What’s in this bonus guide to Notes:
* My top Substack guidance right now.
* Wisdom from two amazing Substack creators—Leslie Brenner and Kristin Tweedale—with practical ways to take advantage of the Notes Boost Challenge and get engagement on Notes even if you are avoiding Notes or feel like you’re posting into the void.
* Below, I share some of the amazing Substack Writers at Work and what the Notes Boost Challenge is doing for them. (If you aren’t part of the Challenge, please do so!)
My guests
Leslie Brenner runs Cooks Without Borders, a Substack focused on food and culture. She was formerly a food editor at the I and has won two (2!) James Beard Journalism Awards and two (2!) Webby Awards. Her Substack’s tagline is “Spectacular recipes steeped in culture” and short description is “for adventurous, curious food lovers.” Leslie started her Cooks Without Borders website in 2016 on Squarespace, which serves as a database of recipes that underpins her Substack. She launched her Substack in April 2023, moving her storytelling content here while maintaining her original website.
Kristin Tweedale runs a creativity-focused Substack Your Story Matters by rukristin with the tagline “We make art.” Substack description: “Every week, you get bite-sized, actionable tips to keep your creativity flowing, no matter how busy your schedule is.” She’s been working on a daily creative project for five years and initially used Substack to host her podcast and weekly newsletter. She sends out weekly newsletters on Saturdays and podcast emails on Mondays, taking full advantage of Substack’s features including newsletters, polls, comments, podcasts, and videos.
My essential Notes guidance (right now)
I say “right now” because the Notes algorithm changes (literally) every day (per Substack). I’ll keep you abreast of any changes.
* Why Notes and the Notes Boost Challenge are well worth your time: All that time you spend on other social media platforms? The shelflife of what you post there is very short:
* Tweets last ~30 seconds
* Instagram posts ~48 hours
* Facebook posts ~4 hours
* Notes can continue gaining traction for months—we’re seeing Notes from a year ago
* Keywords: Yup, they do work in terms of getting your Notes by the algorithm. Use keywords to have your Notes appear in specific categories/searches. For many of you, that’s a bummer because we all hoped keywords were a thing of the past, but alas, alack.
* Categories: Consider which category your content falls under, as some categories get more viral engagement than others, e.g., U.S. Politics is a viral stew whereas Education is snoozeville. (That means, don’t say you’re offering “a class” because that’s where that Note will end up.)
* Video: Video isn’t really getting engagement on Notes. Some are, yes, but not for the most part.
* The Notes algorithm: Substack’s algorithm privileges engagement, not frequency. But if you’re new or your people aren’t on Notes, how can you get engagement? That’s what the Notes Boosts are for.
* Notes Boost: The Notes Boost is how you take advantage of the significant subscriber growth happening on Notes right now. We come together as a community to support each other by liking, restacking, and commenting on each others' Notes—but only if we are genuinely interested in them. The Notes algorithm privileges engagement, not frequency. The Notes Boost is how you get engagement and give your Note a fighting chance instead of feeling like you’re screaming into the void.
* Notes Boost Challenge: Notes Boost but better because it’s every day through March 31.
Leslie on community, not going viral, and having patience
* No need to go viral: After participating in the Notes Boost Challenge, her 30-day views increased by 9,000 (views are the metric we want to watch)—showing that you don’t need to go viral to grow.
* What to write about: Write about topics with broad appeal that still connect to your niche, e.g., the history of celery (I love what she said, “Everybody has celery in their life”) but tied to her food expertise.
* See and restack Leslie’s excellent Celery Appreciation Day Note here.
* Community: Help fellow writers by engaging with at least five Notes in each Notes Boost: “We’re all helping each other.”
* Patience: Notes engagement can take time to build—some notes might take days to gain traction.
Kristen's brilliant Notes types and how Notes really go viral
* Kristin tends toward three types of Notes:
* Vanilla/broad Notes that might appeal to all Substack users
* Notes targeted to her specific subscribers and peers
* Niche/insider content with specific terms or references that create one-on-one relationships, e.g., Neopets connects with others who were on the internet in the late 1990s.
* How Notes go viral: For her viral note, the largest group of engagement came in the 7 to 14 day range so don’t judge a Note too soon.
* Authentic voice: Notes allows for more genuine human connection because you know that you're talking to actual human beings and not just brands.
* Subscriber Growth: Even broadly appealing ‘vanilla’ notes can bring in subscribers with minimal unsubscribes.
Notes Boost Challenge Report
It’s March, and I invite you to join the challenge! It’s so fun. The Challenge is how you gain subscribers, get more views, and make real (real!) connections with others in our community.
If there’s one thing I’d have you do this month as your Substack mentor, this is it.
