6 Must-haves For a Substack Intro Note
Say "hi" to Substack the right way
Hi Substacker, hope you’ve been well.
If you’re in the process of launching your publication here on Substack, you’re going to love today’s post.
If you’ve been here for a while, don’t click away. It might be time for you to reintroduce yourself on Notes. I know: cringey. But just consider how many people out there in Substack land haven’t met you yet. This is your chance to potentially say “Hi” to a whole new bunch of would-be fans.
In today’s post: 6 elements that should be in your intro note and a 3-step process for (re)introducing yourself on Substack.
How to write an intro note
Sorry, not sorry, I’m not giving you a template for this.
Why? Because you don’t need one, and shouldn’t use one. Trust me on this.
An intro note is just you saying hi, explaining why your Substack publication exists and telling people to check it out.
If you think you need a template, you’re overthinking it. You’re getting in your own way. You’re letting the blank page intimidate you. Stop it.
Harsh truth: if writing an intro note for Substack Notes without a template is a major challenge for you, then you’ve got a mindset problem that can’t be fixed by reading an 800 word post (if you’re really stuck, get on a call with me for a no BS mindset fix).
Step 1
Go for a walk. On your walk, tell an invisible friend why you’re on Substack and what you want to do for readers with your publication. Write down what you said on a piece of paper or dictate it into your phone. When you’re back at your desk, type it word for word into a Note.
That’s it: first draft done!
Step 2
Edit the text: tighten it up by removing superfluous phrases, and do a spell check. Add a picture of yourself, check you have included the six elements I’ve listed below, and press ‘Post’. Job done.
Step 3
There is no step 3. If you think that sounds too easy, you’re wrong. Saying hi should be easy (Not easy for you? See ‘Harsh truth’ above).
6 Must-haves for your intro note
If you’ve followed the steps above, you’ve created some text that feels natural and explains what you want to do for your readers, and you’ve added a photograph.
Before you press ‘Post’, check that your note contains the following elements:
An image of yourself. Choose one with a unique activity, background, angle, colour palette, or outfit - one that will catch attention.
A short, single-sentence opening paragraph.
Context that allows people to decide “Hey, this is for me” with little effort (e.g. “If you grew up in the 90s, you’ll know what I mean…”).
An explicit one-sentence description of what subscribers will get (e.g. “Entertainment/ /nostalgia/inspiration/stimulation + 1 chapter per week delivered straight to your inbox”).
A sentence, phrase or tone that conveys the uniqueness of the writer and/or publication – something to distinguish it from other publications in the same niche.
A link to your publication’s hero post (remove the post preview image so your picture appears larger).
If you’re missing any of these elements, don’t worry, just hit ‘Post’ anyway. You can always improve it and post it again later.
FAQs for intro notes
Q: How long should an intro post be?
A: Doesn’t matter. Just keep your paragraphs short: 1 - 2 sentences is best, with white space between paragraphs.
Q: What time of day should I post my note?
A: Time of day matters when it comes to Notes, but don’t overthink the timing. It’s better to get your note published than to delay it by overthinking the publishing time. Having said that, 10 am to 6 pm EST (U.S.) is best, according to Substack data nerd
.Q: What if I don’t have a perfect image?
A: There is no such thing as a perfect image. The best image is the one that helps you press ‘Post’.
Q: Will my current readers be upset if they see me reintroduce myself in their feeds?
A: Nope. They know you need to meet new readers, and it will remind them of how awesome you are.
Final thoughts
I’ve created a bunch of Substack templates for clients over the years but I refuse to make a template for intro notes. An intro note is just you saying hi, explaining why your Substack publication exists and telling people to check it out: you don’t need a template for that.
(Plus I don’t want everyone to start sounding the same!)
What about you? Have you seen an intro note that inspired you to click through and sign up to a new publication? What was it that made you click? Tell us in the comments.
… and have a great week!
Karen
I need to do this! Thanks Karen. Because of you I now have a hero post!
Thanks for the heads-up, Karen. My apologies—I’ll avoid sharing links in comments going forward.