A typical post from a Substack newsletter with under 1,000 subscribers gets about 5 likes, and more often than not, zero comments. But it's still possible to grow.
I also think newsletters that grew through Substack itself (e.g., lots of notes, comments, collabs) will have a much more visible engagement profile than those that are built through email acquisitions (lead magnets, offline events, etc.) 🤔
Great, as always. I have the 'writing into the void' incorporated into my marketing materials at this point. While it's good to have the knowledge about why I get few responses, I'm sadly a type-a person so that knowledge doesn't make me less annoyed with myself 😸
One thing I've noticed anecdotally since I've been here for a few years toiling in the sub-1000s (until very, very recently) is that it appears harder to stand out and go viral. I wonder if that's measurable?
Absolutely mad stats! 🤯 Thank you for the analysis and the transparency on the methodology, Karen. The median vs. mean distinction is powerful. You're inspiring me to adjust my own analyses moving forward. Thank you.
Also, surprise: Substack didn't notify me about the shoutout. Thank you for amplifying the community movement toward human curation. It's an honor to have the Stackhunters be spotlighted in a well-researched article.
You’re very welcome! Back when I ran a Substack digest and discovery tool, I had a series called “5 under 500” featuring small newsletters that appeared in my database. That ended when I shut down the app. I was so excited to see Stackhunters, because it’s featuring new writers in ways that I think are more effective than what I what I was doing with my series. And also I LOVE the look of NOT RISING, it’s beautiful! 🤩
Ahhh thank you. That means so much. I built NOT RISING from scratch without any AI tools. Just a lot of care and a commitment to do people’s stories justice.
I figured if NOT RISING was gonna be an alternative to Substack’s Rising list, I should make sure it’s actually worth being on it. 🥰
This analysis was super helpful! It really puts a lot of the engagement metrics in context. It's good to know what the actual statistics are for small newsletters.
Sometimes it really does feel like I'm not doing something right. I'm sure a lot of writers feel that way too. But knowing that this is just what normal engagement looks like is very validating.
I used to get a TON of engagement - and I say "I used to" because I'm getting roughly the same amount of engagement now at 2300 subscribers as I used to get at 1000.
As soon as I started growing my list, hitting bestseller, etc, I realized how much of a vanity metric comments are (likes, not so much). Most of my engaged readers and paid subscribers do not even spend time on Substack and read my articles from their inboxes.
I think the most underrated advice of yours here is the restacking of older posts. From my experiments too - when I restack without a note, it performs better than when I restack them with a note. Food for thought! :)
Such a helpful analysis Karen. I found it surprising how low the engagements were for the larger accounts at the median! That emphasizes to me the numbers game, that when writing, not every article takes off. But with a bigger audience it’s more likely for a particular article to take off.
Wow, Karen! This is actually really sad - there are so many passive subscribers out there!! I've read some incredible work lately with no comments/no likes and it just hits me every time as a reminder to be a good Substack neighbour and to keep showing up, supporting work I enjoy and exploring new writers here.
I find commenting on people's posts and notes can create a "pay it forward" incentive. It's probably the thing that has helped me the most when it comes to growing my Substack.
I want to say, too, that I only comment when I feel I have something helpful to contribute. Commenting because you want to "get" people to reciprocate is not the way to go.
For me, I think what is unclear is what is a meaningful and timely comment. I see the comment advice thrown around a lot. I am not sure if it possible to do a sweet spot analysis for commentable(?) articles and what types of comments get engagement. I guess it depends on the goal. I don't post articles, so my goal is just to connect and learn from real and interesting people. So maybe it's a different strategy if you want to grow subscribers. Curious if you think Claude can crack the comment code? If I was not such a dumb dumb with AI, I would try myself but I have learned that vibe coding is not something I can do.
Thanks as always, Karen. Love your data driven approach.
That’s a good question. Based on my own personal experience, my “best” comments were those that started a real conversation and led to future collabs, a useful exchange of ideas, etc.
Will think about how we might learn more about which comments lead to other types of engagement… 🤔
I appreciate comments that deepen the conversation and respect people's differences. There are times, too, where the best thing to offer is empathy and compassion when it's a personal post and the writer is struggling with something.
