Thanks for sharing that question, Claire, it lead to some interesting posts and discussions. A great example of being generous and building your community.
I am finding I need to step away from notes more and more too (even when it is not having moments of dispute) as I just get too - too something? Too caught up in it all, too dependent on feeling heard or noticed. Too caught up in needing people I dont know at all to agree with the things I believe.
But there have been so many interesting chats there too!
Soooo many interesting chats... I hear you Helen. Yes I really love community building and sharing my sparkles of generosity there but I have to step away - I went to bed really upset last night and of course it's that and my lived experience so time (hopefully) temporarily to take it back to the creative act of writing!
I’m finding myself tweaking posts often, especially if I do want to share them… I moved here after hearing about Susannah Conways substack. I followed here and couldn’t wait to start my own, it felt like home right away.
What I’ve come to love deeply is that all my beloved weekly (email) letters were no longer vanishing into the dusty bins in email platform - it feels like I’m building a resource instead.
My open rates are around 52% and most popular post has 12 likes. The most comments I’ve had was 8 (I guess half were me 😂) - but I’ve always found that my readers don’t really engage - and when I chat with them IRL they’ve read, resonated and loved everything , quietly by email. And I did migrate 90% of readers from email so it makes sense they’re not getting on the app to engage… yet?!! 🌟
I revisited a post last night. I read it through and felt proud of my ideas. Then I realised the engagement was low. I thought about sharing it again to see what would happen. Well done for all your growth this year Claire.
Aw. Sometimes people carry your words into their day and that's their action... sometimes you bump into them and they tell you; that's really special. With all stats pick what feels best to you to check in on and only compare yours with yours. Cx
Thank you for this article. I was particularly taken by your joyous celebration that “the vehicle for stories has never been so rich”. It seems unbelievable that before the 19th Century, most people could not read or write.
And it is only in the last couple of decades that we have been able to type on a computer, and the words miraculously appear on a public forum for anyone to read, comment on, and we can build a community of like minded people. Before this miracle, in order to share my words I would have to be published, or print a pamphlet that would have a limited readership. Now I can say 'hello' worldwide, in my own words, instantly. WOW!
My most viewed post was Holiday Traditions, https://motleystories.substack.com/p/your-holiday-traditions. But hard to tell as my subscription rate has increased over the year, so I have more readers for the latest posts - which is wonderful and amazing.
Ah yeah....good job there are so many lovely metrics to see in our dashboards... my monthly views this month are 23k - that's x10 growth from earlier this year! 🙉
Just subscribed - right up my street. You know when we started Company of Two, we didn't know many other mums here really; only a handful now I realise there are so many here....
After yesterday and how Notes when, I wondered if a bunch of people were gonna take a little break. I probably should as I waded into the drama a bit. (I'm attempting to be less of a doormat that everyone walks on, but is internet drama really the best vehicle for learning to stick up for my mental health?)
Yes it’s complex and actually have our own communities to show up for. Substack is a great vehicle to do that and I think Notes and the conflict isn’t helpful for me personally to stay in my true north at the moment… we only get so many minutes in a day don’t we. ✨🙏✍️ How are you feeling today? Cx
I'm okay. A little anxious over various replies to my Note but also kinda feeling proud of myself for sharing my thoughts, as imperfect and messy as they are.
What I’ve learnt here is that I like it to feel like a combination of work (so colleagues), inspiration and a slow cup of tea with someone. I think when we know what we want to feel here it becomes clearer where the jar is?
I unintentionally left my phone at home today, on a day in the week that I usually start a paid sub chat thread and had planned to cross post the piece I collaborated with Laura Oldfield on BUT after a moment of 'oh feck,' I went about my day and was truly 'in' it for the first time in a while.
I know I've become awfully attached to both Notes and Instagram as I try to build an audience for my book (that was my primary reason for publishing on here, though it has also shifted as the year has gone on). I know, too, that no one is hanging by their fingernails waiting for my posts or chats to appear, but it takes confidence to step away. We worry our readers or followers will forget us; that we'll drop off the radar. That we'll miss out on something that we'd love to be in on.
Agh, it's tough! But it's also beautiful. I came back online this afternoon and posted my chat thread on a totally different topic to the one I had planned because it felt good, and caught up with a few other folk, glad of the day just gone. Will I be 'off' over the festive? Not sure yet. I like not to be absolutist about these things. I will, however, leave the phone at home once in a while... On purpose!
