You Try. You Fail. Then... Substack RECOMMENDATIONS… You Won’t Believe It!

Why Recommendations Deserve Starter MinutesSubstack recommendations might be the most slept on growth tool on the platform. Most writers know the tab exists, turn it on once, then forget about it and go back to grinding Notes and posts.That is a missed opportunity. Substack has shared that a huge share of new subscribers across the platform arrive through recommendations, not social media links or search. When another writer recommends you, your publication gets surfaced right after someone hits “subscribe” on theirs, inside onboarding flows, and in follow suggestions. That is warm traffic from people already in “yes, I want to read more” mode.This newsletter walks you through a clear, sports creator friendly recommendation system you can start running this week.Step 1: Research Your “Neighbor” PublicationsYou do not want random recommendations. You want neighbors. These are publications that* Cover a similar topic or niche* Share overlapping audiences* Operate at a quality level you are proud to stand next toSubstack’s recommendation feature works best when the reader moving from one publication to the next feels like they are exploring a “scene” rather than jumping into a totally new universe.Practical moves* List your main topics. For example* NBA, fantasy basketball, sports media careers, women in sports, college prospects* Search Substack and your own Notes feed for creators in those lanes* Pay attention to “Suggested to follow” and “Recommended by others” sections, since Substack already surfaces likely fits based on categories and reader behaviorIf you can, build a simple directory for your own scene like we did with Sport Stackers. Group creators by sport, subtopic, and angle so it is easy to spot overlap.Step 2: Make Your Publication Easy To RecommendBefore you worry about getting recommended, make sure you are recommendable. Another writer should be able to glance at your publication page and instantly answer* Who is this for* What do they write about most of the time* Why would my readers careRecommendations work best when writers are confident their readers will genuinely like the other publication. That means your brand has to be clear.Do this audit* Is your title and tagline specific* Does your About page explain who you serve and what they get* Do your last five posts all feel roughly aligned with that promiseYou can and should inject your personality. You might be “NBA fantasy points league sicko, girl dad, snapback collector, and health journey guy” all in one. That is the charm. Just do not bury the core promise under endless side quests.Step 3: Use The Recommendations Tab With IntentionThe Recommendations dashboard on Substack lets you* Choose who you recommend* See who has recommended youThis is not about chasing big subscriber counts. Some creators get a meaningful share of their subs through recommendations even when they are still “small.” The real filter should be* Does this publication consistently deliver value* Would my readers feel like I put them on to something goodStart by recommending at least five publications you truly enjoy and that align with your audience. That is usually enough to make the network effects start working in your favor.Step 4: Write Real Blurbs, Not FluffMost writers skip the blurb or write “Great newsletter, highly recommend.” That is a wasted chance. Blurbs are part of how recommendations stand out in onboarding screens and in the sidebar.Better blurbs* Name the reader* “If you are a fantasy hoops nerd who lives in your league’s group chat, this is for you.”* Name the value* “Breaks down game film in a way that makes you smarter without needing Synergy access.”* Name the reason* “This is where I go when I want to feel like I am in the press box, not on the couch.”Two or three specific sentences beat a vague compliment every time.Step 5: Lead With Reciprocity, Not TransactionsThe temptation is to treat recommendations like a trade. “I will recommend you if you recommend me.” That energy turns a trust based feature into a weird cold DM exchange and it usually backfires.A better approach* Recommend people whose work you love with zero expectation* Assume most will never recommend you back* Treat any return recommendation as a bonus, not a conditionThis keeps your recommendations page honest and protects your readers. It also quietly builds goodwill. Other writers see that you send them real subscribers, not just ask for favors, and that makes them much more open to collaborating later.Step 6: Turn Kind Words Into Social ProofWhen someone recommends your publication, they often write a short note about why. Those blurbs are marketing gold.Use them by* Taking screenshots of the best blurbs and sharing them in your newsletter, About page, or Notes* Pulling one or two key phrases into your bio* Mentioning “recommended by X, Y, Z” when you introduce your publication to new readersThis is not about proving you are “real.” You already are. It is about reducing friction for someone who has just discovered you and is deciding if they should trust you with their inbox.Step 7: Treat Recommenders Like ColleaguesRecommendations are not a one off transaction. They are the start of a relationship. Writers who get the most from the recommendation network often behave like they are building a roster, not chasing shoutouts.Support your recommenders by* Reading and engaging with their new posts* Restacking their best work, especially when it helps your audience* Mentioning them in your own pieces when their ideas help shape yoursPush their content like it is yours. Over time, that creates a little “scene” where readers bounce between your publications and everyone’s lists grow together.Step 8: Build A Weekly Recommendation RitualThe writers who win with recommendations do not treat it as a once a year task. They treat it as a rhythm. Some growth case studies show creators adding hundreds of subs by deliberately cultivating just a handful of strong recommendation relationships and guest posts.Here is a simple weekly ritual* Block 20 to 30 minutes on your calendar* During that window* Look for one or two new potential neighbor publications* Check if any existing recommenders have new work you can highlight* Refresh blurbs if needed so they still reflect what you love about a publicationThis keeps your recommendation network alive instead of static. It also ensures you are not only hunting for new names but nurturing the relationships that already send you subscribers.The Ninja Move: Show Your Impact, Then AskIf you have been recommending someone for a while and notice they have not recommended you back, it might be because they do not realize how much you have helped. Substack’s stats let writers see how many subs arrived via a specific recommendation source.After you have sent them a meaningful number of subscribers* Send a short, respectful DM* Let them know exactly how many people subscribed to them through your recommendation* Make a low pressure askExample“Hey, just wanted to share something cool. We have had about 40 readers subscribe to your newsletter through our recommendation over the last few months. Our audiences seem to overlap a lot. No pressure at all, but if you ever feel like recommending Sport Stackers in return, it would mean a lot. Either way, big fan of what you are doing, and let me know if I can support you in any other way.”This works because you are leading with value, you are showing data, and you are explicitly removing pressure. Many larger publications simply have not noticed where their subscribers are coming from until someone points it out.Your Recommendation Game Plan For This WeekTo make this actionable, here is a simple one week challenge you can run right now* Day 1* Make a list of 10 neighbor publications in your niche* Day 2* Add at least 5 genuine recs with real blurbs* Day 3* DM one os the writers you rec’d simply to say you appreciate their work, with no ask* Day 4* Audit your About page and homepage so they clearly show what new readers get* Day 5* Share one screenshot or quote from someone who recommended you as social proof* Day 6* Read a recommended publication and restack one of their best posts with a thoughtful Note* Day 7* Look at your stats and set a simple goal, for example* “I want a healthy chunk of new subs to come from recommendations over the next 90 days.”Recommendations work in the background once they are set up. The more intentionally you curate them, the more they quietly send you the exact kind of readers you want: people who already love the kind of work you do.-Robbin Marx Get full access to Sport Stackers: A Community for Substack Sports Creators at sportstackers.substack.com/subscribe