Are you one of those who think your publication will grow if you could write more content?
More posts.
More Notes.
More clever headlines.
In yesterday’s Live with Veronica Llorca-Smith this is exactly what we talked about. The key to growth on Substack (or any other platform) is not more content but making connections.
Not more connections but deeper connections.
And making connections is slower work.
Messier work.
Human work.
Right at the beginning of Live, Veronica said something that simplified the whole topic:
“Let people in.”
That one sentence explained why some Substack writers grow steadily while others keep publishing into the void.
Most of us are treating Substack like a broadcasting platform.
We arrive.
We publish.
We wait.
We wait for comments.
We wait for subscribers.
We wait for validation.
But Substack is not television.
It is closer to sitting around a dinner table. And dinner conversations don’t grow because one person keeps talking. They grow because people feel invited into the conversation.
AI has brought a shift in what people want.
A few years ago, information itself was valuable. Now information is everywhere. AI can generate it in seconds. People are drowning in content already.
What people are craving now is:
Connection.
Recognition.
Conversation.
Community.
That explains why some beautifully written newsletters struggle while smaller publications with strong relationships quietly thrive.
People want to connect with people like them. They want to have meaningful conversations. People want to be seen. And they stay where they feel seen.
Here are some actionable ways to create connections on Substack
1. Your Welcome Email
Most welcome emails are painfully boring.
“Thanks for subscribing. Here’s what to expect.”
Delete that template from your brain. Your welcome email is your first opportunity to open a conversation. Instead of only talking about yourself, ask a question.
A simple one.
Tell me about yourself.
What brought you to my publication?
What are you hoping to build with your Substack?
What is your biggest struggle right now?
I ask new subscribers what they are struggling with most at the moment. Many reply. Those replies often become ongoing conversations.
You do not need hundreds of replies. You only need a few genuine conversations. That is how connections happen, and communities are built.
2. Use your small subscriber count as an advantage
Many writers feel discouraged when they only get a few subscribers each week.
I think that stage is actually a gift. When someone subscribes to my publication, I often visit their Substack, read what they write about, and send a personal message if they are new.
Something simple like:
“Welcome to Substack. I’m so glad you subscribed. Is there any way I can help?”
That tiny gesture starts conversations surprisingly often.
Once your publication becomes large, this becomes harder to scale. Veronica explained this beautifully because she now has over 10,000 subscribers.
But when you are small? You can build relationships manually. That is not a disadvantage. That is your edge.
If you are trying to build a meaningful newsletter, authority-building book, or a business around your ideas, Author Circle is where I share the practical systems, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons I’m learning along the way.
Free subscribers receive weekly insights on writing, publishing, Substack growth, and building authority online.
Paid subscribers get deeper strategy, workshops, skill sessions, and practical guidance on turning a book into a business.
3. You must reply to comments
Another thing we discussed was how many people receive comments and never respond. Or they simply say:
“Thanks!”
And leave it there.
It’s a missed opportunity. A comment is not interruption. It is an invitation. When someone leaves a thoughtful comment, I often click through to their profile and read their work.
Because now I want to know them. That one interaction can evolve into:
a subscriber
a collaborator
a paid reader
a friend
a Live partner
a future client
Many of Veronica’s paid subscribers started from simple comment conversations.
So did mine. Many friendships I built on Substack were from the simple conversations we struck in early days.
4. Create a daily engagement system
One of the most practical parts of our conversation was about systems.
Because the truth is, most of us do intend to reply but:
Notifications disappear.
Life gets busy.
We forget.
So I’ve started doing something very simple. I have started allocating some time in the mornings and evenings on engagement specifically.
15–20 minutes in the morning.
15–20 minutes in the evening.
On my desktop, where I can type faster and can check profiles.
That time is dedicated purely to:
replying to comments
responding to Notes
checking messages
commenting thoughtfully on other people’s work
And something fascinating happened.
Once I became more consistent with engagement, my feed started showing me new people I had never interacted with before.
Consistency widened my network automatically.
5. Don’t be afraid to “Talk to the Wall”
This might have been my favourite advice of the whole Live.
When Veronica started using Chat, many discussions went nowhere. Nobody replied. Sometimes there was one lonely like.
But she kept going. And eventually the momentum came. That is how community building works.
You are not failing because a discussion did not explode. You are planting seeds.
Some conversations die quickly.
Others suddenly take off.
Exactly like dinner table conversations.
So if your Chat feels quiet right now, keep talking to the wall for a while.
The wall eventually talks back.
6. Ask better questions
This was another huge takeaway. Generic questions create generic silence.
Instead of asking:
“What should I write about?”
Ask:
“What do you think is the ideal cadence for sending a newsletter?”
Specific questions trigger opinions.
And opinions create conversation.
The best Chat prompts are:
relatable
low-friction
emotionally recognisable
easy to answer quickly
People on Notes and Chat are moving fast.
You have one second to pull them into the conversation.
7. Connections lead to collaboration
Veronica shared how she regularly opens collaboration threads inside her Chat.
No agenda.
No complicated pitch.
Just:
“Today is Collaboration Day. Come share what you are working on and find someone else to collaborate with.”
That simple practice led to multiple collaborations for her.
And honestly, this Live itself is proof of that.
Veronica wrote a Note I responded to. I reached out to her and asked if she would like to talk about the topic of ‘connections’ with me.
This is how opportunities actually happen on Substack.
Not through algorithms.
Through relationships.
I still believe writing matters deeply.
Good writing always will.
But I think many of us have been trying to grow by standing on stage shouting louder.
When what we really needed was to pull up another chair at the table.
Maybe the future of Substack growth is not:
“Create more.”
Maybe it is:
“Connect deeper.”
And perhaps that is much more human anyway.
As always, thanks for reading.
Thank you Geetika, Caterina, Nabanita, In Her Reflection, and many others for tuning into my live video with Veronica Llorca-Smith! Join me for my next live video in the app.
