5 Newsletter Growth Trends We're Taking Into 2026

It's been all too easy for brands and marketers to get caught up in evolving search and social media algorithms. But creators who spent the year carving out audiences and niches in the newsletter space are seeing their efforts pay off.

HubSpot's 2025 State of Newsletters report reveals that 25% of newsletter creators saw substantial profit growth last year, with 45% expecting their profits to surge even more over the next 12 months.

Unfortunately, that success comes with a wake-up call that should motivate every B2B marketer: 55% also believe earning newsletter revenue will become significantly harder by 2030.

The window is closing, but there are still things you can do to stay on top of newsletter trends, whether you're playing catch-up or just starting out.

1. AI is changing how newsletters get made

Everyone talks about AI replacing writers, but successful newsletter creators are using it to boost productivity. HubSpot's findings show 28% of creators now leverage AI for brainstorming and 25% for content creation, including writing copy and promotional materials.

The time savings are real and measurable. Early adopters are reclaiming between one and three hours weekly, according to HubSpot's data.

What's more compelling: Nukesend's 2025 State of AI Email Marketing Report found that AI-driven personalization boosts revenue by 40%, and it reported on a second HubSpot report that showed generative AI lifted conversions by 82%.

Perhaps most telling? 64% of newsletter pros in HubSpot's 2025 report believe newsletters will be totally AI-generated by 2030. The creators adopting AI tools now are working faster and positioning themselves to get — and stay — ahead.

2. Social media is the new email distribution channel

Newsletters aren't limited to email inboxes these days. Many newsletter creators are treating LinkedIn and Facebook as their primary distribution channels — 52% and 50%, respectivel,y use these platforms to share newsletter content. Their use is outpacing traditional email, which is used by 42%.

This represents a fundamental shift in how newsletters work. Instead of hoping people open emails, creators are meeting audiences where they already spend time.

Beehiiv data from earlier this year shows this multi-platform approach is driving massive growth — their platform alone sent 15.6 billion emails in 2024, up from 4.5 billion in 2023.

Successful creators aren't choosing between email and social, but using both strategically. Email for deep engagement and monetization, social for discovery and growth. 

3. Hot takes and personality win over generic content

Content marketing became more personal — and more profitable — thanks to the success of personality and personalization. HubSpot's research reveals that newsletters featuring personal opinions and hot takes generate the highest open rates, click rates, and conversion rates across the board.

But it's here that we want to reinforce that having an opinion isn't the same as being controversial for clicks. It's about your authentic voice, experiences, and reflections cutting through the noise.

HubSpot's data says 90% of newsletter creators actively tailor their strategy to their most prominent subscriber demographics. But the winners go deeper by sharing genuine perspectives that spark conversations.

The data backs this up. Creators who skip personalization are stuck in the lowest revenue brackets, with 23% making $0 per month and 43% earning between $1-$100 monthly. Meanwhile, those embracing personality-driven content are seeing substantial profit growth.

Word-of-mouth remains king in this space: 42% of successful creators cite direct recommendations as their most effective growth strategy.

People don't recommend bland content in the same way that LinkedIn feeds and comment threads have appeared far more active in the last couple of years. Subscribers share newsletters that make them think, laugh, or see things differently.

4. Local newsletters have untapped potential

While you might think you have to chase global audiences, local newsletter creators and smaller B2B and B2C brands are quietly building brands and followings in their own backyards.

According to beehiiv's case studies, LA Raver grew to 16,000 subscribers and generated $100,000 in revenue in just one year, thanks to a focus on SoCal-based entertainment.

Meanwhile, Cyber Corsairs, an AI productivity newsletter, reached over 50,000 subscribers and $16,000 in monthly revenue in less than 12 months. It attributes its success to asking readers what they wanted to learn and testing send content and cadences.

Publications that focus on a local audience tap into community connections that global newsletters can't always replicate. Furthermore, beehiiv's data shows local newsletters like Creator Economy NYC and Catskill Crew are significantly monetizing through various methods, proving that geographic focus can amplify earning potential.

Consider these revenue numbers: Vegan Tech Nomad grew to over 18,000 subscribers and made $16,000 in less than four months, while Last Money In secured six-figure sponsorship deals and reached $500,000 in annual recurring revenue in just seven months.

The lesson for B2B marketers is that, sometimes, smaller, more targeted audiences are infinitely more valuable than massive, unfocused ones.

If you're not sure how that looks in practice, consider the locations or interests of your most significant or underserved demographics.

As long as you or your team has the experience or authority to speak on related or otherwise entertaining topics, your local newsletter approach can be flexible and doesn't have to strictly be about your brand or product.

5. Mobile-first design is non-negotiable

The mobile revolution in newsletters is complete, and creators who haven't adapted are getting left behind. Current data shows that 96.2% of global internet users access the web on mobile devices, making mobile optimization essential.

Today, mobile-first doesn't just mean responsive design. Instead, think of it as optimizing for mobile consumption. Beehiiv's research reveals that subject lines under 20 characters have significantly higher open rates — 37.6% compared to just 28.68% for lines over 80 characters.

In years past, the ideal subject line length has hovered around 50 characters. To be fair, even beehiiv's report calls out that a 20-41-character subject is still ok. They merely caution going over that 41-character threshold, when open rates drop from around 35% to 29%. 

To keep the numbers in context, open rates don't vary much between subject lines with character counts of 41-100. Overall, the data shows only a 3.9% decrease.

Otherwise, the correlation between mobile-first and newsletter send times is also revealing. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays show the highest engagement rates, with optimal send times at 12 PM UTC (42.87% open rates) and 11 AM UTC (42.06% open rates).

This suggests that engagement is higher when people presumably check their phones during typical work breaks.

The revenue window is closing faster than expected

As HubSpot data indicated, the newsletter boom won't last forever. While nearly half of creators expect significant profit increases over the next 12 months, over half believe earning newsletter revenue will become significantly harder in the next five years.

Email marketing revenue is projected to hit $17.9 billion by 2027, according to Nukesend, but competition is intensifying rapidly. Newsletter volume on beehiiv alone nearly doubled in 2024, jumping from 26,911 to 52,809. 

So, there's definitely an urgency to build newsletter content that helps diversify revenue streams. Yes, they can help you sell products, services, and memberships. But newsletter content can open the door to income from ads, sponsored content, paid subscriptions, and affiliate marketing.

In fact, 46% of creators in HubSpot's report agree that newsletters generate ad revenue more quickly than podcasts, videos, or websites. For B2B marketers looking to build sustainable revenue streams, newsletters could offer the fastest path to monetization — if you move now before the market becomes oversaturated.