How Substack Recommendations Brought 25% of My Subscribers

And What They Taught Me About Community, Kindness, and Growth

Recommendations? Until about two weeks ago, I paid little to no attention to this icon upon the Substack Dashboard. Truthfully, I haven’t given much love to any of the icons on Dashboard Central other than noticing the wayward and ever-flitting subscriber count that seems to be participating in a perpetual game of cat and mouse.

If this is your first visit to Savor Life Studio, welcome! I am thrilled you are here because savoring life, people, moments, and connection is what this Substack is all about. I’m stepping away from my latest series: Savoring Life at 59 — exploring freedom, rediscovery, and meaning beyond roles — to share my most recent and joyous discovery here upon this golden platform of beautiful creators.

Let’s get to it.

How Recommendations Work

After being on Substack for several months, I casually clicked on the recommendations icon and was shocked to discover that 25% of my 330 subscribers have come from recommendations.

(Yes! 25%!)

I decided to conduct a deep dive into how this feature works. Google/AI states:

“Recommendations on Substack are a powerful tool for growing a publication's subscriber base and network. By recommending other Substacks, writers can reach new audiences, build connections with fellow creators, and foster a sense of community, ultimately leading to increased visibility and subscriber growth.”

After clicking the 'Subscribe' button, you are often prompted to decide the following:

A. Do I follow the writers/creators that a particular Substack recommends?
B. Do I subscribe to a small number of recommended publications?

Well, if you're like me, you breeze through the subscription process at lightning speed, trying to get back to the loving, nurturing, soul-filling Substack scroll as quickly as possible, and pass right by this incredible opportunity to uplift and shout out other Substacks regularly.

Now that I have learned how vital and integral this feature can be in helping Substacks increase visibility and reach a much larger audience, I am deeply mindful of not sweeping past this opportunity.

If you choose to opt out of adding the recommended followers and publications to your Substack experience, you can quickly and easily add recommendations one at a time.

Once you have subscribed to a Substack and wish to recommend, click on the Dashboard icon and take the following steps:

Click ‘Dashboard’ ~ Click ‘Recommendations’ ~ Click ‘Add recommendation’

You will also have the opportunity to write a brief description about the Substack you are recommending. Even writing one sentence can significantly enhance a reader's understanding of a Substack and why they might wish to subscribe.

Benefits of Recommendations

When another Substack user recommends your publication, you've been given another 'fan' in your ever-growing audience. I liken this to how I show my support and allegiance to Bruce Springsteen's music. The word EPIC comes to mind, and I'm a fan for life. Forever and Always.

Every single recommendation you are gifted is a cherished and coveted stamp of approval and support for all that you are creating upon this platform, with the following benefits:

• Free of charge

• Organic connections

• Community building

• Substack credibility

And for those looking to rev up the Substack growth…

The engines are not only running, they are now circling the track with more support and engagement than ever before.

Building Community

Discussing community is the part of this post where my heart begins to dance and fingers fly across the keyboard. Here is a simple formula to demonstrate the power of recommendations:

Subscribe + Recommendation =
Cross promotion
Discoverability
Community Building on High

When a Substack recommends another, the recommendation often appears on the recommender’s home page.

How wonderful! It’s as though someone has sprinkled the precious stardust from your creative works into the Universe, for all to discover.

Also, when you recommend a Substack, they are notified to reciprocate.

Just imagine having your Substack recommended while you eat, sleep, hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, or stay home and bake peanut butter cookies, which are a personal fave.
Beautiful!

Recommending Substacks

If you decide to recommend a Substack, it’s essential to ensure it aligns with the core ideals and content within your own Substack. For example, I write about savoring life’s precious moments, mindfulness, nature, photography, storytelling, creative inspiration, travel, and highlighting other Substacks.

Here’s a link to my latest post titled:
SHOUT-OUTS | & REFLECTIONS | Edition #8 | Lifting Voices Up

My most recent series is titled 'Savoring Life at 59' — exploring freedom, rediscovery, and meaning beyond roles. Click below to read the first post in this series:
Savoring Life at 59: Letting Go to Begin Again.

I would not recommend Substacks that focus on themes not within the above categories. Still, if you are coming from a place of peace and are a kind human, or covet ice cream as though your very survival depends upon your next savored bowl, I will most likely subscribe.

How to Earn Substack Recommendations

Recommendations start where all meaningful connections begin: relationship building. If I were to create a circle of life for Substack, it would look something like this: Circle of Life upon Substack

Three Simple Ways to Gain More Substack Recommendations

1. Reach out to Substacks you have built relationships with and discuss the possibilities of recommending one another's Substacks.

