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Substack’s New Template Feature Changes How You Write Posts
Substack quietly rolled out a feature that most creators haven’t noticed yet: templates inside the editor.
Here’s what it does: when you’re writing a long-form post, you can now create reusable text snippets and insert them with a single click. No more copying from Notion. No more duplicating old posts and deleting everything except that one paragraph you reuse every time.
This is a big deal for anyone who promotes products, links to resources, or has a consistent newsletter format.
We already created four templates: three for our digital products and one for our paid Substack. Every time we write a new article, inserting a product call-to-action is now one click. That’s it.
Here’s an example of one of our templates:
Unlock 365 Substack Notes Templates
If you are serious about growing on Substack, you really can’t miss out on Notes.
But we know that showing up every single day can feel like a massive burden. That’s why we have created 365 notes templates for you.
You can get full access for only $47 right now.
But here’s the thing: even if you don’t have products to promote yet, this feature is useful.
You can save your origin story snippet, your bio paragraph, a recurring call-to-action to subscribe, a link to an application form, or even a consistent sign-off that you use across every post.
The less friction there is between you and a finished post, the more likely you are to actually include those CTAs. And CTAs are what turn free readers into paying subscribers and customers.
How to Create a Template in the Substack Editor
Creating a template takes about 30 seconds: Open any post in the Substack editor. Click on “Templates” in the top right corner. Click “New Template.” Give it a name. Write or paste your text snippet. Click “Save.”
That’s it. From now on, you can insert that template into any post with one click.
Want to delete one? Open the template, scroll to the bottom, and click the trash icon.
Why Templates Might Signal Something Bigger: Ads on Substack
We believe this template feature could be laying the groundwork for something much bigger: native ads on Substack.
If Substack wanted to offer an ad marketplace — where creators can insert ads into their newsletters — they’d need a system that’s trackable, easy to use, and integrated into the editor. A template-like dropdown where you select an ad, click once, and it’s inserted into your post? That’s exactly how we’d build it.
This isn’t confirmed. But the template infrastructure makes it technically possible.
Now, we know many of you might be thinking: please, no ads on Substack. We hear you.
But consider this: there’s a meaningful difference between ads plastered all over the Notes feed (like Instagram, where every third post is sponsored) and an opt-in system where creators choose which ads to include in their newsletters.
The second version? That’s actually how smaller creators could start monetizing before they have a massive audience. And it’s not fundamentally different from what’s already possible.
Plenty of large newsletters outside Substack already run ads. Platforms like Passionfroot already connect creators with brands. Substack would just make it native and easier.
If it ever does happen, here’s what we’d recommend: consider running ads only in the editions that free subscribers receive. Keep your paid subscribers’ experience ad-free. That’s an additional perk that protects the premium experience your paying members are investing in.
That said, as one of our live stream viewers pointed out: if creators get to choose the types of ads, the ads could actually be relevant and valuable to paid subscribers too. It depends on how specific the ad targeting becomes.
Gary Vee Just Told Millions of People to Join Substack
Let’s talk about something that should excite every single person reading this.
Gary Vaynerchuk — arguably one of the most influential voices in social media marketing — recently published a piece telling his audience to invest 5 to 10 hours learning Substack and getting started on the platform.
If there were a social media hall of fame, Gary Vee would be one of the first inductees. He told companies to invest in Facebook before anyone took it seriously. He backed Uber when people still wondered why they’d need anything beyond taxis. He pushed TikTok for business when it was still a dancing app.
And now he’s talking about Substack.
Here’s why this matters for you: Gary Vee doesn’t just spot trends. He moves markets. When he tells millions of followers that a platform is the next opportunity, people listen and act.
If you’re already on Substack, congratulations. You’re ahead of the curve. More creators, more readers, and more attention are about to flood this platform over the next 6 to 12 months.
Why Personal Brand Matters More Than Perfect Branding
One of the most interesting points Gary Vee makes is this: information is a commodity now because of AI. You can search for any how-to and get an answer in seconds.
So the reason people will follow you, subscribe to your publication, and eventually pay you is not just the information. It’s the relationship they build with you.
And you can build that relationship through writing alone, if that’s your preferred medium. You don’t need to go on camera. You don’t need to podcast. But if you choose to stay text-only, make it deeply personal. Share your experiences, your credibility, your hot takes, your controversial opinions. Put your personality at the forefront of everything you publish.
Because that’s the one thing AI can never replace.
Your brand on Substack isn’t about logos, fonts, or a perfect color palette. It’s about what people associate with your name when your content lands in their inbox. Can they relate to you? Can you help them? Is your content worth their time?
If the answer is yes, you’ve built brand recognition, even if you’ve never hired a designer.
The Difference Between Growing an Audience and Building a Business
During our live stream, Jari shared something that perfectly illustrates why we do what we do at Write • Build • Scale.
