7 Underestimated Substack Features That Will Help You Grow and Monetize
A Practical Guide to Maximizing Growth and Income
Hi, Wise Adventurer,
Struggling to grow and monetize your Substack?
Many creators treat it like just another newsletter platform, missing out on key features that unlock direct email ownership, easy mode organic growth, and multiple built-in monetization options – advantages you simply won't find anywhere else!
Substack is not just for writers. If you have real-world experience and skills, Substack offers a powerful way to turn your expertise into online income without feeling overwhelmed or burned out.
After building a community of 5,000+ in under a year and diversifying my income with 4 different revenue streams, I've learned which tools move the needle.
It takes more than just sitting in front of your laptop and typing to achieve success.
Ready to unlock them?
In this newsletter, I share 7 underestimated Substack features that will help you grow and monetize.
1. Discover Audience Needs with Simple Polls
What is a better way of research than asking your subscribers directly?
This way, you avoid wasting time on offers that nobody wants. Too many creators and solopreneurs wasted weeks, if not months, on products that assumed their audience wanted.
Don’t become one of them.
Instead of guessing, ask directly.
Press "More" at the top of your edited post, then select "Poll" at the bottom.
You will better serve your community and create offers that sell.
2. Unlock Hidden Revenue Streams on Substack
Paid subscriptions are not the only way of monetizing Substack.
Based on the data and conversion rates, this is the slowest way to monetize. To earn $500 per month from Substack subscriptions, you need roughly 2,500 free subscribers with a 4% conversion rate at $5 per month. For most people over 50, it will take one to two years or more.
A much better way is to offer your services or digital products with a custom button.
You can create it by clicking on the Button and then Custom. Like in the screenshot below. ⤵️
This is the easier way to create a visible and effective button for your offer.
Like the one below.
Another way is to use the link sign at the top of your offer, resource, or post.
Like in the screenshot below. ⤵️
If you don’t make any offers to help your readers, someone else will.
And they will buy solutions from them.
3. Your 3-Second Billboard: Craft a Substack Banner That Converts
Recently, Substack introduced a new banner feature.
Just head to your personal profile.
Click Edit Profile, create your design (sized 1200×400 pixels), and hit Replace and upload your new banner. That’s it.
You can use it for
Showing value upfront and what matters to you
Using it as a launchpad
Making a promise
Branding
It works similarly to your LinkedIn banner.
That is a great way to attract your right audience.
Update your banner today with a clear promise of value for your subscribers.
4. Grow While You Snooze: The Substack Recommendation Hack
The numbers don’t lie.
If you enjoy the content and newsletters of creators in your niche, consider recommending their publications. Some of them will reciprocate.
Think of recommending other newsletters as a high-efficiency shortcut!
When you enjoy what another creator is putting out in your niche, recommending them puts you on the radar of engaged readers who are interested in what you cover as well.
It's the easiest way to tap into a targeted pool of potential new subscribers.
5. The Substack Social Secret
Substack Notes are the largest growth factor.
Notes are similar to social media posts, but tailored specifically to Substack.
Using them is a fantastic opportunity to gain attention, receive or make comments, restack (share), and initiate collaboration.
Since Notes are a social media element, behave socially, even if you don’t feel like it. It can be your largest growth factor, bringing you new free and even paid subscribers, collaborations, and recommendations.
What’s not to like about it?
Even if you (like me) are not a big fan of social media.
To make the most of any platform, follow the rules. It’s like a game. But it can be genuinely fun. I enjoy interacting with interesting Notes and newsletters.
Treat every Note and newsletter as a data source. Click on → "View Stats" in the bottom right corner of your Notes, and view the data as shown in the screenshot below.
I follow the 10-5-1 rule at least 5 days per week. That means liking 10 posts, making 5 meaningful comments, and sending one direct message. Do this consistently, and you will notice the impact on your growth within 30 days.
Just think what you can achieve in 6 months or a year.
6. Build a Raving Fanbase with Substack Chat
An engaged community is a meaningful community.
Substack Chat is like a secret social media room inside your newsletter that people don't use enough:
Share quick updates, ideas, questions, or behind-the-scenes content.
Encourage people to engage in meaningful conversations without the distraction of social media noise.
Don't be too pushy in chat, just like on any other social media site.
Substack chat is an underused tool that you can leverage to your advantage and benefit your community.
7. Unlock New Audiences: Cross-Promote Your Way to Substack Success
I've collaborated with several creators already, and soon I'll be publishing an interview with someone very special.
Guest posting and cross-promotions are two of the quickest ways to get more people to read your Substack.
Get in touch with other writers in your field and ask them to trade guest pieces with you.
This gets your work in front of new people and naturally attracts subscribers.
Writing is a lonely game, but you'll never win it alone.
P.S.
Mastering Substack takes time and effort, but it doesn't have to be a struggle.
If you'd like to shortcut the learning curve and bypass the overwhelm, I've systemized my own success - the exact methods I used to build a community of over 5,000 and create 4 income streams in under a year.
It's all in The Complete Substack System That Builds a Monetizable Audience Without the Burnout, which includes templates, checklists, and step-by-step guidance to get you started quickly.
Think of it as your fast track to building a monetizable audience organically... without spending hours on research or getting bogged down in tech.
To help you get started, I've included a $40 discount with code MINUS40.
As always, reach out if you have any questions
Let me know how I can help
Thanks for the helpful post. Much appreciated!
This was such a helpful article for a new-ish Substacker. Thanks for the tips.