How to Write Viral Substack Notes That Actually Bring Subscribers
The simple Notes strategy that brings this newsletter 300+ subscribers monthly
I used to think I was terrible at writing Notes.
For weeks, I'd post what felt like a solid Note and get maybe 3 likes. Always from the same writers who were probably just being nice.
Meanwhile, I'd scroll through my feed and see people getting hundreds (or thousands) of likes for what looked like... honestly, pretty simple stuff.
It was frustrating. Genuinely, I believed I just wasn’t cut out for Notes (or I didn’t understand how it worked). I'd spend 20 minutes writing what I thought was an insightful Note, hit publish, and then watch it disappear while someone else's random thought about coffee or a new puppy got 200 likes.
I almost gave up on Notes entirely.
Then one morning, feeling a bit defeated about my Notes-writing ability, I wrote this throwaway Note:
"I almost quit Substack. Not because I didn't enjoy writing. Because I felt like nobody was reading.
Then, I got a DM that said, 'Your advice helped me get started. I read everything you write. Thank you.'
That message meant everything to me. Now, when I write I think about that one person.
I decided I'm not writing to go viral. I'm writing for impact."
I was just being honest about my struggle. Nothing fancy. Took maybe 2 minutes to write.
Within 72 hours, that Note had over 2,000 likes and brought me over 100+ new subscribers.
That's when I realized I'd been thinking about Notes all wrong.
Notes Isn't Social Media (Thank God)
Here's what finally clicked for me: Substack Notes isn't Twitter. It's not LinkedIn. It's not about hot takes or trying to sound smarter than everyone else.
It's just writers talking to other writers about the stuff we all deal with but don't always say out loud.
The fear that maybe we're not good enough. The excitement when someone new subscribes. The weird impostor syndrome that hits right after you publish something you're proud of.
Once I stopped trying to be profound and started just being real about my experience, everything changed. Not just that one viral Note—my daily Notes started getting better engagement too.
Turns out, the writers who were "winning" at Notes weren't necessarily more talented or insightful than me. They just understood something I didn't: people connect with honesty more than perfection.
What Actually Makes a Substack Note Get Traction
After that breakthrough, I became a bit obsessed with figuring out what made some Notes work while others died quietly. Maybe it’s my ADHD or maybe I just saw the potential in Notes.
I started studying Notes that got good engagement—not to copy them, but to understand what was actually happening. And I noticed some patterns.
The Notes that brought me the most subscribers weren't the ones where I tried to teach something complex. They were the ones where I just acknowledged something that other writers were thinking but hadn't said.
Like this one:
"I didn't start really writing until I was 37. I didn't launch my Substack until 40.
I've met writers here in their 50's, 60's, and 70's who are finding their voice.
And their tribe is finding them. Substack has this amazing ability to reignite people's love for writing. Isn't it a beautiful thing?"
Hundreds of likes on this one. Dozens of comments from writers sharing their own "late start" stories. Because apparently a lot of us worry we started too late.
Or this one:
"Spent 30 minutes staring at a blank page today. Tomorrow I'll try again. That's the job.
The difference between writers who make it and those who don't isn't talent—it's showing up when you don't feel like it. Your consistency matters more than your perfection."
This Notes brought dozens of new subscribers from something that basic. Because every writer has had that exact experience of staring at a blank page and wondering if they should just give up.
The pattern became clear: the Notes that worked weren't the ones where I tried to sound smart. They were the ones where I said something that made other writers think, "Oh good, I'm not the only one who feels that way."
Ask yourself if someone can understand the point of your note within two seconds and is it relatable? If it’s not, think about how you can simplify it.
The Daily Notes-Writing Routine That Changed My Newsletter
Now I usually post about 3 Notes a day, and it's become this little routine I actually look forward to. In general, my routine looks something like this:
Morning Note: Usually a Note that invites people to join in. It could be sharing their most recent post, answering a question, or chiming in with their own advice.
Afternoon Note: Sometimes a quick tip or lesson I learned recently. Nothing earth-shattering, just something that might save someone else the time I spent figuring it out.
Evening Note: Often something encouraging about the writing journey. Because we all need reminding that this stuff is hard and we're not crazy for doing it.
Each one takes maybe 3 to 5 minutes to write. The secret isn't spending more time crafting them—it's knowing what to say.
