By Alana Chinn

The inbox is having her moment again. Newsletters have made a full-blown comeback, and the rules of play have gotten a little more … complicated.

The concept of newsletters has evolved from just sending emails to a sophisticated ecosystem of automated platforms, personalization strategies, and monetization models.

To help break down the latest trends, we surveyed 400+ newsletter professionals to understand exactly how today’s creators are growing subscribers, generating revenue, and preparing for an AI-driven future.

Here’s what you need to know from HubSpot’s 2025 State of Newsletters Report.

Table of Contents

• Fast Facts about the State of Newsletters
• Top Newsletter Strategies
• Subscribers, Preferences, Personalization
• The Cost & Revenue Breakdown
• How the Pros Are Tracking Performance
• Where AI Comes Into the Fold
• What’s Next for Newsletters

Want to take a closer look? Download the full report here:

Fast Facts about the State of Newsletters

• AI is changing the game: 28% of creators are using AI for brainstorming and 25% for content creation, with early adopters saving one to three hours per week.
• LinkedIn and Facebook lead distribution: 52% and 50% of creators, respectively, use these platforms to share newsletter content, outpacing traditional email (42%).
• Personality influences performance: Newsletters featuring personal opinions and hot takes generate the highest open rates, click rates, and conversion rates.
• Word of mouth is driving new subs: 42% rank direct recommendations from current subscribers as the most effective growth strategy.
• Personalization pays off (literally): 7% of respondents who don’t use any personalization based on subscriber demographics are among those bringing in lower revenue.
• Revenue growth is real but vulnerable: 25% saw substantial profit growth last year, yet 55% believe earning newsletter revenue will become significantly harder by 2030.

Top Newsletter Strategies

Newsletters are H-O-T right now, and there’s a lot to keep in mind when building out a good strategy. Here are the topics that the pros are regularly following to inform their approach:

• 45% said news or trends related to the newsletter platform or channel, like Substack or LinkedIn Newsletters.
• 30% said generative AI/automation trends in the newsletter space.
• 27% said news about email or subscriber data privacy shifts, like GDPR and Gmail Privacy Updates.

Basically, keeping a pulse on industry trends helps them decide which platforms and new features are available, and stay current on the most recent developments in AI and data privacy.

Content Focus Areas

In the spirit of staying in the know, we found that the majority of our respondents (30%) are using their industry-related personal opinions, tips, or hot takes to anchor their content strategy. News and trends, along with original data and research, are tied for second.

As far as topic coverage goes, 42% of newsletter pros are all in on content related to their industry, professional field, or similar career paths. Content …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron