The Substack Growth Advice That Doesn’t Work (And What Actually Builds a Real Audience in 2026)
Most creators are told to grow fast on Substack - but these strategies lead to empty subscribers, low engagement, and wasted time. Here’s what actually works.
The biggest dream of a writer is to have someone read their work.
That’s exactly why many of us chose to be part of Substack - a platform that gives creators the opportunity to share their writing and ideas publicly.
The problem is that, in order to have readers, you go through all kinds of challenges:
engaging your audience well enough
growing organically without relying on paid ads
finding your “niche,” and from there, the right audience for your content
The list goes on, and with it, so do the ideas. And when ideas increase, so does the amount of advice you come across.
That’s where the real issue begins: what actually works on Substack, and what doesn’t?
That’s why today I’m sharing what doesn’t work on Substack, in my opinion - and why it’s important not to waste your time on it.
1. Expecting “Sub for Sub” to Work the Way You Think It Will
Let me say it directly: it’s pointless to waste your time on this type of Notes.
I remember when I was growing my personal Instagram profile back in 2016, I thought the whole follow-for-follow theory worked. Don’t blame me - I was young and definitely didn’t understand how social media and content growth actually worked.
In my strategy, I already shared how I reached 2,000 subscribers on Substack - but it definitely wasn’t through sub for sub.
The problem is that when someone relies on this kind of “growth hack,” all they get are empty subscribers. And I won’t even get into how, after some time, people start unsubscribing - because their only goal was quick audience growth, nothing more.
Substack is not Instagram. It’s not TikTok.
Here, quality matters more than quantity.
I know everyone wants to be read, but having a bigger audience doesn’t necessarily mean those subscribers will read your latest post.
I’ve seen creators with over 2,000 subscribers and zero engagement.
I’ve also seen writers with barely 100 subscribers whose posts are actually being read.
On one side, you have someone chasing fast growth.
On the other - someone building with consistency.
If I could give one piece of advice to everyone on Substack, especially those who want to build a real community, it would be this:
Sometimes it’s better to grow slowly with the right audience than to rely on strategies like Sub for Sub.
2. Publishing a Post Without Sending an Email Notification
I’ve read in different places that some writers do this - they publish a post but don’t send emails because their open rate is low.
What no one tells you, though, is that many emails get opened over time. This means you always have an additional stream of organic traffic going back to a specific post.
One of the golden rules of email marketing is that if you have more than a 20% open rate, you’re on the right track. This might not happen within 1–2 days, but over time, it will.
Don’t underestimate the power of emails - even with Substack app notifications. There are still people who prefer reading newsletters directly from their inbox.