Substack has officially launched its new feature, Notes, which takes inspiration from Twitter and hopes to attract users away from the beleaguered social network. Notes is available to all Substack users and allows them to post external links, images, videos, and other types of content. The feed is divided into two tabs, with the “Home” tab displaying content from creators that the user follows, while the “Subscribed” tab displays content from creators the user has subscribed to.
Substack sees Notes as a way for creators to find a wider audience and encourages users to share and engage with the notes. However, the launch of Notes has not been without controversy. When Substack announced the feature last week, Twitter began blocking engagement with Substack-related tweets. The social media giant has since paused its actions, but it remains to be seen how Notes will fare in the long run.
Despite the controversy, Substack is on a growth trajectory, with high-profile creators joining the platform and the addition of a chat feature. While Notes is initially pre-seeded with influencers who have large followings, Substack clarifies that anyone can use the feature. It is uncertain whether users will adopt Notes as a secondary Twitter or simply as a way to connect with their favorite newsletter creators.
Substack acknowledges that this is an early version of the product and users should expect some “bumps, bugs and imperfections.” However, the company sees Notes as a small piece of a larger puzzle, which aims to bring more revenue and exposure to content creators.
