The Ultimate Guide To Writing Substack Notes

How writing Notes has generated 1,000s of new subscribers for our publication.

(Icon by Freepik - Flaticon)

Notes are like the short, snackable content of Substack.

They’re perfect for sharing quick insights, engaging with your audience, and attracting new readers (aka, subscribers) for your Substack publication.

Looking at our statistics, we estimate we get about 25% of our subscribers through Substack Notes. In other words, Notes are a powerful way to grow your publication.

(The screenshot above says 41%, but that includes all subscribers from the mobile app.)

Not only does writing Notes lead to new subscribers, but they also help to:

• Build a deeper connection with your existing subscribers: Notes are far easier to publish than a long-form post, so you can have multiple touchpoints per week with your subscribers (compared to 1-2 long-form posts per week). And more touchpoints lead to a stronger connection between you and your audience.

• Connect with other Substack creators: I’ve met dozens of awesome creators simply by engaging with their Notes (or creators engaging with mine). Some of these new connections turned into newsletter recommendations, guest posts, and (best of all) new friendships.

All in all, writing Notes is an invaluable tool for building your audience, deepening relationships with your readers, and growing on Substack.

But consistently writing Notes that get a lot of engagement - and lead to subscriber growth - can be a challenge. That’s why I’ve created this ultimate guide.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Part 1: The 4 Elements Of Writing Engaging Notes

• Part 2: How To Effortlessly Publish 1 - 5 Notes A Day

Ready? Let’s dive straight in.

Part 1: The 4 Elements Of Writing Engaging Notes

Not all Notes are created equal. Some get a lot of engagement (likes, comments, and restacks) and bring in new subscribers - while others disappear into the void.

So what separates a good Note from a forgettable one?

It comes down to four key elements. Nail these, and your Notes will grab more attention, spark more engagement, and drive more subscriber growth.

Let’s break it down.

#1: Keep It Short

Notes are meant to be quick, snackable bits of content that people can consume in seconds. It’s not an essay (save that for your long-form posts), so keep it short and sweet.

Here’s what that means:

• Use Simple Words: No need for fancy vocabulary. Write like you’re texting a friend.

• Write Short Sentences: Keep it punchy and easy to skim.

• Remove Filler Words: Cut out as many words as possible (without diluting your message).

Below are two examples of Notes that are short and to the point, which leads to more engagement:

To make sure your Note is short and sweet, read it out loud before posting it. If it feels clunky or wordy, trim it down.

#2: Attractive Formatting

Even if your Note has the best content in the world, no one’s going to read it if it looks boring.

That’s why attractive formatting plays a massive role in how much engagement your Note will get.

The right formatting helps to get a reader’s attention and keep their attention.

Here’s how to format a Note for maximum impact:

• Use Whitespace: Break up your text so it doesn’t feel like a wall of words.

• Add Bullet Points: Bullet points make your content easier to skim. Use them to break down ideas, share lists, or highlight key takeaways.

• Use Emojis: A well-placed emoji can attract attention and make your Note feel more conversational. Just don’t overdo it.

• Use Bold or Italics: Highlight key words or phrases to draw attention to important points. Use bold if you want to emphasize, and italics to add subtlety.

Below is an example of a Note that is formatted for more engagement:

To check if your Notes are formatted for attention, scroll rapidly through your own Substack account and see which Notes stand out (and why).

#3: Compelling Hook

A great hook grabs attention and makes people curious enough to read more. It’s basically the first thing people see—and it determines whether they’ll stop and read your Note or keep scrolling.

For example, a bad hook would be:

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how to grow on Substack, and I’ve come up with a few ideas I want to share.”

While a much better hook is:

“Want to grow your Substack faster? Here are 3 hacks I wish I knew sooner 👇”

In other words, the goal of a hook is to stop readers in their tracks and make them want to read your post.

If you want to get better at writing hooks, experiment with these formats:

• Promise a benefit

  • “Want to grow your Substack faster? Here’s how I gained 500 subscribers in 30 days.”

• Use numbers

  • “3 simple ways to grow your audience starting today 👇”

• Challenge a common belief

  • “Why consistency isn’t the most important part of growing your Substack.”

• Share a bold statement

  • “Most writers don’t how to monetize their writing. Here’s what to do differently…”

• Highlight pain points

  • “Struggling to get more subscribers? You’re not alone—here’s how to fix it.”

