The hottest Marketing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

If they can see us, they can fleece us

The Shift With Sam Baker • 878 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Marketing
  1. Menopause marketing can sometimes be insensitive and ridiculous, like promoting menopause tea with flower pictures.
  2. Society's attitude towards menopause is evolving, but there is still progress to be made in how it is perceived and addressed.
  3. This post highlights the societal shift in embracing menopause and the need for better representation and understanding of menopausal experiences.

Don't Give Up

Venture Prose • 459 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. In crowded markets, strive to show unique insight, act fast, and execute well.
  2. If there's a clear leader, consider different strategies - like targeting a different geography or being more capital-efficient.
  3. Entering small or tough market sectors can still work if you start niche, focus on profitability, and learn from previous attempts.

You should be vibecoding for GTM

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 820 implied HN points • 28 May 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Using AI coding tools can really speed up the process of building marketing tools. Even if you aren't a coder, you can create useful apps in just a couple of hours.
  2. Vibecoding allows you to bypass relying on developers for basic tools, giving you the power to manage your go-to-market strategies independently. This can save both time and money.
  3. You can create engaging and interactive tools, like an ROI calculator, that can enhance your sales efforts and make a better impression on potential clients.

Top Links 832 How Gen Alpha influences US consumption. Lithography the final frontier of manufacturing. Iran's heatwave and living in Arcadia.

Chartbook • 429 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Generation Alpha is changing how people in the US shop and consume goods. Their preferences may reshape the market for many years ahead.
  2. Lithography is emerging as a key manufacturing process that could transform industries. It's exciting to see how it might impact technology and production.
  3. Iran is facing extreme heat, which affects daily life. Understanding this climate challenge is important for both local and global discussions.
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The Super Bowl to Valentine’s marketing pipeline is real, but who’s in it?

The Social Juice • 19 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Super Bowl ads mostly replay the same playbook—nostalgia, celebrities, IP and safe emotional hooks—so they reflect where culture already is rather than show what’s next.
  2. Taika Waititi’s heavy ad output shows directors can add style and attention. The results are uneven and it raises questions about whether big-name filmmakers can rescue weak brand strategies.
  3. Marketing is a continuous pipeline from the Super Bowl into Valentine’s, the Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year, with brands using PR rollouts, creator-led work, stunts and partnerships to stay visible. That tactic can drive reach but also sparks backlash when campaigns touch hot topics like surveillance, AI or weight‑loss drugs.

What Is a Brand?

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 119 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. A brand is more than just a logo or a website; it's how a company is perceived by customers. It includes everything about the company, inside and out.
  2. Building a brand involves creating trust and relationships with people. It's about how customers feel when they interact with your business.
  3. Your brand is shaped by how others see you over time. It's important to stand out and leave a memorable impression, as that perception affects your success.

Have purpose agencies forgotten how to do charity ads?

Thoughts on Writing • 379 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Ad agencies may need to relearn how to create impactful charity advertising as commercial clients shift away from social causes.
  2. Charity ads must strike a balance between emotive storytelling and responsible representation of the cause to avoid misrepresentation.
  3. Creating purposeful campaigns for charities requires a different approach compared to commercial brands, involving sensitivity and skill.

Why brand comes first

The Sociology of Business • 657 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Short-term thinking in brand-building focuses on quick sales, leading to discount-dependency, while long-term prioritizes full-funnel strategy and brand desirability.
  2. Brand strategy goes beyond marketing, involving product design, retail, and cultural influence for modern retail success.
  3. Brand management emphasizes organizational cooperation, cultural awareness, and coordination across departments to renew brand perception and maintain relevance.

Philip Morris International: More More More

Invariant • 511 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Philip Morris International is focusing more on next-gen products like IQOS and its heated tobacco units, with efforts to transition users from traditional cigarettes - showing promise for future growth.
  2. Despite some challenges like higher costs and FX pressures, PMI is maintaining its position in the market by introducing innovative products and investing in its portfolio.
  3. ZYN, another product spreading rapidly, faces questions about its popularity among underaged consumers, but it still shows strong growth due to being a preferred choice over competitors.

Only the best marketing campaigns of 2025

The Social Juice • 70 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Brands leaned into bold, attention-grabbing creative across 2025, using pop-ups, OOH, stunts and viral social films to build real brand energy.
  2. Collaborations and celebrity partnerships powered many of the biggest campaigns, and the new COLLAB Index mixes consumer data with cultural scoring so marketers can choose partners that actually move people.
  3. AI and ethics emerged as major marketing issues, with debates about AI-generated content and trust alongside more brands taking public stances on social causes.

What The Freemium!?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1061 implied HN points • 17 Aug 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Freemium is an intentional business strategy that must be carefully constructed.
  2. Freemium is about offering a limited version of a product for free while charging for additional features.
  3. The goal of freemium is to attract users and build an engaged base that can convert to paid customers.

