I also thought more than one note per day would boost the performance, so now I'll be testing your scheduling extension more (found a solution to my PC problem). I'll definitely share with you how it works for me.
Now, that is a great question. I haven't analyzed the actual Note content category formats yet.
My notes are pretty dull and factual. Over the last 30 days, I have shared updates on my progress with this new Substack Scheduled Notes tool. Also, as I have tested the tool, I left many "test - please ignore" types of Notes and still get likes.
Not really crazy at all! You're demonstrating the golden rule of marketing (even if you're not trying): find a need and fill it. Real data is what everyone needs, regardless of niche or category. Personally, I don’t like guessing!
When I think about how I discovered my favorite writers and publications, I realize I found them almost exclusively from reading their notes. Writing more notes sounds like solid advice for growing an audience here. Thanks for the analysis!
Have you done any analysis of how the different content of notes affects engagement? Like, notes about random stuff vs popular topics du jour vs quotes from your posts vs quotes from other people’s posts?
I haven't looked into the details of the Notes content yet, but that would be another interesting topic to research. I am currently working on the Scheduled Notes Chrome extension, as that tool is getting a lot of interest from Substackers.
Many people want to write Notes in batches and then schedule them to be posted later. I have a 9-5 job, so I cannot post Notes online during the day. Other people may have different reasons, but the lack of Scheduled Notes is a big pain point. So, I built this Chrome extension and now folks are asking for new features:
yeah that sounds like a ton of people would love it!! I personally can't imagine how I'd schedule notes because most of my notes are inspired by interaction with other people's content... but if someone has a clear idea of what they want to post that would be an amazing tool for sure.
love what you've done here . .. I think when someone publishes more - as long as their writing is good - people get to know, like, trust them more - as they interact more - just as we are interacting here
I think that, in terms of the number of notes I post daily (without taking into account the restacks of other notes or of my own notes when others make restack on them), I must be one of the top 50 in Substack, and in Spanish, one of the top 3. Your example of 694 in a month is incredible !!!
(Maybe you will find me in your data)
My problem is that, as I manage 9 newsletters, and I am also involved in 4 more, all about social sciences and humanities, with how wide it is, I have to cover many niches, and I also like to write about Substack, not because there is any business (I don't sell anything), but because it's where I spend 10 hours a day most of the time.
I will write a note about your information, in Spanish.
I think that, in terms of the number of notes I post daily (without taking into account the restacks of other notes or of my own notes when others make restack on them), I must be one of the top 50 in Substack, and in Spanish, one of the top 3.
My problem is that, as I manage 9 newsletters, and I am also involved in 4 more, all about social sciences and humanities, with how wide it is, I have to cover many niches, and I also like to write about Substack, not because there is any business (I don't sell anything), but because it's where I spend 10 hours a day most of the time.
Unfortunately, Substack doesn't have a documented public API, so I am not aware of any alternative way to build a Scheduler that wouldn't require sharing your login credentials.
So, if someone is marketing a cloud-based Substack Scheduler, you should ask basic security questions: "Do I need to share my username and password?" That is explicitly forbidden in Substack Terms of Use - see https://substack.com/tos
Very true! Notes have been a huge driver in my subscriber growth . I post at least one Note per day and do a lot of engaging. Engagement builds relationships which is crucial for longterm sustainability.
Finn! Another amazing post!
I also thought more than one note per day would boost the performance, so now I'll be testing your scheduling extension more (found a solution to my PC problem). I'll definitely share with you how it works for me.
I'm sharing this post in my atomic newsletter!
Thanks Yana!
I'm really interested in your take on this topic.
Will share for sure!
So true Yana! Unfortunately I already recorded the video with Finn... But I'll try to include this in an upcoming post with Finn
That would be great!! Finn is amazing, more people should read / use his stuff
As always, great data analysis Finn! Any insights on what Note formats (listicle, personal, quote, etc.) worked best for you?
Thanks, Cameron!
Now, that is a great question. I haven't analyzed the actual Note content category formats yet.
My notes are pretty dull and factual. Over the last 30 days, I have shared updates on my progress with this new Substack Scheduled Notes tool. Also, as I have tested the tool, I left many "test - please ignore" types of Notes and still get likes.
Pretty crazy, right?
Not really crazy at all! You're demonstrating the golden rule of marketing (even if you're not trying): find a need and fill it. Real data is what everyone needs, regardless of niche or category. Personally, I don’t like guessing!
Again, it is interesting. I like to share my comments to notes. Does it help gather potential readers?
The data strongly supports that.
Very interesting. Do you have any insight as to whether comments shared as Notes perform better or worse than regular Notes?
I have not analyzed that detail yet
Thanks Finn, I'll start selectively sharing some comments as Notes and track the stats I see. Appreciate the analysis.
thanks so much for sharing this, I think the consistency in notes is a big deal!
Yep, I was skeptical but proved it to myself with an experiment. It is hard to argue against the numbers.
loved your recent article about the notes stats :-)
When I think about how I discovered my favorite writers and publications, I realize I found them almost exclusively from reading their notes. Writing more notes sounds like solid advice for growing an audience here. Thanks for the analysis!
Thanks, Terry!
I wrote a few notes showing some extreme cases I found in my database. Even 694 Notes per month isn't too much.
I’ve always said, numbers have power. Your info is great and I appreciate your simplified explanation. Thanks Finn!
Loved this article and the data analysis with it! Helpful as always!
Thanks, Charlie!
Happy New Year.
As a Substack newbie & data afficionado , this is insightful! Are all Notes public, so you’re able to pull them easily for your analysis?
