Three months after I went all in on Substack I realized I needed to not only deliver high value content for paid subscribers. Consistently. But also sell. Consistently.
The thought of having to promote every month my paid tier was overwhelming.
That’s what happens when you try to monetize Substack without systems in place.
You're not building a business, but a burnout machine.
So I fixed that.
And I shared exactly what I did in this live video with Philip and Jari today.
Here’s a breakdown…
The Real Bottleneck to Monetization
Most writers ask:
“How do I get more paid subscribers?”
Wrong question.
The right one?
“How do I stay visible consistently enough that my audience knows what I offer?”
You can try to do that manually if you’re a superhuman. Me? I automate.
Automation and repeatable systems. That’s what I love.
Let me break down what’s working now in just 2 simple steps.
Step 1: Install a Publishing Rhythm
Here’s what we’re running for clients—and it works like magic (not because it’s sexy, but because it’s doable).
My Daily Workflow:
Write 3-10 Notes using my custom GPT Viral Notes Writer (takes me 15 minutes)
Answer comments on my Notes, chat threads, and emails. Read and interact with other people (takes me 30 minutes).
Write a long-form post: free or paid. I try to have at least 2 paid posts weekly. Free posts get published also on Medium. I use my other custom GPT to make a proper outline out of my ideas. (takes me 30 to 60 minutes if it is a paid post)
Send the daily issue of CREATIVE BiTES with the post I wrote (takes me 5 minutes)
Total: 2 hours per day.
Notes act like your social media. Articles build the trust bank. Consistency makes people remember you.
Sometimes I skip answering comments and that affects my growth pace. Don’t do it.
Step 2: Automate the Conversion Path
Want subscribers to go paid?
They need to move through a journey. People usually need 10 to 20 touchpoints with you to make the decision to pay. You can speed this up with automation.
Here’s the funnel I use:
Notes are the top of my funnel. 99% of the posts are connected to the topics I cover in the offers I sell - paid subscriptions, courses, and services.
Free content nurtures. 100% of my free posts lead to a paywalled post or an offer. I also installed a 10-Day free email course for total beginners on Substack in my Kit account. I automatically import Substack subscribers to Kit and I built the welcome sequence there. It educates people about the platform but also about my content. Every email links to paywalled content.
Sell. Sell. Sell. If you don’t ask, you won’t get. My welcome sequence is followed by another sales sequence with special promo offer.
That’s it.
I installed this in January and never had to promote manually my paid tier ever again. It keeps my conversion rate high - 6%. On autopilot.
But this is NOT working if you’re not also posting fresh paywalled content or free content with an offer / link to paywalled content.
What Systems Give You (That Motivation Never Will)
Let’s be honest.
No one’s consistent because they “feel like it.” They’re consistent because they’re not reinventing the wheel each week.
Systems let you:
Pre-batch content when you’re in flow
Take a week off without guilt
Scale without spiraling
Automation ≠ laziness.
It’s what lets you do less and earn more.
Get Your System
If you’re not monetizing yet, it’s probably not your writing.
It’s your system. Or lack of one.
Start with one simple system this week. Use Notes as momentum. Schedule your next 3 emails. Map your paid conversion funnel.
And if you’re stuck, take the shortcut. Sinem, Jari and Philip have built a system for your so you can skip the 10-month learning curve. They now have more than 10k subscribers and more than 400 paying.
It works. Get it here:
Doors close tomorrow so make sure you get your spot today.
Yana
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