The 5 Hidden Levers of Substack Growth That Nobody Talks About 🚀

Why most Substack writers struggle to grow (and how I cracked the code to 2,400+ subscribers)

Nov 05, 2024

I still remember the day I hit "publish" on my first Substack post.

Sitting there, staring at precisely zero subscribers, I wondered if anyone would ever read my words.

Fast forward 9 months: I've crossed 2,400+ subscribers, and I've learned something fascinating along the way. While everyone else is playing checkers (cranking out post after post), the writers who truly break through are playing chess.

Here's the truth nobody tells you about Substack success: It's not about writing more. It's about *resonating* more.

Let me pull back the curtain and show you the hidden mechanics that separate viral Substack posts from everything else. These are the levers I wish someone had shown me when I started.

1. The Headline Psychology 💡

Picture this: You're scrolling through your inbox, drowning in newsletters. What makes you stop? What makes you click?

Most writers craft content. Top performers craft *curiosity gaps*.

Let's play a game. Which headlines would make you click?

Group A:

- "How to Improve Your Writing"

- "10 Tips for Better Content"

- "My Thoughts on Creating Online"

Group B:

- "The Writing Technique I Had to Unlearn After 10 Years as a Pro"

- "The Content Strategy That Got Me Banned from LinkedIn"

- "Why Most Online Writers Are Secretly Sabotaging Their Growth"

The difference? Group A tells you what you'll get. Group B makes you *need* to know what you'll get. It's psychological catnip for your reader's brain.

2. The First Line Effect 👋

Here's a harsh truth: You have exactly 2 seconds to hook your reader. Two. Seconds.

Most writers start like this:

"In this post, I'm going to share some tips about writing online..."

*[Cue the sound of thousands of readers clicking away]*

But watch how the pros do it:

"I lost 1,000 subscribers in a single day – and it was the best thing that ever happened to my writing career."

See what happened there? Your first line has one job: Make it impossible not to read the second line. That's it. That's the game.

3. The White Space Win 🏆

Want to know the silent killer of great writing online?

Dense, unreadable paragraphs that look like walls of text.

Instead, let your writing breathe.

Give each idea its own space.

Like this.

See how much easier this is to read? In the age of endless scrolling and shrinking attention spans, white space isn't just design – it's survival.

4. The Echo Strategy 🗣️

Here's a counter-intuitive truth that took me months to learn: The fastest way to grow isn't by writing for everyone.

It's by writing so specifically that your target audience thinks:

- "This is *exactly* what I'm going through."

- "It's like they're in my head."

- "Finally, someone who gets it."

When you try to speak to everyone, you speak to no one. But when you speak directly to your people? They'll bring you everyone else.

5. The Viral Loop ⭕️

Here's what separates good posts from posts that explode: Every great Substack post has a hidden trigger that makes readers think:

"I need to share this with [specific person]."

- "Sarah needs to read this immediately"

- "This is exactly what the team was talking about"

- "The entire marketing department should see this"

This isn't by accident. It's engineering. The best writers don't just write posts – they create connection points that demand to be shared.

The Uncomfortable Truth 🙊

Growing on Substack isn't about writing more.

It isn't about posting more.

It isn't even about promoting more.

It's about resonating deeper.

It's about making each word hit harder.

Making each idea spread further.

Making each post impossible not to share.

The writers who understand these levers don't need to publish every day. They don't need to game the algorithm. They don't need to beg for shares.

They just need to write something worth sharing.

And now? Now you know how.

Take the Next Step

Now it’s your turn to take an action step and begin growing on Substack. Which of these 5 levers will you implement in your next post?

Don’t choose all 5. That’s too much. Choose just one and let me know in the comments which one you will implement next.

Restack

♻️ Then, go ahead and hit “Restack” so you can share these strategies and help encourage the next person. ♻️

PS - Did you know we have an Escape the Cubicle Substack Chat? Every week, we collaborate & network to help each other grow. Plus, we host a weekly “Notes Boost Thread” to help your Notes get noticed. Click below to join the chat 👇