Yes, Substack Notes are public, and you can verify this yourself by opening an Incognito (or private ) window on your browser and going to the Notes URL ( like this one: https://finntropy.substack.com/p/how-often-should-you-publish-notes/comment/84078318 )
Each Substack page uses REST APIs to display data to users. You can pull the data using the same APIs as you do to browse the Substack public pages.
Oh wow, that’s amazing! Thanks for the info!
Have you done any analysis of how the different content of notes affects engagement? Like, notes about random stuff vs popular topics du jour vs quotes from your posts vs quotes from other people’s posts?
I haven't looked into the details of the Notes content yet, but that would be another interesting topic to research. I am currently working on the Scheduled Notes Chrome extension, as that tool is getting a lot of interest from Substackers.
Many people want to write Notes in batches and then schedule them to be posted later. I have a 9-5 job, so I cannot post Notes online during the day. Other people may have different reasons, but the lack of Scheduled Notes is a big pain point. So, I built this Chrome extension and now folks are asking for new features:
https://finntropy.gumroad.com/l/substack_notes_scheduler
yeah that sounds like a ton of people would love it!! I personally can't imagine how I'd schedule notes because most of my notes are inspired by interaction with other people's content... but if someone has a clear idea of what they want to post that would be an amazing tool for sure.
Finn, you're the absolute king of data analysis.
Well, I consider myself an engineer, not a king. But I do love working with data and building tools.
One of my 2025 goals was to get a handle on my Notes posting strategy. Done & dusted! Thanks, Finn! 👍🏽🌞
You are welcome. I hope this analysis and my experiment have been helpful.
love what you've done here . .. I think when someone publishes more - as long as their writing is good - people get to know, like, trust them more - as they interact more - just as we are interacting here
Thanks, Sean!
It is that simple - write and engage more, and growth will follow.
When I heard this the first time, I didn't believe it. I thought that people would get bored and unfollow or unsubscribe quickly.
The data clearly shows that people want relationships and to get to know you better. Posting once a month doesn't cut it.
How many notes PER day is the maximum?
Hi Salvador, I wrote a Note with an example of a Substacker who posted 694 Notes in October 2024—see details at https://substack.com/@finntropy/note/c-83251960.
I attached screenshots from my dashboard that might give some insights into the impact of the high volume of notes on engagement.
I wrote about your article, Finn:
https://substack.com/profile/172879528-salvador-lorca/note/c-83258641
I think that, in terms of the number of notes I post daily (without taking into account the restacks of other notes or of my own notes when others make restack on them), I must be one of the top 50 in Substack, and in Spanish, one of the top 3. Your example of 694 in a month is incredible !!!
(Maybe you will find me in your data)
My problem is that, as I manage 9 newsletters, and I am also involved in 4 more, all about social sciences and humanities, with how wide it is, I have to cover many niches, and I also like to write about Substack, not because there is any business (I don't sell anything), but because it's where I spend 10 hours a day most of the time.
I will write a note about your information, in Spanish.
I don't think there's a cap in place, but probably 30, unless it's getting pushed out to 100 - 1,000+ unique accounts somehow
The algorithm will distribute them regardless – you can check from the web to see how traffic occured (very rudimentary data)
The article referred to those who post 1-2 notes on average EVERY DAY.
And the more the better.
But what is the limit at which an increase does not lead to an advantage?
I think it will be before 30.
Maybe 3 notes a day per profile?
1-2 / day is nothing, that gains you zero visibility
I don't know, you'd have to experiment to see for yourself - that's usually how it works with these things
I post a lot, and I definitely get more than 3 pushed out
It really depends what your audience will be receptive to, they'll engage with anything that appeals to them
Target your content – the more precise you are, the better
I see in your activity, a lot, yes.
I usually post about 5-7 times Notes per day. I am worried if my followers will start to hate me…
If mine hate me for my experimentation with the algorithm, they're more than free to go follow someone else at any time
I'm putting studies into practice right now and gathering data, it's going fine
If anything, this makes my audience sharply targeted, even as a generalist (my niche is non-existent)
5-7 is good, though (very sustainable pace, if anything – I would not post as much as I post now if I'm focusing on long-form)
I think that, in terms of the number of notes I post daily (without taking into account the restacks of other notes or of my own notes when others make restack on them), I must be one of the top 50 in Substack, and in Spanish, one of the top 3.
My problem is that, as I manage 9 newsletters, and I am also involved in 4 more, all about social sciences and humanities, with how wide it is, I have to cover many niches, and I also like to write about Substack, not because there is any business (I don't sell anything), but because it's where I spend 10 hours a day most of the time.
This is brilliant, Finn. What can I say, from experience- notes can definitely help a lot.
Thanks Deni,
Notes really makes a big difference. Even a few more per week is noticeable.
This tool would be great if it didn’t require Chrome to be open
Unfortunately, Substack doesn't have a documented public API, so I am not aware of any alternative way to build a Scheduler that wouldn't require sharing your login credentials.
So, if someone is marketing a cloud-based Substack Scheduler, you should ask basic security questions: "Do I need to share my username and password?" That is explicitly forbidden in Substack Terms of Use - see https://substack.com/tos
That makes sense, but it’s still difficult 😞
I am waiting for the day when Substack releases its own Notes Scheduler, but I am not holding my breath 😄
That would be awesome
Very true! Notes have been a huge driver in my subscriber growth . I post at least one Note per day and do a lot of engaging. Engagement builds relationships which is crucial for longterm sustainability.