Hey friends,

You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it!

Just last week, Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief, Morning Brew’s co-founders announced that the brand just become the fastest-growing media brand on Instagram. Here are the numbers:

New followers in the last 90 days:

Being a big MB fan, I had to look under the hood and come back with learnings for all of us. Let’s unpack how they've brewed up success.

So, grab your coffee, and let's break it down.

I looked at the last 20 Reels published on Morning Brew to find patterns, do a top-line analysis of their engagement numbers, and write the below observations.

Their secret weapon? Creators (as in, actual humans creating content in front of a camera—sometimes borderline actors, even!). They invest in the storytellers who turn bland bulletins into catchy narratives (legacy media left the chat). It's this belief in creative firepower that keeps audiences well-informed AND highly entertained.

A face is worth a thousand clicks, and Morning Brew's approach is proof. All their Reels have human faces in them. They know that we're not just scrolling—we're seeking connection. So they make every post feel like a one-on-one session with a subject matter expert.

This is a new one that I haven’t seen across any other media outlet—topic reenactment. Morning Brew brings a bit of funny dramatization to seemingly boring, or overly complicated topics, from finance to tech and current political affairs. They reenact the market's highs and lows, transforming complex topics into snackable scenes. It’s edutainment at its finest.

Literally no outbound links anywhere. No thanks. Morning Brew keeps you in-app, ensuring their Instagram isn’t just a gateway but a destination. We’ve all fought this battle of convincing clients and marketers that social media channels are not traffic drivers anymore (at least in organic social). Knowing that Morning Brew’s newsletter is their main revenue stream, not driving traffic to it, or treating Instagram as a user acquisition channel only shows that they’re serious about their content investment.

Every single Reel I’ve looked at had clear, legible captions. The scripting was written for clarity, not to sound clever. This explains why their audience shares these videos with friends—value!

Which brings me to this…

"People follow people"—this isn't just a catchphrase; it's the cornerstone of Morning Brew's strategy. They've mastered the art of personality-driven marketing, creating a brand that feels more like a community led by your smartest pals.

The trickiest part is taking these learnings and trying to implement the relevant part to your business.

Here are a few thoughts:

Starting this newsletter was partly inspired by Morning Brew. Their founding team went on to create beehiiv, the tool I use to send you these emails. I know several of you reached out to ask me what I think of beehiiv (vs others like Substack, etc.), and to say I’m a believer of beehiiv is an understatement.

Their team is amazing, from Tyler the CEO to everyone else, they’re shipping features almost daily and there’s a tight supportive community behind it (they give you access to their Slack community). So if you’re thinking of starting your newsletter, beehiiv is the place to be, baby (and please reply if you want a longer list of why I love these guys!)

P.S. I think we’re unto something with personality marketing, so tune next week when I unpack the charisma code.