The "CCC Formula" To Fast-Track Your Substack Growth

Get these three things right and your Substack will grow way faster than you imagined.

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If you want to grow a successful Substack—one that attracts the right audience, builds a loyal community, and actually makes money—you need to focus on three things:

• Create (valuable content people actually want to read)

• Connect (engage with your audience and other creators)

• Convert (turn free subscribers into paying subscribers)

This is what we call the “CCC Formula”, and if you get these three things right, your Substack will grow way faster than if you just publish and hope for the best.

Let’s break it down.

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#1: Create

Before you can grow your Substack, you need to give people a reason to subscribe in the first place.

That reason? Your content.

You can do all the marketing and networking in the world, but if your content doesn’t deliver value, people won’t stick around.

Here’s what makes valuable content:

• It’s relevant to your target audience: It helps them solve a problem, get closer to their goals, inspires them to take action, or feel some sort of positive emotion.

• It’s engaging and easy to read: Short paragraphs, bold key points, and a casual, friendly tone work best. Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

• It’s a mix of different content types: Rotate between educational posts, inspirational posts, and personal stories.

The more valuable and engaging your content is, the faster your Substack will grow—because great content gets shared, discussed, and recommended.

That’s why the first step of the CCC Formula is to create valuable content.

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#2: Connect

Once you’re creating great content, the next step is connection—because growing on Substack isn’t only about writing.

It’s about building relationships with your audience and other creators.

Connect With Your Audience

A lot of writers treat their newsletter like a one-way street. They publish, hit send, and never engage with their subscribers. Big mistake.

Your readers aren’t just numbers on a list—they’re real people who want to feel seen and valued. When you actually engage with them, they’re way more likely to stay subscribed, share your work, and eventually go paid.

Here’s how to deepen your connection with your audience:

• Reply to comments and emails: When a reader takes the time to comment or respond to your email, don’t ignore them—reply! Even a simple message goes a long way.

• Ask for their input: Run polls, ask questions in your chat, and invite people to share their thoughts. Get people invested in your publication by getting them involved.

• Shout out your readers: Mention interesting comments from your subscribers in your posts. When people feel like they’re part of a community, they stick around.

Connect With Other Creators

Stop trying to grow on Substack by doing it all alone. When you collaborate with other writers, your audience grows exponentially.

Here’s how to connect with other creators:

• Mention other writers in your posts: If you learned something valuable from another Substack, shout them out.

• Engage with their content: Comment on their posts, reply to their Notes, and restack their work when it aligns with your audience.

• Do guest posts or live streams together: Collaborating on content exposes you to a whole new audience—and builds strong relationships along the way.

• Swap recommendations: Recommending another creator’s newsletter (and having them recommend yours) is one of the most effective ways to get highly relevant new subscribers.

Make it a habit to engage with at least ten new creators per week—whether it’s through a Note, comment, or DM.

Over time, these connections will supercharge your growth.

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#3: Convert

If you want to turn your Substack into an extra income source, you need to get serious about converting free subscribers into paying members.

Don’t Be Afraid To Promote Your Paid Tier

A lot of creators never mention their paid tier and then wonder why no one subscribes. If you want to get paid subscribers, you have to tell people your paid tier exists.

And you can do that without being pushy.

Here are ways to promote your paid tier without being salesy:

• Create a ‘Premium Content Library’ (more about that later in this post)

• Using the ‘Free + Paywall Strategy’ (make 50% of your premium posts free, then add a paywall.)

• Set up a ‘Become a Member’ page (and add screenshots of testimonials from paid members who enjoy your premium content)

Don’t be afraid to talk about your paid tier. If you genuinely believe your premium content is valuable, talk about it with pride.

Make Your Paid Tier a No-Brainer

People don’t just pay for more content—they pay for better, more valuable content. Your paid tier should feel like an obvious upgrade from your free posts.

Here’s how to make your paid tier a no-brainer:

• Host monthly live sessions (Q&As, deep dives, AMAs)

• Provide tools, templates, and resources that save your audience time

• Consider adding courses or video workshops to your paid tier

• Offer in-depth guides or articles that go beyond what’s in your free posts (e.g. way more detail)

The clearer the value, the easier it is to convert readers into paying subscribers.

Create a Premium Content Library

One of the best ways to increase conversions is to set up a Premium Content Library, which is a dedicated page showcasing everything paid members unlock when they join your paid tier.

(Click here to see our Premium Content Library as an example.)

Your Premium Content Library should:

• Highlight all your exclusive content in one place

• Be visible to free subscribers (so they see what they’re missing)

• Be easy to access for paid members

When people see a growing vault of valuable content, they’ll feel like they’re missing out—and that FOMO leads to more paid subscribers.

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The CCC Formula Summarized

If you want to grow (and monetize) your Substack, follow the CCC Formula:

• ✅ Create valuable content that people want to read

• ✅ Connect with your audience and other creators to grow faster

• ✅ Convert free subscribers into paying members with smart monetization methods

Now, let me know in the comments: Which "C" do you need to focus on the most right now?