13 Quick Tips To Improve Your Substack Publication in Less Than 15 Minutes

Simple tweaks. Tangible results.

(Icon by Freepik - Flaticon)

One of my favorite things about Substack is how quickly you can make changes to your publication that can have a real impact on your audience, growth, and income.

Over the past few months, my team and I reviewed hundreds of Substack publications, and we’ve seen the same pattern over and over again: most creators don’t need a full overhaul. They just need a few smart, strategic tweaks that can help them:

• Reach more people

• And turn first-time readers into long-term subscribers

In this post, I’ll share 13 quick fixes—many of them based on the most common mistakes we’ve seen during our reviews.

Some are practical. Some are branding-related. A few might be a bit unexpected. But all of them are specific and actionable so you can implement them within the next few days!

#1. Pin a Hero Post That Builds Instant Trust

I'll be honest: This is one of the changes that could take significantly longer to implement than 15 minutes, but it is such an important one that I still wanted to address it and even use it as the first tip.

Here's why: When a new reader discovers your publication, you want to make it easy for them to understand why they should stay on the publication and pay attention to your work.

For that to happen, you have to communicate the value of your publication as quickly as possible, and ideally, you also add personality so that they build a connection with you as the creator.

There are two easy ways to do that:

1. Creating a navigation bar with clear sections that introduce your publication

2. Pinning a so-called hero post to the top of your publication so it’s the first thing people see when they open your page

At Write • Build • Scale, we have pinned our bestseller case study because writers who want to grow on Substack are our target audience. So when they discover Write • Build • Scale, we want them to instantly get an understanding of our work and our journey on the platform.

Unless you are trying to reach Substackers, your hero post should not be about your journey on Substack; it should be about your work related to the topic of your publication/niche.

When I read your hero post, I want to learn why you do what you do and why I should pay attention.

If you've ever written an evergreen piece that describes why people should care about what you do or about your journey related to the topic of your publication, use that as your hero post until you have a better idea that you want to replace it with.

If you don't have a suitable piece yet, writing it will be a great exercise since it forces you to clearly communicate the value of your publication and the work you do for your readers (even though it will probably take more than 15 minutes!)

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#2. Focus on Benefits Instead of Features When Promoting Your Paid Tier

Most creators describe their paid tier with vague features like:

“Access to exclusive posts and premium content.”

But features don’t sell—benefits do.

Instead of listing what’s included, explain what it helps your reader achieve.

People don’t want to buy “access.”

They want to buy results.

Instead of saying:

“You’ll get 5 weekly workouts, a recipe library, and live Q&A sessions…”

Say:

“Feel stronger, more energized, and in control of your habits—without spending hours in the gym or cutting out the foods you love.”

• Features = what’s included

• Benefits = what it does for the user

Don’t just describe what they’ll get. Explain what they’ll gain.

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#3. Start a Feedback Loop With Your Readers

Ask for feedback in your posts, Notes, or DMs.

Having conversations with your audience will help you ensure that you create the most relevant and useful content for your readers.

Be aware that this is not just about asking for feedback but actually implementing what you learn from the responses you receive.

If readers realize that you pay attention to their feedback, they’ll feel like they are part of your journey, which can create more loyalty and long-term fans.

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#4. Add One Micro-CTA to Every Post

Don’t rely on the “Subscribe” button alone.

Add a small, specific CTA in every post—either at the top or near the end.

This is a great opportunity to promote various offers you have or encourage your subscribers to explore your subscriber chat, reach out to you if they have any questions, or even ask them for ideas on what you should publish next.

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#5. Create Learning Paths for New Subscribers

Create a “Start Here” page or a pinned post that links to 3–5 of your best articles in a logical order.

This helps new readers get value immediately—and increases the chance they upgrade to your paid tier because they clearly see how your work can help them.

At Write • Build • Scale, we have created different learning tracks for specific topics and linked them on our Start Here page.