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Rating popular Substack strategies
Let’s be real. Most advice about growing on Substack feels either too vague to be useful or too hacky to feel good. That’s why we decided to do something different.
We’re not outside observers. We live in this ecosystem. We talk to creators every day, see what’s working in real time, and watch what quietly fizzles out once the hype dies. So instead of theorizing, we sat down and gave each strategy a gut-level, real-world rating, based on what we’ve actually seen succeed (and what’s quietly destroying people behind the scenes).
This is not a list of silver bullets. It’s an honest look at what’s getting traction right now, what’s sustainable long term, and what’s just noise. Every tactic we rate below came up in our conversation, and got scored on a 10-point scale.
Easy is without difficulty, easeful is without friction. So, what can you do without friction?
1. The "X More Subscribers Until Y" Notes Strategy
Example: “Only 17 more until I hit 1,000!”
Russell: “It works. It’s dumb, but it works.”Erin: “I’m on the fence, but I’m going with six. It does work.”
This is the ‘milestone begging’ strategy. It leverages urgency and social proof—just enough to make people think, "Oh sure, I’ll help you hit that number.”
We’ve seen it pop. But it’s got no longevity. It doesn’t build trust or excitement. It’s a party trick.
* Our Take: While this strategy can offer a quick "jolt" of new subscribers and create a sense of excitement , we've found it's generally not effective for long-term engagement. It can feel a bit "dumb" if overused, and historically, this type of plea hasn't sustained growth across platforms.
Our Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)
Summary: A shallow bump. It’s a sugar high, not a growth plan.
2. Posting 3-10 Times a Day on Notes
AKA “The Blitzkrieg of Content” strategy
Russell: “Maybe a 10/10 at the beginning… but it’s probably a 6/10 for the long haul.”Erin: “If it burns you out and makes you miserable, it’s just not worth it… I might go six.”
This is the most chaotic-good strategy on this list. It works, especially if you’re in launch mode, if your energy is high, or if you’re trying to build early momentum. It creates visibility. It feeds the algorithm. Sometimes one Note pops, and the rest don’t.
But the toll? Brutal. This is where burnout grows legs.
* Our Take: The effectiveness here heavily depends on your energy and the context. If it burns you out and makes you miserable, it's simply not worth it, as there are better alternatives. While it can lead to new followers and potential subscribers, overexposure can lead to your audience gets saturated and turns away. It can be a 10/10 at the beginning to ride an initial wave, especially when leading up to a specific launch or program, but it's unsustainable as a 24/7 strategy.
Our Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)
Summary: Use in sprints, like leading up to a launch. Not your forever strategy.
3. Niching Down
Narrowing your content focus to a very specific topic or audience
Russell: "I'm going to rate it a nine of 10."Erin: "Yes, totally. Agree."
Niching down isn’t just smart, it’s survival. Especially early on, it tells the world what bucket to put you in. It makes it easy for others to recommend you: “Oh, you should read them, they’re the X person.” More importantly, it makes you legible inside the creator ecosystem. Other writers know what you do and what you don’t. That creates space for collaboration instead of competition.
Can you niche back up later? Sure. But until your voice becomes the brand, specificity is your best friend.
* Our Take
Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago