The hottest Marketing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Is Monopoly GO really "PROFITABLE"?

The GameMakers Letter • 137 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Marketing
  1. Monopoly GO seems to be a successful mobile game, generating significant revenue and downloads
  2. The concept of profitability in free-to-play games can be complex, with various factors influencing true financial performance
  3. There may be discrepancies in claims of profitability, as success in the game industry can be evaluated differently

Predicting SaaS waves 🌊

The SaaS Baton • 137 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Market timing is critical for SaaS success; observe new technologies, shifts in build vs buy mindset, new classes of workers, and distribution channels to catch the right market wave.
  2. Product-Market Fit (PMF) is gradual and multi-step; look for early signals like interest in identified problems, prototype feedback, and product usage.
  3. To build a viral social media presence for SaaS, focus on entertaining content, avoid vanity metrics, design shareable paths, trust creators, and don't obsess over tracking social metrics.

Letter #153: Susan Li (2023)

A Letter a Day • 117 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Meta CFO Susan Li discussed the strong Q2 results, digital ad spending, AI investments, and future ambitions during an interview.
  2. AI investments have positively impacted engagement and revenue growth on Meta's platforms.
  3. Meta's new app 'Threads' is focused on user experience first before considering monetization.

The long and winding road

Thoughts on Writing • 159 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Marketing
  1. Author Nick Asbury is releasing a book called 'The Road to Hell' in March/April 2024, critiquing the concept of corporate purpose and advocating for human creativity.
  2. The book argues that the pursuit of corporate purpose led to poor marketing strategies and negative social outcomes.
  3. Asbury's work emphasizes the importance of valuing human creativity and cognitive empathy over corporate interests when it comes to business practices.

🧠 50 Ways to Leave Your Guidelines (And Actually Build a Brand)

the case for brand 💼 • 137 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. A brand is more than just a logo or a marketing plan. It's about how a business operates and the decisions it makes every day.
  2. Every interaction a customer has with a business is a chance to express the brand. From emails to packaging, every detail matters.
  3. To build a strong brand, it's important to think about how brand values influence everything, not just marketing. This includes team culture and customer experiences.
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Everyone Should Start a Newsletter. Yes, That Means You!

Michael’s Newsletter • 235 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Newsletters are better than software businesses in many ways, like being faster to write and cheaper to operate.
  2. Newsletters can be profitable, even surpassing million-dollar incomes, with examples like 'Pragmatic Engineer' making $2.7 million a year.
  3. To start a successful newsletter, focus on topics you can talk endlessly about, curate content, and answer people's questions for valuable content.

Stop focus groups – connect with real people

Hot Takes • 235 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Stop using focus groups and connect with real people for feedback and ideas.
  2. Directly communicating with end users can position your company as a favored option and lead to PR value.
  3. Connecting with users is cheaper, fosters community-building, and provides a stream of creative ideas.

FaZed and confused

SuperJoost Playlist • 238 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. FaZe Clan's $19 million sell-off signals challenges in the esports industry
  2. The coming earnings season for gaming companies will focus on revenue growth and innovation
  3. Issues like brand safety, revenue diversification, and platform changes impact esports growth

Why I love marketing

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 10 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Marketing is much more than just advertising; it's everything a company does to connect with its customers. This includes building websites, social media, and promotional campaigns.
  2. Great marketing focuses on a company's values and what they mean to customers, rather than just the products. Successful ads often connect with deeper themes like community and enjoyment.
  3. Instead of viewing marketing as a hindrance, see it as a chance to communicate and engage with people. Good marketing can create lasting impressions and loyalty.

Diary Entry #1: Early Numbers

Shades of Greaves • 216 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Social media followings are crucial for authors as publishers consider the 'platform' when deciding on book deals.
  2. Self-publishing a book involves challenging odds, as most books sell fewer than 300 copies in their lifetime.
  3. Tracking and analyzing book sales data is essential for authors in understanding promotional tactics' effectiveness and areas for improvement.

This Week in Marketing: Zero-Click Search, Anti-Slop TikTok, YouTube DMs, and Monopoly-Free Meta

The Social Juice • 31 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. TikTok is giving users more control over their feeds by allowing them to limit AI-generated content. This is a response to concerns about low-quality, repetitive content.
  2. Google's new updates are changing how we search online, and many marketers are recognizing that fewer users are clicking on links. People are trusting AI-generated summaries without visiting original websites.
  3. YouTube is bringing back direct messaging after several years, which could lead to more personal interactions on the platform. This change may help connect creators and fans in a more direct way.

