I Analyzed my 1611 Substack Notes with ChatGPT — Here’s What I Found About Virality and High Engagement
Writing Viral Substack Notes: Analysis & Best Practices
Many writers complain of slow growth right now on Substack. I did see some slowdown in the last few days as well.
Usually, I get around 15–30 new subscribers per day and right now it’s slow. What’s your observation?
On the positive side: my conversion rate is up to 6.5% and I love it :)
I do get paid subs, but the new free subs are so off. I even tend to think it’s a glitch…So I took the time to dig into some data.
My current Notes performance:
111 Notes with more than 50 likes (which I call high-engagement)
27 Notes with more than 100 likes (which is huge on Substack)
7 Notes with more than 200 likes (which many call viral)
1 Note with 600 likes, 1 with 3,3k and 1 with 10k likes (those I call viral)
And tons of others with moderate and low engagement. I have a total of 1611 Notes.
I exported my Notes data using
’s powerful Chrome extension and started talking to ChatGPT.I asked it to analyze my low performers compared to my high performers and give me a comparative analysis.
By the way, I’ve done the very same exercise with my Medium articles and I learned tons of insights.
So here’s what I’ve discovered.
Insights from Top Viral Notes (500+ Likes)
I’ve got three viral Notes. Here’s what made them stand out:
Emotional Personal Story (“My mom” Note — 10k likes): This note told a heartfelt story about my mother’s resilience and love. It resonated far beyond my usual niche. The authenticity and emotional weight (struggles, triumph, love, loss) gave it a universal appeal.
Why it worked: It was deeply human and relatable. Readers felt the emotion and were moved to like and share.
Lesson: Vulnerability and genuine stories can massively boost engagement, even if the topic isn’t about writing or related to your newsletter.
Downside: I gained only 164 subscribers out of 10k likes. Many people asked to learn more about me or my mom, which is not what my newsletter is about.
To apply this: you can weave personal anecdotes into your content to connect on a human level. For example, if addressing a writing pain point, share a real story from your life that parallels that struggle.
Targeted Motivation (“50 posts will be ignored…” Notes — 3.3k likes): This note spoke directly to the common pain of new writers: being ignored at first. It grabbed attention with a blunt hook and then offered hope (“one day someone will message you: ‘This changed everything for me.’”).
Why it worked: It addressed a specific pain point of my audience (feeling invisible) and provided encouragement. The style was concise and punchy, using short lines to build drama and hope. It’s highly shareable because it motivates anyone who’s creating content. It got me 182 subscribers — much higher subs-to-likes ratio than the first one. Because it’s in my niche.
Lesson: Identify a struggle your audience feels and deliver a hopeful message about it. Acknowledge the pain, then show that persistence pays off.
Community Gratitude (“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Note — 646 likes): This ultra-short note was simply an expression of thanks, which I posted along with a screenshot after I got my badge for achieving $10k in annual recurring revenue — a huge milestone. Despite having just a few words, it received a lot of love.
Why it worked: Timing and context. It followed a big milestone where people were excited with me. The note invited goodwill, readers liked it to celebrate along.
Lesson: Bringing your community into your celebrations (even with a short, heartfelt note) can spur engagement. Be appreciative and human; people enjoy supporting genuine gratitude.
Overall, these outlier posts succeeded by either striking an emotional chord or directly speaking to a widespread need.
My key takeaway: when a note offers high emotional or practical value, readers will engage and share it, creating a viral effect.
Emotions are the name of the virality game.
Comparative Analysis: 100+ Likes vs. <50 Likes Notes
To understand what generally works (and doesn’t), I asked ChatGPT to compare characteristics of my notes that got high engagement (100+ likes) versus those that had low engagement (under 50 likes).
It gave me the table below to highlight the differences:
How to Write Notes that Get 100+ Likes (Detailed Guide with Examples)
Based on the analysis, here are concrete guidelines to craft engaging, potentially viral Substack Notes:
1. Start with a Hook that Grabs Attention:
The first line of your Note should make people stop scrolling. Great hooks often acknowledge a pain point or spark curiosity. For example, one of my best hooks was:
“Your first 50 posts will be ignored.
Your next 50 will be skimmed.”
