Matt and Ryan dive into the controversial Honey scandal, shedding light on influencer marketing's impacts. They discuss the shift in focus from vanity metrics to genuine revenue for newsletters. Topics like AI workflows and the rise of B2B newsletters illustrate emerging trends. The 'creator-in-residence' model sparks innovative content strategies, while the future of recruitment platforms like Upwork is explored. This insightful exchange promises a glimpse into the evolving landscape for creators and marketers alike.
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Quick takeaways
The Honey scandal serves as a cautionary tale about accountability in affiliate marketing, showcasing the importance of transparency in monetization strategies.
Key trends for 2025 indicate a shift towards video-first content and B2B newsletters, enhancing engagement and creating niche market opportunities for creators.
Monetizing newsletters should involve diverse strategies beyond subscriptions, as reliance solely on paid models may not sustain long-term customer value.
Deep dives
Reflections on Holiday Experiences
The hosts share their personal experiences during the holiday season, highlighting the challenges and joys of managing family commitments and festive preparations, especially with young children. One host recalls the stress of last-minute Christmas preparations, including staying up late wrapping presents and assembling toys, which left him feeling exhausted. The discussion reveals the ups and downs of balancing family time with personal responsibilities like moving and hosting parties. This candid exchange sets a relatable tone for the episode, illustrating how holiday experiences can vary and often involve a whirlwind of activities.
The Honey Scandal Explored
The podcast delves into the recent controversy surrounding Honey, a Chrome extension that offers coupon codes, which has been accused of operating as a scam. The hosts discuss the allegations that Honey pocketed affiliate commission fees that should have gone to creators promoting it, framing the situation as potentially misunderstood rather than outright fraudulent. They argue that the business model, which monetizes through affiliate marketing, is well-known within the industry, suggesting that users should be aware of how such tools capitalize on savings. This commentary emphasizes a broader conversation about accountability and understanding in marketing strategies.
Trends to Buy and Sell in 2025
A significant portion of the conversation revolves around identifying key trends in the newsletter and creator economy for the coming year, marked by the concept of buying and selling specific trends. The hosts highlight video-first content strategies as a trend to invest in, noting that many platforms are prioritizing video content to capture user engagement more effectively. Conversely, they discuss selling off-threadbore content, which consists of generic and clickbait-style posts that fail to engage viewers meaningfully. This trend analysis reflects the evolving landscape of digital content and the importance of adapting to audience preferences.
The Rise of B2B Newsletters
In their discussion on what to buy moving forward, the hosts emphasize the growing potential for B2B newsletters as a powerful channel for lead generation and audience engagement. They mention the success of creators like Lenny from Airbnb, who transitioned into the newsletter space by leveraging their professional expertise to deliver valuable insights to a targeted audience. This trend is viewed as beneficial for advertisers looking to reach niche markets where customer lifetime value is high. The hosts conclude that B2B newsletters will continue thriving, especially those driven by knowledgeable creators rather than traditional brands.
Changing Dynamics of Paid Newsletters
The podcast addresses the challenges associated with monetizing through paid newsletters, advocating for a more diversified approach to revenue generation. One host expresses skepticism that paid newsletters can be a sustainable primary business model for most creators, suggesting that they often do not provide ongoing value to subscribers after a one-time purchase. Instead, they encourage creators to consider alternative monetization avenues that do not solely rely on subscription fees. This insight prompts a discussion on the need for creators to provide actionable, recurring content that justifies ongoing payments and builds loyal audiences.
Matt and Ryan discuss the Honey scandal, trends for 2025, focusing on YouTube, newsletters, and the shift from vanity metrics to revenue. They also explore AI workflows, B2B newsletters, the creator-in-residence model, and the future of platforms like Upwork and overseas recruiting and more.
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