Actually the best way to use Notes is to generate Notes about how to use Notes, that way other people will use Notes the same way and pass on the hidden knowledge of how to use Notes in their Notes and before you know it we will sign up for a course on how to use Notes so other people will sign up for a course on how to use Notes and soon enough we'll all be sitting on a beach in Brazil drinking fruity cocktails served to us by a flying parrot waiter because we'll be Brazillionaires and there will no longer be any serious writing of any kind on Substack but who cares about that.
Made me laugh. I 100% grew faster here on Substack when I was writing life/biz advice stuff, and now that I write about things like "I'm sorry but your name is unfortunate" and essays about NOT ending up on Dateline, I'm growing at snails pace. Strongly considering putting a vinyl sticker on the back of my car promoting it instead of playing the Notes game (which works best for a niche of Notes, like you've highlighted)
I’m still trying to find a way to engage with notes that feels authentic. I’m new to Substack, but quickly saw the same patterns with what was being published (on my feed). I don’t want to just do what “works” if I feel like I need to take a shower after doing it. I want to it to be my voice not another gimmick.
Me too… all too often I’m seeing that the kind of notes that “work” are the kind I simply couldn’t bring myself to post and I don’t know how to be anything but myself. It’s a conundrum I’m still trying to fathom, while still adoring the whole experience of sub stacking.
Ive been on Substack for 6.5 months. I post long form content weekly with about 85% consistency. I’ve posted Notes, too, albeit with much less consistency because I haven’t seen any ROI. All of my Notes seem to be shouting into the void. Not one of them has gotten any traction at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
So do I, and sometimes being jealous of other writers here on Substack is a damn silly thing I've ever done. Wishing that my notes could be seen by people and serve as proof that I am not shouting to the void, period.
Same. And I wonder if maybe copious amounts of Notes don’t even matter for my context. I’m not selling coaching or consulting, so maybe notes don’t matter. It seems like overall views matters. Are people reading your long form content? If they are, is that “good enough” for your own context?
Does this mean that they are more interested in promoting your Notes if you offer paid subscriptions? I currently don’t. Maybe if I went paid they would promote my Notes because it helps them make money too!
When I first discovered your pointers on using notes I thought it was worth a try. I've been on Subtack coming up on two years. My stats show just what you're talking about. Very slow growth until I started using notes to my advantage. Now it's very rare to have a day with less than 20+ new subscribers. Some days it's 30, 40 or more. I have reached 70+ subscribers in one day - and a couple of times 60+. Notes is where it's at.
The easiest thing I do is share links to content I read from others that I think my audience will be interested in (practical magic, esoteric, spirituality). I also share “solutions”. I believe this was suggested by the original poster here in one of the recent past posts. For example, for me, that would be ways of simplifying a spiritual practice.
I will be starting a Sunday Share, where I just post a photo of something from my week - maybe with a comment, maybe not.
I would suggest going to the notes of some of the content creators you like to see what they are doing. Check mine out if you like.
Here's my question about notes. Is notes entirely substack authors looking to grow their following by getting other substack authors to subscribe? Or what percentage of people on notes do not have their own substack to promote, but are simply looking for interesting material to read?
at this point, it feels like 60% have a Stack they actively post to. The rest are here for thoughtful social media. There’s trolls and bots, too. I think it’s gotten so that done newbies to Notes don’t even know this is a platform to publish long form.
I am spending time on Notes because it is where I will find new voices and where they'll discover me. I comment, I restack and I see others do this for me. No big numbers. No great change. I find that altering my feed to "Following" helps me see what I want, whereas "Home" is still a bit off mark although I know this is where I need to be for new people to find me, and they me. I'm willing to be slow because I have nothing to sell - I'm looking for community and if one of us is published later...we'll have a cheerleading team, yay me!
