Are Substack Notes Slowly Dying Out? Here’s My Opinion After Gaining 600+ Subscribers

I gained 600+ subscribers from Notes in 30 days. Here's why people saying it's dead are completely wrong.

I keep seeing this question pop up in writer communities: “Are Substack Notes dead?”

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: They’ve evolved, and if you’re still using 2024 tactics in 2025, then yes—it’s going to feel like they’re not working.

But they work more than even, so let’s dive into Notes.

Let Me Give You Some Context

Substack Notes are like Substack’s version of Twitter/X—short form “tweets” that help you connect with new readers and subscribers.

When I started writing on Notes a year ago, you could literally write “Hi I’m new to Substack. Let’s connect.” and wake up to 50 new subscribers overnight.

Those days are gone. And honestly, that’s a good thing.

The platform is maturing. The easy wins are over. But the real opportunity is just getting started for writers who understand what’s actually working now.

The Simple Substack Notes Formula That Brings Me 10+ Subscribers Daily

The Proof That Notes Still Works

Over the last 30 days, I’ve gained over 600+ new subscribers from Notes alone.

Yes, 600+ subscribers in 30 days from a platform people claim is “dying.”

My strategy? I write around 3 Notes per day throughout the day. Total time investment: 15 to 20 minutes.

Sometimes I don’t even write new content—I’ll repost an older Note from a few weeks ago that performed well and tweak a few words.

So, here’s my real opinion: Notes isn’t dying. It’s evolving and maturing like every platform does.

I’ve been writing on LinkedIn daily for over 3 years. I’ve watched that algorithm shift dozens of times. What worked in 2022 doesn’t work now. That’s not LinkedIn dying—that’s a platform evolving.

Same thing is happening with Notes.

What You Need to Understand About Notes Right Now

The overnight wins are gone, but consistent growth is very real.

You probably won’t write one Note and get 50 subscribers overnight (sometimes you might). But write the RIGHT types of Notes consistently for a few weeks? You’ll absolutely grow. As people recognize your name and you build followers, your Notes get more organic traction. It compounds.

Most writers don’t realize Substack subscribers ≠ Notes followers.

This trips people up. You can have 5,000 email subscribers and zero Notes followers. They’re separate ecosystems. You have to build your Notes following from scratch, just like any new platform.

You’re writing to writers, not your end audience.

This is the biggest mindset shift most people miss. The majority of people on Substack are writers—they just write about different niches. So don’t write your niche content on Notes. Write TO writers in your niche.

Fiction writer? Don’t post fiction snippets. Write about what matters to fiction writers.

Marriage coach? Don’t give marriage advice on Notes. Write to other marriage writers about what’s working for them.

Once you get this, Notes suddenly works for ANY niche.

There are specific types of Notes that perform consistently well.

I break this down in my Notes Growth Workshop into three categories: Community Notes (encourage writers to introduce themselves and engage), Motivational Notes (inspire and encourage other writers), and Educational Notes (share one valuable insight or lesson).

These three types drive 90% of my Notes growth.

How I Consistently Make $5K / Month on Substack (Without a Single Paid Subscriber)

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Here’s a Real Example

Here’s a simple note I wrote last week that brought in a handful of new subscribers:

It took me less than 5 minutes to write and helped me connect with new people.

Here’s another example:

This one is another take and brought another handful of subscribers. All of these Notes take a few minutes to write and usually bring a few subscribers each (or more).

When you add these up into a consistent daily system, your newsletter will grow.

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The Biggest Notes Mistakes I See Writers Make

First mistake: Not being consistent enough.

You need to post at least one Note per day. I’d recommend two. But here’s the thing—this shouldn’t take you long to write. We’re talking a few minutes per Note. Most writers post once or twice, don’t see immediate results, and give up. The compound effect of consistency is where the magic happens.

Second mistake: They post and ghost.

This is the one that kills most people’s Notes strategy. They write their Note, hit publish, and disappear.

Here’s what you should do instead: Post your Note, then go give some love to other writers. Engage with their Notes. Build genuine relationships. When you support others, they recognize your name and natural relationships form. Organically, you’ll gain followers.

Honestly? You could technically just comment on other people’s Notes every day without posting your own and start growing followers. That’s not a bad strategy in the beginning.

The real mistake is writing Notes in a silo. Join with other writers. Give first. Build community. That’s what drives growth.

Why Most Writers Think Notes Is Dead

Here’s what I see happening:

Writers try Notes for two weeks. They post random thoughts. Maybe they get a few likes, maybe a subscriber or two. They compare it to the stories they heard about easy growth a year ago. They assume it’s dead and move on.

But they never learned what actually works. They never developed a system. They were just throwing content at the wall.

Meanwhile, writers who understand the current patterns are consistently gaining hundreds of subscribers per month.

The platform didn’t die. The strategy evolved.

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📌 Your Last Weekend to Get the Complete System (Plus 20+ of My Best Notes)

This is your final weekend to join the Six Figure Substack Growth Masterclass before the price doubles next week.

More importantly, it’s your last chance to get my Personal Substack Swipe File included as a bonus.

Here’s what’s in the Swipe File:

20+ of my actual best-performing Notes from the last few months. Not theory. Not templates. Real Notes that brought me hundreds of subscribers—with breakdowns of why they worked.

You’ll see exactly what types of Notes are driving growth in 2025, and you can model your own Notes after them starting Monday.

This bonus disappears forever after this weekend.

When you join through Sunday night, you get:

✅ The complete Six Figure Substack Growth Masterclass (the full Notes strategy plus the complete visibility system that grew my newsletter to 12K+ subscribers generating $5K+ monthly)

✅ My Personal Substack Swipe File (20+ real, high-performing Notes you can learn from and adapt)

✅ The 1K Digital Product Roadmap (the exact path to creating and selling your first $1,000 product)

✅ Digital Product Bootcamp (everything you need to build and launch products your audience will buy)

Starting this next week, the price doubles and all bonuses are removed permanently.

What Putting This Off Actually Costs You

• Another month writing random Notes and wondering why they’re not converting to subscribers...

• Missing the exact formulas and real examples of what’s working right now in 2025...

• Watching other writers grow their Notes following while you convince yourself the platform is dead...

The confidence hit from putting in effort but not seeing results because you’re following outdated advice.

Writers who join this weekend will have the swipe file, the strategy, and the system in place by Monday morning.

The 400+ writers inside this masterclass aren’t guessing what works. They’re following current patterns that deliver real growth.

Notes isn’t dead. But you need to know what works now, not what worked a year ago.

Can’t wait to see you grow!

—Wes