Grow on Substack
One of the main reasons my clients want to start a Substack is to grow a Subscriber list. This is usually a secondary goal, with the most important one being to get their work out into the world.
Substack is an amazing way to share your work with the world, and while it started as a newsletter platform, and can still perform as simply your newsletter & blog, it has developed enough features to become more of a content hub. Substack now gives you the ability to:
Using Substack Notes is the best way to grow your Substack subscriber list, and Substack is clear about how the algorithm on Notes works.
According to Mike Cohen, the Substack head of machine learning, in the summer of 2025, the Substack algorithm was upgraded from a simple matching algorithm to a more complex sequential model. In his words:
“The key difference is that sequential models maintain a dynamic representation of your current state. As you move through your feed, clicking on posts, subscribing to publications, engaging with notes, the model updates its understanding of where you are. It’s not just updating a long-term profile of your tastes. It’s tracking the momentum and direction of your current session.” (emphasis mine)
—from How the Substack Feed is Learning to Understand Your Reading Journey by Mike Cohen.
The purpose of the Substack feed and the models used to build it, is not to replace social media altogether but rather to improve it, to “build a system that rewards depth and relationships over simple views and shallow engagement.” —Hamish McKenzie, Substack is a Social Media App. Substack itself doesn’t make money off of our data, nor does it make money off the number of overall users on Substack or ads. There is no incentive to create a social media machine that drives posts to go viral.
With Substack’s financial model, they make money if we, the creators make money. When we turn on payments, and get a paid subscriber, Substack gets 10% of our revenue, so their incentive is to make a social media feed that helps the creators grow. The updated Notes feed algorithm is designed to help us develop more in depth connections, conversations, and collaborations on Substack, rather than just the “likes” of platforms like Instagram.
Understanding the Notes algorithm, using Notes consistently to both share your work and to connect with other creators and their audiences, and understanding how to find your audience (and doing what you can to make sure they find you), are all important parts of growing on Substack.
Growth on Substack is all about long-term and sustainable. With this type of algorithm and finance model, the type of growth on Substack is not going to be viral, fast, and temporary. It’s set up to be slow, meaningful, and consistent, which means you need to take the long-game approach to your Substack, and your subscriber list. If you’re looking for a million subs in a month or two, I can’t help you with that – Substack is not the right place for you. If you’re looking for guidance using Substack’s suite of features to share your voice and your point of view with the world, creating a long term community and slow, but sustainable, subscribers and income, then welcome – you’ve come to the right place.
How can I help with Substack Notes?
I have several articles on Notes to help you get started. I also have a section of my Substack course dedicated to understanding and using Notes. But more importantly, help with Notes is a main feature of my paid Substack subscription.
Every month I host one or two live work sessions on Zoom to meet with my paid subscribers and discuss an aspect of Notes. We talk about how to find your audience, why connections with other writers are so important, different ways to share your content, and what to say when writing a note. There is time for Q&A and working together on notes for our Substacks. Where do you find all this? Follow the links below:
- Free articles and tutorials on Using Notes
- The Notes & Networking section of my Substack Course
- Join the Substack Coach Community for guidance, feedback, accountability, and community while using Notes
Using Substack Notes effectively is an important part of growing your subscriber list on Substack. It is also the best way to attract engaged and interested subscribers, ones who understand how Substack works, and are looking for new and interesting content or people to connect with over a shared interest. I hope you’ll join the Substack Coach Community to learn more about Notes, and grow the audience for your work on Substack.
Need some personal guidance? Book a Discovery Call with Adrienne
Personal 1-to-1 consulting is available to a limited number of clients to ensure quality service. I am often booked two to three weeks in advance.
Kate Kelley
unseengrace.substack.com
I feel deeply fortunate to have found Adrienne over a year ago, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She has supported me in every aspect of my Substack platform—from aesthetics and layout to audience outreach and, of course, technical support. Our Zoom sessions are always a pleasure thanks to her expertise, her calm and steady presence, and her rare blend of kindness and creativity.
Adrienne has also seamlessly handled behind-the-scenes work, such as reformatting logos and photos. I trust her implicitly because she understands who I am and the spirit of the content I wish to convey. Now that my platform has launched, I look forward to continuing our collaboration, knowing that her guidance will be invaluable as my work grows.
Suzannah Kennedy
Adrienne did a wonderful job of getting me up and running with Substack. She understood what I wanted, was detail oriented and professional, and adapted to my goals. We worked quickly together to populate the website and organize my newsletter.
Dayamis Veliz
onelittlenote.substack.com
Adrienne is a pleasure to work with given her expertise and communication. She anticipates needs and provides ideas on executing projects. She is patient and kind, will highly recommend her for Substack and/or project management and coaching.
Nathan Tyndale
Adrienne is an excellent Substack coach! Her experience provides a depth of perspective for all levels of Substack users that allows her to customize an approach for anyone. As a beginner, she gave me an overview of all the tools at my disposal, and also provided the next steps for me to take to make my launch a success. All that she does, from scheduling to conference meetings, has a professional, yet personable, touch. Once you become her client, she is committed to your success and will always be available when needed. You will not be disappointed!
Eric L Marr
Patient Wellness Network
I cannot recommend Adrienne highly enough! When I decided to launch my newsletter, I felt overwhelmed by the complexity of getting started. Adrienne stepped in and not only helped me bring my vision to life but also empowered me with the knowledge and skills to run it successfully on my own (in time 😊). Her expertise in strategy, audience engagement, and newsletter design was evident from day one, but what truly stood out was her collaborative approach. She didn’t just do the work—she made sure I understood the why and how behind each step. Her patience, clarity, and methodical approach turned what could have been a daunting process into an exciting learning experience. If you’re looking for someone who is not only a master of their craft but also a fantastic teacher and guide, look no further. Adrienne is a game-changer!
ROB ISBITTS
ETFYourself.com
Adrienne was extremely knowledgeable and confident. She listened to our needs and made relevant suggestions. We exhaled after meeting with her, knowing we found the right person!
ALAN CROWE
Incurable Curiousity
I have been working with Adrienne for six months. She designed my Substack homepage and continues to edit and publish my weekly articles. She produces top-quality work on-time, follows up, is flexible to her clients’ timelines, and an all-around delight to work with. Her services are priced at very reasonable levels. I’m lucky to have connected with her and will always be a client.
KAT MANAAN
Kat’s Cancer World
Adrienne is quite simply THE BEST!!! She answered my questions in a way I could understand. She is calm, extremely competent, and professional. I was so happy with today’s results I signed Adrienne up to be my admin. If you’re setting up a Substack newsletter she is the BEST!
DAPHNE SIPES
The Happiness Practice Club
I have been working with Adrienne on an ongoing basis. I cannot imagine trying to navigate Substack without her expertise and support. She edits, formats and even does some copy writing for my posts-she works magic with words! She is always gracious, helpful, and knowledgeable and her expertise is invaluable to my Substack.