Substack's paid user base has been steadily increasing, reaching 3 million paid subscribers in 2024 — up from 1 million in 2021. As more creators flock to this platform, it's worth considering whether Substack's content-sharing options are a good fit for your business. In this guide, we'll highlight how other brands have leveraged Substack to connect with shoppers, promote a product or service, and generate revenue.
Free People
Clothing retailer Free People engaged with creators on Substack to share products via affiliate links. Libby Strachan, Director of Brand Marketing at Free People, says her team looked for bloggers who fit the key target demographics of Free People customers and asked them to share products like chino pants and sandals in their newsletters via affiliate links.
"Social media has just become overloaded," Strachan told Marketing Brew. "I think going back to the old-school blog world was almost inevitable."
Along with affiliate links, Free People created a paid Substack newsletter in partnership with Emily Sundberg, a business writer. The fashion brand sponsored an edition of Sundberg's "Feed Me" and hosted an offline happy hour for subscribers. Strachan reports that the promotion was a big success.
[Read more: A Quick Guide to Affiliate Marketing for Small Businesses]
Still Here
Still Here, a New York City-based denim brand, partnered with five creators on Substack for the product launch of its Everyday Jean.
"Each creator was given full creative agency over how they spoke about the product and, with an over 75% open rate, the jeans sold out on launch day," wrote Vogue Business. The brand reported that 80% to 90% of click-throughs originated from Substack newsletter emails.
Social media has just become overloaded. I think going back to the old-school blog world was almost inevitable.
Libby Strachan, Director of Brand Marketing at Free People
Tory Burch
Not content to tap into the vibrant community of existing creators, luxury brand Tory Burch launched its own Substack newsletter, "What Should I Wear?" This free monthly newsletter written by the editors at Tory Burch was founded to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at their business. The newsletter highlights outfit ideas for key fashion moments, as well as partnerships with other fashion labels, interviews with designers, and podcast episodes.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social, a social media management platform, partnered with content creator Lia Haberman, Author of the "ICYMI" Substack newsletter. Haberman asked her followers to weigh in on the top social media trends that would dominate 2025.
After 240 of her subscribers responded, Haberman and Sprout Social put together a post and event to highlight the survey findings. Sprout Social and Haberman hosted a live session on LinkedIn unpacking the 2025 social predictions she and her audience identified. The partnership was a win-win: It gave Haberman a way to reach a wider audience while helping Sprout Social generate new insights in an authentic, credible way.
Ghia
Ghia is a line of nonalcoholic aperitifs founded by Melanie Masarin. Masarin also started a Substack newsletter called "Night Shade" in 2023. Masarin uses her personal Substack to advertise Ghia, as well as to partner with other brands to position Ghia as part of a lifestyle. By incorporating Ghia in gift guides and other curated lists, Masarin has built a community around her brand while earning revenue in the process.
For example, Masarin ran a sponsored post with Vestiaire Collective, a luxury resale platform. She offered a 10% discount for readers of her newsletter. "The company told her it was interested in doing more to break into the U.S. market, she said, and the two decided to work on a Substack post together," reported ModernRetail.
Most analysts note that the potential to market on Substack is still yet to be realized. Despite the platform's significant growth and ability to convert customers, businesses haven't figured out how to best use Substack. Many brands seek to partner with newsletters that have strong follower counts or followers in a specific area. Others are targeting newsletters linked to influencers that allow them to reach niche communities.
As with any new platform, take time to explore Substack's tools and start slowly building your audience. Learning what works by testing ideas over time can help you find the right, authentic brand activation.
[Read more: 3 Emerging Social Media Strategies Businesses Must Know to Grow]
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