Dishoom's $400m Restaurant Playbook

SatPost by Trung Phan • 148 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Dishoom's unique marketing strategy involves gamifying the dining experience, like letting customers roll dice for a chance to win a free meal. This adds excitement and encourages more people to visit during peak times.
  2. The restaurant blends rich cultural influences from Bombay's Irani cafés with modern dining, making it a middle ground between casual curry houses and high-end Michelin-star restaurants. This allows Dishoom to appeal to a broad range of customers.
  3. Dishoom's approach to expanding includes maintaining quality and the dining experience as core priorities, showing that focus on customer satisfaction can lead to significant growth in sales and popularity.

Under-the-hood of writing on Substack

Sustainability by numbers • 658 implied HN points • 11 Jun 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Building an audience takes time, and almost no one starts with one. Consistently publishing interesting content helps attract more readers over time.
  2. You can potentially make money on platforms like Substack, but it often depends on how engaged your audience is. Even a small, dedicated group can lead to a good income.
  3. Long-form writing is valuable because it allows for deeper exploration of topics. There's always room for new voices, and sharing your insights helps improve public discussions.

The new media, powered by Substack

Substack • 1523 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Substack is partnering with The Free Press to create better tools for media organizations. This will help them build advanced websites and support larger teams.
  2. The Free Press has a strong audience, with over 1 million subscribers, including many who pay. Substack aims to support similar publishers in the future.
  3. These new tools will make it easier for publishers to grow and connect with readers. Substack's app is already driving a lot of subscriptions for various publications.

Cost of Acquisition (CAC) trap.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1022 implied HN points • 12 May 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Focus on optimizing payback period instead of just reducing CAC to improve ROI.
  2. Consider the profitability and long-term value of different acquisition channels before shutting them down based solely on CAC.
  3. The payback period is a superior metric for acquisition that focuses on reinvesting returns and optimizing various aspects like CAC, conversion rate, ARPU, and conversion time.

The American Eschaton is Almost Here

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 1787 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. The author has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a new RPG sourcebook filled with over 1,000 magic items. They believe it's important to launch it now while things are still stable.
  2. They encourage people who love Dungeons & Dragons, or want to share it with family, to support the book. The author thinks it could bring back good, classic gaming values.
  3. There's an upcoming livestream where the author will discuss gaming and pop culture, and interact with viewers. It's an opportunity for fans to ask questions and learn more.

👑 5+ resources with the TOP creative ads

Business & Marketing with Nika • 39 implied HN points • 11 Aug 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. You can find inspiring ads and creative work at places like Ad Creative Bank or the Ads of the World website. These resources showcase some of the best in advertising.
  2. The Cannes Lions Festival is a big deal for marketers, similar to the Oscars for movies. It's a great place to see top creative work and get inspired.
  3. If you're running online ads, check out the Meta Ads Library or Google's Ads Transparency Center to find creative examples in real-time.

10 SEO Myths Killing Your Business

Nail It and Scale It • 99 implied HN points • 01 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. SEO takes time and money to see real results. If you're looking for quick fixes, SEO might not be the best choice for your business.
  2. AI can help with some parts of SEO, like on-page optimization, but it can't do everything. Good content and backlinks still require a lot of manual effort.
  3. SEO isn’t a one-time task; it's an ongoing process. You need to keep optimizing and updating your site regularly to maintain good search rankings.

The end of the content farms

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 499 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Content farms, which used to thrive on SEO-driven articles, are becoming obsolete due to advancements in AI and changes in how people consume media. This shift can lead to better quality content focused on what readers really want.
  2. Tech companies are buying media outlets to improve their customer engagement and lower marketing costs. It's easier for these companies to acquire established brands than to build their own from scratch.
  3. The landscape of journalism and media is changing, with more emphasis on subscription-based models and unique content creation strategies. Creatives are finding new ways to monetize their work, like selling products directly to their audiences.

Paramount's math doesn't add up

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 449 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Bari Weiss is seeking over $200 million for her media startup, but it might not be worth that much due to culture clashes with traditional newsrooms.
  2. Independent podcasters can earn significant money, suggesting that larger companies like Paramount need to better monetize their content, especially on social media.
  3. Generative AI may affect production more than screenwriting in Hollywood, as it struggles with creating good long-form stories.

The Ultimate Founder & Team LinkedIn Playbook (+ Free Templates)

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 86 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Treat your LinkedIn profile like a landing page: be crystal clear who you help, what value you deliver, and what action you want people to take by using your banner, headline, and featured section as your CTA real estate.
  2. Turn employees into a distribution engine by leading from the top and removing friction — find internal thought leaders and give them ready-to-post templates, visuals, content calendars, incentives, and challenges so posting becomes easy and rewarding.
  3. Run a content engine that covers TOFU/MOFU/BOFU and focus on the fundamentals: add real value, engage with others, be authentic, and show up consistently to turn attention into pipeline.

