As I shared in the first breakdown of The Daily Draft with Zac Small Analytics piece, a part of this journey on is sharing with you where I am viewer/monetarily wise and what I’m doing to get to where I want to go. This is the first month of paid operation, and I’m going to share with you all of the analytics showing my subscribers, money made, views, etc., below.
The aim here is to let you see the journey and show what is and is not working.
I’ll answer any/all questions regarding my process on these posts, as this is a transparent operation I’m running here. I didn’t do this on my own, this is a subscriber-supported operation here, and without you, this would be a bunch of words thrown into an empty electronic void; I hope each of you reading this knows how much I appreciate your time.
This post was delayed, so I’m throwing it out on a random date; the next one and future pieces will be shared on the 29th of each month, meaning this drops today, and on November 29th, you’ll see the next update.
I plan to continue releasing these on the 29th of every month, so unless the 29th lands on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, only paying subscribers will get the full picture, but if it lands on one of those three days, then everyone will have total access.
Again, the FREE/PAID element has nothing to do with the content shared, and it’s simply a matter of when the 29th is.
Now, to the breakdown of how things are going.
I started the substack on 18 August 2022 and went paid on 29 August 2022; before you see the updated analytics below, check out the first month’s post here:
VIEWS
Since adding the emails from my previous Family Alpha Newsletter in September, there was a boost, and looking at the trend below, you can see that when I post content, people read, but when I don’t - they don’t.
This is highlighting two areas needing improvement:
People are not searching for my content on their own, they’re reading when I post, but if I’m not posting, the traffic is not hitting the page.
On the days I don’t post, there are roughly 100 who are still finding the content, and that means that I’m being shared or shown in the platform or by followers on social platforms, so the process is working, but I’d much rather see 1,000+ daily than 100 - work to do.
I’ve found that headlines matter, and so too, do timing and imagery. Now, this is nothing new; I’m treating this like a blog so what works on one obviously works on the other. The difference with SubStack, which I’ll be leaning into this month, is further engagement within the SubStack community itself.
This means responding in threads, sharing others’ content, and letting the writers on here know who I am and what I’m about.
SUBSCRIBERS
Since last month I have lost 249 subscribers, which may sound bad, but it was expected. Transferring people from the TFA Newsletter to the SubStack was done to give the quality writing they expected, but putting anyone on a new list and hitting them with the volume of content I have produced will drive some away.
Looking at the numbers, I’ve lost 249 subscribers and gained two paying subscribers. The aim is to continue producing quality content that, in turn, grows both of those columns.
I put a call to action in every post I write, usually through the “Buttons” that allow people to share the post or share the Substack profile, like this:
MONEY
Several have gone in on the annual membership, with a few taking the monthly approach - no founding members yet...
In month two, the trajectory grows, and the aim is to let those who’ve subscribed know that their monthly payment will result in a continued rollout of both volume and quality content while new members can see people are paying for this and enjoying the work, so the social proof is there.
I’m not buying a Lambo just yet, but I’m making more than $0.00, and I’m doing it through something I love, writing.
We’re headed toward a recession, and for people to find my words worth their hard-earned money, that will never be lost on me.
GOALS
My goals for both views and subscribers have no real target set; If I had to answer, the first target which comes to mind is 10,000+ subscribers and 1 Million views per year. I’d love to get the income to $10,000+ and my current aim to make that happen is continuous creation and bringing value to my readers.
It’s my aim to continue creating a high volume of work that provides high-quality educational content, entertaining writing, and immediately applicable advice (sometimes all three combined), as well as integrating a podcast into the mix to show that individuals who sign up at the monthly, annual, or founding member level will be getting far more than they paid for.
My consistent focus on truth and real-world experience over theory are some ways I believe my writing will grow and spread to where I hit my target goal of $,$$$ made as people only pay for that which brings value to their life; my job is to provide that value.
CONCLUSION
That’s where I’m at and where I’m looking to go with this thing. Now you know, and again, on the 29th of each month, I’ll share an update with where things are and what I’m finding is working and that which does not work.
I hope this helps you grow your brand, writing, or business; at the very least, get an idea of how it all works and how you can transfer these experiences to wherever you want to build something.
Remember, I will be running an AMA here in the chat, so if you have a question about growth, finances, content, etc., drop it, and I’ll get to it as soon as possible.
- Zac Small