THE SECRET TO KEEP SHOWING UP IN SUBSTACK NOTES
Notes can help you grow—but only if you stop trying to make every one “perform.”
📥 Still Available:
If you haven’t grabbed my free quick guide yet it covers the main content types on Substack, their purpose, and how to manage them without overwhelm I’m still giving it away right now.
Want me to send it to you personally?
Just sign up below to let me know.
If you’re a beginner, Substack Notes can be one of the fastest ways to grow on Substack.
But they can also become one of the fastest ways to burn out, if you treat them like a daily obligation, or worse, like a game you’re constantly losing.
If you’ve ever asked yourself:
“Am I supposed to post Notes every day just to feed the algorithm? Why do mine feel like they disappear?”
You’re not alone.
The trick to using Notes without burning yourself out is shifting your mindset from chasing results to showing up with intention.
Instead of obsessing over how many likes or restacks you get, focus on treating each Note as a real expression of your thoughts. When you do that, validation becomes a bonus, not the goal.
It also helps to treat Notes as experiments. Some will work, some won’t and that’s the point. You can’t know what clicks until you start putting things out there consistently.
This is where both strategy and volume come in. You need enough output to learn from, but a clear enough intention not to feel scattered.
Let us break these concepts down and make notes a whole lot easier for you guys.
1. Value Matters—But So Does Volume (I will talk more about this on #4 why the mere act of showing up is already more than half of the effort you should be doing)
Let’s get one thing straight:
You’re not posting to “feed the Substack gods.”
You’re posting to share ideas.
You’re also posting to test ideas.
Notes are your sandbox. Your drafting board. Your micro-lab for learning what your audience responds to. Sometimes one will land, and sometimes it won’t, and that’s the point.
A Note not getting likes or restacks doesn’t mean you failed.
It might simply mean that the format or idea didn’t resonate with your audience at this time.
Or it could just mean nothing in particular about how you do your notes, it could just mean it needs some time, or even it’s just a season on the platform.
So beating yourself up for not doing good enough notes is counter productive, and also, why focusing on volume is important.
Because when you have more to work with, it becomes easier to assess what needs tweaking and how to tweak it since you’re working from clearer, more reliable data.
You won’t know what clicks until you try.
Volume still matters not for performance but also for data.
So post often, but detach from the outcome.
You’re not chasing approval. You’re building understanding.
Hey, just a small note : everything I write here is free to read. I haven’t put anything behind a paywall.
If you’ve been enjoying the posts and ever feel like showing a bit of support, you can buy me a coffee ☕
It truly helps me keep this newsletter going and allows me to keep everything free.
I’ll keep doing my best to show up and share things that are hopefully useful to you. 💛
2. Structure Helps People Notice the Value
One of the reasons people burn out with Notes is that every time they post, they’re unsure how they should be doing it.
It creates this constant tension, wondering if it’s right or wrong and that doubt adds friction. If you're like me, facing that every time just makes you want to avoid it altogether.
It also adds extra time trying to prep and structure the Note, which makes the whole process feel heavier than it needs to be.
But once you’ve nailed the right structure for you, it gets way easier to just sit down and do it. It starts to feel more automatic, something you don’t have to overthink every single time.
So here are a few quick tips to help you land your structure:
Notes move fast. That means:
Your hook matters
Readability matters
Format matters
But the thing that keeps someone reading or re-reading is whether it offers value. That doesn’t mean it has to be a how-to tip or a polished takeaway. Value can be:
A single idea that sparks reflection
A funny line that breaks the scroll
A quote or sentence that makes someone pause
A relatable thought, someone wants to save
If it’s skimmable and meaningful? That’s a strong Note.
Structure gets attention. Value earns trust.
3. Know Your Niche Before You Follow Tips
Since we just talked about structure and value, it’s important to mention this too:
Not all Notes work the same across Substack.
This might be why you feel like you’re following all the “high-performing Note” tips but still not seeing results. You start wondering, are they lying?
Trying so hard and not seeing results is exhausting, and that kind of exhaustion could lead you to be demotivated on want to continue the efforts.
But the truth is: different formats and tones of Notes perform differently depending on your category and even more so, your specific audience might naturally respond better to certain Note styles..
A poetic line might land beautifully in the journaling space… but flop in the tech niche.
A quick list might do great with productivity readers… but fall flat with personal essay lovers.
Which is why it’s so important to experiment with volume and pay attention to the patterns that show up.
But that takes time.
If you want to speed up the process of figuring this out, here’s a little tip:
Study what works in your niche.
