Do you feel like your writing is falling into the void? The abyss is not as deep as you think
4 Absolute Must-Try Strategies for Your Content to Be Seen on Substack
Writing on Substack can feel like you are shouting into the void.
You thought of a great idea for a new post and
jot down notes
create outlines
decide on your framework
You spent time doing research and writing headlines.
You poured your heart and soul into your content.
You looked for pictures, did tags and seo, hit publish.
With a hopeful heart, you went to sleep.
Hoping to wake up the next day to a flurry of activities.
Getting many likes, reposts and comments.
The next day arrives… and you welcome in…1 or 2 likes…
Your motivation crashed.
Your hope died.
You are thumping your chest and asking why.
You read your article again.
It was great.
You are sure you put in 100% effort.
So what went wrong?
If this is what you’ve felt like at times,
Welcome to the abyss of writing.
Where new and experienced writers alike,
Share this feeling of occasional doom.
You said something, but no one’s listening.
You wanted to share your wisdom, but no one’s appreciating.
You wonder how long you will remain in the abyss and what’s the fastest route out.
It’s not time for total despair yet.
Fact is, the writing abyss isn’t as deep as you think.
With the right strategies, you can get your content seen and heard fast enough.
I have a lot of experience in this area.
To be honest, I’ve done lots of silly things here to get attention.
Comparing myself to a monkey…
Giving likes to myself and restacking my own note about that…
Blindly restacking others’ notes…
You may think these strategies are bad or aren’t that bad.
But combined with something else, these would work.
Let me share the four absolute must-try strategies that will get your content seen and heard.
Must-try strategy 1
Content is king, cluster your topics
If you are writing, you are a content creator.
And content is king on this platform.
Ask yourself this question: why should people read what you write?
You want people to give you time, energy and attention, that’s a lot to ask.
But not if you are offering something way more valuable.
People are looking for something when they browse.
Information
Solutions
Entertainment
If you could provide one of these, people will pay attention.
All the more so if you could combine 2 or all 3.
Many people are talking about a niche.
But what is a niche?
I used to be so confused.
I have no idea what I’m going to write.
After I started short writings on topics that I care about, I found my direction.
It may still be too broad to be called a niche, but I could improve along the way.
So you are still figuring things out.
That’s ok.
When you have more and more posts centred around your theme, that’ll become your niche.
So, content is king.
And the king is surrounded by all the connected topics that you wrote.
The more you cluster them, the bigger your kingdom, the more your content gets noticed.
Must-try strategy 2
Engage with people, show you’re a real deal
Substack is more than a writing platform.
It’s also:
a community
social media
society in general
To thrive here, you need to engage with others.
Everything you write is a conversation between you and others.
Use a conversational tone: Would you say this to a friend in real time?
Be personal and direct.
Engaging with people is about building relationships.
Share your stories
Ask for feedback
Be open to discussions
A two-way street works better than a one-way street.
Keep the traffic flowing.
And relationships are built and deepened.
Show that you’re a person who cares about others’ opinions and experiences.
Show that you’re more than a content creator.
You’re more when you:
reply and give meaningful comments, not just a simple thank you.
restack or repost with added thoughts. This adds value both to the writer and to your own audience
take feedback and criticism, then improve your writing based on that.
Must-try strategy 3
Steal tips and strategies from experts
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Learn from those who are very successful on Substack.
Look out for those who get a lot of likes, views and comments.
Study them and emulate.
That’s what I’ve done.
Here are my observations of the very successful writers here:
Their writing is consistent, with a unique identifiable style.
They post consistently, showing their commitment to the world.
They engage with people, giving compliments, feedback, showing that they care.
They are creative, providing new ways to solve old problems.
Study their strategies, but don’t just copy.
Make them your own instead.
Take what works and adapt it to fit yourself.
This became your own unique strategy.
Which you can then share.
Your personal experience and perspective will provide value.
The value that they can’t get from the original source.
Must-try strategy 4
Evolve, creation is a fluid process
Evaluate and pivot anytime.
Stagnation is the enemy of creativity.
The platform changes, people change, the world is changing.
You must pivot when necessary.
Keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not.
If a particular approach isn’t resonating, don’t be afraid to change course.
Always be open to improvement.
If new ideas caught your eye, be curious about them.
Explore
Experiment
Evolve
Be ready to step out of your comfort zone.
Then you’ll improve and grow.
Conclusion
These are my own tried-and-tested strategies.
You may copy—sorry, adopt and adapt them.
And tell me how it goes.
Thanks for reading.
Show me that you care.
Give me a like, a share or a comment.