Rocking Chair Writing: Why We Write For Substack Subscribers, Not Likes & Follows
Why you should write for your Substack Subscribers and Ignore all the Likes & Follows
This is why we write for Substack subscribers, not likes & follows. Because back when I was a kid, if my grandparents wanted to talk to people in the neighborhood, they didn’t stand on a soapbox with a megaphone, counting how many people glanced their way as they drove past. They sat on the front porch, poured two glasses of iced tea, and had a real uninterrupted conversation with the person sitting in the rocking chair next to them.
Somewhere along the way, the internet turned everyone into a carnival megaphone barker.
If you’re writing on Substack, you might find yourself getting caught up in the modern hoopla of “likes,” “shares,” and “follower counts.” It’s easy to look at those numbers and think they mean you’re doing a good job. But I am here to tell you to look past the passing parade.
On Substack, you aren’t writing to gather a crowd of strangers. You are writing for your subscribers. And there’s a world of difference between the two.
The Difference Between a “Like” and a “Subscriber”
Let’s look at this through a lens we all understand… hospitality!
1. The “Like” is a Wave from a Car Window
When someone “likes” a post or “follows” you on a whim, it’s the digital equivalent of a neighbor honking their horn as they speed down the road. It’s polite. It’s nice to know they don’t dislike you. But they aren’t stopping. They are on their way to somewhere else, and they will forget what you looked like by the time they hit the traffic light.
2. A “Subscriber” is a Knock on the Front Door
A subscriber is entirely different. A subscriber is someone who walked up your driveway, rang the bell, and asked, “Is the coffee on? I want to hear what you have to say.”
When someone gives you their email address, they’re inviting you into their private home - their inbox. That is a sacred space. They are giving you their most valuable asset - their undivided attention.
Why the “Crowd” Will Ruin Your Recipe
If you cook a Sunday roast for your family, you know exactly how they like it. You know Mabel hates carrots, and Arthur likes extra gravy. You cook with love, specifically for them.
When you write for “likes” and “followers,” you are trying to cook a single meal that pleases an entire stadium of strangers. What happens? You end up making something completely bland so nobody complains, or something loud and shocking just to get them to look up.
Writing for followers makes you chase the news of the day. It makes you shout.
Writing for subscribers allows you to pour your heart out. You can be slow, thoughtful, and deeply personal.
You don’t need ten thousand people passing by your porch. You need fifty people who truly care about the stories you have to tell.
How to Write for the “Front Porch”
If you want to shift your mindset from chasing a crowd to nurturing a community, keep these three old-school principles in mind:
Write Like a Letter, Not a Billboard
When you sit down to write your next Substack post, don't imagine a stage with a microphone. Imagine writing a letter to an old friend. Use "you" and "I." Share a confidence. The best writing feels like a private conversation that just happens to have an audience.
Value the Quiet Ones
Just because a subscriber doesn't leave a comment or hit the "heart" icon doesn't mean they aren't reading. Think of your quietest friends - the ones who listen intently but don't speak up until the end of the evening. They are still at your table. Write for them, too.
Keep a Consistent Schedule
Remember when the milkman or the paperboy used to come at the exact same time every morning? There was comfort in that rhythm. Be the paperboy for your subscribers. If you promise to write every Tuesday morning, make sure you are there. Reliability builds trust, and trust builds a subscription.
The final word… Let the Kids Chase the Wind
Let the younger generation chase the algorithms, the fleeting trends, and the millions of empty “likes.” That is a exhausting game, and the rules change every week.
Substack has given us a gift - a return to the neighborhood newspaper. It is a place where good writing, steady wisdom, and deep connection still matter. Focus on the folks who chose to pull up a chair and stay a while. Take care of them, and the rest will take care of itself.
Now, go pour yourself a cup of coffee from the Mr. Coffee machine, open up your Brother typewriter (or Compaq laptop) - and write something true for the people who are waiting to hear from you.
Hope you found this amusing but true?
Paul Arino
Substack Growth Tips | How To Grow
For a structured, technical blueprint on building a sustainable subscriber base from organic search, read my comprehensive index of Substack SEO and growth tips.
If you’re paying too much attention to your Substack "Follower" count, you might be falling into a dangerous social media trap without even realizing it.
Substack is quietly becoming a dual platform. There are Subscribers (the people who give you their email address and whom you actually own) and Followers (the people who just see you in the Notes feed).
Relying too heavily on followers means you’re putting your trust back into a social media feed algorithm - the exact thing Substack was built to help us escape. If a follower doesn't subscribe, they don't get your emails. Period.
The key takeaway here is don't write for likes or followers... write for your subscribers.