I wonder if that's because of the nature of social media which is algorithm-driven to reward posts that get the most reactions/comments. Means posts that piss people off or scare people are going to get the most eyeballs.
I think(what's interesting) is that people really crave empathy and genuine connections. That's such a basic human desire. Wonder if you could have a social-media platform that is focused on maximizing belonging and empathy in supportive ways? And could it be financially successful? Maybe they exist already but they tend to be small and cause-focused?
I don't usually like advice-drive comments unless I feel the person is coming from a place of "been-there, know how challenging the situation is." Otherwise, I feel it's more about the person giving advice then it is about me.
Re Claude: Claude is really good at discerning patterns what kinds of patterns would you want Claude to find in comment that would be helpful to you?
I’m not sure I actually have the time/inclination to analyze comments on my own behalf, because I usually comment pretty randomly when I have something to say. 🤔 But it might be interesting to look at commenting patterns across newsletters…
You are doing great work. So no need to go further down the comment analysis rabbit hole. Probably at this point more granular analysis will only improve performance around the edges. I think the advice you gave here and elsewhere probably gets people about 90% there. I appreciate you and others that take the time to engage with your fans.
I'm currently interviewing the clients of business owners to understand the unique qualities that attract them to the business. I'm getting great responses and just beginning to play with Claude to see if Claude can isolate specific categories that will be easy to turn into marketing content.
Wow, Karen. This analysis is so helpful. I've always felt alone in this Substack world. But now, with your advice to engage in communities, I'm looking forward to making new friends. Commenting on others' posts seems like a great way to start a conversation. I'm sure I'll find some like - minded folks. Thanks for showing the way!
Substack’s domain authority is actually pretty good, and I’ve had luck structuring posts using SEO best practices (summary blurb, headlines that answer specific questions, etc.).
That said, custom domains powered by Substack don’t get any kind of authority boost and you’re 100% right that relying on a single platform for distribution can be a limiting strategy!
Karen, this is an absolutely fantastic article and really makes me feel much more confident about my own engagement metrics. I also think what's really interesting here is that several smaller to medium-sized Substacks that we engage with regularly seem to have a much higher average number of likes and comments. I wonder if that's because the authors have taken the time to build a meaningful ecosystem around them beyond, for example, engagement pods.
I think some of the small newsletters with unusually high engagement may be doing some combination of the following: engagement pods (no shade, I’ve used them myself!), community building (events, chats, etc.), and cross-posting their Substack posts to other social accounts. Some of the difference may also come down to subscriber behavior. Someone who grows their newsletter via collecting emails at offline events may appear to have no engagement even though subscribers read in their inboxes.
It’s a fascinating subject and one that’s easy to get lost in! I try to channel my love of metrics into studies like this one, not obsessively refreshing my stats! 😂
This is excellent work and such a creative way to obtain concrete analytics. As someone writing their own ML framework, using data to make meaningful insights for the rest of us is super helpful.
I am working on an article, more or less about this topic, because you mentioned the app.
Substack data shows readers on the app are 15 times more likely to leave a comment than those who aren’t.
There is a lot of invisible readership.
Not to mention the open rates are not very reliable.
So “no comments” often means “no visible signal,” not “no resonance.”
always helpful Karen :)
Now I feel inspired to finish the article lol
Yes, you should finish your article!
I also think newsletters that grew through Substack itself (e.g., lots of notes, comments, collabs) will have a much more visible engagement profile than those that are built through email acquisitions (lead magnets, offline events, etc.) 🤔
That’s another valid point, Karen.
I’m almost done.
That means I will publish 2 weeks from today hahahaha
enjoy the rest of your week
Great, as always. I have the 'writing into the void' incorporated into my marketing materials at this point. While it's good to have the knowledge about why I get few responses, I'm sadly a type-a person so that knowledge doesn't make me less annoyed with myself 😸
One thing I've noticed anecdotally since I've been here for a few years toiling in the sub-1000s (until very, very recently) is that it appears harder to stand out and go viral. I wonder if that's measurable?
That’s an interesting question…I could probably sample articles from different eras and compare engagement patterns. 🤔
You can ask the algo but wait, we don't actually know how the algo really works.
Absolutely mad stats! 🤯 Thank you for the analysis and the transparency on the methodology, Karen. The median vs. mean distinction is powerful. You're inspiring me to adjust my own analyses moving forward. Thank you.