Yes freedom of choice when it comes to what feels good is perfect isn’t it. I’ve noticed lots of folks are online inbetween Christmas and NY so I have some pieces scheduled…
It’s interesting in building PR; I did radio for a funded project and that was great to do! Good to step away and see where your energy wants to be/ go? ✨
Me too! I think the betwixtmas time will find me catching up on my Substack reading, so also have some bits scheduled to go out... It'll be interesting to see who is hanging around in Notesland that week, too.
I’d like to think I followed more of them than I did but I’m reminding myself that grace was one of those intentions and these are guideposts for a lifetime, not just one year!
Thank you for building this space! Yours was my first paid subscription and I’ve found it really helpful. It’s helping me slowly but surely understand how this space works.
Thanks for sharing so much on here, I’ve ordered that workbook too and the workshops look great ! I’ve sent your new to substack post to another friend I’m trying to get on here.
Didn’t see the note about most read substack. Something is making me stay away from notes still and it’s great to hear of your experience and others with it before I decide on how to proceed forwards.
“Baring all about the breakdown” was my highest read post to date. A post I whipped up out of nowhere on world mental health day in the spur of the moment. I’m pretty sure 22 comments will be my highest so far too😆
That sounds brilliant. The paid growth is slow here generally... because we are also shifting the narrative around being paid... there are strategies of course but even using those, growth is a steady climb. Are you doing collabs?
I’ve been invited to do a couple of collabs so far - one is still to be published. I’ll actively seek more next year - a couple of days ago I noticed Substack have a list of overlapping publications that they suggest might be a good fit, so I’ll look into those.
Oh cool - where did you see that? You can check the explore page and categories but it's kind of cold that way - better to find connects here via posts or on Notes. Are you in the UK? Footnotes and Tangents is a great community supporter and all round cheerleader - might be nice to chat to? Also there's the linked in group if you want to shout out there - some times you have to suggest an angle because with your niche that might not be the first point of connection? One of many?
Claire - I’ve found it. Go to Stats - Subscriber report. You may need to scroll down to below ‘paid subscriber growth’ and there’s ‘audience insights’. On the right is ‘Audience overlap’. It gives the publication title and the % overlap (I don’t know that’s calculated).
“The vehicle for stories has never been so rich.” This sentence LEAPT off the page when I read your article Claire and I’m so bloody excited by it! Stories are the one. And now we have somewhere to go all in with them! I’m so early on in my Substack experience but loving what I’ve seen so far ❤️
I've only written one article, but I was very excited to finally get it out even though I couldn't get any photos or headers or footers figured out, lol. I was disappointed I didn't get hearts, but I’m new here! I need to give myself a break. I envision canceling media channels, so I'm more focused and not throwing away money I could really use elsewhere. I could subscribe to Sparkle then! I'd like to focus on writing. I have so many stories already written and held in the cloud ☁️. I am always writing in my head. Coming to an understanding of what is possible for me is always changing; how I feel is kinda unpredictable with autoimmune issues present. But, getting better. Thanks for your encouragement and writing.
Thank you for this Claire, lovely and reassuring to hear your thoughts about Notes, I find it easy to get caught up and feel behind at the same time. Thank you also for the reminder about slowing down/rest over the next couple of weeks xx
Thanks for sharing that question, Claire, it lead to some interesting posts and discussions. A great example of being generous and building your community.
I am finding I need to step away from notes more and more too (even when it is not having moments of dispute) as I just get too - too something? Too caught up in it all, too dependent on feeling heard or noticed. Too caught up in needing people I dont know at all to agree with the things I believe.
But there have been so many interesting chats there too!
Soooo many interesting chats... I hear you Helen. Yes I really love community building and sharing my sparkles of generosity there but I have to step away - I went to bed really upset last night and of course it's that and my lived experience so time (hopefully) temporarily to take it back to the creative act of writing!
Look after yourself 🤗
I always do. Thanks for the love. 💕
I’m finding myself tweaking posts often, especially if I do want to share them… I moved here after hearing about Susannah Conways substack. I followed here and couldn’t wait to start my own, it felt like home right away.
What I’ve come to love deeply is that all my beloved weekly (email) letters were no longer vanishing into the dusty bins in email platform - it feels like I’m building a resource instead.
My open rates are around 52% and most popular post has 12 likes. The most comments I’ve had was 8 (I guess half were me 😂) - but I’ve always found that my readers don’t really engage - and when I chat with them IRL they’ve read, resonated and loved everything , quietly by email. And I did migrate 90% of readers from email so it makes sense they’re not getting on the app to engage… yet?!! 🌟
I revisited a post last night. I read it through and felt proud of my ideas. Then I realised the engagement was low. I thought about sharing it again to see what would happen. Well done for all your growth this year Claire.