What people are saying:
I committed to the Notes Boost Challenge but with not too much pressure on myself to be perfect. I’ve said even if I miss it for a day or two, I just keep coming back. Above all I try not to sell anything—just be myself and use the « talk to one person » concept you shared. My Notes’ likes are way way up. Several have hundreds of likes. —Karen Bussen of La Flâneuse with Karen Bussen
I was not using Notes at all before this Challenge, and it has shown me it can be worth it. As you have said, my best performing Notes have been relatively short text Notes. I have seen most of my Notes have a big increase in engagement—and one has 1000 likes and brought in 22 subscribers. I am most happy about the resonance I feel with several other people in the Challenge. I look forward to seeing what they post and am hoping for more collaborations in the near future. —Jes Raymond of A Wilder Wonder
The Notes Boost Challenge has been an incredibly enriching experience for me and has given me wind in my sail! I’ve seen a significant increase in subscribers—going from 40 to 140! Engaging with others in the challenge has been wonderful. I’ve discovered and subscribed to new writers and enjoyed supporting fellow participants. — Carrie Jorgenson of The Nest
I have an increase in views, engagement, followers, and new subscribers. I’ve also generated attention to my posts, which is awesome. It’s made a huge difference in that I’m able to connect with people I wouldn’t have otherwise found. It’s not about the task for me, but about finding people I want to follow and read their writing. — Suzanna Quintana of The Totally Awesome After
I have had (and am having) the most wonderful time. I discovered that I just love liking, commenting and sharing others’ posts. It’s a real pleasure and has been a quite unexpected bonus of this Challenge. So far, my own subscribers have steadily grown from 406 to 616, with 11 paying, 2 of whom have come during this Challenge. I am delighted! I have posted every single day, and spent about 30-60 mins or so reading others posts and have loved it. —Jane Duncan Rogers of Embracing Ageing.
I’ve found the challenge psychologically validating. I boost notes that truly resonate. It’s not just about numbers. I’m just paying it forward. —j.e. moyer, LPC of Letters from a Psychotherapist
I’m new to Notes and it’s been amazing. I’ve posted every day and have gotten 217 free subscribers, 3 paid subscribers and 29 new connections, including women I am meeting in person. —Michelle Dowd of Forager Fridays
I’ve been all in on Substack and treating it like a job since the beginning of the Boost. I feel the major improvement for me is my writing is more succinct. I edit and revise my writing all the time now something I’ve avoided in the past.—Chitra Eder of Art of Menopausing
Doing this challenge has been a bit of game changer for me. Was chugging along getting a reasonable 20-40 ish likes a day and then went viral (currently at 8.5k). After that more Notes doing super well in the mid 100s. Subscribers went up 300 percent. Have found several people whom may well become friends—but certainly I would consider “Substack colleagues.” —Jennifer Granville of Jenny's Folly
My views and engagement has increased dramatically. This challenge has been helpful in understanding what kind of Note performs best for me (it’s not what I thought it would be). I truly restack what resonates with me and what I think will resonate with my readers. —Lisa Anderson Shaffer of MUSE
There is no method to my madness, aside from sharing genuinely of myself. I have had a steady increase in Notes, likes, and subscribers. —Janine Agoglia of Yoga Living 50 and Beyond
Turns out, consistency and curiosity are a power duo. In the past 30 days, I’ve gained 4 new paid subscribers, added $434 in annualized revenue, and seen a 22k increase in views. It’s become a ritual, Sarah … much like morning pages but with so much more gratification. — Mansi of The Ripple Maker: Tokens & Tales by Mansi
I’ve not missed a day and I LOVE it. I’ve picked up 75 subs and made deep connections. I finally feel like I've found my people, and they are finding me. We resonate and lift each other up. — Christine Castigliano of Mostly Brave
I have made many connections to writers in my same basic space which I love. My subscribers have gone up considerably as have my follows. I see this as an investment in my own work and I love supporting those who resonate with me. — Bridget Belden of Dancing in the Hurricane
I am enjoying the reading, connecting, and meeting amazing people. I am doing it daily, religiously :) — Marni Battista of Unscripted: Screw the Should Life
It’s DEFINITELY helped me make some new connections and shrink down the overwhelming vastness of the Substack-verse. It helped me find ‘my peeps.’ I have DEFINITELY gone up in engagement on Notes. I used to get 1, maybe 2, likes on a Note if I was lucky (most were 0). I’ve not gone viral, but I have a couple that hit the 40's. My subscribers increased by more than 50 percent (went from 86 to 139). Follower count went from 110 to 249, so that’s more than double! —Yolanda E. S. Miller of Breadcrumbs + Mustard Seeds
I’ve been posting and engaging in the daily challenge and have at least one new follower AND a new subscriber each day. It’s been super easy to engage and support because there are SO MANY incredible writers and creators in this group. I’m completely smitten and look forward to it each day. —Lynn Reilly of Stories of Serendipity by Lynn Reilly
Share your Notes Boost Challenge tips in the comments…
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