Also, surprise: Substack didn't notify me about the shoutout. Thank you for amplifying the community movement toward human curation. It's an honor to have the Stackhunters be spotlighted in a well-researched article.
You’re very welcome! Back when I ran a Substack digest and discovery tool, I had a series called “5 under 500” featuring small newsletters that appeared in my database. That ended when I shut down the app. I was so excited to see Stackhunters, because it’s featuring new writers in ways that I think are more effective than what I what I was doing with my series. And also I LOVE the look of NOT RISING, it’s beautiful! 🤩
Ahhh thank you. That means so much. I built NOT RISING from scratch without any AI tools. Just a lot of care and a commitment to do people’s stories justice.
I figured if NOT RISING was gonna be an alternative to Substack’s Rising list, I should make sure it’s actually worth being on it. 🥰
Your feedback on it just made my whole week!
Makes sense that you didn’t use AI for NOT RISING, the production values are so high! 🤩❤️
Ahh that means the world. Thank you. 🙏🏽🥰
🤗
Can I act surprised? 🤷♂️😂
This analysis was super helpful! It really puts a lot of the engagement metrics in context. It's good to know what the actual statistics are for small newsletters.
Sometimes it really does feel like I'm not doing something right. I'm sure a lot of writers feel that way too. But knowing that this is just what normal engagement looks like is very validating.
Thank you! 🙏 Also, engagement can look lower than it really is when you have a lot of email readers who don’t interact in the app.
I love all your analyses Karen, so keep going! :)
The data is VERY surprising, to say the least.
I used to get a TON of engagement - and I say "I used to" because I'm getting roughly the same amount of engagement now at 2300 subscribers as I used to get at 1000.
As soon as I started growing my list, hitting bestseller, etc, I realized how much of a vanity metric comments are (likes, not so much). Most of my engaged readers and paid subscribers do not even spend time on Substack and read my articles from their inboxes.
I think the most underrated advice of yours here is the restacking of older posts. From my experiments too - when I restack without a note, it performs better than when I restack them with a note. Food for thought! :)
I’ve noticed the same thing! My (free) subscribers have grown, but my engagement has stayed pretty steady. And, yes, the quiet inbox reader is real.
Very curious about the performance you’re seeing from restacks without a note. 🤔
Such a helpful analysis Karen. I found it surprising how low the engagements were for the larger accounts at the median! That emphasizes to me the numbers game, that when writing, not every article takes off. But with a bigger audience it’s more likely for a particular article to take off.
Agree each article is a bit of a lottery ticket…with a handful of winners getting most of the engagement! 😂
Haha they should share with the rest of us!
Love this! Both the metrics viewed in context and the practical tips at the end. Thanks for sharing Karen🩷
You’re very welcome! 🤗
Wow, Karen! This is actually really sad - there are so many passive subscribers out there!! I've read some incredible work lately with no comments/no likes and it just hits me every time as a reminder to be a good Substack neighbour and to keep showing up, supporting work I enjoy and exploring new writers here.
Seriously! I need to put “comment time” on my calendar!
I find commenting on people's posts and notes can create a "pay it forward" incentive. It's probably the thing that has helped me the most when it comes to growing my Substack.
I want to say, too, that I only comment when I feel I have something helpful to contribute. Commenting because you want to "get" people to reciprocate is not the way to go.
💯 I comment when I have something to share that I can articulate clearly without spending a lot of time writing and rewriting it! 😂
For me, I think what is unclear is what is a meaningful and timely comment. I see the comment advice thrown around a lot. I am not sure if it possible to do a sweet spot analysis for commentable(?) articles and what types of comments get engagement. I guess it depends on the goal. I don't post articles, so my goal is just to connect and learn from real and interesting people. So maybe it's a different strategy if you want to grow subscribers. Curious if you think Claude can crack the comment code? If I was not such a dumb dumb with AI, I would try myself but I have learned that vibe coding is not something I can do.
Thanks as always, Karen. Love your data driven approach.
That’s a good question. Based on my own personal experience, my “best” comments were those that started a real conversation and led to future collabs, a useful exchange of ideas, etc.
