Issue #72: Hinge is on Substack (in a cool way)

A special Monday edition for ya!

Hello and happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend & Mother’s Day. I’m publishing a special Monday edition because the lovely folks at Hinge reached out to me to share their new five-part weekly Substack series within the second installment of their “No Ordinary Love” campaign.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Hinge will be publishing essays on Substack by writers like

Jen Winston

and

Hunter Harris

that showcase couples’ real love stories from the perspective of both partners in the relationship, highlighting the complexities of modern partnerships. The first one went live today!

Baggage Claim by Jen Winston

No Ordinary Brand On Substack 😉

By now, we all know that brands are coming to Substack. It feels like for the past month, there have been four to five big brands launching publications on the platform every week. This past week, it was

American Eagle

(the first few issues of which are guest-edited by

Casey Lewis

, which was awesome) and

Well Said By Madewell

.

Rare Beauty

and

New York Magazine

also made a splash recently.

Welcome to Off The Cuff by American Eagle

I’m not here to provide yet another perspective on if or how brands should show up on Substack (but if you’re interested, please reply and we can chat about it!). However, I do think that Hinge’s approach differs from other brands in a really smart way.

Instead of launching a dedicated weekly newsletter, I like that Hinge is leaning into short-term series full of impactful, high-quality content. I also like that they’re partnering with existing Substack creators as writers (four out of the five participating writers have Substack presences!), giving those creators a broader platform while also cross-promoting the No Ordinary Love stories.

I don’t think every brand needs a dedicated Substack publication, but I do think that many brands would benefit from a smart Substack strategy – and that strategy can take different forms. Regardless, I do appreciate when brands elevate creators on the platform, and Hinge is doing just that. Whether it’s a Substack writer applying their own voice and insights by writing for a brand (like American Eagle x Casey Lewis) or a brand strategically sponsoring a writer’s publication (like Hinge did with Angel Cake earlier this year), I’m a fan.

Did I mention that Hinge is also publishing a limited-edition hardcover book and distributing it to book clubs as part of the campaign? Annnnd it’s gorgeous.

I get that Substack is buzzy right now – brands feel like they need to be here to engage with Gen Z audiences and build engaged communities. But I think that people come to Substack primarily for personal, narrative-driven content. It’s really challenging to do that type of content well as a brand, so partnering with existing Substack creators is one of the best ways to engage on this platform. Of course, if that’s not what your brand wants to do, then there are other email and social platforms for you. We’re on this platform to hear from diverse, creative voices, so I’m always happy to see brands (like Hinge!) partnering with those voices.

Let me know your thoughts on Hinge’s campaign and how they’re showing up on Substack. Talk sooooon! xx