5 Newsletter Growth Trends We're Taking Into 2026
New HubSpot data shows the window for newsletter success may be closed by 2030. But from their research, top trends emerge.
Creators are leaning into AI for brainstorming and content. Social platforms are the primary distribution channels alongside — and sometimes ahead of — email. And authentic “hot takes” and personality-driven writing outperform generic copy, among others.
Just for fun: 37 Books That Should Be on Every Marketer’s TBR List in 2026
This community-sourced roundup of 37 must-read marketing, content, and business books for 2026 groups recommendations into practical categories: content creation, AI and future-facing marketing, strategy and leadership, human insights, career and work life, creativity, and business strategy.
The list mixes long-standing classics with several 2025 releases and highlights accessibility, AI-readiness, storytelling, and leadership as recurring themes among peers’ picks.
11 Thought-Leadership Tactics to Help You Stand Out in 2026
Forbes lays out 11 thought-leadership tactics to help professionals stand out in 2026, urging a shift from noisy, unfocused publishing to a tighter, more efficient playbook.
For me, points 2 and 8 drive home the changing conversation around thought leadership. So often, what’s missing is twofold: A lot of thought leadership lacks a consistent, reliable stance on an issue and the experience to back it up.
LinkedIn Shares New Report on the Value of Thought Leadership Content
The 2025 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report highlights the rise of the “hidden buyers.” These internal influencers’ identities aren’t always visible, but they actively discover, consume, and evaluate thought leadership. And their buy-in can fast-track or stall deals (Edelman finds more than 40% of B2B deals stall due to internal misalignment).
The study, based on a survey of nearly 2,000 global professionals, argues that thought leadership is content marketing. But it's also a strategic tool for building trust, aligning buying groups, and creating advocates, especially when work is perspective-shifting and challenges assumptions.
And it shows that hidden buyers reward insight that informs or challenges them and can champion lesser-known vendors at the moment of decision.
Overall, the study suggests investing in high-quality, point-of-view content that influences multiple stakeholders, measuring alignment across buying groups, and using thought leadership to open doors where ads and traditional sales approaches fall short.
