Substack keeps changing. Here's how my two-part strategy keeps evolving in 2026.
What worked in 2024 won't work the same in 2026. Here's my updated two-part strategy: Grow + Monetize.
One year ago, I was a burnt-out career coach doing 5-7 client calls daily. Forty-plus hours a week, every week. I made decent money but had zero freedom.
Something had to change.
I decided to start my newsletter and grew it it to 15,000+ subscribers. Generated $100K+ in revenue last year and built the freedom I wanted.
I hit plenty of walls and lots of mistakes, trust me. But it’s been a fun ride.
But honestly, Substack keeps changing.
What worked when I started doesn’t work the same now. The platform evolves constantly, and your strategy needs to evolve with it.
Going viral isn’t a strategy. This is.
Back when I started, you could write a post or Note that went viral and get a hundred subscribers overnight. It could still happen, but it’s not as likely now. The viral lottery isn’t a strategy you can count on.
You also needed to hustle and promote your newsletter off the platform. LinkedIn, Twitter/X, everywhere. Bring people to Substack from other places. It was an exhausting multi-platform grind.
Now it’s different. You can grow your Substack entirely on the platform without being everywhere else. You can monetize with paid subscribers, digital products, services, coaching…whatever fits your business. Everything happens in one place.
The platform supports both growth and monetization together now. That makes this one of the best opportunities right now that there is…
The only two things that matter: Grow + Monetize
Honestly, my strategy has changed quite a bit. For the better.
It’s a lot simpler now and more sustainable. I didn’t want to be spending hours and hours everyday writing and working. So, I’ve evolved.
Here’s my strategy based on how everything keeps evolving. It’s simple: Grow + Monetize.
Part 1: Grow
Spend most of your time on Notes. Write 2-3 Notes per day. Takes about 20-30 minutes total everyday.
Then, engage with other writers. Build relationships and build trust with your audience.
Build enough trust that they add you to their “Recommendations” so your newsletter is automatically recommended to their audiences. This is how you grow without being on five different platforms.
Also focus on SEO for the long game.
Substack holds a lot of SEO juice, so you can start gaining traction on places like Google and get daily traffic organically. This takes time but it compounds. Write posts that answer specific questions people are searching for.
Part 2: Monetize
For me, simple digital products have been a great way to monetize. I ask my audience what problems they’re dealing with and then I create a simple workshop, guide, or solution to help them.
This could also be inside your paid subscription or a service like coaching. But focus on identifying and uncovering your audience’s problems, then offer a logical solution with your offer.
Here’s the part people don’t talk about: If you want to grow your newsletter beyond a hobby, you have to make offers. You can’t be shy about it.
Create a helpful solution and then offer it. Some people will love it and need it. Some won’t, and that’s okay.
But if you don’t make offers on a regular basis, you won’t be able to monetize. It’s that simple.
Don’t overcomplicate this. Ask what they struggle with. Create something that solves it. Sell it to them regularly.
This works because growth happens on the platform, monetization is direct, there are no complicated funnels, and there’s no multi-platform hustle. Simple, sustainable, effective.
The key is keeping things simple. The platform changes, your strategy adapts, but the framework stays the same: Grow + Monetize.
If you implement this two-part strategy, you can grow something real in 2026.
Do this today (it takes 20 minutes)
If you’re starting from scratch or want to restart with this strategy, here’s what to do today:
Write one Note. Share something helpful, vulnerable, or relatable. Engage with three other writers, genuinely comment on their work and restack something that resonates with you.
That’s it. That’s your first step in the growth part.
For monetization, ask your audience one question: “What’s your biggest challenge with [your topic] right now?” Their answers will tell you exactly what to create.
Start here. Build from there.
Let me show you the complete roadmap, inside the Substack Growth Masterclass
I’ve built complete systems for both parts of this strategy.
My Six-Figure Substack Growth Masterclass teaches you the complete growth system.
How to use Notes effectively. How to build relationships that turn into Recommendations. How to leverage SEO for long-term organic traffic. Everything I used to grow to 15,000+ subscribers.
Plus, this week only, you get my $1K Digital Product Formula as a bonus inside the masterclass.
This Formula teaches you the simple monetization system I mentioned, including how to create your next digital product and make its first $1000.
Together, these give you both parts: Grow + Monetize.
The growth system so you’re not guessing how to build your audience in 2026. The monetization system so you know exactly how to turn that audience into revenue.
This is the complete two-part strategy that’s working right now on Substack in 2026. 500+ writers have joined over the last year, and you can join below, too:
Substack keeps evolving. Your strategy needs to evolve with it.
Grow on the platform. Monetize your audience. Keep it simple.
That’s what’s working in 2026.
Keep writing, Wes
Will do both. Growing through notes seems realistic, and instead of guessing what to sell, just asking directly — it makes sense and doesn’t feel pushy. Solid plan.
Great post, Wes. - Your "Grow + Monetize" plan is spot-on; a little consistency, some audience listening, and voilà—freedom achieved. - It's so simple that most of us will probably go looking for something more complicated because it's too simple.