I Analyzed 50+ Viral Substack Notes: Here's the 3 Types of Notes that Drive the Most Growth

I developed a simple reuse framework:

1. Identify your top-performing Notes for each type (Community, Educational, Motivational)


2. Create 2-3 variations of each, changing the:
   
   
   • Hook (different opening line)
   
   
   • Formatting (bullets vs. paragraphs)
   
   
   • Call to action (different question or invitation)


3. Rotate through these variations on a 10-14 day cycle


4. Track which varia

... See more

The CTA

Every Note needs a clear next step. But here's where most writers get it wrong: your CTA shouldn't be about subscribing.

The most effective CTAs on Notes are simply inviting a conversation:

Questions that invite response: "What's one writing rule you've broken that actually worked for you?" "Share your biggest Substack win in the comments bel... See more

The Body

Once you've captured attention, deliver value immediately. The body of your Note should be:

• Scannable - Use white space generously


• Specific - One clear point, not five vague ones


• Visual - Strategic bold and bullet points guide the eye

The mistake most writers make is trying to cram too much into a single Note. Your goal isn't to be comprehe... See more

The Hook

The first sentence of your Note is everything. If it doesn't stop the scroll, nothing else matters.

My best-performing hooks fall into a few categories:

The Contrarian Statement: "Consistency is killing your newsletter." "Most writing advice is making you worse."

The Specific Result: "I gained 127 subscribers last week using this one Note fo... See more