I'd like to believe it. Perhaps those numbers are influenced by the big writers who have recently brought their newsletter list/subscribers with them. Without a doubt, Notes helps me find NEW people, whereas the Newsletter goes to those already signed up. But I didn't come with any list at all. My list is very slow and organic as I am commenting and sharing other people whose work I enjoy - and they do the same. But it's slow.
I've been trying for a few days now as I build a healthy habit in sharing notes, while working through longer form posts and articles/newsletters in between. Thanks for this one. Great stuff!
Well, one way to find out! What's the worst case scenario? No one takes notice. Well, even in that case you'd be no farther behind than if you didn't post.
What I like about substack so far is it does feel more authentic, creative, and open. So, I think the trick is to stop trying to figure out what interests others and just write about what interests YOU. It's a big community, chances are someone else will be interested, especially if you are being yourself rather than trying to fit some formula for "success".
Honestly this is so true, I recently understood that "your content" is not for everyone and this is something that i have been learning to be conscious about.
Actually the best way to use Notes is to generate Notes about how to use Notes, that way other people will use Notes the same way and pass on the hidden knowledge of how to use Notes in their Notes and before you know it we will sign up for a course on how to use Notes so other people will sign up for a course on how to use Notes and soon enough we'll all be sitting on a beach in Brazil drinking fruity cocktails served to us by a flying parrot waiter because we'll be Brazillionaires and there will no longer be any serious writing of any kind on Substack but who cares about that.
Made me laugh. I 100% grew faster here on Substack when I was writing life/biz advice stuff, and now that I write about things like "I'm sorry but your name is unfortunate" and essays about NOT ending up on Dateline, I'm growing at snails pace. Strongly considering putting a vinyl sticker on the back of my car promoting it instead of playing the Notes game (which works best for a niche of Notes, like you've highlighted)
So funny. Wow I’ve never heard anyone joke about this before. It’s so original.
This was good note. I've taken note of it.
Have to give you a laugh and a clap emoji 😂👏
https://open.substack.com/pub/iammessage/p/when-no-one-cares-607?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17sf9w
Precisely!
https://substack.com/@theleadingindicator1/note/c-176656172?r=4nhb02&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
Note taken 🧐🤣
You got that right! Or should I put this in my notes?
https://open.substack.com/pub/iammessage/p/when-no-one-cares-607?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17sf9w
I’m still trying to find a way to engage with notes that feels authentic. I’m new to Substack, but quickly saw the same patterns with what was being published (on my feed). I don’t want to just do what “works” if I feel like I need to take a shower after doing it. I want to it to be my voice not another gimmick.
I don't bother with what "works" or doesn't "work". I just post notes about what I'm thinking at the time.
Same here, Chris. Just share your fucking thoughts. I think that's all that matters.
So very much the right way… damn my overthinking!
Me too… all too often I’m seeing that the kind of notes that “work” are the kind I simply couldn’t bring myself to post and I don’t know how to be anything but myself. It’s a conundrum I’m still trying to fathom, while still adoring the whole experience of sub stacking.
https://open.substack.com/pub/iammessage/p/when-no-one-cares-607?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17sf9w
I'm going to honestly say that I'm not quite sure what to write that others will find interesting... plus a dash of ADD :)
Total agreement!
Are we lost at birth? =)
Ive been on Substack for 6.5 months. I post long form content weekly with about 85% consistency. I’ve posted Notes, too, albeit with much less consistency because I haven’t seen any ROI. All of my Notes seem to be shouting into the void. Not one of them has gotten any traction at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
So do I, and sometimes being jealous of other writers here on Substack is a damn silly thing I've ever done. Wishing that my notes could be seen by people and serve as proof that I am not shouting to the void, period.
Same. And I wonder if maybe copious amounts of Notes don’t even matter for my context. I’m not selling coaching or consulting, so maybe notes don’t matter. It seems like overall views matters. Are people reading your long form content? If they are, is that “good enough” for your own context?
I have the same experience.
It’s demoralizing, isn’t it?!? Ugh!!!
