5 Things I'm Doing When Substack Growth Feels Impossible

The algorithm shifted. Here's how I'm shifting with it.

Mar 17, 2026

Yesterday I looked at my subscriber count and felt... nothing. Not excited. Not motivated. Just flat. For the first time in a while, the number barely moved. And when I opened my community chat, I saw the same feeling everywhere.

“What’s going on?”
“I’m not doing anything different.”
“Why did everything just stop?”

Yeah. I hear you.

Substack changes constantly. The algorithm shifts. What worked three months ago suddenly doesn’t hit the same way. New subscribers that used to roll in from Notes or recommendations just... slow down. And if you’ve been showing up consistently, doing all the right things, and watching your growth flatline anyway, I know how frustrating that is.

I’ve been there. More than once.

But I’ve also been doing this long enough to know something most people don’t stick around to learn: the creators who push through the slow seasons are the ones who eventually break through. Every single time. The ones who quit during the stall never get to see what was on the other side.

So instead of spiraling, I’m focusing on five specific things right now. Things I can control. Things that will compound over time, even when the numbers don’t show it yet.

If you’re in the middle of a growth stall right now, I want you to know two things. First, you’re not alone. Second, you don’t have to figure this out by yourself. I write about this stuff every week. Strategies that actually work, from someone testing them in real time. If you've been thinking about going paid, just a heads up, prices go up next week. Get in now before that happens.
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1. I’m Writing More, Not Less

This sounds counterintuitive when growth stalls. Your brain says, “Why bother? Nobody’s reading anyway.” But that voice is lying to you.

I normally publish once a week. Right now, I’m testing twice a week. Not because I think more posts equal more subscribers automatically, but because more content means more surface area. More chances for someone new to find you. More opportunities for Substack to recommend you.

And it’s not just the newsletter itself. I’m doubling down on Notes. I’m posting every day. Short, punchy, real things. Not polished thought leadership. Just honest observations, quick tips, things I’m actually doing.

The other thing I’m leaning into hard right now is Substack Live. If you haven’t noticed, Substack is pushing Live features like crazy. That’s not an accident. When a platform is clearly investing in a feature, you want to be early. You want to be visible there before everyone else catches on. I’ve been going live more, having real conversations, and every single time I do, I see new faces show up in my subscriber list afterward.

So if things feel slow, write more. Not less. Post more Notes. Go live. The algorithm rewards activity, and more importantly, your future readers need content to find you.

2. I’m Building a Lead Magnet That Actually Solves a Problem

I’ve been meaning to do this for months and kept pushing it off. But right now, while growth is quiet, is actually the perfect time.

A lead magnet is a free resource, something like an ebook, a checklist, a guide, a template pack, that you offer in exchange for an email signup. The key word is free. You’re giving people a reason to subscribe beyond “I write a newsletter.”

Here’s what makes a good one: it has to solve one specific problem your audience actually has. Not a vague “ultimate guide to everything.” One clear problem, one clear solution.

For me, that means creating something around Substack growth tactics. A checklist. Something someone can download and use that same day. Something so useful they’d feel silly not signing up for it.

If you’re a food writer, maybe it’s your 10 best weeknight recipes in a printable PDF. If you write about productivity, maybe it’s a morning routine template. Whatever it is, make it specific, make it valuable, and then promote it everywhere. In your Notes. In your bio. In your welcome email. Mention it on Lives.

This is the kind of thing that works even when the algorithm doesn’t.

3. I’m Using Pop-Ups and Timed Offers Strategically

I know, I know. Pop-ups feel annoying. But they work. The data is clear on this.

If you have a website or even just your Substack page, you can use timed pop-ups to catch people before they leave. Offer them something. Your lead magnet. A discount on your paid plan. Exclusive content they can’t get otherwise.

The timing matters. Don’t hit someone with a pop-up the second they land on your page. Give them 30 seconds. Let them read a little. Or set it to trigger when they move their cursor toward the close button. That exit-intent moment is when you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I’ve been experimenting with this and honestly, even small tweaks to when and how I ask for signups have made a noticeable difference. It’s not glamorous work. But it’s effective.

4. I’m Hosting Free Workshops

This one takes more effort, but it pays off in ways that go beyond subscriber numbers.

Hosting a free webinar or workshop on a topic your audience cares about does a few things at once. It builds trust because people get to experience your knowledge live, in real time. It builds your email list because you require registration. And it positions you as someone worth following long-term.

I’ve done workshops before and every single one led to a bump in subscribers. Not massive. But consistent. And the people who come to a live workshop are way more engaged than someone who randomly stumbled across a Note.

Pick a topic you could talk about for 30 to 45 minutes without notes. Something your audience keeps asking about. Promote it for a week. Make registration free but required. Show up, deliver real value, and watch what happens.

Even 15 people on a live workshop is 15 people who now know you, trust you, and are way more likely to open every email you send.

5. I’m Bringing People In From Outside Substack

This is the one I’ve been neglecting. And I think it’s going to matter more and more.

Think about it from Substack’s perspective. They’re building a platform. They want it to grow. If you’re a creator who only circulates within the Substack ecosystem, you’re valuable, sure. But if you’re a creator who actually brings new people onto the platform from the outside, e.g. from Google, from social media, from your own website - that’s a different level of value to them.

I have a feeling, and it’s getting stronger, that Substack’s algorithm will increasingly reward creators who drive external traffic in. It just makes sense. You’re not just growing your newsletter. You’re growing their platform.

So I’m starting to take this seriously. Sharing my posts on LinkedIn. Mentioning my Substack in other communities. Making sure my SEO is working so people find my articles through Google. Creating content on other platforms that funnels back to my newsletter.

I haven’t been great at this. I’ll be honest. I’ve been very Substack-focused, which felt efficient but now feels limiting. If the internal discovery engine is slowing down, the answer isn’t to wait for it to speed back up. The answer is to build your own roads in.

Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Slow growth periods suck. You start questioning everything. You wonder if you picked the wrong niche, the wrong platform, the wrong time to start.

But I’ve watched this cycle play out over and over again. The creators who survive the stall are the ones who kept writing, kept experimenting, kept showing up even when the numbers said don’t bother.

Most people give up right before things start to work. I’ve seen it happen so many times it almost feels predictable. Someone writes consistently for 4 months, growth slows in month 5, and they disappear by month 6. Meanwhile, the person who pushed through month 5 and 6 hits a breakthrough in month 7 that the quitter will never see.

Don’t be the person who stops at month 5.

The platform will keep changing. The algorithm will keep shifting. Your growth will speed up and slow down and speed up again. That’s normal. That’s how every platform works.

What you can control is showing up. Writing. Trying new things. Building systems that work even when the algorithm doesn’t.

That’s what I’m doing. And I really hope you’ll do it with me.

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