What I've learned about Substack Notes (so far)

It’s time I updated you about my Substack Notes ‘experiment’.

It’s time I updated you about my Substack Notes ‘experiment’, which is using that term fairly loosely. I’ve been making Notes, seeing what sticks (if anything) and tracking a little bit of data to help. Here’s what I’m seeing so far.

The platform has its own personality, algorithm or whatever else you want to call it. It rewards different things than Twitter or Instagram or LinkedIn. And if you’re thinking about using it to grow your newsletter or just connect with other writers, here’s what I’m seeing right now.

The big account advantage doesn’t exist

Expecting the usual social media hierarchy? Big names at the top, everyone else fighting for attention? Notes doesn’t work like that, for the most part, though they’ve been pushing celebs (sorry, Lizzo) more than I’d like.

Yes, established writers with large followings get engagement. But I’ve seen plenty of posts from accounts with thousands of subscribers get five likes (me, for example). Meanwhile, someone with 200 followers shares a personal story about their morning coffee routine or a parenting disaster and racks up hundreds or thousands of engagements.

The platform seems to reward authenticity. People are engaging with real moments and honest observations. A writer sharing something vulnerable about their creative process will often outperform someone with ten times the audience posting generic BS. Personal anecdotes land a lot, too. Sadly even the AI ones.

Relentlessness works, even if I can’t bring myself to do it

Some creators post Notes constantly. Multiple times a day. Every observation, every stray thought, every photo from their desk. And it works for them.

Writers are building engaged followings by just showing up constantly, and the algorithm does seem to favour frequency. More posts mean more chances to appear in someone’s feed and more chances for a post to go viral.

I just can’t bring myself to do it. When I try to post that often, everything feels so incredibly forced. My voice disappears (and to be honest, begins to sound more like an LLM). I start writing for the platform instead of writing like myself. But I’ve noticed that the people who can maintain that pace without losing all of their authenticity do see results.

The key seems to be that they’re not forcing it, or at least hiding that well. They have lots of thoughts to share. For them, posting five times a day is just how they naturally engage with the platform.

If you’re someone who thinks in public and enjoys rapid-fire interaction, Notes might be perfect for you. Based on what I’ve seen, frequency does seem to matter.

Visual content is in right now

Photos appear to be doing well, regardless of the content. A gorgeous shot of your workspace, a weird sign you spotted on a walk, a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process. Whatever it looks like, these posts consistently get more engagement than text-only updates.

I’ve seen writers share photos of morning pages, handwritten drafts, coffee cups next to their laptops, beautiful scenery on days off. Simple stuff, and apparently great for engagement.

Live video is picking up too. Substack has been pushing video features, and creators who use them are seeing results. A two-minute video of you talking about your latest post or sharing a quick thought gets likes, comments and shares. It doesn’t need to be professional quality. Actually, rough around the edges seems to work better.

What are you seeing?

These are just my initial observations from a few weeks of paying attention, and I’m always mindful that Notes does change regularly.

Your experience might be completely different. Maybe you’ve cracked the code in ways I haven’t noticed yet. Maybe you’re seeing things I’ve missed entirely.

I’d love to know what you’re seeing on Notes. What posts get traction? What doesn’t? Hit reply or leave a comment. I’m curious what other creators are experiencing!

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