The Best Way To Use Substack Notes
Here's a unique strategy for people who feel behind, stuck, or like everyone else has it figured out.
Substack Notes stressed me out for a long time. I’d open the app, scroll through a few posts, and feel like I was behind. Like I was supposed to be smarter. Funnier. Better at distilling complex truths into a few sentences. After all, everyone seemed to know exactly what to post, when to post it, and how to get attention.
I didn’t.
Every time I tried to “figure it out,” I ended up sounding like someone else.
So for months, I didn’t post at all.
I told myself I didn’t need to. That posting Notes on Substack was optional. And that “real writers” focused on the creative stuff.
Which was a lie, honestly.
I wasn’t choosing to focus on the work. I was just soothing my own ego and protecting it from the fact that I didn’t want to be bad at something new.
So I avoided Substack Notes altogether.
The first time I posted something on Notes that I was proud of, it was a random Tuesday. Or maybe a Wednesday.
Can’t remember.
Anyway, I didn’t plan my first Substack note in tons of detail.
Just wrote it in 34 seconds and hit publish.
Then someone replied.
And then another person did, too.
One of them ended up subscribing. The other restacked it.
My Substack note didn’t go viral.
Of course it didn’t.
Got 43 impressions.
But it was progress.
And it also made me realize that the only thing I ever really want from writing is to help others feel seen.
I’m not trying to be clever when I write Substack notes or say something that makes people think I’m smart.
What I’m trying to do is simple.
I want someone to read one of my Notes and feel a little less alone.
A little more okay.
I want them to feel seen… even if they don’t comment or respond or share my note with anyone.
Sometimes, that looks like writing about the days I feel stuck, or behind, or not good enough.
Other times, it looks like saying, “Hey, you’re doing great, even if you haven’t written anything this week.”
Or, I just share something joyful, because I think people need joy more than they need tips.
But always, I’m trying to do one of a few things.
Remind people they’re not broken.
Tell the truth about how slow progress can be.
That’s the bar.
Not engagement.
Not growth.
Just connection.
I don’t post Substack Notes every day.
Sometimes, I go a week or two without saying anything.
Sometimes, I post 10 times in one day.
Just depends on my mood and if I have a little voice inside me saying, “this might be worth sharing.”
Of course, not everything performs well.
I’ve posted things I thought would get traction that didn’t.
But I’ve also posted things I thought were boring but got shared hundreds of times.
There’s no real way to predict success.
But the Substack notes that feel relatable are often the ones where I’m not trying to be useful or clever or performative.
I’m just… saying what’s on my mind.
There’s so much noise out there about how to grow on Substack. How to optimize. How to be consistent. How to build an audience fast.
But honestly?
I think a lot of that stuff just makes people feel like they’re broken. Like they’re always late. Like they’re failing for doing things in a way that doesn’t align with their creative mission.
If you’re anything like me, what you actually need isn’t more strategy. It’s more permission. To be weird. To experiment. To be your authentic self and post something just because you feel like it. And to take breaks without guilt.
Here’s something I want everyone to know…
I haven’t cracked a secret code when it comes to success on Substack. And unless someone works for the platform as a salaried employee, they’re probably just guessing and figuring it out, as well. Just like you and me.
But if I had to guess, the reason I’ve seen some success on Substack is because I don’t treat it like a slot machine and hope for the best. Instead, I treat Substack as a place I go whenever I want to have a meaningful conversation with awesome people.
What about you? When you share something on Substack Notes, what are you hoping to make someone feel?
I love this post. I have been feeling like I somehow was missing something seeing all these post with massive growth in a couple weeks. This was the encouragement i needed. Something I try to do for every reader that comes to my page, or writer whose work I share or respond to. I want them to feel seen, heard, and appreciated. I want them to leave my page and know that their voice matters and they can make a difference. This post does just that.
I rarely share notes on Substack... I prefer to restack the ones that resonate with me. But whenever I share a note, I hope it'll give hope or it'll be calming to someone.