In two bold sentences, it empathizes with a frustration and makes the reader wonder what comes next. My other effective hooks include surprising statements (e.g., “I had zero audience when I started… Still became a bestseller in record time.”) or provocative opinions (e.g., “Substack is not Medium. Stop writing like it is.”).
Tip: Write a blunt truth or a striking one-liner as your opener: it should either hit a nerve or ignite curiosity.
2. Speak to a Specific Pain or Desire of Your Audience
Identify the struggles, fears, and dreams of the people reading you, and make that the focus of your Note. Writing for writers, you frequently address issues in your newsletter (in my case — “I don’t have expertise…”, slow growth, or the desire to quit). When you pinpoint a real problem, readers instantly relate. For instance, I wrote:
“Everyone says: ‘write consistently.’
Nobody says: ‘it will feel like nobody cares for months.’”
This line works because it addresses the lonely reality many creators face (no feedback for a long time). It shows I get them.
To replicate this, think about a challenge your ideal buyers are likely experiencing right now, and center your note on reassuring them or solving that exact issue.
3. Share Your Personal Experience or a Story
Wherever possible, illustrate the point with a quick personal story, anecdote, or result from your own journey.
Why?
Personal stories build trust and emotional connection. They also set you apart (no one else has your exact story or data). For example, instead of just saying “keep going, you will grow,” you wrote:
“Every day I posted Notes that nobody read… Every day I thought about quitting… Every day I showed up anyway. Now? Over 4,200 subscribers. Momentum doesn’t announce itself. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Just keep going.”
This example packs a punch because it’s real — reveals a low point (zero engagement), then the payoff (thousands of subscribers). It’s motivational because it’s framed as “I went through this, and here’s the outcome.”
Similarly, mentioning specific milestones (mine were: “30 paid subscribers in 3 months” or “$10K ARR from 280 people”) in your notes works well to inspire others.
When writing your Note, ask: What story from my life proves this advice? Even a one-liner story (“I nearly quit in December… Now I’ve crossed $10K ARR.”) can validate the message.
4. Keep it Concise and Punchy
In Substack Notes, less is more. Aim for a tight paragraph or a series of short lines, typically 3 to 7 brief sentences in total.
Avoid long-winded explanations. Edit out filler words and get straight to the point. A good approach is to make each sentence its own line or two, so it’s very skimmable. For example, see how this high engagement note is formatted in sharp, punchy lines.
“For months, I shouted into the void.
No replies.
No likes.
No subs.
Every post felt like failure.
Until one day I stopped writing for everyone, and started writing for one person: the younger me.
That’s when people started reading.”
Every line is brief and either reinforces the feeling of struggle or delivers the turning point. This style makes the note dramatic and easy to read.
When writing yours, you can actually write it out as if each line should stand alone — almost like a poem of statements. Use line breaks for emphasis and to give the reader pauses.
Also, stick to plain text: avoid inserting links or images unless they’re crucial.
A text-only note keeps readers focused.
Links might lead them away, and images can clutter the small Note preview (with the special exception of a personal photo in a story, which I used once to great effect, but use images sparingly).
5. Use an Empowering, Positive Tone
Even if your Note starts by describing a problem or frustration, pivot to a positive outlook or solution.
High-engagement notes often follow a “problem → hope” trajectory.
You acknowledge how hard something is, then encourage the reader that it will get better or explain how to make it better.
Maintain an uplifting tone, you want people to feel motivated after reading.
For example, one of my Notes starts with the hardship (“Zero likes. Zero new subs. I posted anyway… I almost quit.”) but ends with triumph and encouragement (“Today? Notes drive 60% of my paid subscribers… You are allowed to cry. You are not allowed to quit.”).
This balance of realism and optimism is key.
6. Write in a Conversational, “You-Focused” Voice
On Notes, a friendly and direct voice connects best.
Write as if chatting with a peer or coaching a friend. Use the pronoun “you” frequently, it helps readers see themselves in your sentences.
For example, instead of saying “Writers should keep going,” I wrote, “Keep going. The people you’re writing for are out there. They just haven’t found you yet.” This feels personal and directed at the reader.
Use contractions and simple language — “I’m”, “you’ll”, “it’s” — this keeps the tone casual and human. A Note that feels too formal or preachy won’t get as much love.