He had a discovery call that day with someone interested in joining our 1-on-1 coaching program. The person said: “I’ve talked to other people in your niche, and I feel like they can help me with audience growth, but they don’t really understand how to build a business. I feel like you guys do.”
That’s exactly the positioning we’ve built over the past two years. We don’t just help people grow a subscriber count. We help them build a sustainable online business using Substack as the engine.
Audience growth is one piece. But the full picture includes digital products, mini-courses, coaching programs, email funnels, and revenue streams that scale independently of how many posts you write per week.
That’s our brand.
Not a logo.
Not a color scheme.
A clear answer to the question: what do you associate us with?
And as one of our coaching clients Mari Savic, shared in the live stream chat:
“Substack is just one feature, but all the other things you offer help make more money. If you join the one-on-one, you will probably have an ROI and get your money back in two months.”
Followers vs. Subscribers: Know the Difference
A question came up in the chat that we hear often, and it’s worth clarifying.
On Substack, followers and subscribers are not the same thing.
Subscribers are the people who receive your posts in their inbox. These are your most valuable audience members because you’re emailing them directly.
Followers only follow your profile. They might see your Notes in their feed, but they don’t get your emails. That’s a much weaker connection.
Your goal should always be to build subscribers, not followers.
If you notice many people are following you but not subscribing, here are a few things you can do: share your long-form posts as Notes to show followers what they’re missing, tease upcoming posts in your Notes, explicitly tell followers that subscribers get this content delivered to their inbox, and run mini campaigns that give people an extra incentive to subscribe.
Lead Magnets Work on Substack — Even If Nobody’s Doing Them
Someone asked if lead magnets are a good idea for attracting free subscribers. The answer is absolutely yes.
Lead magnets aren’t common practice on Substack, but they’re standard in every other email-building strategy, and they work here too.
Here’s how: in your welcome email, link to a free PDF, template, or resource. Make it clear that new subscribers get this as an instant bonus. This taps into instant gratification — people aren’t just subscribing for future value, they’re getting something right now.
One of our live stream viewers shared that she sends every new subscriber an entire horror novel for free. That’s a compelling incentive. You don’t need to give away a book, but a well-made PDF, a template pack, or a short guide can make the difference between a follow and a subscribe.
How to Actually Scale Your Income on Substack
One more question we received was how scaling works when your main content format is writing.
There are two paths.
The first path is through paid subscriptions. You publish one free post and one paid post per week. The more paid subscribers you attract, the more money you make — without increasing your workload. Whether you have 100, 1,000, or 10,000 paid subscribers, the effort stays the same.
The second path — and in our opinion, the more interesting one — is building a digital business on top of your Substack.
Let’s say you write about marathon training. Your free content builds the audience. Your paid tier offers weekly Q&A sessions in the subscriber chat for $10–$20 a month. Then you create a full marathon training course as a mini-course for $150. And for those who want personalized help, you offer a group coaching program or one-on-one coaching at a premium price.
The writing itself doesn’t scale your income. But paid subscriptions and digital products built on top of your writing absolutely do.
That’s the model we use at Write • Build • Scale. And it’s what we help our coaching clients build too.
We Turned Down a Book Deal (And Why That Matters)
About six to eight weeks ago, a major publisher reached out and asked us to write a book about Substack as part of their niche series.
Two years ago, we would have jumped at this opportunity. This time, we said no.
Not because it wasn’t flattering — it absolutely was. But because it didn’t align with our plans, our schedule, or the direction we’re building toward. Substack has given us so much freedom and so many opportunities that we can now be selective about what we say yes to.
And that, honestly, is the whole point. When you build something sustainable on your own terms, you get to cherry-pick. You’re not chasing every opportunity. You’re choosing the ones that fit.
Why You Should Start a Podcast on Substack
A final question from the live stream: can you use Substack for podcasting?
Yes, and we’d argue it’s the best place to start one.
At Write • Build • Scale, we publish a podcast episode every Monday on Substack. But we don’t just upload the audio. We include the full written article alongside it. Readers can choose: listen, read, or do both.
That’s something you simply can’t do on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Those platforms give you a description field at best. Substack gives you a complete article with call-to-actions, links, and formatting.
And here’s the distribution angle: if you start a podcast on Spotify right now with no audience, how do you get anyone to listen? With Substack, your existing subscribers and the platform’s discovery features do the heavy lifting. Your episodes reach people who already care about your topic.
The best part? You can still distribute to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and even YouTube simultaneously.
![[Workshop] How to Start and Grow Your Podcast on Substack](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IQPn!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-video.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fvideo_upload%2Fpost%2F176901784%2F57ca1344-8dc6-4c28-9147-9bde748d5c89%2Ftranscoded-1761208489.png)
