Started with 7 Subscribers. Here’s How I’m Building Real Momentum on Substack.
Beyond the Basics: New Ways to Grow Your Substack in 2025 — A Follow-Up to ‘Grow Your Free List’ by Alex Bosschaerts.
So by now, if you’re set up on Substack, chances are you’ve stumbled across that now-iconic 2021 post from the platform itself—Grow: Growing Your Free List—a clean, practical blueprint that became gospel to many of us. I must have bookmarked it at least a dozen times. It was published on September 3, 2021, and it felt like the beginning of something big.
Here’s the link if you’ve somehow missed it: Substack Grow Resource.
It’s a must-read—not because it guarantees instant success, but because it lays out the architecture of growth in a medium that’s still evolving in real time.
Back when I read that post for the first time, I had maybe 7 subscribers. Two were friends. One was an email I signed up for myself. I remember sitting at my kitchen table—LA “sol de la mañana” beaming in, espresso in hand—wondering if this little experiment of writing regularly to strangers might be the beginning of something more than just a creative outlet. Could it become a source of income? Or influence? Or insight?
Let me tell you where I’ve ended up since then—and what I’ve discovered along the way that wasn’t in that original post. I’ll also tell you where I think we’re headed, and how anyone (yes, anyone) can learn to grow not just their subscriber list—but a relationship with their readers that can last and pay off in unexpected ways.
📖 Act 1: The Slow Climb – Showing Up Anyway
What the 2021 guide gets absolutely right is this: routine is your best friend. Early on, I’d publish every Wednesday—even if I wasn’t sure anyone was reading. Those first few months were quiet. I’d obsess over open rates (15%, then 22%, then—wait!—38%?!), I’d triple-check my spelling. I’d tinker with subject lines like a mad scientist trying to discover alchemy.
But here’s the key I learned: consistent output breeds consistent input. Readers start expecting you. Algorithms notice you. You begin building trust.
What I added:
I created a 3-email welcome sequence for new subscribers. One short personal story, one “best of” post list, and one simple ask: “What brought you here?”
I stopped being shy about mentioning my Substack in real life. At a party, on Instagram, during a Zoom meeting—I'd drop it with the same casual energy you recommend a great taco spot.
I added a CTA at the end of every post: “Share this with one person who’d vibe with it.”
Was it awkward at first? Sure. But I had to remind myself: if I don’t believe this is worth reading, why would anyone else?
✨ Act 2: Building with Intention – Not Just More, But Better
The 2021 guide emphasizes growth moments. But what it didn’t account for—at least back then—was how social platforms were shifting. Twitter became “X.” Threads showed up. TikTok exploded. SEO started mattering again. AI became part of the writer’s toolkit.
So, I adapted.
Here’s what I implemented:
I turned my best-performing post into a LinkedIn carousel. That one carousel brought me 42 new subscribers in one week. Who knew?
I made short-form video teasers for my pieces using Canva + CapCut. A 45-second clip about real estate strategy brought in more clicks than 3 weeks of tweets.
I designed a lead magnet—a short, punchy PDF guide titled “5 Real Estate Moves to Make Before You're 40”. This alone helped convert curious readers into subscribers faster than just asking nicely.
I started using AI to summarize my posts and suggest social media hooks. (Tip: Try prompting ChatGPT with “Summarize this for a tweet thread with curiosity and value.”)
I also started collaborating. A guest interview with a friend in finance added 18 subs in a day. Another writer offered a newsletter swap. We each wrote a blurb and featured each other’s links. Our audiences grew together.
💡 Act 3: Community, Creativity, and Continuous Learning
Here’s what I didn’t fully understand when I read that original post: growth isn’t just mechanical—it’s emotional.
Your relationship with your readers matters. You’re not just broadcasting; you’re conversing.
That’s why I began:
Replying to every thoughtful email. I now see replies as data—mini focus groups on what’s resonating.
Asking my readers for feedback. What topics do they want? What are they struggling with?
Featuring reader stories. When someone shared a win based on my newsletter’s tips, I wrote about it—with their permission. People love seeing real impact.
Also, I stopped worrying about being polished. I let my voice come through—quirks, humor, awkward pauses, and all. I added personal photos. I made a bloopers section once.
The more me I put in, the more readers stayed.
🛠 Hacks I Wish I’d Known Sooner
Let’s rapid-fire some real ones you might want to steal:
Pin a tweet thread summary of your newsletter at the top of your X/Twitter profile.
Use Substack Notes every week. Comment on 3–5 other posts. Add value, don’t spam. You’d be shocked how many readers find you this way.
Create a referral program using Substack’s built-in system or third-party tools. Offer small rewards for shares.
Schedule “Growth Days.” I set aside Monday mornings just for promo work—no writing allowed. That’s when I plan collabs, DMs, outreach, and social.
Repackage old posts. Turn newsletters into Instagram graphics, podcast scripts, or Medium posts with backlinks.
Track your data. Keep a private Notion dashboard or Google Sheet with open rates, best-performing headlines, and where new readers come from.
