Subscribers vs. Followers on Substack - What You Need to Know
You just started your Substack. You’re writing, you’re posting, you’re trying to grow. Then you notice—some people are subscribers, and some are followers.
Wait… what? What’s the difference?
You see people following you, but they don’t seem to be subscribing. You go to someone’s profile, and there’s no "Follow" button, only "Subscribe."
So how does following even work? And do followers even matter if they don’t get your emails?
Let’s break it all down—fast, simple, and straight to the point.
Subscribers vs. Followers: What’s the Difference?
✔ Subscribers → These people get your emails. They are on your list. They are your real audience.
✔ Followers → These people only see your Substack Notes and what you post in the app. No emails.
Subscribers are gold. They are the ones who read your stuff, engage, and maybe even pay for your content.
Followers? They’re just scrolling.
But here’s the thing… followers can turn into subscribers—if you know how to do it right.
So, Do Followers Even Matter?
Yes. But only if you use them the right way.
Followers won’t magically become subscribers. You have to pull them in.
Here’s how:
1️⃣ Post Notes that stop the scroll. If your Notes are boring, people will never take action. Make them curious. Make them want more.
2️⃣ Reply to big writers in your niche. Every time you do, their followers see your comment. If it stands out, they click your profile. Boom—new followers.
3️⃣ Tell them to subscribe. Don’t assume people will figure it out. Tell them. Again and again. "Subscribe for more." "Full post in my newsletter." "Don't miss this—subscribe now."
4️⃣ Give them something extra. People love free stuff. Give them a bonus post, a secret tip, a downloadable guide. Something that makes subscribing feel like a win.
Followers are not useless—they just need a reason to subscribe.
How Do You Follow Someone on Substack?
This part is weird.
You probably noticed there’s no "Follow" button when you visit someone’s Substack page. So how do you follow people?
Here’s how it happens:
🔹 1. If you subscribe to someone, you automatically follow them.
🔹 2. If you interact with someone’s Notes, Substack may make you follow them.
🔹 3. If you follow one person, Substack suggests their followers to you.
Basically, Substack handles following in the background. You don’t always manually “follow” people—it happens when you engage.
So if you want more followers, just show up, post Notes, and reply to others. It’s that simple.
Where to See Your Followers (And Who You Follow)
You can check your followers anytime.
📍 Go to your Substack Profile → Click "Network."
There, you’ll see:
✔ Who follows you
✔ Who you follow
And guess what? A lot of those people don’t even realize they’re following you.
That’s why you need to remind them—“Subscribe for full content!”
Final Answer: Subscribers vs. Followers – What Should You Focus On?
✔ Subscribers = Real audience. They get emails. They engage. They might even pay you.
✔ Followers = Potential subscribers. But only if you convert them.
So what do you do now?
🚀 Post Notes that make people curious.
🚀 Engage with big writers’ Notes to get noticed.
🚀 Turn casual followers into real subscribers.
Most people never figure this out. Now you know.
Go use it. Grow your Substack. Turn followers into subscribers. And build something big. 🚀