Likes

Still in pilot

Likes are currently switched on for a small group of publications. They’ll be available to everyone soon. Want to try them already? Let me know.

In short

• Under every edition we ask your readers explicitly for a like. That works far better than a button tucked away in a footer.
• After a like, Lettership asks your reader to pass your article on personally to someone who would appreciate it too.
• Under your article on your site you can see how often it was liked.

Why we built likes this way

From conversations with writers I know how important it is that you feel read right away. If you hit send and hear nothing back, it can feel as if you’re writing only for yourself. I want you to get appreciation for your articles when you send them via Lettership.

That’s why every newsletter ends with this text: “Did you enjoy reading this letter? Let < your name > know:”

It works

A writer who moved over from Substack noticed that likes on Lettership are about three times as high as on Substack. My explanation: there’s a clear call to action in the email, and we present it as “let the author know”, whereas on Substack it’s just a button in the footer. That writer also finds it “really encouraging”.

Why so simple?

This is deliberately the smallest version that works. Readers don’t have a Lettership account yet, so under your article there’s only a counter, without names or profile pictures, and readers can’t like on the page itself yet. If it works, we’ll build it out.

Why pass it on instead of sharing on social media?

Someone who just gave a like is enthusiastic about your piece. That’s the best moment to ask whether they know someone who would appreciate it too. Personally, to one person, via WhatsApp, Signal or email, not through a generic share bar for X or LinkedIn. A recommendation from a friend works better than a post in a timeline.

How it works for your readers

1. At the bottom of your edition is your invitation with a like button.
2. After a click your reader lands on a thank-you page, saying we’ll let you know.
3. On that page we ask whether your reader knows someone who would appreciate your article too, with buttons to pass it on:
   • WhatsApp
   • Signal: the link is copied, so your reader can paste it in Signal
   • Email
   • Copy link
   • More… (phone only): the phone’s own share menu
4. Under your article on your site you can see how often it was liked.

We only send the title and the link, no text on your reader’s behalf.

How to switch it on

You don’t switch likes on yourself: we do that for you. Let me know and we’ll switch them on for your publication. An invitation with a default text that includes your name then appears at the bottom of every edition.

You can’t edit that text in your dashboard yourself. If you’d like your own invitation, send us the text and we’ll put it in.