Lesson One: Newsletters will become like social networks.
ICYMI newsletter creator Lia Haberman has a hot take to start us off: She thinks newsletters will become more like social in 2025. (Just… without the trolls, bots, and flame wars.)
“By 2025, I think we'll see newsletters transition into being more like social networks. It’s going to be a race to gather the most subscribers and followers. Independent newsletters may get packaged into larger media brands or acquired by companies.”
This makes sense for one big reason: Newsletters are owned channels.
You fully control the output of a newsletter, and the audience is yours alone — which isn't true for search engines or social channels with shifting algorithms.
HubSpot launched its own brand-new newsletter in June of 2024 and you’re reading it right now, so we're betting Haberman is exactly right.
Want to start your own? Check out Emily Kramer's tips for not creating content that is about as exciting as my grocery list.
Lesson Two: Marketers will care more about building systems than one-off campaigns.
“In the near future, marketers will focus more on building systems rather than single campaigns,” growth advisor Kevin Indig told me in late 2024.
“With AI and no-code tools, we’ll automate processes like content generation, optimization, and interactive experiences to create scalable workflows.”
He's likely onto something. During Q4 of 2024, I stopped focusing on my one next campaign, and instead fixated on my processes and systems as a whole, leveraging AI to create more streamlined, scalable projects.
In 2025, we'll see marketers shift their priorities and focus on how they can create systems that help them do their work faster — and better.
Lesson Three: The trifecta of channels for B2B marketers will be long-form blog content, executive social content, and weekly email newsletters.
Let's address the elephant in the room: No, I didn't pay Morning Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman to throw “long-form blog content” in there.
When asked which channels he's planning on leaning into in 2025, Lieberman didn’t pause: “Long-form blog content, executive social content, and weekly email newsletters is the trifecta of channels that serve the purposes you need in terms of building and nurturing top-of-the-funnel leads, and converting your audience.”
He adds, “Would I say that those are the only three channels for every company? No. But they are very effective.”
I heard this time and time again from the dozen of marketing pros I spoke to in 2024. Long-form blog content still attracts and converts, particularly if it's EEAT-ified.
And people want to hear from other people, not brands. Which is why companies like Wistia have CEO Chris Savage post about product updates or industry news, not the company-branded LinkedIn handle.
And… Well, you're reading a newsletter. So I won’t belabor the point.
Lesson Four: AI will serve as the great equalizer.
While I can see how this lesson sounds like it's from The Matrix, bear with me.
Microsoft GM Brenna Robinson works firsthand with SMBs, and she's seen how powerful AI can be, particularly for small businesses.
“AI is a big equalizer,” she told me. “It helps small businesses compete against bigger companies, saving them time and avoiding the need for additional hires.”
Ah, the age-old David and Goliath combat.
But it's true. My fiancé built his own app last week. A couple years ago, that would’ve been impossible without the budget for a developer, programmer, etc. Equalizer, indeed.
Lesson Five: Audio AI will have its moment.
I still use Siri to ask for directions in the car or to check the weather. But I haven't tested Audio AI much beyond that.
Ross Simmonds, CEO of Foundation Marketing, thinks audio AI is coming.
"Audio AI isn't getting as much love or buzz as it should. The power of voice AI to synthetically create content, like turning blog posts into podcasts or translating voices into different languages in real-time, is fascinating."
In 2025, he's betting we’ll see more marketers lean into audio AI to create more voice-driven content. This could greatly cut down on the time it takes marketers to create different types of content.
I'll admit, it’s a big relief. Now, the introverted blogger (✋) doesn't have to become the podcast host. AI will do it for me.
