Substack Notes Strategy: How Writers Use Notes to Grow a Newsletter
Ask Substack writers where their new subscribers come from and you’ll hear the same answers again and again: recommendations, the Substack app, and Notes, Substack’s short-form feed.
Writers say it openly. One newsletter owner moved from Beehiiv to Substack because “Substack Notes gives me a better shot at reaching new readers.” Another, staying on Beehiiv with 20,000+ subscribers, called Notes “the big difference maker” for a peer’s growth. When Buffer added Notes scheduling, it described Notes as “commonly where Substack writers are seeing growth” and also often “unplanned.”
That last point is the opportunity. Most writers post Notes when they remember to. A small amount of planning goes a long way.
What Notes Is (and Isn’t)
Notes is a feed inside Substack’s app and website where writers and readers post short updates, quotes, images, and links, and restack (share) each other’s posts. Unlike your newsletter, Notes reaches people who don’t subscribe to you yet, including readers of other publications.
It’s not a replacement for the newsletter. It’s a discovery layer that points people back to it.
Engagement Is Not the Same as Growth
One writer who analyzed 100+ of their own Notes found that “posts that got the most likes didn’t always convert subscribers.” What worked was “one clear promise plus one useful insight.”
That matches how other writers break down their sources. One finance writer shared a 30-day breakdown where Substack’s app/onboarding and recommendations each drove more sign-ups than Notes, with Notes in third place. Your mix will differ. Check your subscriber stats in the Substack dashboard to see where your sign-ups actually come from before you over-invest in any one channel.
A Simple Notes Playbook
1. Post the Insight, Link the Depth
Take one specific idea from your latest post, such as a surprising number, a strong opinion, or a short how-to, and write it as a standalone Note that’s useful even if nobody clicks. Then link to the full post.
2. Turn One Post into Many Notes
A single long post usually contains several standalone ideas. One writer found that 76% of their writing “only ever lived inside a newsletter”. Every section header in your post is a candidate Note.
3. Use Images, Including Charts and Tables
Visual Notes stand out in a text-heavy feed. If your post includes a data table, the table image is a ready-made Note. If you write in Markdown, DownStack turns tables into hosted PNG images, so the same image works in your post and in a Note.
4. Restack and Comment Generously
Notes is social. Restacking other writers’ posts with a sentence of your own take, and leaving thoughtful comments, builds the relationships that lead to recommendations.
5. Schedule So It Actually Happens
Substack announced that Notes now integrates with Buffer, so you can schedule Notes alongside your other social channels. If consistency is your problem, batch a week of Notes on publishing day.
A Weekly Rhythm That Fits Around Writing
| Day | Notes activity |
|---|---|
| Publish day | Announce the post with its single best insight |
| +1 day | Share a chart, table, or quote from the post |
| +2 to 4 days | Two or three standalone ideas from the post |
| Daily | Restack or comment on 3 to 5 posts from writers in your niche |
Key Takeaways
- Writers publicly credit Notes as a major discovery channel, but likes don’t equal subscribers.
- Lead with one clear promise and one useful insight, then link to the post.
- Repurpose each post into several Notes, and use images like charts and tables.
- Schedule Notes so they happen consistently. Buffer now supports it.
- Check your own subscriber-source stats before deciding where to spend time.
For more growth tactics, see growing your first 1,000 subscribers and the Substack SEO guide.