The tactics killing your Substack growth
Smarter Substack | May 25, 2026
Most creators follow the same Substack playbook, and most creators stay stuck.
🧠 Strategy
Substack vs Kit: Which One Do You Actually Need? (And When to Use Both) — Substack is where people discover you; Kit is the infrastructure you build once discovery is working. This breakdown explains exactly when to add the second tool — and why starting with both is the mistake most creators make.
✍️ Writing
5 Substack Tactics That Don’t Work (I Used Every Single One) — From obsessively rewriting drafts to cold-messaging strangers, Derek Hughes breaks down the habits that feel like progress but quietly kill growth. The fix isn’t a new tactic — it’s stopping the wrong ones.
📊 Data Drop
I Analyzed 789,362 Substack Notes from April. Here’s the Best Time to Post. — Posting between 06:00 and 08:00 UTC consistently underperforms by 30%. The analysis of nearly 800K Notes pinpoints the exact window that outperforms the platform average — and the counterintuitive dead zone most European creators fall into.
P.S. New to Substack or setting it up properly? Download the free Substack Starter Kit — checklists, content planning system, and a strategy guide to launch and grow the right way.
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