Why it matters:
- Brands are increasing their use of Substack newsletters to engage with their customers, according to data from Subalytics, leveraging content that ranges from a behind-the-scenes look at fashion trends to the kinds of editorial found in lifestyle magazines.
- Luxury consignment brand the RealReal, which has a Substack newsletter called The RealGirl, sees a high percentage of clicks on product links coming from the publishing platform.
- Hinge combined its "No Ordinary Love" literary series on Substack with a hardcover book and partnerships with book clubs, boosting its brand profile in the crowded dating app space.
Companies including The RealReal, Hinge, and Tory Burch are among those that have found creative ways to use Substack to engage with their customers, leveraging content ranging from behind-the-scenes looks at fashion trends to the kind of editorial on culture, entrepreneurship, and even relationships that have long been the purview of lifestyle magazines.
Unlike the fast-paced, visual nature of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, Substack is a platform designed for more traditional bloggers and newsletter writers, whose readers spend time absorbing the musings of their favorite writers and content creators.
Brands have been steadily increasing their use of Substack over the past year, Tim Pletz, CEO of Subalytics, told CO—. Subalytics is a platform that aggregates and analyzes creator data from podcasts, Bluesky, Substack, and Medium. The share of newsletters run by brands totaled 5.3% in 2025, up from 4.3% in 2024, based on a Subalytics analysis of a random sample of 1,000 active Substack newsletters in November 2025 and a separate random sample of 1,000 active newsletters in November 2024, Pletz said.
Services and consumer goods saw the biggest increase among brands using Substack, with services increasing from 27.9% to 32.7% and consumer goods from 20.9% to 26.9%. Technology brands remained a major presence, though their share dipped slightly from 27.9% to 23.1%, according to Subalytics data. Healthcare and education brands are growing in their use of Substack, while energy, media, and industrial goods have a minimal presence.
“Overall, the trend points to growing adoption among service-oriented and consumer-facing brands,” said Pletz.
Substack offers brands a platform to hook customers via storytelling, driving loyalty and sales
Similar to the way that Reddit is primarily a discussion platform that discourages the placement of marketing disguised as content, Substack aims to preserve its positioning as a platform for newsletter writers and the content they create. Substack’s business model relies on the 10% commissions it collects from independent writers, who charge readers for paid subscriptions at varying levels.
Substack reports that it hosts more than 50 million active subscriptions, including 5 million paid subscriptions.
Substack does present marketing opportunities for brands, however. These include newsletter sponsorships, which allow brands to support the content of individual writers, and the potential to build brand awareness and recognition by creating newsletters of their own.
Our Substack creates a space to celebrate and explore the collective enthusiasm of our community, enabling us to share our personality and point of view on an editorial platform largely free from algorithmic advertising.Kristen Naiman, Chief Brand Officer, The RealReal
Companies that are considering expanding their brand presence with a Substack newsletter need to approach the site with a strategy that’s distinct from their other social media initiatives.
“Substack offers opportunities for direct customer engagement without reliance on social algorithms, establishing thought leadership, and experimenting with storytelling or curated content to drive loyalty and potentially sales,” said Pletz. “Success typically comes from understanding the audience, delivering content consistently, and balancing promotional messaging with value-driven insights that keep readers subscribed.”
[Read more: How Brands Both Big and Small Are Tapping Reddit to Drive Business]
The RealReal’s RealGirl Substack strives for authenticity that’s ‘largely free from algorithmic advertising’
The RealReal, an online luxury consignment marketplace for high-end fashion and other products, has embraced Substack. The company, which also operates brick-and-mortar retail locations, launched The RealGirl Substack earlier this year, offering an inside look at the mind of an avid shopper and a behind-the-scenes look at trends on The RealReal platform.
“The RealGirl Substack has been an effective way to deepen the relationship between The RealReal and its most dedicated community members,” Kristen Naiman, Chief Brand Officer, The RealReal, told CO—. “Our Substack creates a space to celebrate and explore the collective enthusiasm of our community, enabling us to share our personality and point of view on an editorial platform largely free from algorithmic advertising.”
Naiman described The RealGirl as “a persona that embodies the TRR superfan — someone who deeply understands the experience from a customer’s perspective.”
She said the author of The RealGirl is a “TRR power user” who does not work at the company. This allows the content to be objective and authentic, she said. The writer’s anonymity “adds to the intrigue” and allows the writer to be candid, Naiman said.