Sounding like a real person (flaws and all) will. Imagine one subscriber you care about, and write to that one person.
This trick makes your note automatically more intimate and relatable, which can paradoxically appeal to hundreds of others who read it.
7. Offer a Fresh Insight or Unique Angle
Originality helps a note stand out. Try to include at least one thought that isn’t overly common.
This could be a contrarian view (“Virality won’t save you; your audience is the algorithm.”) or a clever metaphor (I compared the first year of writing to “unpaid therapy,” which people found witty and true).
Before publishing, ask yourself: Does this note say something in a way that hasn’t been beaten to death?
You can absolutely talk about well-worn topics (consistency, audience growth), but find a new analogy, a striking statistic, or a bold statement to frame it. That novelty factor can be the difference between 20 likes and 120 likes.
8. Time Your Posts for Max Visibility
I’ve observed that posting when more readers are online boosts engagement. Typically, weekday late-morning to afternoon (US time) works well, which for me (in Europe) is later in the day or evening.
Many of my viral notes went live around 18:00–21:00 UTC, catching the after-work crowd in Europe and midday in the Americas.
In contrast, Notes dropped on Saturday at 7AM, for example, tended to flop (fewer folks scrolling then).
So, plan your most promising Notes for high-traffic windows. If you’re not sure when those are, experiment and watch engagement patterns.
Pro tip: Also consider pacing your posts. Instead of firing off five notes in an hour (where they’ll cannibalize each other’s attention), spread them out. Consistency is great — posting daily or multiple times a day — just ensure each note gets a bit of breathing room in the feed.
I used to think this doesn’t matter, but ChatGPT proved me wrong. The porblem? Substack doesn’t have a scheduling function for Notes…
Luckily,
has a solution for that too.9. Engage with Others and Leverage the Community.
This isn’t about the content of your note itself, but it’s a crucial strategy to make your notes seen by more people.
High engagement often comes when others restack or comment on your note, exposing it to their followers and subscribers. To encourage that, you should be an active participant on the platform.
It also helps you get through the “bubble test” of virality.
Spend time interacting with other writers’ notes: leave genuine comments, restack posts you love (with a thoughtful remark), and build relationships.
This raises your profile. So when you do publish a great note, those people are more likely to see it and boost it.
In short, be visible to get visible: the more you support others, the more they’ll support your work, helping your good notes go viral.
Remember, engaging should be authentic: participate in conversations you care about, don’t just self-promote. Over time, a strong network will naturally amplify your content.
Avoid simply posting “thanks for the tip” + link to your latest post. I immediately delete those.
10. Stay Consistent and Patient.
Please understand that not every note will hit 100+ likes, and that’s okay.
Virality on Substack Notes can be a bit unpredictable. The key is to keep showing up regularly and applying these best practices each time.
Consistency does two things: it improves your skill at writing catchy short-form posts and it increases your odds of a hit.
So treat each note as a learning experience.
Apply the formula (hook + pain point + personal + concise + positive), and if one falls flat, analyze it without discouragement.
Often, a tweak in phrasing or a different example can make a huge difference. Keep going, and over time you’ll crack the code for your audience.
Combine those elements with your authentic voice, and you’ll consistently create Notes that get not just 100 likes, but perhaps hundreds or even thousands.
How to use this analysis?
My best advice is to save it as a pdf and give it to ChatGPT. Then ask it to adapt these techniques for your niche and audience.
Remember to give it a list of pain points your audience has.
And if you still find it hard, simply use my custom GPT — it helps me write 10+ viral-ready Notes in less than 15 minutes.
Stay Unplugged!
Yana
P.S. If Substack still feels overwhelming, check out this link.
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I love all the gory details and data that come with posts like this. I can't wait to one day have enough data points to do what you've just done. Steven
https://stevenscesa.substack.com/p/substack-statistics-month-1
Interesting insights. I’m a newbie on Substack, and I haven’t really gotten any likes or gone viral yet but my second post got the most views. It was about my motivation for writing and sharing my story, and I even added a sweaty post-run selfie. I didn’t expect anything at the beginning of my Substack journey, but it already feels like a huge success to me. https://davidrunninghome.substack.com/p/running-home-2-context