Something changed on Substack and I want to make sure you see it.
When someone visits a publication on mobile, they’re not landing on an article archive. They’re landing on a notes feed. It looks like an X profile. That’s not an accident. Substack is telling you exactly what they want writers to do.
Over the last 90 days, about 32 million new subscribers landed on the platform. That’s not from SEO. That’s not from outside ads. That’s people coming to Substack looking for writers. And the way they’re finding writers is through notes.
I think a lot of writers are sleeping on this.
The Notes Feed Is Now Your Front Door
Think about what it means for your notes feed to be the first thing someone sees when they land on your publication.
Your latest articles aren’t the hook anymore. Your notes are. And if you haven’t posted a note in two weeks, that’s what a new reader sees when they show up.
Substack’s algorithm is also rewarding consistency here. Writers who post notes daily are getting pushed out to more people. Small input, compounding reach over time. That’s a real thing happening right now on the platform.
I’ve seen writers build their subscriber count almost entirely inside Substack through notes. They’re posting consistently, showing up daily, and the platform is doing the distribution for them. No other platforms. No ads. Just notes.
Video Is the Part Most Writers Are Ignoring
Scroll through your notes feed and count the videos. There are more than there were six months ago. Significantly more.
Substack TV just rolled out on certain platforms, and the direction is clear. They want to compete with YouTube. Whether they get there or not, the signal right now is that video gets preferential reach. The platform is actively pushing video creators higher in the feed.
Most writers don’t make video. That’s the opportunity. If you’re willing to post even a short, simple video note, you’re standing out in a feed that’s mostly text.
You don’t need a studio or an editor. A phone and something real to say is enough. Images outperform plain text too, so if video feels like too much right now, start with a photo or a graphic. Anything that breaks the scroll.
The Feature Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s the one that I keep bringing up because I think it’s genuinely underused.
Chat.
Once someone finds you through a note, the goal is to keep them around. And the writers who are best at retention are the ones building actual conversations with their readers. Chat is how you do that on Substack.
Most creators online are broadcasting. One direction. Post something, move on. Chat flips that. Readers respond. You respond back. It becomes a real thread. And readers who feel like they’re part of a conversation stick around longer than readers who just consume.
If you’re trying to build any kind of paid tier or revenue stream down the road, community isn’t optional. It’s the foundation. People pay to stay in rooms where they feel seen.
Starting one chat thread a week is enough. One question. Let people respond. Show up in the replies. That’s the whole thing.
Three Things That Actually Move the Needle
I don’t want this to feel like a list of homework. But if you’re trying to figure out where to focus this week, here’s what I’d do.
Post three to five notes a day. Short, real, consistent. Doesn’t have to be long. A thought, an observation, something from your week. The consistency matters more than the length.
Start one chat thread this week. Pick a question your readers actually have something to say about. Reply to every person who responds. That’s it.
Find one writer to collaborate with this month. Maybe you swap recommendations. Maybe you do a live together. Maybe you just start a conversation that becomes something. One collab a month is a reasonable pace and it compounds over time.
What the Shift Is Actually Saying
Substack built the notes feed, prioritized video, and added chat for a reason. They want the platform to be a place people stay, not just a place they visit to read one article.
The window feels open right now. I’m watching writers grow faster on Substack than anywhere else, and most of them are doing it by just showing up in the feed every day.
That’s accessible. You can do that.
Robbin
