You’re Using Substack Chat Wrong — Here’s What Actually Works
From posting links to building connection — how to make your readers feel seen, heard, and involved
Do you ever wonder what else you can actually do on Chat besides sharing posts?
Don’t worry. Most people do exactly that. I used to, too.
Every time I scroll through Chat, I see the same pattern: a sea of “New post!” notifications, a few polite hearts, and then silence.
It doesn’t look like a conversation, but like a hallway where everyone is slipping flyers under doors without looking up.
But here’s something I wish someone had told me earlier: Chat wasn’t created for announcements.
It was created for connection.
And connection is what actually makes a Substack thrive. Not the perfect texts, not the clever headlines, but the feeling that there’s a real person on the other end who wants to be there.
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I realized this on the day something upsetting happened to me, and I decided to ask my readers in the chat how they deal with it.
I asked what they thought about hate on Substack, whether they’d encountered it, and how they handled it.
Within minutes, people started responding.
They shared their stories and experiences with it, encouraged me, and sparked a conversation I was happy to be a part of—one I wished would never end.
I was so inspired and excited that I kept checking to see if anyone had said anything new.
Then it dawned on me that people don’t open Chat to promote themselves, but to feel close to the authors they follow.
And most of us completely miss this opportunity.
When you use Chat only for links, you’re actually saying, “I’m here when I need you.”
But when you share thoughts, questions, unfinished ideas, or little confessions, you’re saying, “I’m here with you.”
And that’s the point of Chat. To make new connections, get to know your readers better, and let them get closer to you.
I started sharing things before they became posts.
Questions I’m genuinely seeking opinions on, sometimes asking readers what they think about a topic I’m considering. Sometimes I tell them I’m stuck and ask how they would approach it. Sometimes I just share a little something from my morning. Something that would never make it into an official post, but fits perfectly in Chat.
And the most surprising thing was how this changed the way people read my actual posts.
Once they’ve already chatted with you in Chat, they’re no longer strangers
But none of that happens if Chat is just a bulletin board.
We often forget this: People want to participate.
They want to feel that they matter to the creator they follow. And Chat is the easiest place to give them that feeling.
And honestly, it doesn’t require a strategy. It requires you to show up as a person, not as a spokesperson.
Let them be part of the process, instead of presenting them with the final result like a museum exhibit.
If you do this regularly, Chat stops being a place where you post links. It becomes the place where your audience starts to feel like it’s yours.
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And if you have no idea what to ask or post when you open Chat, here are some ideas that work for any audience of readers
Start a thread at least once a week where other authors can share their work.
After all, this is also a place where we can share interesting articles and texts. Think of it as a way to support your readers, because many of them are writers too.
This way, you’re telling them that they matter and that you care about what they do.
I often start threads like this in my chat and read all your posts with interest. Here are some other authors who also regularly start such threads:
Ask questions about their experience on Substack
We all face challenges and excitement here, and I believe we all want someone to share our experiences with—and who would understand us better than those who are already dealing with them?
This type of question sparks conversations and is a way to find even more friends here