2. Support and recommend other Substacks regularly.

3. Sometimes people don't think to recommend until you gently remind them. Use a brief, friendly sentence at the end of posts like:

   "If you're enjoying this space, I'd be honored if you recommended it to others."

   (You can also link directly to your Substack recommendation page.)

Downsides to Recommendations

Now that I have highlighted all the benefits of recommending other Substacks, I would be remiss if I didn't let you in on a newly discovered secret.

I don't consider these to be huge negatives of dramatic proportions, but they do warrant an honorable mention.

Scoop #1:

If a Substack recommends you and they are growing slowly, or not at all, or stop posting, their gifts to your Substack will be minimal.

Scoop #2:

When recommended by a Substack user who is not aligned with your goals and vision, you may gain subscribers who are also not aligned.

For many Substacks, like my own, I do not consider this an issue, as it's my most profound hope that, regardless of the content a person creates, their desire for peace, love, light, community, and cherished moments will provide value to their scrolling experience.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear to see that there are a plethora of treasured gifts when one chooses to recommend another Substack, including the following:

• Increased visibility

• Audience reach

• Discoverability

• Reciprocal recommendations

• Organic connections

• Community building

• Substack credibility

I call this a WIN-WIN situation.

A Surprising Discovery About My Subscribers

I was genuinely shocked when I discovered this:

• 25% of my subscribers came from Substack recommendations.

• The majority of those came from just two Substacks. Yes—only two!

• Currently, eight Substacks are recommending Savor Life Studio.

• 84 out of my 330 subscribers (25%) have found me through the recommendations of six of those eight.

It’s wild to think how just a few kind mentions can create such a meaningful ripple. I had no idea recommendations were making such an impact, and I am deeply grateful to the following Substacks who are recommending Savor Life Studio:

Wildest Dreams Jessica Ann
Tranquil Nurturing Space Namrita Khosla and Sonia
The Writer’s Cafe Sal Gallaher
The Empowered Leader Margaret Williams
Saira The Poet Saira Anwar
Meditative Journaling
Rise and Clarity Insider Alain Hajjar
Sae Abiola Publication Sae Abiola

Thank you so much to the above Substacks for your gracious and kind support.

Personal Goal:

I have made a personal goal of recommending at least three Substacks a week, as I can now deeply feel and understand the inherent and valued connection to building community and lifting voices every single time I hit the recommend icon.

From the very first moment upon Substack, I knew I had landed someplace special. In four months, I have:

• Met and collaborated with people from all over the world.

• Begun curating: Savoring Substack: What Has Moved Us Most.

• Participated in three LIVES

• Written too many Notes to count
  
  And Most Important:

I'm following my dream to thrive within a compassionate, kind, caring, and understanding community of creators who value lifting one another and focus upon inspiring and growing together.

If this article has been helpful to you in any way, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading, and your presence here matters deeply to me. May your Substack grow and fly on wings of grace, beauty, and joy — and thank you for all that you are doing to make this Substack community beautiful, bright, and soul-filling.

If this post resonated with you, feel free to recommend Savor Life Studio to others. Every share is a ripple in this growing circle of light.

With much love and gratitude,

Lis 💖

Savor Life Studio Weekly Schedule

• Tuesdays – Anchor Post
• Fridays – Shout-Outs (Highlighting inspiring Substack voices)
• Sundays – Freebie Post (Calm & creative gifts for your week ahead)

New subscribers are always welcome here — encouraged and appreciated more than words can say, which is saying something, coming from a writer! 😄

☕️ Coffee Love 💖
If you enjoyed this post, I’d be truly honored if you’d consider buying me a cup of coffee. Your support means the world to me and helps keep this creative space alive.
Wishing you a day full of peace and beautiful moments.

PS — This post is public, so please feel free to restack and share with others. Thank you! 💖

🌿 Want to know more about Savor Life Studio?
Take a peek behind the scenes — meet Lis, explore the mission, and pick up some peaceful freebies to add more calm and clarity to your days.

Welcome to Savor Life Studio! 🌿

I’m Lis—the creator behind this space dedicated to bringing calm, clarity, and connection through nature and mindfulness.

As a lifelong educator, I find deep peace in creating resources that inspire reflection, creativity, and presence. I hope that they bring the same sense of grounding and inspiration to you.

Lifting up voices and sharing favorite Substacks in my weekly ‘Shout-Out’ post has filled me with joy and a true sense of belonging. I’m deeply grateful for the soul-filling connections I’ve discovered within this wonderful Substack community.

When I’m not out in nature or writing, you’ll likely find me spending time with loved ones, playing guitar, curled up with a good book, traveling, or savoring a scoop of peanut butter ice cream. I’m thankful for all the moments that bring joy, laughter, and connection.

With love,
Lis 💖