Look at which Notes are getting restacked.
What’s the tone funny, deep, curious, sarcastic?
Are they short and snappy or more reflective?
Then pick 3–5 styles that feel natural for you to write and rotate through them.
Your consistency won’t come from copying.
It’ll come from iteration.
4. Virality Is Just the Icing on Top
Yes—Notes can grow your audience.
Yes—they’re a visibility tool.
But they work best when you’re not trying to “have a big win”.
Having a Note go viral is a bonus. It's the icing on top.
And here’s my thoughts on that.
I haven’t fully validated this yet, but I’m planning to run a little experiment and track things more objectively. I’ll share what I find when I do.
But here’s what I’ve already noticed:
On weeks when I don’t post Notes at all—or I let the pressure of trying to write a “great” Note stop me from posting anything—I see that general engagement drops even more. Subs, reads, replies… everything.
The overall energy of my publication feels lower.
But on the flip side?
When I show up, even my daily notes only get 5 or 6 likes or none at all, my publication performs better overall.
My other contents somehow get better exposure, and the publication gets overall better engagement.
This is still just a rough observation, but I think this is a helpful mindset shift if you are struggling with finding motivation to be consistent with notes.
I don’t think the point of Notes is to go viral or get noticed fast. The real power of Notes is in helping your publication stay alive. It’s like proof of life, it shows people you’re there.
It’s not about crafting a perfect “banger.” Note.
It’s about showing up, formatting it properly, posting it, and doing that regularly.
6. Expect a Quiet Start—and Keep Posting Anyway
Too many expectations could lead you to burn out, so managing them is essential to cultivate longevity.
Here’s a reality check that might help:
Most Notes won’t gain traction until you’ve built an engaged base of at least ~100 subscribers.
Why? Because that’s often the point where:
You’ve built a content library people can explore
Your existing readers start actively engaging
You’ve developed your voice enough for others to notice
If you're still in the early stages and Notes feel quiet?
That’s normal. And just keep at it, you are doing perfectly fine, great even.
It’s not a sign to stop, it’s a sign to keep experimenting.
You're not just building visibility. You're building understanding.
TL;DR: How to Not Burn Out with Notes
Post often—but don’t stress about each one. You’re testing, not performing.
Structure + clarity + value = traction. Make it easy to read and worth the scroll.
Watch your niche. Different audiences want different things.
Detach from the outcome. Focus on input—effort, format, clarity.
Don’t play the algorithm—play the long game. You’re building trust, not chasing likes.
Notes feel quiet at first. That’s normal. Keep going until they don’t.
One Final Mindset Shift
What’s helped me the most is this:
I don’t post Notes to serve the algorithm. I post Notes to serve my growth.
Sometimes it’s a sketch of an idea.
Sometimes it’s a thought I don’t want to forget.
Sometimes it’s a reminder to myself, disguised as a tip for someone else.
Each one is a rep.
A signal.
A seed.
And when you see Notes that way, you don’t burn out—you build.
Most Substack writers early in their journey, somewhere between 50 to 200 subscribers, struggle with a few common things:
Drowning in advice, but not sure where to start
Learning a lot, but not applying it consistently
Publishing, but not knowing if it’s working or just leading to burnout
I created a Premium Handbook for writers in that exact stage.
It’s filled with principles, tools, and frameworks to help you master the three core content types on Substack: Articles, Notes, and Subscriber Chat.
If you want clarity, structure, and something that moves you forward, check it out below.
Take a look inside:
Get full access and start building with clarity now!
I included a 24-hour 30% discount 🔥 to help you gear up during the slow Substack summer — so you’re ready when September’s high season hits and the internet wakes back up.
CODE: VAYEBOF
Up Next: You asked so here it is.
A behind-the-scenes look at how I stay consistent on Substack without letting it take over my life.
As an independent writer running this publication solo, I’ll share my actual work-from-home routines, the tools I rely on, and how I structure my days to stay efficient and focused.
It’s a practical, honest breakdown for anyone trying to balance creative work with real life.
🛠️ Tools to Discover
I’ve been tracking my time for 4 years now, and it’s one of the best habits I’ve built. It’s helped me stay intentional, balance a full-time job, write weekly, run chats, and still make space for life.
If you want to try it too, here’s MY LINK, it will also be a very big help in maintaining the newsletter free as it is right now.
That’s all for today!. I appreciate you so much for reading up until here! 😊 If you think this article could help someone, feel free to share it or like it it really helps expand its reach to help others as well. 💌
Very helpful. Especially #3 on Niche. Great point. Thanks