Will think about how we might learn more about which comments lead to other types of engagement… 🤔
I appreciate comments that deepen the conversation and respect people's differences. There are times, too, where the best thing to offer is empathy and compassion when it's a personal post and the writer is struggling with something.
Great point about empathy, there’s not enough of it on social media.
I wonder if that's because of the nature of social media which is algorithm-driven to reward posts that get the most reactions/comments. Means posts that piss people off or scare people are going to get the most eyeballs.
I think(what's interesting) is that people really crave empathy and genuine connections. That's such a basic human desire. Wonder if you could have a social-media platform that is focused on maximizing belonging and empathy in supportive ways? And could it be financially successful? Maybe they exist already but they tend to be small and cause-focused?
I don't usually like advice-drive comments unless I feel the person is coming from a place of "been-there, know how challenging the situation is." Otherwise, I feel it's more about the person giving advice then it is about me.
Re Claude: Claude is really good at discerning patterns what kinds of patterns would you want Claude to find in comment that would be helpful to you?
I’m not sure I actually have the time/inclination to analyze comments on my own behalf, because I usually comment pretty randomly when I have something to say. 🤔 But it might be interesting to look at commenting patterns across newsletters…
Ohh... A random control trial perhaps 😂.
You are doing great work. So no need to go further down the comment analysis rabbit hole. Probably at this point more granular analysis will only improve performance around the edges. I think the advice you gave here and elsewhere probably gets people about 90% there. I appreciate you and others that take the time to engage with your fans.
Thank you! And also appreciate your thoughtful and human comments! 🤗
I'm currently interviewing the clients of business owners to understand the unique qualities that attract them to the business. I'm getting great responses and just beginning to play with Claude to see if Claude can isolate specific categories that will be easy to turn into marketing content.
I'm excited about the possibilities here.
Wow, Karen. This analysis is so helpful. I've always felt alone in this Substack world. But now, with your advice to engage in communities, I'm looking forward to making new friends. Commenting on others' posts seems like a great way to start a conversation. I'm sure I'll find some like - minded folks. Thanks for showing the way!
You’re very welcome! ❤️
Good insight 😃. Can i translate this article into Spanish with links to you and a description of your newsletter?
Sure, go for it!
Many thanks, Karen.
Substack SEO is notoriously missing in action. 😂
Outside of this gardened house called Substack, Google and other search engines don't know we exist.
The only solution I see is, get out there and break out of the this enclosed environment.
Substack’s domain authority is actually pretty good, and I’ve had luck structuring posts using SEO best practices (summary blurb, headlines that answer specific questions, etc.).
That said, custom domains powered by Substack don’t get any kind of authority boost and you’re 100% right that relying on a single platform for distribution can be a limiting strategy!
Karen, this is an absolutely fantastic article and really makes me feel much more confident about my own engagement metrics. I also think what's really interesting here is that several smaller to medium-sized Substacks that we engage with regularly seem to have a much higher average number of likes and comments. I wonder if that's because the authors have taken the time to build a meaningful ecosystem around them beyond, for example, engagement pods.
I think some of the small newsletters with unusually high engagement may be doing some combination of the following: engagement pods (no shade, I’ve used them myself!), community building (events, chats, etc.), and cross-posting their Substack posts to other social accounts. Some of the difference may also come down to subscriber behavior. Someone who grows their newsletter via collecting emails at offline events may appear to have no engagement even though subscribers read in their inboxes.
It’s a fascinating subject and one that’s easy to get lost in! I try to channel my love of metrics into studies like this one, not obsessively refreshing my stats! 😂
This is such a good point Karen. And I often forget that the vast majority of my readers do so via their inbox...
This is excellent work and such a creative way to obtain concrete analytics. As someone writing their own ML framework, using data to make meaningful insights for the rest of us is super helpful.
Thank you! Also, what kind of ML framework are you building?
Thanks! The project involves creating a new learning and deployment surface for statistics and machine learning for Apple platforms. We do cover a lot in the statistics realm which you may find interesting: https://waynewbishop.github.io/quiver/documentation/quiver/statistics-primer
Very cool, I’ll take a peek!
I haven’t checked in with you in a while, Karen. Are you doing well?
Thank you for highlighting the Stackhunter team.
Doing pretty well…very busy these days! 🤪 And you’re welcome.
This was very insightful karen.
Thank you
You’re very welcome!