5 Things I Learned About Getting Seen on Substack
How small actions help writers get discovered
Hey fellow Stackers,
Do you ever feel this way when posting a Note? You write something, press publish, and then… not much happens.
Not many replies. Not many likes. Maybe just a few quiet views.
It can feel like your words are sitting alone in the feed.
I feel that too. So I started trying to understand how people actually get seen on Substack. In this post, I just want to share a few small things I’ve been learning, and I hope they can be helpful to you too.
1. Notes Are Small Doors
Notes is the social feed inside Substack. It lets writers and readers share short posts, thoughts, links, quotes, images, or small updates without writing a full essay.
A Note doesn’t just reach the people who already know you. Sometimes it travels further and introduces your voice to someone who has never read your work before.
That’s why I started thinking of Notes as small doors. They may look small, but they can be the first place someone discovers you.
Now here’s how to make those small doors work for you.
Make Note easier to find
Sometimes, more people see your Note when it connects with something they already care about.
It could be a recent Substack update, a creator trend, a news moment, or a question many writers are thinking about. For instance, I noticed one of my Notes got far more visibility after tying into the Canvas downtime event. This feels a little like SEO to me: you’re not forcing keywords into your writing, just giving your thought a clearer chance to be found.
Make Note feel like a small story
Being found is good, but being remembered matters more.
Your Note doesn’t need to be perfect. Start with a small, real moment — a morning thought, a small mistake, or something that stuck with you. A useful idea helps, but a personal detail makes people think, “I’ve felt that too.”
Wes Pearce shared that posting simple, consistent Notes helped drive 70% of his growth by letting readers connect with his real voice.
That’s the power of a story-like Note: it gives people something to remember, not just something to read.
2. Comments Are Small Knocks on the Door
If Notes are small doors, then comments feel like small knocks on someone else’s door.
Substack is full of interesting writers and thoughtful posts. Sometimes the best way to be seen isn’t waiting for people to find you, but actively going out and engaging with what others are creating.
When you leave a thoughtful comment, you’re doing more than saying “great post.” You’re showing that you truly read, felt, and thought something in response. That kind of comment can spark real conversation.
And sometimes, that conversation leads people to click on your name and explore your publication. More importantly, you also get to meet more interesting people and build genuine connections.
3. Restack Turns Reading Into Connection
Restack is one of the most useful ways writing travels on Substack. It lets you share posts, Notes, or comments with your subscribers and followers, either as they are or with a few words of your own. Substack also describes Restack as a way to start a new conversation in the Home feed.
When you Restack your own older posts or Notes, you give your previous writing a second chance to be seen. Sometimes a post you wrote months ago still carries a useful or timeless idea. New readers may never have seen it, and even returning readers may appreciate the reminder.
Landon Poburan saw this firsthand when he Restacked an older post, and he later shared that it brought him more than 100 new subscribers overnight.
This is why I like to think of Restack as more than a repost button. It is a small bridge between writers, readers, ideas, and different moments in time.
4. Not Competition, But Introduction
Recommendations are another way people can discover you on Substack.
You can recommend other publications to your readers. Substack says this feature is meant to help creators promote and support one another, and the writers you recommend may also be prompted to recommend you back.
I like to think of it less as competition, and more as introduction. You are telling your readers, “Here is another voice I trust.”
And sometimes, that trust travels back. You help others get seen, and slowly, more people may find their way to you too.
5. Posts Are Still the Home
All these small actions can help more people find you. A Note may help someone notice your voice. A comment may start a conversation. A Restack or recommendation may bring your writing to new readers.
But posts are still the home.
A post gives readers more room to understand you. It is where your ideas can breathe, where your stories can unfold, and where someone can decide, “I want to keep reading this person.”
Substack is still built around publishing posts that can live on your publication and reach readers through email, the web, and the app. That makes posts different from the smaller moments in the feed. They are not just quick signals. They become part of the place you are building.
So while Notes, comments, Restacks, and recommendations may open the door, your posts are what make people stay.
They are the room readers return to.
I hope this small sharing is helpful for your own Substack journey.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on building connections here on Substack. How do you meet and engage with other writers in this community?