I Went Viral on Substack Notes Twice in the Last Week. Here's What it Did to My Newsletter
Two Notes. One with 300+ likes (and growing) and the other with 4600+. Hundreds of new subscribers.
I wasn't trying to go viral. I was just being honest about my experience as a writer. But these two Notes hit something that resonated with thousands of people, and the results were immediate.
Here are the two Notes that took off:
Note 1:
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.
(Side note: This Note went “viral” and picked up over three weeks after it was originally written, which shows the longevity of Notes.)
Note 2:
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?
So simple. They took me maybe 10-15 minutes to write each.
What did these Notes have in common? They were relatable.
That's one of the key secrets to growing on Notes. When you write about things that are highly relatable in your niche and to others, people can't help but engage.
The Results (And Why Viral Isn't the Goal)
These two Notes combined brought in hundreds of new subscribers to my newsletter. The engagement was incredible - comments sharing similar experiences, writers thanking me for putting their feelings into words, and new followers discovering my content.
But here's the important part: this is an outlier, not the strategy.
Going viral is great when it happens, but it's not sustainable or predictable. I'd much rather help you gain 5-10 new subscribers per day through consistent Notes than have you chase viral moments that lead to spurts of growth followed by long periods of nothing.
The aim is to be consistent, relatable, and authentic—not viral.
The Secret: Relatability Rules Everything
Here's what I've learned after months of studying what works on Notes: when people can relate to what you're talking about, they will want to engage with the Note.
It's that simple.
When someone reads your Note and thinks "Yes, that's exactly how I feel" or "I've been there too," they're compelled to like, comment, and follow. That engagement drives visibility, which drives growth.
The writers who succeed on Notes aren't necessarily the most brilliant or the most experienced. They're the ones who consistently share relatable experiences, insights, and struggles.
In my opinion, right now Notes is the best way to grow your Substack. People are already on the platform and Notes is growing in popularity everyday.
If you want to grow your newsletter, consider starting to write daily Notes.
5-Point Mini Masterclass: How to Write Better, More Relatable Notes
Here’s a quick mini-masterclass for how you can write better Notes. The more you practice & publish, the better you will get.
#1: Use AI to Brainstorm Relatable Ideas in Your Niche
Start by asking Claude or ChatGPT to help you identify relatable experiences in your space. Share your niche and what you write about, then ask for examples of relatable ideas that resonate with your audience.
For example: "I write about newsletter growth and digital products. What are some relatable struggles or experiences that writers in this space commonly face?"
Use these suggestions as brainstorming fuel, not final content. The AI helps you identify universal experiences you might have overlooked.
#2: Surf Notes for Inspiration and Use the "Related Notes" Feature
Spend time scrolling through Notes and find examples that are getting good engagement. Pay attention to what makes them compelling.
Here's a pro tip: Once you find a Note getting great engagement, scroll down past the comments. You'll see a "Related Notes" section—this is a goldmine for finding more Note ideas that are currently working and getting engagement.
This isn't about copying; it's about understanding what resonates and finding your own angle on similar themes.
#3: Draft Ideas; Then Format for Clarity and Impact
Write out your ideas and drafts first, then go back and format them properly. Notes can be long, but everything "above the fold" (what people see before clicking "show more") should grab attention immediately.
Aim for clarity and impact in those first few lines. Use line breaks, bold text sparingly, and make sure your opening is crystal clear and understandable. If someone can't immediately grasp what you're saying, they'll scroll past.
#4: Just Post the Note—Don't Overthink It
This is where most people get stuck. They write a Note, then spend 20 minutes editing, re-editing, and second-guessing themselves.
Stop it.
Overthinking kills growth on Notes and Substack. The more you post, the less attached you get to any single outcome. Some Notes will hit, others won't. The only way to learn what works is to publish consistently.
Perfect is the enemy of good. Posted is better than perfect.
#5: Engage with Others After Posting
Don't just post your Note and disappear. After you publish, go find other Notes to genuinely support and engage with.
The more you engage with others, the more followers you'll gain because they'll come back and follow you. The more followers you have, the better your Notes will perform overall. It's a virtuous cycle.
I recommend aiming for at least one Note per day, but two is even better. Consistency beats sporadic brilliance every time.
📌 You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Notes can be the fastest way to grow your Substack, but there's definitely a strategy to doing it effectively and sustainably.
That's why I created my “10+ Subscribers a Day” Notes Growth Workshop—so you don't have to figure out the nuances of Notes growth through trial and error like I did.
Inside, you'll learn my exact Notes strategy that brings in 10+ subscribers every day consistently. This isn't about chasing viral moments; it's about building a sustainable system that grows your newsletter steadily over time.
You'll get my content frameworks, posting strategies, engagement tactics, and the psychological triggers that make Notes irresistible to your ideal readers. Join 100’s who have already taken the workshop below:
Let's turn your Notes into a consistent subscriber growth machine.
Question: Are you currently writing and growing on Notes?
Drop a link to your most recent Note below. Let’s get some new eyes on your Notes (and hopefully some new subscribers, too).
I've never been trapped inside a cubicle.
My freedom came early with a big early success.
It was an accident but it came from surfing a wave of change.
That was back in the 90s.
It's easier today.
We've got social media, content platforms, and AI to eliminate work.
This hit a nerve because most writers don’t actually want to go viral.
They want to feel seen.
And Notes gives the illusion that might finally happen.
But here’s what I saw in my own version of this:
🟥 Relatability isn’t the same as resonance.
🟥 A hundred new subscribers doesn’t mean momentum — it means dependence.
🟥 Writing daily isn’t sustainable unless you have a real structure and system.
Substack, Notes, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, and courses aren’t the trap.
The trap is the belief that consistency equals safety.
That belief cost me three years.
I've been consistent since 2016.
My book in 2019 led to hundreds of thousands in retainer revenue.
That led to a real company.
I never wanted to build a marketing or media agency.
Those were my clients.
I'd been in that industry for years.
Between 2020 and 2023, I spent $150K chasing the LinkedIn playbook — content machines, funnels, signature stage, all of it. It all worked. I had the stage, list, and solid brand.
The “big win” came later, when I stopped chasing and built a real company my way — outside the popularity game.
The algorithm says:
Post → Get seen → Build list → Sell offer → Feel secure.
Here’s what I do now instead:
5 Steps That Changed My Reality (Real System, Real Power)
🔑 Stop trying to grow.
Growth isn’t the goal if the structure can’t hold it.
🔑 Make silence survivable.
If stepping away breaks everything, it was never real.
🔑 Don’t optimize what you can’t trust.
The platform is a mirror — and sometimes it reflects your neediness back.
🔑 Write when something real moves.
Not when the calendar says “engagement is due.”
(We use AI to be consistent and organized — not to game offers.)
🔑 Replace the audience with a circle.
People who see you, not just your Note.
(This only works if you have a real product — not just a funnel to an info product.)
Not selling a process. Not claiming the high ground.
Just writing this in case someone else is stuck in what I got stuck in.
I’d already built the lifestyle business.
The 7-figure virtual agency.
The signature-stage, event-backed brand.
And it still took all that to realize:
Popularity doesn’t equal freedom.
And visibility isn’t value — unless it’s built on something real.
My free and paid subscriptions are growing steadily but noone interacts with my notes?