Whether you’re brand new to Substack - or you’ve already been here for a while and you’re looking to grow faster - we’ve got something just for you…
This Thursday, we’re hosting a live masterclass sharing the exact frameworks and strategies to help you grow your audience & income on Substack in 2026.
If this is the year you want to build a thriving Substack publication, click the button below and secure your seat for free:
In yesterday’s livestream, we answered as many of your questions about Substack as we possibly could.
We covered everything from how to create paid content, write viral Notes, engage with your audience, set up your publication, and much more…
If you weren’t able to attend the livestream yesterday, here’s the replay so you can still catch all the Substack growth tips we shared.
(And if you attended the livestream live, thank you for showing up! It was so much fun answering all of your questions.)
Below, you can find the eight most common questions we’ve received, including our answers. 👇
Q1: How do I make sure I actually respond to my comments without it becoming overwhelming?
Short answer: Turn it into a simple daily habit.
The biggest mistake people make with engagement is treating it like a big task instead of a routine.
Our approach:
Set aside 10–15 minutes a day
Reply to comments on your own posts
Leave thoughtful comments on other people’s Notes or posts
Don’t aim for perfection, just do the best you can
You won’t catch every comment, and that’s fine. What matters is showing up every day and staying visible.
Engagement compounds fast on Substack when you make it a habit.
Q2: Should I start a second Substack publication or focus on one?
In almost all cases: focus on one.
Running two publications sounds exciting, but it usually means:
Divided attention
Slower growth
More mental overhead
Your profile, Notes feed, collaborations, and live streams all run through one identity. That makes it hard to clearly serve two different audiences at the same time.
Our rule:
Build one publication until it’s working really well. Then maybe add a second one later if you a strong reason for it.
Q3: How do I turn my Substack into coaching or consulting clients?
Substack works incredibly well for this if you keep it simple.
Here’s the flow:
Create content that attracts the exact type of person you want to work with
End posts with a soft CTA like: “If you want help with this, comment ‘yes’ and I’ll reach out.”
Follow up via a Substack DM
Most coaching and consulting sales don’t happen from a sales page. They happen from conversations.
Q4: Does posting Notes every day guarantee growth?
No. Consistency is the baseline, but it’s no guarantee.
Posting daily helps, but growth comes from:
Improving what you write
Paying attention to what gets engagement
Tweaking your format, hooks, and topics
A lot of creators post every day… and never adjust anything.
The winning combo is: Consistency + feedback + iteration
Substack Notes are an easy way to create content, but it’s still quality that matters.
Q5: I’m new to Substack — what strategy should I follow?
It depends on where you are.
If you’re brand new:
1 Note per day
1 long-form post per week
Engage using the 10-5-1 rule
That’s it. Keep it simple.
If you’re more advanced:
Start with the end in mind
Design your Substack to support products, coaching, or a community
Make your publication a bridge to your offers
Different stages need different strategies.
Q6: Should paid content be fully paywalled or partially free?
Use a mix.
Paid content should feel different and more in-depth, not just free posts with a lock slapped on them.
Best practice:
Create dedicated premium content
Leave a part of it free
Place the paywall partway through
That way, free readers still get value, while also seeing the quality of your premium content, making them more likely to upgrade.
Q7: Do I need traffic from Instagram, LinkedIn, or other platforms to grow?
No, and focusing on that too early usually slows you down.
Substack already has a ton of:
Readers
Discovery
Recommendations
Notes distribution
Trying to grow Substack by learning another platform puts everything in hard mode.
Our advice:
First, fully leverage the growth potential Substack has to offer. Expand to other platforms later, if needed.
Q8: Should I use Substack Live and Chat with a small audience?
Small audiences are an advantage, not a problem.
With fewer people:
You can go deeper
Answer every question
Build real trust fast
Lives and Chat help turn: readers → regulars → superfans
Don’t wait for “enough subscribers.”
Use these tools early to shape your community culture.
Ready to Succeed on Substack?
If this is the year you want to build a thriving Substack publication…
Sign up for Thursday’s masterclass, where you’ll learn exactly how to grow your audience and income on Substack in 2026
(Yes, even if you’re just starting out.)
→ Save your seat for the Substack Masterclass here