Every morning, I spend about 15 minutes scrolling through Notes that are getting good engagement. Not to steal ideas, but to get a sense of what's resonating with people right now. I’ll look for answers to these questions:
What are writers struggling with?
What are they excited about?
What conversations are happening?
Then I ask myself: what's one thing I've experienced recently that others would probably relate to?
That's it. No complex strategy. Just paying attention to the community and being honest about my own experience.
Why This Notes-Writing Routine Works for Growing Your Newsletter
Here's the thing about Notes that I didn't understand at first: when someone connects with your Note, they're not just liking a random post. They're getting a preview of how you think, how you write, what you care about.
If that resonates with them, they want more. So, they click over to your profile and subscribe to your newsletter. (Or they can subscribe right from the Note…)
It's like the perfect audition system. Your Notes show people whether they'd enjoy reading your longer-form content. The ones who connect with your Notes are exactly the readers who'll actually engage with your newsletter.
I typically grow by over 300 subscribers in a single month just from Notes. Not from viral moments—from small, daily connections with writers who felt like I "got" their experience. Each Note I write usually brings in at least one new subscriber, many Notes bring in dozens or more.
The compound effect is wild. Notes I wrote months ago are still bringing in new subscribers. While other writers are starting from scratch every time they post, I'm building this library of content that keeps working for me.
The Stuff I Wish Someone Had Told Me Earlier
If you're just getting started with Notes, here's what I wish I'd known from the beginning:
Don't try to be original. Some of my best-performing Notes are about the most basic writing struggles. Writer's block, impostor syndrome, the excitement of a new subscriber. Universal stuff that every writer deals with.
Allow your main Substack content to be original. Your Notes are just tidbits to get someone interested enough to check out your newsletter.
Here’s a few bits of advice I wish someone shared with me sooner:
Engage with other people's Notes before you post your own. This isn't some growth hack—it's just being part of a community. When you genuinely support other writers, they notice. Some of them become your biggest fans.
Your first bunch of Notes will probably flop. Mine did. It takes time to find your voice and understand what resonates. I almost quit after two weeks of getting basically no engagement. Good thing I didn't.
Formatting matters more than you think. Break up your thoughts. Use line breaks. Make it easy to read quickly. People are scrolling fast—you want your main point to jump out immediately.
And here's the big one: don't overthink it. Some of my most successful Notes happened when I was just venting about something or sharing a random thought. The ones I spent forever crafting? Half of them flopped.
Ready to Make Notes Work for You? Join the Notes Growth Workshop
Look, I know this all sounds easier than it probably feels when you're staring at that blank Note box, wondering what the hell to write.
I've been there. We all have.
That's why I put together my "10+ Subscribers a Day" Notes Growth Workshop. It's everything I learned about turning Notes from a frustrating waste of time into my most reliable source of newsletter growth.
You'll get the exact approach I use to consistently gain 10-30+ subscribers daily through Notes. Not from chasing viral moments, but from building genuine connections with readers who actually want to hear from you.
Plus, everyone who joins early this week gets my 7-Day Notes Growth Challenge. Starting Friday July 18th, you'll get a daily email with a specific Note idea and template. No more staring at that blank box wondering what to write.
The deadline to join the Workshop and get the Notes Growth Challenge ends Tuesday July 15th. Honestly, I probably won't run another Growth Challenge again until next year.
So, if you’d like me to basically hand you a week full of Notes to write, jump into the Workshop ASAP.
If you're tired of feeling invisible on the platform where you're already creating, if you want to turn Notes into actual newsletter growth instead of just another thing to stress about, this might be exactly what you need.
Join 100’s of writers in the Workshop below:
Your Substack deserves readers who actually care about what you have to say. Let’s find them on Notes together.
✍️ Mini Notes Boost: Are you currently writing on Notes?
Drop your most recent (or your best) Note in the comments. Let’s get some new eyes on your Notes; I’d love to check them out.
Let me be clear about where my mind is at right now. I'm writing this as my resistance. When we come out the other side of hateful fascism, someone is going to ask "What did you do?". I'm going to say " I wrote my heart out about resisting this deformation of what we can be.". If it connects with people, that's GREAT! But I have to do it no matter what...
Thank you, Wes!
https://substack.com/@noapologiesneeded/note/c-135279204?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=2m72x0