Why Going Viral Might Actually Hurt Your Substack Growth

After gaining hundreds of new subscribers with their viral introduction posts or trend hopping, the engagement disappeared as quickly as their dopamine high.

They realized that it’s not about more subscribers—it’s about the right ones.

Start With Posts, Then Use Notes

If you want high-quality subscribers, the kind who share your work, reach out, buy from you, or join your paid tier, try writing Posts first.

Posts give people a real chance to decide:

Is this someone I want to hear from again?

They create clarity. They build trust. They’re what people subscribe for .

Notes are often ... See more

A System That Builds Over Time

Here’s how I structure my week:

1. Start with a long-form post on a topic my audience cares deeply about.


2. Extract 3-5+ Notes and takeaways from that post.


3. Publish the Notes over a few days.


4. Let specific Notes and Posts convert readers into subscribers.


5. Watch what performs and do more of it.

That’s it. Simple, repeatable, ... See more