I Got 242 Subscribers in 2 Weeks from One Substack Note - Here's How

If you want to build a loyal audience and strong brand, you NEED to understand this strategy.

I want to let you in on why a simple Substack note brought me 242 aligned subscribers (that’s you too!), and HOW you can create notes like this over and over, easily. (it’s not 🚀 science after all)

This note didn’t just get people’s attention… it resonated so deeply that it racked up 582 likes and sparked a flood of subscriptions within just 2 weeks.

I love how long content stays fresh on Substack btw.

Here’s the note with stats:

This note worked because it tapped into one of the most powerful forms of BRAND BUILDING content—stance and opinions.

The note opened with what I call a “common enemy hook.” Right from the start, I called out something I don’t stand for, something I absolutely don’t want in my business or life.

It wasn’t just an amusing thought, but a clear statement of my values and a bold declaration of what I believe in and how I operate. That’s why it was magnetic.

When you share your opinions, your beliefs, your stance—people who agree with you don’t just nod along… They feel activated. They lean in. They think, “Finally, someone is saying what I’ve been thinking!”. They connect to you because you’re giving voice to their own values, their frustrations, their desires. That’s exactly what happened with the Note.

And because they agreed, they shared it. My words became their words.

Through my post, they got to tell their own audience, “This is what I stand for too.”

And when people saw the note, they naturally checked out my other posts to see what I’m about. They wanted to know more about me, what value I provide, and the community that I’m building over here.

Because when you share your values with clarity and confidence, the right people will want to be part of your world. They’ll recognize themselves in your vision, your values, your lifestyle. They’ll say, “This is my kind of space. This is my kind of person.”

That’s what this note did—it wasn’t just a piece of content. It was a declaration of what I stand for and an invitation to join me.

Posts like this don’t just build engagement—they build your brand.

A brand isn’t just a logo or a tagline. A brand is an intangible thing built on personality + shared values, beliefs, and behaviors. It’s about standing for something meaningful, something others want to stand for too. That’s why this post didn’t just go “viral“—it built connection.

But here’s what I need you to realize: This is about so much more than a single post. It’s about what you’re already doing, whether you know it or not.

You’re leading a movement.

Yes…
If you’re in business to make an impact and offer a transformation, you’re leading a movement.

Every time you take a stand, share your vision, or voice your beliefs, you’re pulling people into that movement. You’re building a vibe tribe. You’re showing them there’s an alternative to the chaos out there, and a collective where they can feel seen, heard, and supported.

When you focus on that movement—on what you’re standing for and what you want everyone to know—it becomes easy to write posts like this. They flow naturally because you’re not chasing money, followers, or virality. You’re standing in your truth, and that truth pulls the right people toward you.

The magic of leading a movement is that it brings everything with it:
a loyal audience who loves and trusts you,
avid buyers who are eager to support you,
passionate affiliates who amplify your message,
and yes—all the money you could ever need.

How to write notes like this

I want you to take a few minutes and make a simple table with two columns (on paper or in any app you like). This table will help you identify the things that are frustrating, toxic, misaligned, unnecessary, etc. in your industry. And then contrast that with what you actually want to see change.

Step 1: Set up your table

Step 2: Think about your industry. What pisses you off?

What’s going on in your industry or niche that really grinds your gears? What practices or attitudes do you want to stop seeing or perpetuating? Write down all that comes to mind.

You can also pull insights from your Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) research. We’ve done this before when we dug into what your ICA dislikes, what annoys them, and what they don’t want, over in this post and the ChatGPT prompts I shared there. Tap into that data if you have it, and use it to fuel your list.

You can give GPT what you write down and ask it to give you more ideas, and make the ideas specific.

Example of things you don’t want to see in your industry:

• Overly-salesy, impersonal marketing

• People pretending to have it all together

• Military like advice that leads to people being drained

Step 3: Now, flip the script. What do you want to see instead?

Once you’ve identified the things that grind your gears, write down what you actually do want to replace them with.

This is where you create the contrast and show your audience that you’re offering something different, something aligned with the values and change they want to see.

Example of things you want to see instead:

• Authentic, heart-centered marketing that connects

• Real, vulnerable shares from people who are human just like them

• Actionable advice that empowers instead of drains

Step 4: Write your magnetic Note

Now that you have your list of contrasts, it’s time to craft your post. Here’s a simple structure to follow:

1. Start with your "common enemy" hook. Open with a strong statement about what you don't want to see in the industry. Call it out—don’t be afraid to be bold. This is your moment to get people’s attention.

2. Contrast with what you DO want to see. Share what you believe in and what you’re fighting for. This is where your audience will nod along and say, “Yes! This is what I’ve been thinking, too!”

3. End with an invitation. Wrap it up with something like:

   • “If you’re feeling that, welcome to my corner of the internet—you’re gonna love it here 🧚‍♂️.”

   • Or something that invites them into your community, your movement, your space.

Like I did in the Note:

Bonus “hooks”

I wanted to give you some inspo for this, so here are some hooks you can use:

1. "The advice to ___ needs to die already."

2. "Am I the only one who thinks ___ is the worst advice ever?"

3. "Can we all agree that ___ is not the vibe?"

4. "If I see one more person say ___, I’m going to scream."

5. "Don’t you hate it when ___?"

6. "What if we stopped ___ and tried ___ instead?"

Also…

Any time you see a post that promotes values or approaches that you strongly disagree with, save that and use that as the hook to share what you don’t want/dislike/hate.

This way you’ll constantly create these kinds of brand building viral notes.

Take a stand. Lead with your vision. Let the movement do the rest.