Why Going Viral Might Actually Hurt Your Substack Growth
Everyone’s Obsessed with Viral Notes. Here's Why That’s a Problem.
I’ve gone viral on Substack three times.
One Note got 16,800 likes, reached over 235,000 people, and brought in 563 new subscribers almost overnight.
On paper? It was a dream.
But here’s what actually happened:
No spike in engagement.
No bump in revenue.
Just a bigger list of readers who may not be aligned with my message.
Compare that to a niche article I published:
8,426 views. 649 likes. 264 subscribers.
That one generated replies, DMs, and hundreds of dollars in sales with a mere 3% of the reach of my viral Note.
This is the part no one talks about.
Not all growth is good growth.
And chasing virality through Notes, especially broad, feel-good content like “Hey, I’m new here” can bring attention, but not traction.
In this article, I’ll show you why starting with Posts may be the smarter path to building a profitable audience and how your best Notes will actually come after you do.
The Common Advice (That Could Hurt You)
If you’ve been scrolling Notes lately, you’ve probably seen the same advice on repeat: Start with Notes if you want to grow.
They’re quick(er) to write, have massive growth potential, and they're proven to get new subscribers.
We stumble across creators with large subscriber counts posting 20 times a day.
We see brand new accounts going viral with introduction posts.
Then, we feel compelled to model these tactics.
Except, here’s what some writers have told me happened after that.
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.
You may end up with attention.
But subscriber counts don’t pay the bills.
The Reality Of Viral Growth
Let’s look at what actually happened for me.
Viral Note:
16,800 likes.
235,890 views.
563 new subscribers.
Result: No increase in revenue, no trailing increase in engagement.
Niche Post:
649 likes.
8,426 views.
264 new subscribers.
Result: DMs, replies, and hundreds of dollars in sales.
The first brought reach.
The second brought depth.
Here’s why that matters:
Substack Notes are optimized for visibility.
They’re short, scrollable, and there’s a Subscribe button right next to the writer’s name. That makes it easy to subscribe, sometimes without even reading what they typically write about.
That moment of interest doesn’t always translate into long-term attention.
Especially if the Note is broad, trending, or doesn’t reflect the core of your work.
But with long-form Posts, the dynamic is different.
Reading a full post requires more investment of someone’s time, energy, and curiosity. Someone who chooses to subscribe after that kind of experience is doing so because of the substance, not just an emotional response.
And it shows up in the engagement.
The quality of replies. The sales that follow.
I’ve spoken with several writers who’ve experienced a similar pattern.
They went viral with a “Hey, I’m new here” Note, gained hundreds of subscribers, and then watched engagement drop off almost immediately.
It’s not a failure. It’s just a signal.
If you’re here to build a business, not just a subscriber count you’re after.
The kind of subscriber matters far more than the number.
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 the entry point.
They spark curiosity. They get attention.
But when someone clicks “Subscribe” on a Note, it’s your Posts that determine whether they stay and what they do next.
And when you write a Post that resonates deeply, something else happens:
People start sharing it, reposting it, and recommending you.
Because quality content still matters.
That’s the kind of growth that doesn’t just widen your reach, it attracts your ideal audience.
One well-crafted Post can also be repurposed into five (or more) Notes.
This turns long-form content into your most sustainable strategy for consistency and visibility with Notes.
You don’t have to pick between the two because both are valuable, but the order can be beneficial.
Use Posts to go deeper.
Use Notes to start conversations and point people back to your core message.
Because if you're publishing Notes but not sharing Posts, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
And if you’re chasing viral Notes that don’t reflect what your work is actually about? That’s where misalignment sneaks in.
We remedy all of the above when we flip the order.
A System That Builds Over Time
Here’s how I structure my week:
Start with a long-form post on a topic my audience cares deeply about.
Extract 3-5+ Notes and takeaways from that post.
Publish the Notes over a few days.
Let specific Notes and Posts convert readers into subscribers.
Watch what performs and do more of it.
That’s it. Simple, repeatable, and sustainable.
I’m not posting 10 times a day. (I tried, but it didn’t work)
I’m not chasing trends.
I’m building on what’s already working.
This system has helped me grow to nearly 5,000 subscribers, not with tricks but with consistency.
And while my viral post gave me a boost, virality was never my “aim.” I focus on quality and content related to my work, so if I go viral, I know it’s aligned virality.
The reality is that nearly all of my best-performing Notes trace back to something deeper I’ve written in a Post.
It’s not about volume. It’s about alignment. And alignment compounds.
Don’t Chase Attention. Build Intentionally.
It’s tempting to chase reach and attention.
Likes, restacks, and followers can feel like progress, but they don’t always lead to the kind of growth that puts food on the table.
If you’re building a publication that supports your business, your offers, or your long-term creative work, the goal isn’t to go viral.
The goal is to attract the right people.
And that starts by creating Posts that reflect what you teach, what you stand for, and who you serve.
Let your Posts be the foundation.
Then, let your Notes amplify that message.
Let your readers find you through a Note, but stay because of your depth.
You don’t need a massive audience to make this work.
You need alignment. You need a system you can confidently return to week after week. And you need to know what you’re building toward.
This approach might not feel flashy or work overnight. But it compounds.
It attracts people who want to hear from you.
People who read your work, share your work, and support what you do.
That’s the kind of growth you can build a business on.
Hope this helps.
Landon
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PS: If you found this helpful, would you do me a quick favor and restack it? Sharing spreads the message and motivates me to keep writing practical content to help you thrive in your online business.
I’m staying for your different perspective on growth.
This is great advice! I haven't gone viral but rather would have quality engagement.