Headers, Shoulders & Footers: Improving Your Substack Conversion Rates.
Here's one of the tools that brought me to 2000 Subscribers and 100 Paid in Under 3 Months.
Why it’s Worth Reading
I’ll keep the intro short. This is the first official “Business School” post. Eventually, this will become its own newsletter for those who are interested in all things career and entrepreneurship.
For now, expect a post here and there about being successful on Substack. It won’t be gimmicky; just straight facts and proven methods from someone with over a half-a-million subscribers across platforms that went from 0 to 2000 subscribers (with 100 paid) in less than 3 months, here on Substack.
It only makes sense that my first post for growing your Substack starts with a header (haha).
Saving a Draft
Some of the links you put in your headers, shoulders and footers won’t translate if you save your template in a word doc or as a published post. So make sure you keep a draft of the template for easy copying and pasting when you’re ready to publish your post.
Let’s get started on building your perfect headers, shoulders and footers.
Universal Header
You want to start EVERY post with a quick header that’s not annoying or too long. It should list all of the content available for Free Subscriptions, with a teaser for what they get with a Paid Subscription. You should also make it very apparent where the header ends and the post begins. It’s a small thing but it matters. Using Block Quoting and a Large Heading to start the post will give the whole presentation a cleaner and more professional look and feel.
As you will notice after seeing my footers, I don’t include the “ premium benefits” of a paid membership in the header. Remember the header is meant to be a short teaser. At the end of it I encourage them to stick around after the post to look through the footer to gain additional information on the extended benefits. You don’t want this to feel like an advertisement. When you make it too much like a salesman’s pitch, you risk putting them off.
The Goal: The goal is simple here: Free subscriptions to the newsletter. Sometimes, even if a person loves your content, they forget or don’t even know that they can get newsletter updates and notifications when they sign up for free. This reminder early on sets the stage for their consideration to make your newsletter a part of their daily discovery of information.
[Below is the universal header template I use for all of my posts]
A Quick Note from The Cosmic Man Before We Start
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to my newsletter for updates on my wide variety of content including:
Full-Length Books
Manuals & Guides
Written & Guided Meditations
Two Podcast with Daily and Weekly Episodes
Hours-Long Video Courses
Essays, Prose & Poetry
Short Fiction
& Much More.
Additionally, considering reading through the footer at the bottom to learn more about The Cosmic College and the enormous benefits you receive from upgrading to paid.
[Insert Post Name Here] ← This is where you remind them the post has started.
Paywall Message (Shoulders)
Next is the Paywall Message or what I’ve started calling the “Shoulders.” You don’t want to cut free subscribers off abruptly with a “This is the end of the post” and leave it at that. It’s just cold…Let them know about all the benefits they get from paid, while also showing your gratitude to them for coming to your page in the first place.
Also, I’ve noticed that as Substack is evolving their functionality (especially on the App) there are some missing opportunities for communication and conversion. It’s not a feature, but a bug, and I’ve been told directly by Substack employees that they’re actively working on many of the issues people are complaining about.
For now, we need to find ways to make that communication clear. It isn’t always apparent to the end user how to upgrade to paid, or why they should, or what a paywall even is; leading them to ask questions like “Why did it seem like the article cut off half way through?!” For these reasons and more, you want to put “shoulders” in all of your posts that have paywall cutoffs.
It should:
Highlight the advantages of upgrading to premium
Put that upgrade one click away in a call-to-action button
Thank them for their interest in the page (Arguably the most important).
You want to balance rewarding your paid subscribers with exclusive content vs. providing enough free content for everyone to find enjoyment and value on your channel. Readers should only feel like they’re getting MORE by upgrading, not like they’re being left out by not doing so.
I additionally let them know about all the free content on the page. Some people don’t have the extra money to pay for your channel, while others are very selective about who they give that benefit to. So you should make space for valuable content to your free subscribers and remind them about it in your paywall message. In this way, all that’s left for them to do, is decide. It should never feel like pressure to join, only excitement for what they gain.
The Goal: Paid subscriptions and loyalty.
This is where most conversion is going to happen. I’ve talked to several subscribers who upgraded to paid based on the general value they see on my page. The tipping point comes when I do something that really moves them and inspires the commitment. Though most conversion comes from someone really wanting to see how the story ends on a specific paid post.
So make sure you include ALL of your premium benefits at this point. This way, they see that there is an immediate advantage of seeing the current post AND they are also seeing that they get their money’s worth with what is additionally included with a paid subscription. People don’t want to pay the month to see one article. They often worry it’ll be a waste of money if the post ends up being a flop. This reminder of everything they gain with a subscription gives them some insurance for their investment.
[Below is the Paywall Message (Shoulders) Template I use for all of my paid posts]
Gain Access to a Vast Library
Thank you for your interest in The Cosmic College! This is the end of the free preview of [INSERT POST NAME HERE]. Consider upgrading to paid to gain access to this post as well as 6 Premium Benefits:
NEW Monthly Prize Package Giveaway
Monthly Class with Live Q&A
Monthly Live Community Meet-Ups
Priority Direct Messaging
“Library of Alexandria” & “Order of Melchizedek” Shared Folder
Automatic Approval for One-on-One Video Calls (Additional Per-Hour Cost)
In addition to an Enormous & Ever-Expanding Library of:
Full-Length Books
Manuals & Guides
Written & Guided Meditations
Two Podcast with Daily and Weekly Episodes
Hours-Long Video Courses
Essays, Prose & Poetry
Short Fiction
& Much More.
If you’re not ready to make this commitment yet, considering subscribing for free and browsing our extensive free library found on the home page of the channel. We appreciate all subscribers, and make enough content for everyone to enjoy The Cosmic College.
The Free Footer
Because you’re not trying to sell your channel twice to someone whose already upgraded, you’re going to want to have both free and paid footers. For the free, we are reminding them of the options for both free subscription and paid, and telling them what those two options offer. You’ll notice the new sections of “Tell Me What You Think,” “Spreading the Word About the Cosmic College,” “Helping the Community,” and “Taking Advantage of the Referral Rewards.” These sections all have the intended goal of achieving more interaction, conversation, engagement and word-of-mouth advertising for your page.
The Goal: Engagement on your posts, spreading the word about your page, and subscriptions.
[Below is the Free Footer Template I use for all free posts]
Gain Access to a Vast Library
Consider upgrading to paid to gain access to this [Put Title of Post Here] as well as 6 Premium Benefits:
NEW Monthly Prize Package Giveaway
Monthly Class with Live Q&A
Monthly Live Community Meet-Ups
Priority Direct Messaging
“Library of Alexandria” & “Order of Melchizedek” Shared Folder
Automatic Approval for One-on-One Video Calls (Additional Per-Hour Cost)
In addition to an Enormous & Ever-Expanding Library of:
Full-Length Books
Manuals & Guides
Written & Guided Meditations
Two Podcast with Daily and Weekly Episodes
Hours-Long Video Courses
Essays, Prose & Poetry
Short Fiction
& Much More.
If you’re not ready to make this commitment yet, considering subscribing for free and browsing our extensive free library found on the home page of the channel. We appreciate all subscribers, and make enough content for everyone to enjoy the page.
Tell Me What You Think!
Treat this like any social media post, leaving comments, restacking (reposting), sharing and liking. In the comments, let me know about anything you’d like me to do in the future. This helps me to make better content for all of you.
Spreading the Word About the Cosmic Man
I deeply appreciate the support I receive from my subscribers and I’m always looking to grow the community. If you appreciate what I do here, please consider telling others about the Cosmic College.
Share quotes from the articles, restack posts, and tell others about your positive experiences with the various teachings and practical exercises. Remember that you can get free subscriptions for referring others to a paid subscription.
Helping The Community
Subscribers are the engine that keeps this train running. If you enjoy my Substack, consider telling others about it. Share the Cosmic College page, share this post (with its free opening section), or share one of the fully free articles I release periodically.
Take Advantage of Our Referral Rewards
If you get friends to sign up using the link below, Substack rewards you with free months of subscription depending on how many you bring in. In addition, I will be giving out free admissions for my upcoming classes for those who help grow the community
As Always, Peace, Love, Respect, & God Bless.
-The Cosmic Man
The Paid Footer
The paid footer is for the homies. I like to show my appreciation to them with a reminder that I am grateful for their support. Going back to the development phase Substack is currently in, it’s difficult for your paid subscribers to know everything your channel has to offer due to the issues with navigation on the App. So I like to reiterate all the benefits and provide a couple easy clicks to access those benefits.
Questions, comments and critiques from my paid subscribers are the fuel that keeps the engine running here. So I also include a reminder for them to reach out to me with their thoughts. Those inquiries often create excellent content that my subscribers are looking for specifically. It also helps me to grow as a person and a creator by showing me what matters to the people that matter to me.
The Goal: Communicating your appreciation for your patrons, reminding them to access all the benefits, and encouraging community and conversation.
[Below is the Paid Footer Template I use for all of my paid posts]
Thank You for Supporting The Cosmic College
I really appreciate you being here and showing your support. Please be sure to take advantage of any and all perks of being a premium member.
Including:
Monthly Live Class with Q&A
Monthly Order of Melchizedek Live Hangout
Private Group Chat with All Paid Subscribers
Priority Direct Messaging
Priority Requests for The Cosmic Questions
Library of Alexandria Shared Private Folder
I love getting questions, critiques and comments. Not only do they help me to get better at what I do for you, but they often create opportunities for great content tailored directly to your thoughts and interest. So please, ask me anything.
If you’re unsure of how to access any of these perks, please contact me directly via the Substack Chat Function.
Tell Me What You Think!
Treat this like any social media post, leaving comments, restacking (reposting), sharing and liking. In the comments, let me know about anything you’d like me to do in the future. This helps me to make better content for all of you.
Spreading the Word About the Cosmic Man
I deeply appreciate the support I receive from my subscribers and I’m always looking to grow the community. If you appreciate what I do here, please consider telling others about the Cosmic College.
Share quotes from the articles, restack posts, and tell others about your positive experiences with the various teachings and practical exercises. Remember that you can get free subscriptions for referring others to a paid subscription.
Helping The Community
Subscribers are the engine that keeps this train running. If you enjoy my Substack, consider telling others about it. Share the Cosmic College page, share this post (with its free opening section), or share one of the fully free articles I release periodically.
Take Advantage of Our Referral Rewards
If you get friends to sign up using the link below, Substack rewards you with free months of subscription depending on how many you bring in. In addition, I will be giving out free admissions for my upcoming classes for those who help grow the community
As Always, Peace, Love, Respect, & God Bless.
-The Cosmic Man
Thanks for reading.
I think it would be ridiculous to put the footer again (haha).
You get the idea. I appreciate you reading. Good luck growing your Substack.