LOL — Yup! But… I’m slowly, very slowly, gaining ground. I think. :)
Does this mean that they are more interested in promoting your Notes if you offer paid subscriptions? I currently don’t. Maybe if I went paid they would promote my Notes because it helps them make money too!
Yes, they want to drive subscribers to paid Substacks. Mine is free, so my Notes don't get spread by the algorithm.
Wow, is this really a thing? Would make sense haha
When I first discovered your pointers on using notes I thought it was worth a try. I've been on Subtack coming up on two years. My stats show just what you're talking about. Very slow growth until I started using notes to my advantage. Now it's very rare to have a day with less than 20+ new subscribers. Some days it's 30, 40 or more. I have reached 70+ subscribers in one day - and a couple of times 60+. Notes is where it's at.
https://open.substack.com/pub/iammessage/p/when-no-one-cares-607?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17sf9w
What kind of content do you share? I have a brain and a good one but I cannot
Imagine people want to read my random
Thoughts on notes? So I’m curious/ what do you share on notes?
The easiest thing I do is share links to content I read from others that I think my audience will be interested in (practical magic, esoteric, spirituality). I also share “solutions”. I believe this was suggested by the original poster here in one of the recent past posts. For example, for me, that would be ways of simplifying a spiritual practice.
I will be starting a Sunday Share, where I just post a photo of something from my week - maybe with a comment, maybe not.
I would suggest going to the notes of some of the content creators you like to see what they are doing. Check mine out if you like.
Here's my question about notes. Is notes entirely substack authors looking to grow their following by getting other substack authors to subscribe? Or what percentage of people on notes do not have their own substack to promote, but are simply looking for interesting material to read?
at this point, it feels like 60% have a Stack they actively post to. The rest are here for thoughtful social media. There’s trolls and bots, too. I think it’s gotten so that done newbies to Notes don’t even know this is a platform to publish long form.
My exact thought 💭
This is really interesting. Thank you for sharing with us.
I'm trying to build a habit of posting a couple of notes per day, and also restacking a couple of other peoples notes each day.
I do not care with imperfection of my writing, but researching the content made me fall in the rabbit hole.
Notes is like writing into the void for me. Only a handful of my own followers even see it. Generally, I don't have any engagement at all.
I am spending time on Notes because it is where I will find new voices and where they'll discover me. I comment, I restack and I see others do this for me. No big numbers. No great change. I find that altering my feed to "Following" helps me see what I want, whereas "Home" is still a bit off mark although I know this is where I need to be for new people to find me, and they me. I'm willing to be slow because I have nothing to sell - I'm looking for community and if one of us is published later...we'll have a cheerleading team, yay me!
I'd like to believe it. Perhaps those numbers are influenced by the big writers who have recently brought their newsletter list/subscribers with them. Without a doubt, Notes helps me find NEW people, whereas the Newsletter goes to those already signed up. But I didn't come with any list at all. My list is very slow and organic as I am commenting and sharing other people whose work I enjoy - and they do the same. But it's slow.
I've been trying for a few days now as I build a healthy habit in sharing notes, while working through longer form posts and articles/newsletters in between. Thanks for this one. Great stuff!
I'm not sure what to write to interest others. Even if I do think of something, I’m not sure people will take any notice.
Well, one way to find out! What's the worst case scenario? No one takes notice. Well, even in that case you'd be no farther behind than if you didn't post.
What I like about substack so far is it does feel more authentic, creative, and open. So, I think the trick is to stop trying to figure out what interests others and just write about what interests YOU. It's a big community, chances are someone else will be interested, especially if you are being yourself rather than trying to fit some formula for "success".
Honestly this is so true, I recently understood that "your content" is not for everyone and this is something that i have been learning to be conscious about.
I am going to try this Notes thing seriously
But honestly I am wondering how
This platform will work out successfully for all the creatives in the future? Do we all really have so much content to share every single day?