Brands, here's how you should actually launch your Substack.

Don't.

A few weeks ago, I posted a quick Note sharing my perspective that most brands shouldn’t launch a Substack. Brands should invest in partnerships with Substack writers. Founders should launch a Substack if they’re interesting and represent the brand. But most brands shouldn’t launch a Substack.

Anyway, I posted the Note and moved on because my Notes tend to get 7 likes at best. This one went viral (virality is relative).

I thought, ‘I wouldn’t be a data-driven Brand Person if I didn’t leverage that insight to inform my next Substack letter — and I wouldn’t be a community-led brand-builder if that letter didn’t include thoughts from my BrandStack friends.’

First, I’ll rant on my perspective a bit more. We’re living in a creator economy and Substack is for people. To an extent, that applies to all organic social. We’ve managed to weasel our way into the algorithms, but I would argue that it’s an uphill battle for 95% of brands. Before you freak out, I’m not suggesting brands shouldn’t be on social media at all. I’m a brand marketer — I live for a good campaign.

That said, as I’ve written about before, the role of brand accounts has changed in this creator/influencer economy. The bar on quality brand content is higher than ever, and consumers discover brands through influencers more than ever. An influential client of mine was concerned about not having enough content to keep up with the brand account after launch. We’re producing a launch shoot, but beyond that we’re focusing our limited resources on initiatives to amplify the brand through people — her personal socials, partnerships with Substack writers, strategic gifting, affiliate, events, founder-led retail sampling. That’s not to say Instagram isn’t important for the brand — it is, and all of these initiatives will provide content. But truthfully, she’s always going to drive more reach and engagement through her personal socials. The brand accounts’ role then becomes more of a destination to spark intrigue after discovering the brand through the founder or an influencer, before visiting the site. Why waste precious resources scrambling to keep up with an arbitrary posting cadence if most people won’t even see it in their feed?

This logic applies even more on Substack because the platform is driven by editorial. You can argue that there’s an opportunity for brands to take this approach — but branded content will never be as authentic as real editorial content because consumer goods brands don’t have the luxury of operating like a media company or publication — it’s a completely different business model. Even Substack writers who run on affiliate are selling a point of view through curation, and people trust them for their taste and style. That simply doesn’t translate to a brand.

My goal isn’t to discourage brands from investing in Substack — it’s to provide clarity and encourage brands to invest in the right way, through partnerships (and founder Substack when it makes sense). There’s such a wealth of opportunity to drive impact through Substack partnerships — gifting, sponsored letters and chats, affiliate, events, the works.

I could go on, but several of the best Brand-Substack People contributed their perspective for this letter, and they have thoughts that round out the argument well — so without further ado:

Katie Stone

, Brand Consultant,

Plant Based

writer

“I sit at an interesting intersection in that on the one hand I am an avid Substack writer and reader, but on the other, I consult on brands’ content strategies, which most recently includes Substack. So many brands are confused by this platform — do they make substacks of their own? Do they force their somewhat timid founder to start generating additional content for the sake of brand awareness and potential sales?

I see the appeal of hopping on a new platform early on, and I certainly think brands need to be paying more attention to Substack, but I don’t think a newsletter of their own is the way to do it, 95% of the time. However, if there is a particularly compelling angle that brings value to their readers (aside from compiling links), I could get behind it. Or, if the founder is a genuinely interesting person who likes writing (read: will be consistent) and merely sprinkles mentions of their brand here and there to maintain its relevance and positive association, then we’ve got something.

Which brings me to my main point - most brands should be paying close attention to Substack, forging relationships with writers who are genuine fans of their products, and enabling them to do cool things for their subscribers (newsletter sponsorship, partnering on events) with their resources.

I think where most brands fail is when they forget to think like the consumer. And when they forget that writing consistently takes a LOT of effort, and it’s not something a random intern should just half ass.”

Nikita Walia

, U.N.N.A.M.E.D. Strategy Director,

thinking out loud

Writer

“This feels like the second coming of brands launching blogs in the 2010s to chase the fashion blogger wave. Now it’s Substack. Same impulse, different format. A trend hits, and brands spin up sprawling editorial projects to prove they, too, can be interesting. But interesting to who?

Most of them are already struggling to keep their existing channels sharp. Substack isn’t just another comms channel. It’s a commitment. High-lift, high-expectation. You need a real editorial engine, a compelling reason to exist, and a consistent voice people actually want to hear from. Without that, it’s not thought leadership, it’s a branded diary no one asked for.

