Intelligence shared fast enough to aid the Matter-community’s strategic planning. Among the fifty biggest English-language news websites in the world, Substack was the only site to report year-over-year traffic growth. With 50 million active subscriptions and more than 5 million paid subscriptions, minutes spent on Substack are up 300% this year, and the platform raised $100 million raised in Series C funding in July 2025. For brands, the challenge is how to connect with consumers in a space which is reliant on trust, taste, and integrity. The platform is not a pay-for-play shopping aggregate media publication. Execution must prioritise community interests far more than Meta platforms. Matter unpacks why the platform matters and how brands should approach Substack strategies at the link in bio.