“We liked the way this approach provided a sense of belonging and dialogue within our community,” Naiman said.
Examples of recent posts have included lists of the most- and least-consigned brands on the platform and different experiences created by browsing from the lowest- to highest-priced items versus highest to lowest. In The RealGirl’s introductory post in February, the writer appealed to readers with a knowing wink: “We’ve probably run into each other at 10 a.m. ET on the Editor’s Picks page, frantically trying to add that one Alaïa Teckel bag to our carts,” she wrote. “We might even own each other’s clothes.”
Customers had already been discussing The RealReal on Substack, Naiman said, so The RealGirl simply allows the brand to participate in those conversations. These conversations often extend beyond the topic of specific products and delve into expert insights, industry trends, and behind-the-scenes content that heavy users of the brand are seeking, she said.
“The platform fosters real engagement and dialogue with the most dedicated TRR users,” she said.
An added bonus of the launch of The RealGirl has been the publicity it has generated for the brand, Naiman said.
Another surprise has been subscribers’ desire to shop for products directly from the articles. “[The articles] don’t link to many products, but we see a high percentage of readers clicking links,” Naiman said.
In order to ensure that the content would not violate Substack’s guidelines to prevent blatant marketing in the editorial content, The RealReal worked with Substack on its plan for using the platform before launching it. The company treats the Substack newsletter as an editorial channel, and it is overseen by the company’s brand editorial team, with topics developed by the external contributor, Naiman said.
“Yes, we link to TRR, but so do a lot of other writers,” she said. “We also link to social, news articles, and other Substackers in our posts. It isn’t a channel where we distribute promotions or offers. The intent is to show up as an organic participant in the Substack community.”
Hinge leverages literary storytelling on Substack based on real-life couples
Dating app Hinge has leaned into Substack’s focus on writers and writing at a time when consumers are hungry for literary content.
Earlier this year Hinge turned to Substack for the second iteration of its No Ordinary Love campaign, which tells the stories of real-life couples who have met on the platform.
“Substack has become a place for meaningful discussions about dating and relationships, so bringing No Ordinary Love to the platform felt like a natural fit,” said Jackie Jantos, the CEO of Hinge, in a statement. “We want to complement Substack’s community of writers and readers with honest, authentic perspectives on love from exciting literary voices.”
Hinge partnered with Dazed Studio to publish five stories about those romantic relationships, written by contemporary authors based on interviews they conducted with the real-life couples. The stories, which retell key moments in the relationships from the perspectives of both partners, were inspired by first-person narration in books and movies, Hinge said.
The stories appeared in a series of five weekly installments and were then packaged into a limited-edition hardcover book and distributed to in-person book clubs in New York and London, in keeping with the literary theme of the campaign. The campaign was extended through collaborations with content creators in TikTok’s BookTok community and through out-of-home ad campaigns.
The result? Hinge’s No Ordinary Love campaign broke through the crowded dating app category, generating “a measurable increase in brand consideration among the site’s target audiences,” according to business intelligence platform WARC.
Tory Burch: What Should I Wear? Substack extends brand equity as a thought leader beyond traditional retail spaces
Fashion brand Tory Burch was one of the first major fashion brands to embrace Substack, launching its free monthly newsletter called What Should I Wear? in 2023.
The newsletter takes its name from a book of fashion advice called “What Shall I Wear?” written by Claire McCardell, a pioneering fashion designer who specialized in comfortable sportswear for women in the 1940s and ’50s.
“If Claire McCardell were alive today, she’d have a newsletter,” the debut Substack post from Tory Burch declared, describing its new newsletter as a “refresh” of its digital magazine, “covering style, fashion, culture and women entrepreneurs.”
In the What Should I Wear? newsletter, the company mixes news and observations from fashion shows, product insights, and some behind-the-scenes glimpses of its namesake Founder, Chairman, and Chief Creative Officer Tory Burch. It also features numerous links to other Substack newsletters covering the fashion industry, a tactic often embraced by brands to expand their own communities and support others.
What Should I Wear’s curated mix of product recommendations, cultural commentary, and emerging fashion trends “allows Tory Burch to establish itself as a thought leader while maintaining an ongoing relationship with consumers outside traditional retail environments,” according to a TrendHunter report.
Barbara Thau contributed to this story.
CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here.
Interested in a small business membership?
Find out how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce can help your company grow and thrive in today's rapidly-evolving business environment. Connect with our team to learn how a small business membership can benefit your bottom line and help you achieve your goals.
