18 Ways To Write Engaging Notes on Substack (And Prove You Are Not A Bot)
You’ve heard it all before:
“You have to use Notes to grow!”
“The best engagement is through Notes!”
It’s true. You can grow like crazy, and my subscribers’ list went 4X once I started using Notes in January.
It took me 1 year to hit my first 1,000 subscribers, and I hit my next 1,000 in 3 months.
I’m not here to tell you to jump on that train but to encourage you to stop overcomplicating it and give you a little push.
We discussed Notes this week in The Lemon Tree Mindset Thread 🌳🍋 and many writers struggle with what to post.
If you are looking for a comprehensive manual with a bunch of rules and hooks for writing powerful Notes, you are in the wrong newsletter.
I have one rule and only rule only: don’t sound like a bot.
That’s it.
You don’t need a super fancy and sophisticated strategy to connect with the community. You just need to be yourself and share something that makes people relate.
At the end of the day, people want to connect with people. That’s what Notes is all about. Keep it human.
Here are 18 ways you can use Notes to build your tribe, grow your subscribers and…have fun!
1. Celebrate a milestone
Whether you are celebrating an anniversary, your first 100 subscribers, or a win, people love to join a party.
PS: You don’t need to hit any vanity metric to justify a celebration. Check how
and created opportunities to share their wins with us 🎉2. Support a fellow writer
If you liked someone’s quote or Post, you can share the love by turning it into a Note or restacking it.
Check out the cool story
shared this week in The Lemon Tree Mindset Thread 🌳🍋 on how her Note ended up going viral. What goes around comes around!Join our Thread to discuss writing and personal brand with other writers and creators.
3. Use it as a teaser for your Post
Before I send a newsletter, I often give a heads-up of what’s coming to create FOMO and make readers curious.
Don’t give everything away, but share something that can trigger interest - a yummy snack before the main course.
I love listicles, bullet points, and mixed fonts to make my Notes stand out.
4. Describe a routine
I’m not sure why, but people love comparing routines…
Jokes aside, we all love to hear tips on productivity, habits and routines. Some use the Pomodoro technique, others do morning meditation, I love to go for a run in the morning to get rid of the mental fog.
What works for you?
What’s your sacred routine for writing?
That’s your next Note right there!
5. Share a personal update
Share something that makes people connect with you beyond your email.
Love coffee?
Got a new furry friend?
Just got engaged?
Share whatever you are comfortable sharing.
Many of my subscribers connect with me through random things, such as triathlon or traveling. I loved this casual Friday update from
.6. Announce a launch
Don’t overdo the sales pitch, but you can use Notes to announce something new: a book launch, a new course, a special offer, a new benefit for your paid subscribers…
recently shared with us the launch of his debut novel, The Soulburn Talisman. Let’s show him some love!7. Spark a debate
You can spark a debate by inviting people to share their views on a specific topic.
Do you think selfies work on Substack?
Building in public: yes or no?
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
set the house on fire with his Note 🔥8. Write a mini-story
My writing improved significantly when I started writing short stories on Medium.
The limited space and word count forces you to be concise and focus on the essence.
Flex those writer’s muscles and show us what you go in just a few lines.
did a brilliant job here and I would love to join a SILENT BOOKCLUB.9. Share a tip or a personal thought
People love unique ideas and actionable tips, whether it’s about writing, getting fit, making money, or traveling.
Just don’t share platitudes or generic bits of mass wisdom. Give us something more creative than “clear, not clever.”
10. Connect via hobbies
People immediately bond when they have a shared passion or hobby.
I love fitness and sports, and that often attracts the sporty crew, the cardio bunnies, and the triathlon maniacs.
If you are a foodie, use that to connect with other gourmets.
If you love photography, share some cool shots.
PS: as you can see from
’s Note, glass glowing is clearly more popular than triathlon…it’s a tough crowd here.11. Restack your Newsletter
Share a write-up of your Post so that readers can taste it before clicking to read the full post. Keep it short and focus on keywords that will attract the right crew.
12. Share something funny
Humor is such a great way to become approachable and relatable.
Everyone loves a good laugh, and cats are always funny, although
’s not so much.Nobody loves paying taxes, but somehow,
won on Substack with this sad but true reality.13. Share something inspiring
People love to be inspired. Create your own motivational quotes that keep you going or share your favorite lines and add your special touch, like
did here.14. Create a crash course
Give readers an actionable framework they can borrow and implement.
I often share my strategies for creating online: how to publish your first ebook, tips to overcome procrastination, etc.
This one was a very much-needed etiquette course to behave on Substack and keep it civilized.
15. Interesting facts or data
There’s a lot of interesting data out there that can trigger a conversation.
Did you know that 83% of readers won’t read past your title?
Did you know that only 1-2% of book submissions are accepted on average by publishers?
Did you know the most persuasive word in the English language is “you”?
Find interesting news, data, or stats and use them to create your own Notes.
16. Overcoming obstacles
Think of common challenges your ideal subscribers face.
Mine generally aim to build confidence in writing online, beat procrastination, and find inspiration for a new path.
I liked
’s practical and positive approach to overcoming difficulties.17. A video!
Substack recently introduced the option of uploading a video as a Note. I confess…I haven’t tried it yet, so this one is for me too!
18. Share your journey
This week, I shared my journey as a writer and my newly signed book deal with Penguin, and the support from the community was incredible ❤️
Readers love to be invited backstage and see not only the shot of glory but also the hard work and the rejection that lies underneath.
🍋 How I Got A Book Deal With The World’s Top Publisher Penguin: The Sexy Story (And The Unsexy One)
Don’t be afraid to share your story, but please spare us how many millions you made. No one cares here.
PS: I picked 18 Notes because random numbers are more impactful in writing.
Lemons & Lemonade 🌳🍋
I hope you enjoyed these different Notes, met a few new Substackers, gained inspiration, and had a good laugh.
Many of my Notes don’t get any engagement, and that’s ok too!
Don’t take it personally, and keep building the confidence to show up in public.
This Post was originally behind the paywall, but many of my subscribers need some help to pull the trigger on Notes, so I made it FREE for all.
My dream is to become a full-time writer but I’m not there yet.
If you found it helpful, please consider upgrading your subscription to get some tasty lemonade:
🍋 The Lemon Tree Mindset ebook
🍋 Personal Brand Studio 🎬 a weekly course to build your brand and monetize it
🍋 LinkedIn profile audit with tips based on my experience growing a 7K audience
🍋 Exclusive Threads about writing
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You Can Steal My Substack Strategy But You Can’t Steal My Croissant
Veronica!!! Thank you so much for sharing about my little win!! I appreciate being included in this awesome list! I'm going to implement a lot of what you laid out as well. 😍😍😍
I don't know what I'm doing on Substack (yet) or Notes, but this gives me a lot of ideas. Thanks so much!