• Create curiosity

  • “This one trick doubled my Substack subscribers in a week 👇”

Below is an example of a Note that uses a strong hook, as it leads with a bold statement that challenges a common belief:

To check if your Note has a strong hook, only read the first sentence and feel whether it pulls you in to read more or not.

#4: Clear Objective

If your Note doesn’t have a clear objective (or message), it’ll feel scattered. Instead, decide what you want your Note to achieve and stick to that objective.

Examples of objectives for a Note could be:

• Educate: Share a quick tip, insight, or actionable advice that helps a reader solve a problem or get closer to their goals.

• Inspire: Motivate your audience (with a quote or personal story) to get into action.

• Entertain: Make your audience laugh or feel other positive emotions.

• Social Proof / Credibility: Share a milestone or achievement to show your authority on a subject.

• Being Personal: Share something about your personal life to let your audience see the human side of you (instead of just the writer/expert/business owner side).

For example, the Note below has one clear objective, which is to educate people on how to create an online mini-course:

Just don’t mix too many objectives in one Note. For example, don’t try to educate, inspire, and entertain all at once—it’ll confuse your message and dilute its impact.

---

Free Masterclass: Grow Your Audience & Income On Substack In 2025

Join us for a LIVE Masterclass on January 30th to fully leverage Substack's massive growth opportunity to grow your audience and income in 2025!

In this free Masterclass, you’ll learn:

• Why everyone’s talking about Substack right now

• Why most writers fail to grow their audiences (and what to do about it)

• What you can do differently to build a Bestselling Substack publication in 2025

---

Part 2: How To Effortlessly Publish 1 - 5 Notes A Day

Consistency is key if you want your Notes to get a lot of engagement and bring in many new subscribers. Posting a Note every now and then isn’t going to do much.

But consistently posting Notes can be a challenge. That’s why this second part of the ultimate guide covers five effective methods that will help you easily publish between one and five Notes a day.

Let’s dive straight in.

#1: Batch Produce Notes

Some days, inspiration just isn’t there - and it’s a struggle to come up with an idea for a Note. That’s why I recommend batching Notes in advance.

Here’s how I do it:

• Step 1: Schedule a 60-minute block once a week (usually on Monday)

• Step 2: Sit down and grab a cup of coffee (this is an essential step)

• Step 3: Write between 20 - 30 Notes (so I have enough for 1 - 2 weeks)

• Step 4: Save them in a Google Doc (so I can easily post them no matter where I am)

• Step 5: Post a Note from this doc whenever I’m out of time (or inspiration) to write a new one

If you don’t batch-produce your Notes, it becomes another task on your daily to-do list, which is a recipe for failure.

Batching Notes is the perfect antidote - and it’s been my biggest ‘secret’ to posting at least one Note a day for the past months.

#2: Don’t Overthink It

Your Notes don’t have to be groundbreaking or mind-blowing. If you have an idea for a Note, just post it.

Don’t overthink it.

Don’t try to perfect it.

Don’t worry about what others will think of it.

Just post it.

Some of my best-performing Notes were so simple I almost didn’t publish them (like the ones below).

So if you have an idea for a Note - no matter how simple - just get it out there. Don’t talk yourself out of posting it.

#3: Repurpose Long-Form Content

If you’re already writing long-form posts, you’ve got a treasure trove of content just waiting to be turned into Notes.

Writing a long-form post takes quite a lot of time, so take advantage of all the effort you put in. Repurpose some of the best snippets, quotes, and insights from your long-form post and turn them into Notes.

No need to make things more difficult for yourself.

#4: Restack Notes Of Other Creators

Restacking is truly a win-win situation. It’s an easy way to publish a Note yourself while - at the same time - promoting the work of another creator.

When you restack a Note, always add your own thoughts, insights, or message to it (see example below). Otherwise, it won’t do much for your personal brand or Substack growth.

#5: Repeat Your Best Ideas

You don’t have to come up with brand-new ideas every day. In fact, if you find an idea or topic that resonates with your audience, keep bringing it back. Double down on it.

This doesn’t mean you just copy-paste your old Notes, but you could:

• Reframe the idea with a new example or story

• Update the wording or format to keep it fresh

• Approach the idea from a different angle (educational, inspirational, case study, deep dive, listicle, etc.)

Finding winning ideas is already a challenge, so don’t make it harder for yourself by constantly trying to find new ideas that resonate.

Instead, double down on a winning idea and turn it into many pieces of content.

Enjoyed this Ultimate Guide To Writing Substack Notes?

Please subscribe to Write • Build • Scale below - and share this article with other creators who you think will benefit from it. :)