Deep Engagement Isn’t What Substack Gurus Say It Is
The truth about fake comments, silent readers, and the kind of connection you can’t measure with likes.
When was the last time you felt like someone really connected with your writing?
Not just read it, but really absorbed it?
Sometimes I look at Substack and see the same thing over and over: people chasing likes, comments, and clicks, as if that were the real currency here.
But if you stick around a little longer, if you look between the lines, you realize something else:
Not all reactions are the same.
And not every “view” is genuine.
Deep engagement isn’t “lots of likes,” “lots of comments,” or “lots of traffic.”
And I’m writing this post because I’m angry.
I’m angry at the gurus who preach that “deep engagement” means lots of comments and likes.
I’m furious at the propaganda that pushes people to engage under posts and Notes solely with the idea that this comment will guarantee them a new subscriber.
I’m furious because there are still people here who take your money just to tell you, “Well, to increase your followers, just engage with 30 people a day, whether you like the post or not. Most of them will follow you back.”
Not to mention those who teach others not to even read.
“Copy and paste the text into ChatGPT and tell it to write a comment.”
I’m furious because we are writers.
Whether or not what we write appeals to everyone, we leave a part of ourselves in every single post.
The lack of likes or comments is infinitely better than 100 comments from people who never actually read our story.
That’s why today I want to share with you how I see deep engagement through my own eyes.
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Deep engagement is when a person doesn’t just read, but sees themselves in the content.
And we’re not talking about the thousands of comments that say “That really hits home!” or “Thanks for saying what I couldn’t.”
After so much time on Substack, I feel like I’ve become an expert at spotting AI-generated comments. And to this day, it still saddens me.
Let me give you a little behind-the-scenes look at what happens after I publish a post.
I get incredibly excited, eagerly waiting for someone to share their opinion or experience on the topic.
The first comment notification arrives!
I’m on cloud nine and almost fall off the couch with excitement.
I open it… BAM… the usual generated comment.
And the feeling is just like when we were kids and were promised that very raspberry-flavored lollipop we’d been waiting for weeks, only to drop it on the ground the moment we got it.
But let me tell you something: you can’t measure deep engagement with metrics. This is the kind of engagement you feel.
Deep engagement is when someone doesn’t just react, but responds.
One of my favorite comments is “Great job” or “Wonderful work!”
When my partner and I started writing on Substack, we created a little inside joke every time one of us posted.
We always greeted each other with “Amazing work!”
And as funny as it was, it was also sad, because we noticed that in most cases this wasn’t a comment from someone who had actually read our post, but from someone who responds to every post in the same way, someone who doesn’t risk revealing that they haven’t read a single line of the post.
On the other hand, I absolutely love comments where the reader shares their own experiences and thoughts.
Many of our post topics have come from such comments, which we’ve written with great pleasure.
And quite often, such comments either make me cry or manage to calm me down after a rough night of crying
Deep engagement is when someone keeps coming back.
Would you believe me if I told you that I have a few posts I’ve saved and go back to them at least twice a week just because it makes me feel better than a session with a therapist?
I follow a ton of writers here on Substack and never go a day without reading something. But there are certain authors I just can’t stop following.
I know when they post, when they’re active, roughly what time they’re on Substack, and I eagerly await their new Note or Post.
They’ve left such a deep impression on me that they’ve become part of my family.
My partner and I often talk about you.
For example, Haide Wall Giesbrecht wrote this wonderful post. On the day she published it, my partner and I read it together, and then we spent the whole day discussing the topic she had written about.
So, you have become part of our little family.
Deep engagement is a silence that carries more weight than a hundred likes.
Sometimes the strongest reaction comes from someone who doesn’t write a word, but opens every post you make.
They don’t comment, but they read to the very end.
They don’t make themselves known, but they’re there.
This is the silent audience that keeps Substack alive.
These are the people who don’t say much, but feel a lot.
These are the people who don’t show up in the stats, but show up in your words.
That’s exactly why I encourage you to keep writing. Because just because you don’t have 1K likes doesn’t mean no one is reading you.
Sometimes people just don’t click the “Like” button, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t see themselves in your words.
They’re just quiet readers who don’t make a fuss about their existence. They’ve settled comfortably on their couch and are reading with the utmost calm, immersed in the coziness of their home, and for them, a single like doesn’t mean much, but reading all the way to the very end is the greatest support they can give you.
And that’s a lot. That’s pure gold.
After all, when we buy a book from a bookstore, can we leave a like?
It’s the same with silent readers. They have value and are important.
So, dear writer — don’t stop writing. Someone needs your words right now
Deep engagement is a connection.
It’s not a metric, nor is it just a set of numbers.
Deep engagement is when someone doesn’t just read your text, but feels a little less alone because of it.
And it’s not something you can achieve with a strategy or tricks.
I suppose I should apologize for the over-the-top emotion, but at the end of the day, we’re writers.
We pour our feelings onto paper or in this case, onto the blank screen.
If you’re still reading, here are a few more things you might want to hear:
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Oh my goodness, my naïveté got a little bruised reading this….I seriously hadn’t considered that people don’t read but instead get ai to create a response….ugh, what’s the point of that?! Yikes! That said. What I’ve loved about Substack is the connections I’ve made/feel with people here-it’s so refreshing! Guaranteed, if I leave a comment, it’s just from me, Ellen. And, I think all writers need to also be readers, it helps us to become better humans and writers. 🩷
I loved this and felt it all! I see other people with so many comments, shallow but it creates a number that gets shown and promoted, then I look at my work and it feels harder. Every time I post, my heart is on the page and it's that waiting for someone else to see it and connect with it that gets to me sometimes... yesterday was my lowest engagement after posting for a very long time (can I blame a US public holiday?!) but I find today I care less because the comments I do have are wonderful and people have really connected with the content which means the world.