Customers don't care about your AI feature

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 1246 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Most customers don't really care if a product is AI-powered. They want to know how it will solve their problems, not get lost in technical jargon.
  2. Highlighting the benefits and real outcomes of a product works better than focusing on the AI label. Show customers how your product can make their lives easier.
  3. Using 'AI' in marketing can sometimes backfire. It can lower customer expectations and doesn't always justify a higher price. It's better to focus on value rather than buzzwords.

Headway

First 1000 • 943 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Testing simple things can be valuable.
  2. Utilizing social proof on landing pages can be effective.
  3. It's not always necessary to go against the grain.

The Designer-Retailer Friction Edition

Why is this interesting? • 482 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Marketing
  1. Selling through big online retailers can be both good and bad for small designers. They get exposure and orders, but sales events can hurt their sales at independent stores.
  2. Designers struggle with fluctuating order sizes. A big order one season can shrink the next, causing financial stress if they've expanded their operations.
  3. Payment terms with retailers can be tough. They usually pay on their schedule, which can lead to cash flow problems for independent designers.

65 successful media entrepreneurs share their top growth hacks

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 374 implied HN points • 04 Aug 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Many media entrepreneurs are sharing their success stories to help others learn how to build and grow their businesses. These stories often include practical tips that can be applied to different media projects.
  2. Building a strong online presence is crucial, whether through newsletters, podcasts, or social media. Engaging an audience consistently can lead to loyal subscribers and increased revenue.
  3. Finding a specific niche can be a great strategy for media startups. Focusing on a particular topic or audience allows entrepreneurs to create content that truly resonates and stands out in a crowded market.

💡Conversion: Bigger numbers are not always better

First 1000 • 904 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Bigger numbers are not always better, especially with weaker value propositions.
  2. In A/B testing, a smaller increase in a valuable metric can be more appealing than a larger increase in a less valuable one.
  3. Acquiring your first 1000 customers requires experimentation and finding the right approach.

It’s all about trials

Elena's Growth Scoop • 904 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Trials help showcase a product's value and can increase pricing power.
  2. Trials should be tailored to specific segments for the best results.
  3. Different trial configurations exist, including when to start, what is offered, entry requirements, duration, and type of offer.

What we would’ve done differently in the first year of bootstrapping our company

Founders Confidential • 51 HN points • 28 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Start content marketing early because it takes a long time to build an audience. This way, you can also learn what your users really need.
  2. Target specific keywords in your SEO content. This helps your articles show up in search results and reach the right audience.
  3. Understand your users' experiences more deeply. Talking to them can give you valuable insights to improve your product.

It’s time to hire your first marketing agent

MKT1 Newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Agents are AI teammates that can autonomously run repeatable marketing work — they plan, reason, and act across tools to deliver measurable outcomes.
  2. Build agents like hiring a new teammate: write a short job-style spec, pick a builder (autonomous, structured, or productized), ship a simple MVP, and iterate with human review.
  3. Start with easy, high-ROI agents (competitive intel, content repurposing, social listening, growth analysis), deliver outputs into systems you already use, and design for reliability with structured outputs, checks, and limited permissions.

Fred Smith Built a Great American Company. What Made Him Tick?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 524 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Fred Smith came up with the idea for FedEx while at Yale, despite not doing well in school. He didn't let that grade stop him from building a huge company.
  2. FedEx changed how people expect deliveries with its promise of overnight shipping. Smith had to navigate many rules to make this vision a reality.
  3. As the internet grew, Smith adapted by expanding into ground shipping, helping FedEx stay strong against competitors like UPS and Amazon.

What would a Substack ad product actually look like?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 424 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Substack is considering adding an advertising feature to help connect creators with brands. This could mean creators list their prices for ads, and Substack takes a cut.
  2. There's talk of tools that may automatically insert ads into newsletters. This could help creators, but they might lose some control over the ad content.
  3. More publishers are using mobile apps to keep subscribers engaged, showing that apps can help reduce subscription cancellations and drive user interaction.

#1 Question You Need to Crush Your Niche

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 99 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
💼 Business Marketing
  1. Success takes time and effort; it doesn't happen overnight. Jim Carrey's journey shows that hard work is key to reaching your goals.
  2. Understanding your audience is crucial. Asking 'What do they want?' can help you create something they truly value.
  3. Don't just settle for the surface; dig deeper to find unique insights. This can set you apart in a crowded market.

Increase the Odds of Getting Boosted by Submitting Your Stories to These 60 Medium Publications

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 739 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🚌 Education Marketing
  1. Submitting your stories to Medium's Boost-eligible publications can greatly increase your chances of getting noticed. It's like giving your work a better chance to shine.
  2. When a story gets Boosted, it can earn significantly more money and engagement than a non-Boosted story. Getting Boosted really can make a big difference.
  3. There are many active publications on Medium, so you just need to find the right fit for your writing. Once they see your amazing stories, you'll have a better shot at success.