When you say low? What were the stats? Likes and comment numbers and percentage?
4 likes, no comments but actually 63% open rate which is average to high for me. Maybe it just didn't resonate.
Aw. Sometimes people carry your words into their day and that's their action... sometimes you bump into them and they tell you; that's really special. With all stats pick what feels best to you to check in on and only compare yours with yours. Cx
Yes, I agree. It's just so interesting how you never really know how things will land at all. Gotta just keep going
For sure and your instincts will tell you a lot of what you need to know. ✨✍️
Thank you for this article. I was particularly taken by your joyous celebration that “the vehicle for stories has never been so rich”. It seems unbelievable that before the 19th Century, most people could not read or write.
And it is only in the last couple of decades that we have been able to type on a computer, and the words miraculously appear on a public forum for anyone to read, comment on, and we can build a community of like minded people. Before this miracle, in order to share my words I would have to be published, or print a pamphlet that would have a limited readership. Now I can say 'hello' worldwide, in my own words, instantly. WOW!
My most viewed post was Holiday Traditions, https://motleystories.substack.com/p/your-holiday-traditions. But hard to tell as my subscription rate has increased over the year, so I have more readers for the latest posts - which is wonderful and amazing.
I have also def noticed open rate drop the more I grow on Substack and as it dilutes my Instagram audience!
Ah yeah....good job there are so many lovely metrics to see in our dashboards... my monthly views this month are 23k - that's x10 growth from earlier this year! 🙉
I was brought here by a friend who came here from instagram. She just began blogging. She wrote well and was funny and I loved waiting for her posts.
It took me months of reading her to even consider I could Substack myself. I didn’t even know there was an app or social side to this space at all.
Ahh I love that - is she still here? Share her handle?
The pk diaries!
Just subscribed - right up my street. You know when we started Company of Two, we didn't know many other mums here really; only a handful now I realise there are so many here....
After yesterday and how Notes when, I wondered if a bunch of people were gonna take a little break. I probably should as I waded into the drama a bit. (I'm attempting to be less of a doormat that everyone walks on, but is internet drama really the best vehicle for learning to stick up for my mental health?)
Yes it’s complex and actually have our own communities to show up for. Substack is a great vehicle to do that and I think Notes and the conflict isn’t helpful for me personally to stay in my true north at the moment… we only get so many minutes in a day don’t we. ✨🙏✍️ How are you feeling today? Cx
I'm okay. A little anxious over various replies to my Note but also kinda feeling proud of myself for sharing my thoughts, as imperfect and messy as they are.
✨🙏
What I’ve learnt here is that I like it to feel like a combination of work (so colleagues), inspiration and a slow cup of tea with someone. I think when we know what we want to feel here it becomes clearer where the jar is?
A slow cup of tea with someone sounds lovely. <3
✨🤍🫖💎✨
I unintentionally left my phone at home today, on a day in the week that I usually start a paid sub chat thread and had planned to cross post the piece I collaborated with Laura Oldfield on BUT after a moment of 'oh feck,' I went about my day and was truly 'in' it for the first time in a while.
I know I've become awfully attached to both Notes and Instagram as I try to build an audience for my book (that was my primary reason for publishing on here, though it has also shifted as the year has gone on). I know, too, that no one is hanging by their fingernails waiting for my posts or chats to appear, but it takes confidence to step away. We worry our readers or followers will forget us; that we'll drop off the radar. That we'll miss out on something that we'd love to be in on.
Agh, it's tough! But it's also beautiful. I came back online this afternoon and posted my chat thread on a totally different topic to the one I had planned because it felt good, and caught up with a few other folk, glad of the day just gone. Will I be 'off' over the festive? Not sure yet. I like not to be absolutist about these things. I will, however, leave the phone at home once in a while... On purpose!
Love this Lindsay!
Love some unintentional space!
Yes freedom of choice when it comes to what feels good is perfect isn’t it. I’ve noticed lots of folks are online inbetween Christmas and NY so I have some pieces scheduled…
It’s interesting in building PR; I did radio for a funded project and that was great to do! Good to step away and see where your energy wants to be/ go? ✨
Me too! I think the betwixtmas time will find me catching up on my Substack reading, so also have some bits scheduled to go out... It'll be interesting to see who is hanging around in Notesland that week, too.
I’m so glad I’m not alone in needing a break from Notes! It honestly brings me a sense of relief to hear you say the same.
The post I recently revisited as a check-in/reflection was “Words of Advice for Myself in 2023.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/thebarefootbeat/p/words-of-advice-to-myself-for-2023?r=1tmjxe&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I’d like to think I followed more of them than I did but I’m reminding myself that grace was one of those intentions and these are guideposts for a lifetime, not just one year!
