Why writing daily Substack Notes is the fastest way to grow your newsletter in 2026
I went from 4-5 subscribers a day to 20-30+ by spending 20 minutes on Notes. Here's why it works (and how to start).
When I started my Substack last year, I wasn’t really sure how I was going to grow it.
It seemed fun. I liked writing. But then I hit a wall.
I was trying everything: sharing on LinkedIn, posting in Facebook groups, collaborating with other writers. These are all good things, by the way. I’m not saying don’t do them.
But it was slow growth.
Then I started writing on Notes. I didn’t have a ton of time, so 20 to 30 minutes per day max.
And something pretty cool happened.
My newsletter started growing. First it was 4-5 subscribers a day. Then it was 10+ per day. Some days it was more like 20 to 30+ new subscribers a day.
Overall for last year? About 70% of new subscribers found me through Notes.
Same content. Same topics. Just different platform. Everything changed.
Your subscribers are already here (so why are you trying to bring them from Instagram?)
If you’ve been wondering “how am I going to grow this thing?” Notes is it.
Here’s the thing about Notes that most people don’t understand: your subscribers are already on the platform. They’re already on Substack, already scrolling Notes, already looking for writers to follow.
You don’t need to try to convince them to come from social media or some other place. They are right here.
That’s why Notes is so powerful for 2026. You’re not fighting to pull people off Instagram or LinkedIn. You’re just showing up where they already are.
Even if you grow a little each week from Notes, isn’t that worth it? To connect with your ideal subscribers and your people? That’s the opportunity.
It’s a good thing to try out this year and just stay consistent with it.
The algorithm that finally works with you, not against you
Here’s why Notes works differently than every other platform:
Other platforms want you trapped. They want you scrolling forever because that’s how they sell ads. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…they don’t want people leaving to read your newsletter. They want eyeballs on ads.
Substack is different. The algorithm is designed to connect readers with writers they’ll actually subscribe to. I
t looks for overlapping interests and audiences. It shows your Notes to people who might genuinely care about what you write.
If you grow, it helps everyone. The incentives are finally aligned.
You’re not fighting an algorithm anymore. You’re working with one that’s designed to help you.
That’s why 20-30 minutes a day is enough. That’s why growth happens faster here.
Start with this: Tell one story today
If you do one thing today, do this: share your next post on Notes and tell a story.
What kind of story? I’m glad you asked. Here’s some ideas:
Why you started writing about what you write.
Why you started your Substack.
An obstacle you encountered and overcame.
A moment that changed how you think. Something vulnerable and real.
Here’s why stories work better than anything else: they connect with your audience and make you feel real and authentic.
People don’t scroll past stories the way they scroll past tips. They stop. They read. They feel something.
That’s when they subscribe.
This is one of the best ways to grow. Not tips. Not how-tos (those have their place). But stories first. Stories build the connection that converts.
What Substack’s head of machine learning just told us about how Notes works
Last year, Substack did something unusual at their "NYC Notes Night: they pulled back the curtain on how the algorithm actually works.
Mike Cohen, their head of machine learning—the guy who literally built the algorithm—sat down and explained everything. How it’s designed. What it optimizes for. Why it works the way it does.
Here’s what he said about most social algorithms:
“[Other social feeds] are largely based around time spent. You scroll the feed, and the more time you spend, the more ads you see. Their objective is to decide what ads you’ll click and show them at the right time so you do.”
But here’s what Mike said about how Notes works:
“For us, it’s basically the opposite... It ultimately boils down to what the objective function of our feed is. The goal is to get people to discover, subscribe, and ideally pay. That’s how we built the feed.”
Read that again. The Notes algorithm is optimized for one thing: helping readers discover work they’ll actually subscribe to.
This changes everything. When you understand this, you understand why Notes feels so different.
Why 20 minutes a day compounds into real growth
You might be thinking “daily sounds like a lot.”
Here’s why consistency matters: the algorithm learns your voice through consistency.
It understands who you are and who should see your work. Sporadic posting doesn’t give it enough data. Daily posting teaches it your patterns.
And here’s the thing about consistency…it compounds.
The first few weeks feel slow. That’s normal. Around month 2 to 3, things start clicking. Real momentum kicks in after 6 months. Now I’m at 10+ subscribers daily consistently.
That’s 300+ per month. 3,600+ per year. From 20-30 minutes a day.
Each Note reaches new people. Those people engage. The algorithm shows you to similar people. Growth builds on growth.
Let me show you how to make Notes work for you, so you can grow by 10+ subscribers a day in 2026
Understanding how the algorithm works is one thing.
Knowing which types of Notes it surfaces and rewards is another.
That’s what I’ve spent the last year figuring out through constant testing and tracking. Which Notes bring subscribers…Which ones just get vanity metrics…What makes the algorithm show your work to new audiences…
And that’s why I created my “10+ Subscribers a Day” Notes Growth Workshop.
Inside, I break down how to:
Stop guessing what to post—discover the specific types of Notes that consistently convert browsers into subscribers, with real examples from my journey to 15,000 subscribers
Write Notes that actually work in 5 minutes or less—so this doesn’t become another exhausting task competing for your limited time and energy
Avoid the engagement trap—learn which Notes get tons of likes and comments but zero subscribers, so you stop wasting time on vanity metrics that don’t move the needle
Master formatting that stops the scroll—the visual tricks and structure that make people actually read your Note instead of scrolling past
Build a sustainable daily practice—because showing up consistently only works if it doesn’t burn you out in three weeks
Special bonus: When you join now, you’ll get access to the next 7-Day Notes Growth Challenge (which starts next week). You’ll receive a new Notes template every single day for a week, so you know what to write.
I’ve proven it works. 15,000 subscribers and $5K+ monthly revenue in just one year.
You can join below with hundreds of writers growing with Notes:
Keep writing, Wes
Love this post man!
Thanks for breaking this down.
Been shooting for 1-3 notes/day, comments, etc. and grown almost from 0 to 280+ subs and 500+ followers just in the last 6 weeks.
It’s been amazing man.
Great people here.
Thanks for sharing!