These 3 Substack Notes Brought Me 51 New Subscribers. And They Only Took 15 Minutes to Write
Three Notes. Less than 15 minutes to write total. 51 new subscribers.
That's what happened to me over the last few days, and it's exactly why I'm extending my “10 Subscribers a Day” Notes Growth Workshop offer until Friday.
Let me explain.
These 3 Simple Notes Brought in 50+ Subscribers
I try to be super transparent about growing my newsletter. I’ll be the first one to admit a mistake or something that’s not working…
In the same sake of transparency, I try to be open about what IS working. No gatekeeping. Notes has been a big driver for my Substack’s growth this year.
I've been talking about my Notes strategy all week, but I wanted to show you what it actually looks like in practice.
Note #1:
Note #2:
Note #3:
Total time invested: 15 minutes Total new subscribers: 51
That's over 3 subscribers per minute of effort. Try finding another marketing strategy that delivers those results.
And here's what's crazy—none of these Notes were particularly brilliant or innovative. They just followed the exact system I teach in my workshop.
Forget Everything Else You’ve Been Told…Focus Here Instead
I’ll be the first to admit when it’s time to shift your strategy.
When I first started my Substack, I put all my focus into using LinkedIn to grow my newsletter. And LinkedIn does work.
However, Notes has been a much more consistent way to grow my newsletter (and it’s more enjoyable, to be honest).
Look, if you've been struggling to grow your Substack, I get it.
You're probably grinding on LinkedIn, trying to crack the Twitter algorithm, maybe even suffering through Instagram reels.
But here's why Notes should be your main focus:
The subscribers are already here.
Unlike other platforms where you have to convince people to leave and subscribe somewhere else, Notes readers are already on Substack. They just have to hit "subscribe" and boom—they're in your world.
Think about why Amazon is so successful? It's because Amazon makes it ridiculously simple to make a purchase. Same principle applies to Notes and Substack.
You're dealing with smart, quality people.
We're not here dancing in TikTok videos hoping for attention. Substack attracts thoughtful, intelligent people who are actively looking for quality content to read. These are the subscribers you actually want.
The platform is still growing…
There's a massive opportunity to establish yourself on Notes right now. In six months, when everyone else discovers how powerful this platform is, you'll already be the established voice in your space.
This is why I'm extending my Notes Growth Workshop offer until Friday (then the price really does double).
Your First Subscriber-Winning Note in 4 Steps
Since I'm extending this offer, let me give you something valuable right now. Follow these 4 steps and you'll write your first subscriber-converting Note today.
Step 1: Find Your Inspiration
Go scroll through Notes and find 3-5 Notes that have solid engagement. Doesn't matter if they're in your niche or not—you're looking for engagement patterns, not content ideas. If you need help finding good Notes, click on any Note and scroll down past the comments to "Related Notes." That's a goldmine for inspiration.
Step 2: Extract the Core Statement
Look at each engaging Note and sum it up in one simple statement or sentence. That's your foundation. Now take that statement and adapt it to your own niche and expertise. Keep your Note short—around 4-5 lines. (Long Notes work too, but for your first attempts, shorter is better.)
Step 3: Just Post It
Stop overthinking. Write your Note using the framework from step 2 and hit publish. The biggest mistake new writers make is perfectionism paralysis. Your first Note doesn't need to be perfect—it just needs to exist.
Some of your Notes will flop, that’s OK. I’ve had plenty of Notes get zero likes. But, all your need is Note to hit and you’ll be hooked.
Step 4: Engage After You Post
Immediately after posting your Note, go engage meaningfully with 4-5 other people's Notes. Not just likes—real comments that add value. This isn't just good karma; it's strategy. Engagement breeds engagement.
That's it. Four simple steps, 15 minutes of your time, and you could see your first batch of subscribers from Notes by tomorrow.
Why I'm Breaking My Own Deadline
Here's the truth: I was going to stick to my deadline and double the price today.
But after seeing my own results this week—51 subscribers from 15 minutes of work—I couldn't stick to my own deadline. This system is too powerful to limit access based on arbitrary dates.
I’ve also gotten so many messages from students who are getting similar results from the workshop.
So, I'm giving you until Friday to join the “10+ Subscribers a Day” Notes Growth Workshop. After that, the price doubles for real.
If you've been on the fence, if you've been struggling to grow your Substack, if you're tired of posting into the void on other platforms—this is your moment.
The workshop includes:
The complete system that brought me those 51 subscribers
My proven Note templates and formulas
The engagement strategies that multiply your reach
My top 10 performing Notes as templates
If you’re ready to finally figure out Notes and grow your Substack, you can join 100’s of writers below:
Think of your Substack like your shop. Notes is your billboard. You’ve got to promote your Substack to grow, and this is it.
Question: Do you have any questions about how Substack Notes works? Drop them in the comments, and I’ll answer every one of them I can.
This is great advice. I am struggling a bit to adapt it to my niche which is more educational. Maybe it’s just that a lot of what I am currently seeing on my feed is more inspirational type notes (or ‘how to grow on substack) which I really like personally however I am not how to translate inspirational to educational. Something I will be working on though!
Thank you as always for your very specific and practical content. Do you have any suggestions for making sure the content of the note matches well with the long form posts? I found that, when it didn't, I got a lot of profile views, but they didn't translate into subscribers...