This Week in Marketing: TikTok in USA, Anti-links Meta, Netflix vs. YouTube, and Hashtags

The Social Juice • 19 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. TikTok will be sold to or controlled by US owners to avoid a ban, but the deal is controversial and could create new problems.
  2. Meta is tightening what creators can post — Instagram limits hashtags to five and Facebook is testing fees for sharing links — while the company faces scams, ad-fraud accusations, and regulatory pressure.
  3. Platforms are competing over video and podcasts: Netflix is signing video-podcast deals and YouTube is expanding podcast/TV features, forcing advertisers and creators to rethink where they distribute and buy podcast ads.

Starting a business

Tribal Knowledge • 39 implied HN points • 23 May 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Consider the appeal of bootstrapped startups over venture-backed ones for lower risk and more flexibility
  2. Reflect on past business experiences to learn from shortcomings and apply lessons in future endeavors
  3. Explore alternative ways to grow skills and start a business, like content creation, to balance conflicting desires

🚪 A filmmaker SaaS acquired for $15k

No-Code Exits • 117 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Starting small and testing ideas is important to reduce risk and adapt quickly based on feedback.
  2. Creating revenue-driven and sustainable businesses that do not rely on external funding is crucial.
  3. Learning and mastering no-code tools like Bubble can lead to successful ventures with lower maintenance costs and faster shipping times.

PR in the Spacetech Industry: The New Frontier

Space Ambition • 219 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Marketing
  1. Old Space companies stick to traditional PR methods like blogs and partnerships. They are slowly adapting to modern techniques but often play it safe.
  2. New Space companies are more creative in their PR. They use social media and unique events to connect with people and make their launches exciting.
  3. Billionaires like Elon Musk and Richard Branson use personal branding and bold PR stunts to grab attention. They focus on big, inspirational stories that resonate with the public.

The Use of Scarcity Cues in E-Commerce: Impact on User Experience and Trust

UX Psychology • 218 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Online retailers often use scarcity cues like countdown timers and limited quantity messages to create urgency, but research suggests they can harm user experience and trust.
  2. Psychological theories show that scarcity can make products seem more valuable, yet artificial scarcity cues in marketing can annoy users and erode trust.
  3. Recent research found that scarcity cues, especially time-based ones, can lead to negative emotions, frustration, and reduced user trust, highlighting the need for transparent and verifiable messaging in e-commerce.

The End of Brands As We Know Them

The Intersection • 217 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. The evolution of brands is being reshaped by AI, impacting how individuals can compete with institutions.
  2. Technological advancements are upgrading the cognitive operating system of human society, from the printing press in the 15th century to generative AI in the modern era.
  3. Business strategies are shifting from organizational scale to functional speed, from transactional to conversational, and from relying on unique selling propositions to clear points of view in order to stay relevant in the Intelligent Age.

Is there an enterprise sales gene?

Top of the Lyne • 216 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. The enterprise sales gene is complex and unique, different from SMB and mid-market sales genes.
  2. Understanding the ideal customer profile and reaching decision-makers is crucial in enterprise sales.
  3. Emphasize value over features, tell compelling stories, and focus on how your product benefits the customer's business in enterprise sales.

All content should flow toward newsletter signups

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Good content should always encourage people to sign up for newsletters. This helps creators grow their audience and make money.
  2. You can succeed on platforms like Substack even if you start with no followers. Many people have built their subscriber base from scratch.
  3. Partnerships can help you grow faster. Teaming up with established brands can lead to more visibility and subscribers.

The return of the press release

Alex's Personal Blog • 98 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Press releases are becoming more important again because companies want to share news, and AI tools are hungry for information. This makes companies release more press releases to get noticed in AI searches.
  2. With the rise of AI, press releases may start to be longer and more focused on providing a lot of information instead of being catchy for humans. This could change the way companies communicate important updates.
  3. As press releases grow more valuable, companies may make bolder claims without the usual human skepticism. This means PR work will become even busier and might lean more on AI tools.

