The hottest Audience Growth Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Why I'll be putting out more paid content

Philosophy bear • 50 implied HN points • 15 Mar 26
💼 Business Audience Growth
  1. I used to keep everything free because charging felt tawdry and I wanted my writing to reach as many people as possible.
  2. I learned Substack's algorithm rewards having paid subscribers, so I'll put some articles behind a paywall to boost visibility even though that means excluding non-paying readers.
  3. If someone is truly broke they can ask and I'll give them a free subscription so they won't be shut out by the paywall.

Every news outlet should produce a video podcast

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 224 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🎙 Podcasts Audience Growth
  1. News organizations should make video podcasts because they’re a relatively low-effort way to turn reporting into full episodes and short clips that reach audiences on YouTube and social platforms, while also helping reporters build personal brands.
  2. Newsrooms are increasingly using AI assistants to draft articles from reporters’ materials, which can expand coverage and speed up production but changes workflows and raises questions about training and oversight.
  3. Long-form podcasts attract major tech executives who often avoid hard scrutiny, yet those conversations still yield useful quotes for journalism, and media companies chasing short-form vertical video are mostly repurposing clips rather than investing in true mobile-first original content.

Why a magazine geared toward political operatives wants to expand into a B2B media empire

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 249 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
💼 Business Audience Growth
  1. New owners refocused the brand on serving political operatives and rebuilt its digital and events businesses instead of trying to be a generalist politics outlet.
  2. They killed the print edition to force the team to focus on scalable growth verticals. That "burn the lifeboats" move created pressure and a laser-like focus to transform the business.
  3. They rebuilt and monetized events by resisting discounts and raising prices, then expanded into new markets and acquired other tightly regulated B2B outlets to scale into a media empire.

This social-first news outlet turned street interviews into a 600,000-subscriber YouTube channel

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 24 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
📰 News Audience Growth
  1. They left traditional institutional media to build a direct-to-audience outlet that prioritizes on-the-ground reporting and aims to present stories without a partisan filter.
  2. They found product-market fit by focusing on Instagram and designing platform-native 'Quick Cards' that capture attention, with a viral GameStop post showing how fast that approach can grow an audience.
  3. The social-first strategy was scaled into multiple products—a newsletter, mobile app, and a longform YouTube channel built around street interviews that grew to about 600,000 subscribers.

How This Travel Blogger Hit 180,000 Medium Followers & Is Catching Up on Ryan Holiday!

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 339 implied HN points • 21 Nov 23
🏝 Travel Audience Growth
  1. A travel blogger named Anne Bonfert grew her Medium following to 180,000 in just three years. This shows that with dedication, it is possible to build a large audience online.
  2. Anne shares important tips on how Medium works, including its recommendation engine. Understanding these tools can help others get their stories noticed more easily.
  3. Connecting with your audience and writing from the heart is essential. Anne's success proves that authenticity and passion can really resonate with readers.
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Toward a better media system

Substack Blog • 1016 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology Audience Growth
  1. Writers should not rely solely on social media for sharing their work.
  2. Social media platforms have a history of limiting writers' ability to share their work.
  3. Substack provides tools for writers to grow their audience independently of social platforms.

Substack shows are going pro

Substack • 449 implied HN points • 11 Apr 24
🎙 Podcasts Audience Growth
  1. Podcasters on Substack are making over $100 million a year, and this number has doubled recently. This means more people are choosing Substack to share their audio and video shows.
  2. Substack now allows podcasters to share their episodes on Spotify, helping them reach more listeners. It's a great way to grow their audience and earn money.
  3. Creators on Substack can customize their shows with features like transcripts, clip sharing, and mobile-friendly videos. These tools make it easier for them to connect with fans and produce quality content.

Getting the most out of your organic traffic each month

42 Slash • 117 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
💼 Business Audience Growth
  1. Optimizing landing pages and testing alternative messaging can help improve conversion rates.
  2. Organic traffic presents a significant opportunity to drive leads, pipeline, and revenue.
  3. Utilize strategies like additional resources, retargeting, building your audience, surveys/feedback, and alternative CTAs to maximize the value of organic traffic.

2022 Introspective

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 27 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Audience Growth
  1. The newsletter is going on break till January 5th to recharge and will have a 'start here' section for newcomers.
  2. More AI/Machine Learning content will be integrated into the newsletter on specific days to cater to a general audience.
  3. The growth of the newsletter was mainly influenced by partnerships, Substack recommendations, and content on other platforms including LinkedIn and Medium.

My Creator Journey: From "Beginner" (<1K) to "Growing" (>100K+)

carmona • 79 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
💼 Business Audience Growth
  1. Consider the relative value proposition of each social platform when building your content strategy.
  2. For smaller creators, a cross-platform approach to content strategy can be more beneficial than posting the same content across all platforms.
  3. As you grow, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that aligns with platform trends to maintain and increase audience growth.

5 Reasons Why It’s Super Smart to Get Published in One of Medium’s Biggest Publications

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 79 implied HN points • 13 Dec 22
🚌 Education Audience Growth
  1. Getting published in popular Medium publications boosts your credibility. When you write for a big-name outlet, people see you as more trustworthy and knowledgeable.
  2. It helps you reach a wider audience. Articles in popular publications tend to get more views, which means more people will see your work.
  3. Publishing in a big publication can lead to more opportunities. This can include job offers, collaborations, or even sales of your own products.