This all stems from the belief that every brand should be a media brand. Sure, in theory. But media for what purpose? Commerce? Culture? Community? Unless the brand has a clear POV and cultural value to offer: whether as a patron, translator, or participant—it just becomes noise.

And let’s be real: most brands aren’t as captivating as they think. The Gossip Girl approach only works if there’s built-in intrigue or an air of exclusivity. Otherwise, who’s really asking for constant behind-the-scenes content?

My take: if you’re not anchoring the Substack in a founder, a core brand truth, or a distinctive voice treated like actual talent (read: credited and paid accordingly), then don’t do it. People can smell filler content from a mile away—and there are better ways to show up in culture.”

Lacey White

, Brand Partnerships & Events,

The Lacey List

Writer

“Unless a brand has a really clear way to add value in a newsletter that’s native to Substack, they shouldn’t launch one. The Real Real is one that I’m curious about, because their site is clunky to navigate and TRR ‘tips’ and new drops could be an interesting way in. I also think the resale market is interesting in general, especially with the rise in vintage sales online. Otherwise, maybe Tory Burch does it well?

I’ve spent A LOT of time consuming Substack content in the past year and a half, trying to understand the platform and what seems to be resonating most. I’m wildly curious about it, both as a Substack creator but also someone who leads influencer and amplification strategy in house at a brand (Rothy’s).

My philosophy has always been that a compliment or narrative about yourself ALWAYS sounds more interesting coming from someone else, so brands are better off investing in relationship building with Substackers/creators/tastemakers who are storytelling well and captivating audience attention.”

Clare Moore, Influencer Consultant,

Following Up by Clare Moore

Writer

“I think Substack is a great place to build community, but it of course has to be thoughtful. In January I wrote about how founders are turning into creators because of Substack, and when it is done right, I appreciate seeing a layer peeled back from these founders and getting an insight into their creativity outside of just product design and advertising for their own campaigns.

Outside of the founder POV, I think there’s still a huge opportunity for brands to partner with creators on the platform outside of just general sponsorship. Creators have built a loyal community with their subscribers. The conversations in the Notes sections are so valuable to for brands. People are sharing recommendations from the most comfortable shoes to wear on their wedding day to the best red light mask to invest in. I haven’t seen brands activate in this way, but think it would be valuable to partner with Substack writers to lead focus groups on behalf of the brand, and in turn the sponsored posts are catered to what their audience is already interested in.”

*Editor’s note — the focus group thing is a great idea.

Lauren Kleinman, Dreamday Founder, The Quality Edit Co-Founder,

The Founder Flow

Writer

“Most brands still see Substack as a newsletter tool, but the real opportunity is to use it like long-form earned media. It's a place to shape cultural relevance and build narrative equity. Melanie Masarin’s Night Shade reads more like a founder’s memoir than a marketing channel, and that intimacy drives real loyalty. You’re not just buying Ghia, you’re buying into her worldview. Same with Dianna Cohen from Crown Affair. The best use cases feel like ongoing founder documentaries. They're not faceless. They're tied to real personalities with original opinions. And from someone who can spot ChatGPT from a mile away, in a sea of polish, realness is a growth lever.

At The Quality Edit (a publication I co-founded), we recently launched our own Substack as a natural extension of the brand. Part editorial digest, part founder POV, part cultural commentary. It gives us space to go deeper on consumer trends and storytelling, and to experiment freely without the pressure of algorithms or affiliate clicks.

At Dreamday, we're even starting to pitch Substack editors like we do traditional media, because their voices carry weight. These aren’t just newsletters; they're tastemaking platforms with real influence.

We’re in an era where the founder is the brand, and Substack lets you own that narrative without waiting for coverage. The Canopy team has leaned into this by sharing behind-the-scenes content that builds trust and dimension. Done right, Substack isn’t about performance marketing. It’s about brand reputation. It’s what gets you invited into the room or the dinner–whether that’s a buyer at Nordstrom, an investor, or a journalist sniffing out the next big thing. Vulnerability, originality, and a strong POV go a long way.”

Kate Citron, Marketing Consultant,

False Start

Writer

“The platform’s content guidelines explicitly state, ‘Substack is intended for high quality editorial content, not conventional email marketing.’ What this means for your brand: You need a writer to create your Substack content. This is likely not your marketing manager (no, not even as a ‘stretch assignment,’ unless they have experience writing quality long-form content). The platform isn’t meant for brands, so marketers need to respect that the space is for writers above all — and then hire one who can write great editorial pieces for your brand.”