Why Do We Keep Posting Subscriber Counts?
Retail in Real Time ● May 6
Every day on Substack, I see some version of this.
“Just crossed X subscribers.”
I’ve posted it too, so this isn’t criticism. It’s curiosity.
It shows up a lot. More than most signals on the platform.
Part of it makes sense. Substack is one of the few places where growth feels visible and earned. It’s closer to ownership than most platforms, so hitting a number carries a different weight.
But it does make me wonder.
Who is that post really for?
The writer?
The audience?
The next subscriber?
Because as a reader, it doesn’t always pull me in. It tells me something happened, but not why it matters.
What I’m more interested in is what changed because of that growth. What someone is seeing differently. What they’re thinking about now. What they’re doing next.
Curious how others think about this.
When you see those posts, what do they signal to you? I’d love to hear what you think.
I see it as a celebration and a form of gratitude to yourself, no matter the outcome. This is a great reminder that if I reach 100, I can reach 101 meaningful subscribers. The idea is to self-promote, so adding what you do helps attract the right people.
The algorithm is watching you😂
This is great, Chris! When I crossed 100 subscribers, I was feeling gratitude…that’s what I wrote about when I called it out: https://wewriterswriteright.substack.com/p/what-ive-learned-from-my-first-100