek out that content now and if I am subscribed and it triggers me I unsubscribe; this is all about me and nothing to do with the beautiful writing or the person.

My husband is still sick, but life feels more possible and so I put values of possibility, escapism and creativity at the forefront of my reading. If a publication explores both topics (chronic sickness and one of the above values) I’ll stay. If a publication keeps me feeling sad and stuck and like I might be on the edge of crazy 😅, I’ll go.

Yes even if the writing is perfection drizzled in honey. 🍯

This is a reading choice; the same way we’d choose a glossy book on self development or escapist romantic fiction. You don’t owe anyone your email inbox or reading time; none of us need more decisions or admin. This is SO important; I need you to really understand the values you bring, the expectation you have as a reader to better understand why you personally unsubscribe.

If you haven’t unsubscribed for a while; you always have permission to curate what you receive. In doing this you get clearer on your own reader journey too.

💌 ✨Managing Notifications helps with reading overwhelm!

Here’s how to turn on smart notifications and read just in the app rather than have emails in your inbox and here’s how to manage your notifications. It’s in your writer bio settings;

Curious about this topic? Want a deeper understanding of unsubscribes here on Substack?

Some (fun) journalling tasks for you… ✨✍️ ✨

Go to your Substack website and ask yourself this question;

• Would I subscribe to me? If yes Why? Is it clear what the subscriber gets. If no - you know what to do!

Then ask yourself after reading back three of your pieces;

• Would I stay subscribed? What’s here for me?

Bonus question; then ask yourself;

• What would make me pay for this work? Hint; there’s something about ‘value’ in your answer… I’ll write more on this next time…

Your readers don’t need your life story; I was pushing it with the example above.

Your readers need connection and value; to be surprised, held, to run with you in the expansion, struggle and escapism of your beautiful, unique world. Have you got some of that for them? 💥 ✨

Let me know what you find out about yourself, your work and the motivations of your readers in the comments?

Claire

✨

PS - I also really enjoyed this post on the same topic from

Kerani Arpaia

and this note and replies yesterday from

anna wharton

.

Hi; if you’re new here. I’m Claire. I am an Engagement Consultant and Mentor. I write

Sparkle on Substack

to help you ‘stay creative’ here and my twice monthly workshops focus in on bringing our own unique brilliance to the platform and joyful, sustainable growth.

I live in Northumberland by the coast and the romance of that inspires a lot of my writing. I’m so happy you are here and have found your way to my online home on Substack.

If you’re a paid subscriber head here for the back catalogue of workshops and the calendar of dates for 2024 calls. Thank you to all of my paid subs who make this job an absolute pleasure and support my time to write articles like this one.

Kind Words

✨Claire has built the most incredible, supportive and engaged community that I’m so grateful to be part of because I know I don’t need to figure things out alone and everyone supports everyone. I have connected with so many amazing writers/ creatives through Claire. ✨

💌

✨ Claire has given me a warm welcome to Substack. I enjoy and find her bi-monthly zooms useful and thought provoking. I know that when I am wanting to create a business based Substack all the information for growth is available in her huge archive. ✨