The “big guys” have too many subscribers to ask, “What do you actually want from me right now?”
You can. And that’s why your retention can wipe the floor with theirs.
But First❗️
What is a Super Subscriber❓
When you're just clocking your first paid subscribers they're all your Super Subscribers.
In the early stages of your journey Super Subscribers are also the free ones who open all your emails, like, comment on, and re-stack your work. Some are also keen to do collabs with you.
No super subscribers yet? Find some by becoming a Super Subscriber to others. You'll get noticed.
Do You Only Have 2, 5, 10 Paid Subscribers❓
When you’ve only got 2, 5, 10 maybe even 20 paying subscribers, you can pull off moves that large creators can’t even dream of:
You can spot when someone’s engagement is dipping
You can personally reach out without it being awkward because you haven’t pitched yourself as a guru.
You can tailor what you offer to keep them excited — even if it’s not what they originally signed up for.
These are some of the unglamorous but insanely profitable habits that most creators skip.
The Potential of a Small List
Most creators get so obsessed with chasing more subscribers, they ignore the ones already paying the rent. Ok, more like the coffee, but you get the picture .
No paid subscribers yet? It’s the same deal for your most engaged readers. They’re the ones with all the stars under “Subscribers” inside your Substack dashboard.
💵The Three Platinum Rules of Sales
They’re true for any business — and Substack is no exception:
It’s easier to keep a customer (paid subscriber), than to get a new one. Nurturing a prospect from a follower through to a paying customer, (subscriber), is no easy feat.
It’s easier to upsell, or sell a second offer, to an existing customer (paid subscriber). If you’ve done a good job, the trust factor is off the charts. They already know your style, your reliability, and the kind of results you deliver — which makes saying “yes” to the next thing far easier.
Going the extra mile for a customer, is a cool route to turning them into a super fan. And super fans? They are platinum in themselves because they will sing your praises from the rooftops.
But here’s where some creators screw it up: -
They let their paid, and most engaged subscribers drift away without so much as a “Hey, are you good?”
They treat free and paid subscribers exactly the same because it feels “fair” (it’s not — at least, not to the people paying you).
They treat their paid subscribers like fish they’ve reeled in and turn their focus to moving free subscribers to paid. Shame❗️
If someone’s paying you, they’ve basically stood on a chair, waved their arms and yelled, “I value this enough to invest!”
Your job is to keep them yelling “YES” — all year long, not just the week before renewal.
But be careful❗️
It’s a sliding scale. The more super subscribers you have the less time you have for each one. There is a balance with this as I found out.
Here’s how to use your small list advantage without killing yourself in the process: -