🙌 Writers Who’ve Helped Me Think, Grow & Keep Going
(In English y en Español)
Substack is more than a platform—it’s a community of thinkers, builders, artists, and cultural navigators. These are the writers who’ve helped me reflect, experiment, and stay the course—on both sides of the language spectrum.
🗣 In English:
Anne Helen Petersen – Culture, burnout, and clarity. Deeply human.
Ali Abouelatta – First 1000 – Growth storytelling for founders and dreamers.
Roxane Gay – The Audacity – Essays that balance vulnerability with razor-sharp cultural critique.
Matt Levine – Finance meets absurdity (not Substack, but essential).
Julian Shapiro – Psychology meets business with clarity and curiosity.
Persuasion Community – Smart, civil conversations for difficult times.
Every – A bundle of writers at the edge of business, strategy, and creativity.
🌎 En Español:
Julio Vaqueiro – Periodismo que importa. Crónicas y reflexiones con voz propia. (Síguelo por contenido honesto, directo y lleno de contexto.)
Andrés Oppenheimer – El Futuro – Análisis económico y político con mirada continental.
Catalina May – Las Raras – Historias latinoamericanas narradas con poder y sensibilidad (también un excelente podcast).
Gonzalo Oliveros – Cultura, medios, política. Inteligencia y provocación.
Daniel Moreno – Animal Político – Reflexión periodística y análisis de poder.
Letras Libres – Filosofía, literatura y política desde el mundo hispano.
These are just a few of the voices making the Substack landscape deeper, wider, and more interesting in both languages.
If you have a newsletter (y me lees en español) — mándame tu link. I’d love to discover more.
Let’s keep the conversation going — global, local, personal, and powerful.
🚀 Looking Ahead: Substack Is Still Just the Beginning
Substack today is more than a platform—it's becoming a media ecosystem. Notes, video, recommendations, referrals—it’s a place where one great voice can reach thousands.
But it’s not magic. And it's not passive.
If you treat it like a garden, it will grow. Water it with consistency. Prune it with feedback. Let it bloom through creativity.
If you’re starting out, or if you’ve plateaued, or if you just want to know you’re not alone in the grind—I hope this helps.
And if you have any hacks, new tools, shortcuts, or surprising strategies—please DM, email, or text me. I want to learn from you, too. Let's build better, together.
P.S. If you got this far, I’d love it if you shared this with someone who just started on Substack—or someone who’s stuck.
P.P.S. Want my free “Welcome Email Sequence Template”? Just reply “welcome” and I’ll send it your way.
Let’s grow something real. FIN.
—
Alex Bosschaerts
✉️ alexbosschaerts@gmail.com
📱 @askalexhomes
📘 Glossary & Vocabulary – Bosschaerts Study
🔁 Content & Publishing Terms
Substack – A publishing platform that allows writers to send digital newsletters directly to subscribers and monetize via paid subscriptions.
Post – A single published article or story on Substack.
CTA (Call-to-Action) – A prompt that encourages readers to take a specific action, such as "Subscribe now" or "Share this post."
Welcome Sequence – A pre-written series of emails that a new subscriber receives, designed to introduce them to your publication and build trust.
Lead Magnet – A free incentive (e.g. guide, PDF, checklist) offered to readers in exchange for their email address or subscription.
📈 Growth & Strategy Concepts
Growth Moment – A high-impact event (like a viral post or a shoutout) that brings a spike in new subscribers.
Routine Tactics – Repeated, consistent growth actions like posting weekly or sharing on social media.
Referral Program – A system where existing subscribers are rewarded for bringing in new readers.
Newsletter Swap – A collaboration between two writers who promote each other’s work to their respective audiences.
Segmentation – Dividing your audience into smaller groups based on interests or behavior, for more targeted communication.
📣 Marketing & Distribution Tools
Substack Notes – A short-form sharing feature within Substack for interacting with readers and other writers (like Twitter for newsletters).
UTM Tags – Small codes added to URLs to track where traffic is coming from (used for marketing analytics).
Social Teaser – A short preview (text, image, or video) used on social media to generate interest in a longer article.
Carousels – Swipable image/text posts used on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn to summarize ideas visually.
🧰 Creative & Technical Tools
CapCut – A video editing app often used to create TikTok, Reels, and other short-form video teasers.
Notion – An all-in-one productivity tool often used for tracking content calendars, notes, and audience engagement metrics.
Zapier – A tool to automate workflows between apps (e.g., automatically adding new Substack subscribers to a spreadsheet).
Canva – A user-friendly graphic design platform used to create visuals, headers, carousels, and social media content.
AI Tools (ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai) – Used to brainstorm headlines, summarize posts, write social captions, and generate content ideas.
✍️ Creative & Community Terms
Pitch a Character – A premium subscriber perk on Bosschaerts Study that allows readers to suggest characters for ¿Esta Noche no, o sí?
Behind-the-Scenes Insight – A peek into the author’s creative process, decision-making, or unpublished drafts.
Creative Collaboration – When writers or creators work together to produce content or share audiences.
AMA (Ask Me Anything) – A live or written Q&A format where readers can ask the writer any questions.
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