How I’m Growing My Substack Notes With a Simple, No-Fluff Strategy

What started as random posts turned into a steady growth system — here’s how...

I didn’t have a master plan when I started posting on Substack Notes.

No growth hacks. No clever algorithms. Just a gut feeling that showing up and sharing what I was learning might lead somewhere.

And like most people, my first few posts got zero attention.

But instead of quitting, I decided to treat it like an experiment:
“What if I just did the simplest things really well, every single day?”

That’s when things started to change.

Today, my Notes are getting more engagement, I’ve built a small but loyal audience, and more readers are subscribing to my newsletter — all without complicated tactics.

Here’s exactly how I did it.

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1. I Showed Up Even When It Felt Pointless

The biggest mistake I made early on was inconsistency.

I’d post three times in one day and then disappear for two weeks.

It wasn’t until I committed to showing up every single day — even if it was just one short thought — that things started to click.

Most of my early posts went nowhere. But then, one random post about a lesson I’d learned got more engagement than everything I’d written before. That single post brought in new subscribers and even started conversations in the comments.

The lesson: most people don’t fail because their ideas are bad — they fail because they stop too soon.

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2. I Stopped Writing Like a Newsletter

At first, my Notes sounded too polished.

I was writing them like mini essays, which made them feel distant and formal.

Then I realized something: Notes are meant to feel like conversations, not articles.

I started writing the way I’d talk to a friend — shorter sentences, casual tone, quick thoughts. And suddenly, people started responding more.

Here’s what usually works best for me:

• Quick lessons I’ve learned

• Honest reflections about what I’m building

• Short, actionable tips people can use immediately

It’s not about being clever. It’s about being human.

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3. I Engaged More Than I Posted

This one surprised me the most: posting isn’t the main growth lever — engagement is.

I started setting a rule for myself: reply to at least 10 Notes before I post my own.

I’d leave thoughtful comments, ask questions, and join conversations. Within weeks, people started noticing my name. Some followed me. Others subscribed. And a few even shared my Notes with their audience.

The more I engaged, the faster I grew. It’s not complicated — if you want people to care about what you write, care about what they write first.

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4. I Shared My Newsletter Naturally (Not Pushy)

I used to drop links to my newsletter in every other post. And guess what? Most people ignored them.

Now, I focus on sharing value first. I only mention my newsletter when it makes sense — like at the end of a useful tip or when expanding on a topic I wrote about in more detail.

Instead of saying, “Subscribe to my newsletter,” I’ll say something like:

“I shared a deeper breakdown of this in this week’s newsletter — check it out if you’re into stuff like this.”

It feels like an invitation, not a promotion. And it works a lot better.

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5. I Reused Ideas (Because Nobody Remembers Everything)

One of the biggest growth cheats no one talks about: recycling.

I used to stress about coming up with new ideas every day. But then I realized — most people don’t see everything you post. And even if they do, repetition builds trust.

So now, I repurpose:

• A newsletter paragraph into a quick Note

• A tweet into a thought

• A conversation into a reflection

It’s the same idea in different formats. And it saves me hours of thinking time.

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The Results: Small Steps, Big Impact

I’m not going viral. I don’t have tens of thousands of followers (yet).

But my Notes are growing steadily. Engagement is rising. More people are replying, sharing, and subscribing.

Most importantly, it feels fun now — not stressful.

I wake up excited to write because I know every small post is a brick in a much bigger wall.

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Final Thoughts: Play the Long Game

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Success on Substack Notes doesn’t come from chasing tricks.

It comes from showing up, talking like a real person, and staying patient long enough for the compound effect to kick in.

The creators who win aren’t the ones with the fanciest strategies — they’re the ones who stick around.

So start simple. Stay consistent. And remember: one honest Note a day can change more than you think.

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