How to Grow on Substack with Notes
A clear breakdown of what to post, how often, and why Notes matter for growth.
We all know that Notes bring in the most subscribers, but has anyone explained to you how to use them?
I’m tired of reading the vague advice “Use Notes, they bring in a lot of subscribers,” which is exactly why I’m going to do my best to explain how Notes work, what kinds of Notes work, and how often you should post Notes to get noticed.
Growing on Substack doesn’t have to be difficult or a big secret.
We’re a community and communities help each other.
But first, take your FREE Substack Guide ❤️
What exactly are Notes?
Let’s skip the obvious part that Notes are similar to the feed of Facebook and X. That’s clear.
There’s one thing you need to know about Notes: they’re the most powerful tool for getting people to see your content. Not just people who’ve never seen your work before, but your existing subscribers as well.
Relying solely on emails would be crazy. Clicking the Publish button is by no means the final step.
Because if you’re counting on your subscribers to receive an email with your work in their inbox and you won’t have to announce to the world that there’s something new, that’s not exactly how it works.
A significant portion of people using Substack have turned off the option to receive emails in their inbox and prefer to use only the app. In that case, relying solely on emails isn’t an option.
Plus, a significant portion of them end up in Spam or Promotions.
This is where the importance of Notes comes in.
How do you promote your article in Notes without it looking like an ad?
That’s the tricky part.
You don’t just post a link and say, “New post! Read it.” I wish it were that simple. But without a little context, your potential reader won’t be able to pique their curiosity.
Here’s what you could do:
pick a strong sentence from the article
repost it as a Note
or/and
add 1–2 sentences of context
and then add the link to your post
That way, it doesn’t look like an ad, but rather like a thought worth reading.
And trust me, people click!
If you’re curious about how Notes and Posts spread and go viral, read this:
What kind of Notes work?
Here comes the part that nobody explains or rather, explains in a textbook-like way and that almost never works.
Something I think is very important to clarify is that people don’t want to read mini-articles.
But they also don’t want empty motivational phrases.
And they certainly don’t want to see “New post! Click the Link!” that’s the fastest way to get ignored.
From my own experiments and observations, I’d say three types of Notes work:
1. Thoughts that sound like a person, not an author
Thoughts you’d write to a friend at 2 a.m. Something that really struck you and you can’t wait to share with your best friend.
Here are a few examples from some of my favorite authors:
Haide Wall Giesbrecht’s work is worth reading and if you haven’t checked out her newsletter, i highly recommend doing so ❤️
Not Exactly Ana not only will help you feel less alone in those moments when you’ve told yourself that no one understands you, but she’s also one of the biggest supporters of writers on Substack. By the way, she just launched a new visibility project on Substack this month 👉
Tim Chessher is exactly what you need after a stressful day. Whether he’s writing poetry, stories, or personal reflections, his writing is more valuable than a spa day or even a walk.
2. Micro-stories
People love getting a peek into someone’s world, but they don’t like reading novels in Notes.
Did something interesting happen on the street? Share it!
Did you witness a heart-melting love story between older people? Share it (I love stories like that)
That’s what I call behind-the-scenes.
It could be your work process. It could be a photo of your workspace while you’re writing your new article.
Let people get closer to you so they can get to know you
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