This Week in Marketing: Ads in ChatGPT, YouTube Algorithm, AI Music, U.S. Senators, and Nvidia vs. Google

The Social Juice • 26 implied HN points • 30 Nov 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. OpenAI is planning to introduce advertisements in ChatGPT, which could change the user experience soon.
  2. YouTube is experimenting with a new recommendation algorithm that might affect how videos are suggested to users.
  3. AI is becoming more accepted in the music industry, with music labels starting to collaborate with AI technologies.

How I Built This In Public: Marko Saric

Build In Public Newsletter • 210 HN points • 10 Mar 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Plausible Analytics was built in public from the first line of code, attracting early users and customers.
  2. Building in public brings transparency, feedback, and support from the community, but requires more than just sharing on social media for startup success.
  3. In building in public, create valuable content, be different, focus on creating a product people want, and learn effective communication strategies.

This Substack Writer Accidentally Enabled The Paid Button - Here's What Happened!

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 459 implied HN points • 11 Jan 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Substack allows anyone to create a newsletter quickly and easily, which can lead to significant earning potential. It's a great way for writers to share their work and connect with readers.
  2. Alicia Kennedy's story shows that even a simple mistake, like accidentally enabling the paid subscription option, can turn a hobby into a source of income. She built a successful newsletter with thousands of subscribers and made over $2,000 a month.
  3. Starting a newsletter can open up many opportunities, like connecting with publishers or getting recognized by major media outlets. Even a small following can lead to financial gain and personal growth in the writing field.

The Carpenter’s Guide To Online Branding: Sell Your SawDust.

Day One • 2456 implied HN points • 05 May 20
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Share your work process, not just the final product. People love stories and want to be informed, educated, and entertained.
  2. Don't hoard your 'sawdust' - share the byproducts of your work. Opportunities come from letting people in on your journey, not just the end result.
  3. Reveal your progress and growth journey. By showcasing your development, you can attract more clients and showcase your expertise.

Encourage my work, and get extra-fun posts!

Meaningness • 99 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. You can now support and encourage the author's work by becoming a paid subscriber
  2. Paid subscribers receive exclusive content, previews, rough versions, and outtakes of the author's work
  3. Subscription prices are set at $8 per month or $80 per year, and fans can pay more as Rabid Supporters

POV > AI

The Intersection • 118 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. A unique point of view can be more valuable than relying solely on AI for creative work, showcasing the importance of human creativity and perspective.
  2. The creative process, involving brainstorming, team collaboration, idea refinement, and client communication, can be greatly expedited by leveraging AI tools.
  3. Creatives with experience have a wealth of ideas and insights stored in their 'drawers' of knowledge, allowing them to quickly adapt and innovate, providing a distinct value compared to AI.

Why newsletter signups should always be your north star

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 723 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Focus on growing newsletter signups as a key metric for success, as platforms can impact content creators' reach and livelihood unpredictably.
  2. Media entrepreneurs should be cautious of relying solely on tech platforms for distribution, as policies and algorithms can mistakenly impact their work.
  3. Entrepreneurs in media should consider covering niche news sites, video channels, podcasts, newsletters, and affiliate/ecommerce to succeed independently.

Platform Papers 2023 Year in Review

Platform Papers • 139 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. 2023 had a record number of articles on platform competition research, with a 16% increase from the previous year.
  2. Marketing articles in platform competition research saw significant growth, accounting for 27% of published articles in 2023.
  3. The main themes in platform competition research covered network effects, platform pricing, winner-takes-all dynamics, and ecosystem governance, highlighting the impact of platforms on their ecosystems.

How writers and creators are using Notes to reach more subscribers

Substack • 516 implied HN points • 11 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Posting three or more thoughtful notes can lead to 50% more subscribers when launching your Substack. It's a powerful way to connect ideas and people.
  2. Notes can be used to experiment with content and get quick feedback from your audience. This helps you develop ideas that your subscribers will like.
  3. Sharing personal stories and engaging with your community through Notes helps build trust and a stronger relationship with your readers.

Mr. Beast is The Biggest Show on TV

Next in Media • 98 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Mr. Beast is a huge YouTube star, making millions and gaining massive views.
  2. Brands should start treating YouTube content creators like TV stars.
  3. There is a need for the advertising industry to catch up and invest in top creators for their media mix.