The news: As newsletter platforms battle for creator loyalty, Substack is positioning itself as a social network, not just a writing platform.

• As more creators jump ship from platforms like Patreon, they’re pointing to Substack’s community tools and discovery features as drivers of subscribers and revenues, per Digiday.
• For brands, that shift matters: Creator networks are becoming more powerful than standalone followers. And where creators grow, brand dollars tend to follow.

Zooming out: Brands like American Eagle, Free People, and Ghia are leaning into Substack as a marketing channel and capitalizing on its access to younger users.

• “Social media has just become overloaded. I think going back to the old-school blog world was almost inevitable,” said Libby Strachan, Free People’s director of brand marketing, per Marketing Brew.
• Substack also enables brands to write longer-form content—something often unreadable on Instagram or X.

Thirty-seven percent of Substack users feel connected to and part of a larger conversation, per The Verge, compared with 31% of X users and 30% of TikTok users.

The toolbox: Substack is doubling down on features that make it more than a publishing platform and expand it into an ecosystem designed for discovery and connection.

• Creators can easily promote each other’s work, offering one-click subscription buttons to boost growth across accounts.
• This built-in collaboration contrasts with platforms like Patreon, per Digiday, where creators often operate in silos and discovery is limited.

What’s next? These network effects are powerful. As creators build momentum together, they can unlock growth that’s tied not just to payouts but to discoverability, social traction, and cross-community engagement.

Looking ahead, Substack could offer an alternative to X and Threads that prioritizes substance over speed and community over clout. Its model isn’t about chasing virality, it’s about building a sustained, engaged network that actually sticks around.

Our take: Substack isn’t just for sending emails anymore—it is quickly becoming a social network for writers and brands alike. Brands and creators should think of it less like a newsletter option and more like a growth channel for community: a crucial aspect of discovery and engagement.