Thank you for building this space! Yours was my first paid subscription and I’ve found it really helpful. It’s helping me slowly but surely understand how this space works.
Thanks for sharing so much on here, I’ve ordered that workbook too and the workshops look great ! I’ve sent your new to substack post to another friend I’m trying to get on here.
Didn’t see the note about most read substack. Something is making me stay away from notes still and it’s great to hear of your experience and others with it before I decide on how to proceed forwards.
“Baring all about the breakdown” was my highest read post to date. A post I whipped up out of nowhere on world mental health day in the spur of the moment. I’m pretty sure 22 comments will be my highest so far too😆
https://warriorwithin.substack.com/p/baring-all-about-the-breakdown
In terms of engagement rate, my highest ranking post was https://iansharp.substack.com/p/this-weeks-album-is-by-xtc (I use shorter URLs now!)
But engagement rates seem to drop over time, so I’m finding it hard to find any pointers about focus from the stats.
What's your goal here Ian?
Good question, Claire.
Primarily, to have an audience for my writing.
Secondly, to earn small amount of money - I’m not chasing megabucks, but creativity should be rewarded.
I’m tempted to ignore the stats entirely and follow my heart. That approach has worked so far 😊
That sounds brilliant. The paid growth is slow here generally... because we are also shifting the narrative around being paid... there are strategies of course but even using those, growth is a steady climb. Are you doing collabs?
I’ve been invited to do a couple of collabs so far - one is still to be published. I’ll actively seek more next year - a couple of days ago I noticed Substack have a list of overlapping publications that they suggest might be a good fit, so I’ll look into those.
Oh cool - where did you see that? You can check the explore page and categories but it's kind of cold that way - better to find connects here via posts or on Notes. Are you in the UK? Footnotes and Tangents is a great community supporter and all round cheerleader - might be nice to chat to? Also there's the linked in group if you want to shout out there - some times you have to suggest an angle because with your niche that might not be the first point of connection? One of many?
I’ll have to check where I found the list (will be easier to do on my laptop later in the day).
Thanks, I’ll have a look at Footnotes and Tangents. I am in the UK and recently joined your LI group.
Claire - I’ve found it. Go to Stats - Subscriber report. You may need to scroll down to below ‘paid subscriber growth’ and there’s ‘audience insights’. On the right is ‘Audience overlap’. It gives the publication title and the % overlap (I don’t know that’s calculated).
“The vehicle for stories has never been so rich.” This sentence LEAPT off the page when I read your article Claire and I’m so bloody excited by it! Stories are the one. And now we have somewhere to go all in with them! I’m so early on in my Substack experience but loving what I’ve seen so far ❤️
Aw I'm glad Sara - do you have my resources for beginners? Let me know if you need any support - https://sparkleon.substack.com/p/brand-new-to-substack
I've only written one article, but I was very excited to finally get it out even though I couldn't get any photos or headers or footers figured out, lol. I was disappointed I didn't get hearts, but I’m new here! I need to give myself a break. I envision canceling media channels, so I'm more focused and not throwing away money I could really use elsewhere. I could subscribe to Sparkle then! I'd like to focus on writing. I have so many stories already written and held in the cloud ☁️. I am always writing in my head. Coming to an understanding of what is possible for me is always changing; how I feel is kinda unpredictable with autoimmune issues present. But, getting better. Thanks for your encouragement and writing.
Here are my youtube tutorials on how to make a post Karen; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGRn-3Xpq1o&list=PLxH_TD-j6nOUOFxltrwW0-0dJ2lUxg7nJ&index=3 - it should help with how to insert a picture. Re Headers and Footers I have a workshop here - https://sparkleon.substack.com/p/workshop-co-working-this-thursday - come chat with us on the intro post and connect with the community here? You're not in this alone and it's a great time to be starting; https://sparkleon.substack.com/p/if-you-started-again-here-on-substack
Thank you so much!
Thank you for this Claire, lovely and reassuring to hear your thoughts about Notes, I find it easy to get caught up and feel behind at the same time. Thank you also for the reminder about slowing down/rest over the next couple of weeks xx
You’re so welcome Lyndsay. ✨ 🌈✨
I’ve a feeling we’re really going to enjoy it and come back and all be so excited for a big ole reunion and a pot of tea. 🫖 ✨
I very much love that idea Claire ✨🍰 xx
REST. A hearty yes to this! And trust. We are all exactly where we need to be 😊
Indeed we are and I for one am glad you’re here Vicki and you said it! ✨✨💎✨✨