What's Working On Substack Notes In January 2025

Photo by Nathália Rosa on Unsplash

Two weeks ago I had a Note get 1,000+ likes for the first time since May of last year.

This speaks volumes about the Substack Notes algorithm—and not, strictly speaking, in a good way. I’ll get into why in this article.

A Brief History Of The Substack Notes Algorithm

As I’ve written before, the Notes algorithm in 2024 was tumultuous. In the summer months I was routinely averaging about 200-300 likes per Note on my

Tom Kuegler

profile, where I published writing-related Notes. But then September hit and my likes nosedived off a cliff.

Then in October, personal Notes on my second profile,

Thomas Kuegler

, started going viral.

Notes on this profile kept getting 150+ likes on average for a month, but then in November things went back to normal (30-40 likes per Note).

Conversely in December I saw a slight improvement to writing-related Notes performance at

Tom Kuegler

, and so far in January I’m seeing an avalanche of likes again. It’s just insane.

Notes Is Divided Up Into Two Categories

I see Substack Notes divided up into two categories: Writing related content and Non-writing related content. 😅

Writing content is stuff like:

• Writing advice

• Substack advice

• Creative advice

Non-writing content is stuff like:

• Personal stories

• Expert advice

• Personal updates

I know that’s a very simplistic way of looking at it, but many times this is the binary battle I see on both of my Substack profiles. I’m either seeing Notes about writing, or personal stuff.

I’m either seeing someone introducing themself to Substack which somehow gets them 1,900 new subscribers immediately, or sharing a photo of their espresso in Paris. I’m either seeing someone talk about “explosive” Substack Notes growth, or share a video of their dog explosively running around the park.

It’s either/or. No matter how much I “mute” and “hide” Notes about Substack on my

Thomas Kuegler

profile, the HOW TO GET 1,800,394 SUBSCRIBERS IN 4 MONTHS notes slither their way back into my newsfeed nonetheless.

There is a battle for the soul of Substack Notes being waged as we speak.

Writing Related Notes Are Dominating Right Now

It seems meta writing content is once again dominating on Substack Notes. Like, full-bore dominating. I can tell because I’m looking at the performance of my own Notes.

Here’s some truths about the Substack Notes algorithm I’ve learned after studying it for 12 months:

1. It shifts like a pendulum.

2. Quality does not always lead to more likes.

I’m getting lots of likes right now on my writing-related Notes, but guess what? They’re no better than the Notes I was publishing 3 months ago.

Conversely, the Notes on my

Thomas Kuegler

profile are just as good, quality-wise, as the viral Notes I was publishing in October, but now they’re not getting as many likes.

What do we make of this?

Well, to a certain extent, there’s nothing any of us can do. Yes, Notes remain one of the best ways to grow your Substack, but the harsh reality is that we need some help from the Substack algorithm to grow.

Right now, as I write this on January 20, 2025, it doesn’t seem to be helping creators who don’t write about writing go mega viral.

That’s not really something I want to see. I know I’m reaping the benefits of posting writing-related Notes, but my real dream is to get paid decently for my personal writing. Most of the creators on this platform don’t write about Substack or blogging or writing, yet that’s all I see on my Notes feed.

Why?

I don’t understand the logic of boosting writing-related Notes that much, unless of course these Notes lead to more paid subscribers than personal Notes, which would make more business sense for Substack.

I’m thinking this is the reason.

3 Reasons To Have Hope For Substack Notes

First off, the Substack Notes algorithm changes all the time. Like politics in America, it swings back and forth like a pendulum. Some months writing-related Notes are going to dominate. Other months personal writing will make a comeback. Substack wants to create a platform where everybody can grow their audience, and if that becomes a pipe dream, people will leave. I don’t believe it’s in their best interest to keep letting writing-related Notes dominate the feed, and I think they know that, too.

Secondly, personal Notes are still doing okay. You’ll see a viral personal Note here and there on your feed sometimes. It’s not like they’re getting beaten to a bloody pulp like Rocky or something, but they aren’t exactly winning the big fight either. My best personal Notes can get above 100 likes occasionally, and draw in some new subscribers. It’s still a great way to connect with my audience and get new subscribers. I just wish there was more potential for my personal Notes to go viral—like 300, 400, 500+ likes viral. When that happens, Notes are going to become the undisputed best way to grow your Substack newsletter yet again.

Thirdly, engaging with other writers can make all of this irrelevant. I see engaging with other writers for 30 minutes a day as a way to make the algorithm irrelevant. I’ve been regularly engaging with writers on my

Thomas Kuegler

profile for the last month, and it is making a difference in how many likes my articles AND notes are getting. The difference is not life-changing yet, but if I keep it up, after 5-6 months it won’t matter what happens with the Substack algorithm because I’ll have a steady group of friends who will support my Notes regardless.

I think of commenting and Notes like gasoline and a car. Commenting is the gasoline, and Notes are the car. Yes, the car is an amazingly complex tool for travel, but it needs some gas (or electricity) to run. Commenting and Note writing are two sides of the same coin.

How To Create Your Own Organic Community On Substack In 15 Minutes

Recently I’ve seen authors create Note share programs where they get hundreds of people to share links to their Notes in a long comment thread. I like the idea behind it, but I feel that most Notes will get lost in this vast sea of content, and 95% of people won’t get the support they’re expecting to get.

I feel that these efforts to coldly “manufacture” likes and views might help a small subset of people for a few days, but it won’t lead to lasting impact for most people. The group size is just way too large to consistently stand out or create a meaningful sense of community.

So what’s one to do?

Well, let Substack find your community for you. I spent 15 minutes combing my Substack Notes feed a month ago searching for travel writers, and I started finding them. I followed them and commented on their Notes to prime my algorithm. I also started muting everything I didn’t want to see.

After 15 minutes, my feed was full of interesting authors I wanted to follow. Some had 1,000’s of subscribers, others didn’t even have 100.

Substack’s algorithm is pretty smart. Hide, follow, and subscribe for 15 minutes, and it will figure you out. Once your feed is looking good, just come back to it every day for 30 minutes, scroll it, and leave comments on stuff that stands out to you.

This makes Substack growth feel more like walking through the woods instead of clocking into work. You don’t need a Notes challenge to find your people. Take 15 minutes and let Substack find your people for you.

You don’t need a Notes challenge to get views. Build genuine relationships, and they’ll support you forever instead of for only a few weeks until the challenge is over.

This is the way.

This is the writing long game.

Virality Comes And Goes

There is no shortcut to building an audience. I’ve seen students write a viral note, get hundreds of subscribers in days, then go back to the steady slog of getting 50-60 new subscribers per month. Virality comes and goes, and it won’t change your life as much as you think it will.

You need lots of support to be successful at writing, like friends, and a network. I’m sorry, but for 99.9% of people, that’s something that develops slowly over time, not over the span of a few weeks.

Notes success is a long game just like everything else. The best thing you can do is:

1. Improve your Notes

2. Comment for 30 minutes a day

3. Publish 3-5 Notes per week

4. Analyze what’s working, and do more of it

That’s it. Over time, you will grow.

Thanks so much for reading!

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