Top 5 Marketing Newsletters to Smarten Strategy & Increase Sales

Uninformed action is gambling.

Every marketing decision you make for your business can gain or keep customers. But they can also lose them, or deter prospective ones. Whether it’s a radio advertising campaign you’re considering or a holiday promo you’re sure will double sales, executing a plan because “you think it will work” is a recipe for wasted time.

So how can uninformed action become informed success? One solution is wildly underutilized by business owners - newsletters. While the sheer abundance of them can create a sort of decision paralysis, there is a cream of the crop that will educate, entertain, and of course, yield better results for your marketing and business as a whole.

Here are five newsletters that belong in that echelon. Some will be funny, others professional. There will be wild efficiency that respects your limited time, and science-driven insights that will blow your mind. Whatever your industry and taste, one of these outstanding newsletters will serve you.

The Hustle

What’s excellent about “The 5-minute newsletter keeping 2 million innovators in the loop” transcends the fact that it delivers its goods daily. It’s the breadth of topics covered, some of which may not even feel marketing-related, but upon closer review, absolutely are. Predominantly, expect business and technology to be popular marketing sub-topics, and even culture. 

It’s known for its conversational tone and distinct humor, which many people admire and enjoy; even though a select few deem it “bro-y”. To each their own, but this daily gem balances micro and macro, branding and business, information & entertainment so well that it’s tough to want to pass up.

Hubspot Marketing Blog

Hubspot is to marketing automation platforms as Beyonce is to performance. There just aren’t many better, and Hubspot’s blog is a top-tier hub of marketing insight. You won’t see the expanse of topics that The Hustle will serve up, but you will see greater attention paid to every nook and cranny of marketing: content, social, email, strategy, inbound, web, you name it. They also have a rare ability to offer tips as opposed to just less direct insights and observations. Hubspot is formal and it won’t be laden with eye-popping ideas, but it is a must if you want to truly grasp marketing.

Ariyh

If you have an affinity for data, research, and anything that is “backed by science”, you’re going to love Ariyh, who’s bold claim is that “Most marketers are decades behind the latest evidence”. How awful would it be to be one of them!?

This free newsletter arrives once a week, and what you get is a tip. But not just any ol’ tip. Rather, you get only the very latest nuggets of research from elite business schools. Take what’s on its homepage right now in early March: “Use handwritten fonts to increase sales”. It’s those sort of unorthodox, but wicked practical advice bombs that has made Ariyh beloved by Google, McKinsey, Amazon, Procter & Gamble and many more. Oh, and it’s pronounced “A-ree”.

TL;DR Marketing

Feeling too busy for newsletters? We get it, but if you still want to keep your fingers on the pulse of marketing, TL;DR Marketing is your winner.

TL;DR is internet speak for Too Long; Didn’t Read, a common preface to a drastic shortening of a much longer story/post/article.

TL;DR Marketing is minimalist in its content and design, but it packs an essential punch with an emphasis on SEO, a realm that’s only gaining importance as we advance in the 2020s. Rounding out their knowledge will be paid media, social media, general marketing, tips & tricks, and even a jobs hub.

GrowthHackers

This one’s not like the rest; it’s exclusive. Like, on-the-list exclusive.

Okay it’s not THAT prestigious, but you do need to apply for an invite, and word is it’s not extremely selective. GrowthMasters is the place where “growth, marketing, and experimentation leaders facing similar challenges come to get learnings, access, and high‑level connections”. It is above all else a community, one that drives their daily newsletter, which serves as a snapshot of the community’s most popular posts. This unique approach gifts to you an eclectic blend of marketing data: first-hand anecdotes, second-hand stories, lessons, surveys, data, you name it. There’s a hair more work required to get this newsletter, but if you’re the type that likes a collective, there’s likely nothing better.

Sip & Strategy

It wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t plug our own marketing insights, would it? While the Sip & Strategy email only sends out once a month, it’s tailored to specifically target the needs of Boise businesses, with a focus on the best mediums to advertise. Whether your company is in the Boise DMA, sells to consumers in Idaho, or you just have questions about the best practices of marketing 101, we’re here for you.

Sign up for Iliad Media Group’s Sip & Strategy newsletter in the form below.

Stay Learning to Stay Winning

President John F. Kennedy said “Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another”. Even if you’re a business of one, you’re still leading that product or service, so never stop learning. When it comes to marketing, there’s nothing more informative and accessible than world-class newsletters; you don’t have to steal from the greats to draw inspiration from them.