Audience Engagement Digital Publishing
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6 must-read newsletters to stay on top of your social media game (2021 edition)

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The best sources of analysis and social media insights for content creators, journalists and marketers on the web today

We all know that social media moves fast. Really fast.

Keeping up with the latest product innovations, usage trends and research can be exhausting. Fortunately, there’s a bunch of super-smart people who are busy monitoring and analyzing these developments so you don’t have to.

These newsletters do much of the heavy lifting for you, and are essential reading for anyone wanting to understand this rapidly changing space.

Here are six of the best newsletters covering social media in 2021.

1. Geekout Newsletter (by Matt Navarra)

Matt Navarra is a social media consultant and industry commentator who has worked for organizations such as the United Nations, BBC News, Pinterest, ITN, 10 Downing Street, and the NHS.

His weekly newsletter drops on a Friday, featuring his expert analysis and the week’s social media industry news, platform updates, and insights on new tools + features.

He’s also very busy on Twitter, sharing insights throughout the day on these same topics. Follow him: @MattNavarra

2. Social Media Today

Social Media Today is a leading industry publication operated by Industry Dive; a group that runs a number of specialist websites offering deep dives into verticals such as Retail, Healthcare and Banking.

With over 820k followers on Twitter (@socialmedia2day) and an active presence on other platforms, including different boards offering infographics and stats over on Pinterest, there’s plenty to get stuck into.

They also host regular Twitter chats on industry topics and publish a daily newsletter that has a strong marketing focus, but also looks at platform updates and social media strategies.

3. Creator Economy (The Information)

Kaya Yurieff (@kyurieff) is a reporter at The Information (and before that at CNN) covering the creator economy. The daily “Creator Economy” newsletter is short, punchy and rich in great insights and examples. (Read the Archive)

At the moment, the newsletter is free, but as I am reminded every time it drops in my inbox, that may not continue indefinitely.

“You are receiving Creator Economy as a limited-time free preview,” the newsletter begins. “To ensure your continued access, subscribe to The Information here for a special $200 off your first year (normally $399).

4. Falcon

Falcon.io offers an integrated SaaS platform for social media listening, engaging, publishing, measuring and managing customer data.

They also have a great weekly newsletter, which is always focussed on five developments — and reaction to it — from the past week.

Purportedly with over 200,000 subscribers, it’s short format means it can justifiably bill itself as offering “quick bites of social media goodness.”

5. Sociality

Sociality.io describes itself as “a complete social media account management tool for brands and agencies.”

Although based in London, they publish their short — highly visual — weekly newsletter in English and Turkish.

Each development that they highlight is summed up in a sentence or two (although some sentences are paragraph length), and accompanied by an appropriate visual, making it super digestible and easy on the eye.

6. We Are Social

You might best known this global agency for the fantastic detailed data-dives they produce on the state of digital around the world and on a country-by-country basis. Compiled by Simon Kemp, these are a must read.

They post to their blog most days, including a “Monday Mashup” which pulls together developments from the past. You can subscribe to both via email.


Honorable mentions

Not superficially about social, but these newsletters will often mention it, and they’ll be of interest to anyone interested in media, tech, and the creative industries.

  • Benedict Evans, over 160,000 people now subscribe to this long-running weekly tech newsletter. These days, there are premium and free versions, both offering a pithy analysis of developments in mobile, media, and technology. Often includes a lot of global insights (and links).
  • Muck Rack Weekly, is “a weekly digest about the media news that’s making news.” It’s chock full of insights — with hyperlinks galore — from a rich range of sources. You can find it on LinkedIn or have it delivered to your inbox.
  • The Daily Carnage, a daily newsletter from the Pittsburgh-based full-service, dynamic creative agency, Carney. Features news, tips, questions for their readers to answer, and wonderful vintage ads.

This article was originally posted on Medium and is republished with kind permission.