24 Comments
Sep 3Liked by Tommy Blanchard, David McIlroy

Sound advice! Every day, I run across people on Notes who don't clearly describe their substack. Some of them may be here just to read. (We need more people like that!) But at least a few have a substack but just don't provide much incentive to take a look at it.

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These insights came from my experience trying to find people to follow/subscribe to when I first got started on Substack/Notes--it's surprising how little information many people give potential subscribers!

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Sep 3Liked by Tommy Blanchard, David McIlroy

It is wonderfully presented, incredibly helpful, informative pieces like this that puts you at the top off my list when I can finally afford upgrade to paid subscriptions on my favorite stacks. Thanks, as usual! 😁

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Restacked. Well done. I like it a lot.

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Super helpful! I know I should reply more often. I'll be happy to meet self-improvement authors to exchange ideas.

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Good advice for “bio or about page”. Being a healthcare professional, I use my credentials as well, but based on what I just read and learned, I’m gonna tweak it a little bit 😉

I do think as we evolve as creator that our information can be updated and should be.

Thanks for the reminder 🙏

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I like this, simple, actionable, focused on one strategy, the one most likely to work best.

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This is the key:

"Think about each stage someone goes through before they convert and what they experience at each stage."

As someone who has a strong background in sales, marketing, relationship building, and content development, this is the formula.

I recently launched my Substack earlier this month using this method and have exponential growth in a short time with excellent opening, subscribing and engagement rates.

Keep on keeping on!

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Sep 3Liked by Tommy Blanchard

Great post! Thanks for sharing!

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I also want to add that seeing Cognitive in your name immediately intrigued me, made me click the link to your profile, read your bio/description and subscribe. It's right inline with my line of work and my interests!

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Awesome!

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Sep 7Liked by Tommy Blanchard

Thanks for the tips and congrats on your growth!

How do you manage your notes? Do you focus more on posting short-form content similar to your longer articles (e.g., neuroscience or philosophy related) or more personal stuff to give a personal touch to your posting?

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Hah just saw this now (I don't get notifications for comments here since it isn't my publication).

I don't have any strategy with Notes, beyond trying to err on the side of posting instead of self-censoring. I tend towards humor because it's what works in very short form. I'll sometimes edit them down because the difference between a good and bad note is often just how concise it is. But it's mostly just sharing funny thoughts I had or whatever and having fun with it

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Makes sense! Appreciate you sharing your viewpoint. I’m still trying to figure out Notes for me and what works, so it’s helpful hearing other perspectives!

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I couldn’t read it all just now, but oh how I look forward to applying all this!

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Great insights, Tommy! There's a lot of goodness in this post that isn't anywhere else. It'd be interesting to know if such subtle things are the reason you grew so fast. I suspect your quality writing helps (it obviously does!) but early on these little differences could indeed be the difference between steady and insane growth rates like you've had. Now -- I need to think of some edits to mine! ;)

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I also think that readers really value consistency. A writer that is consistent also helps the reader feel a sense of trust.

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Thanks for sharing this guest post. Tommy - you gave me a little push to make some updates to my profile, and more importantly to make an effort to build a community here. I appreciate the reminder that the onus is on us.

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This is a great overview for those just starting out. Many writers on sub stack over look these small things but they truly do make a difference

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Let’s see: PhD ✔️ Neuroscience ✔️Harvard ✔️ Got it! That’s all I need to acquires 1000 subscribers in three months. Thanks for the advice.

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