TL;DR
I analyzed the top 20 best-ranked Substack articles on AI in marketing—specifically from the top 10 authors in the space. My goal? To understand how they deliver value so effectively.
Here's what you'll get from reading this:
A simple, repeatable research AI workflow to track top-performing content in any niche.
The exact prompts I use to extract actionable insights from high-ranking posts.
A breakdown of 15 patterns used by the most effective AI marketing writers on Substack.
If that sounds useful, keep reading.
Start with the right question
You're writing a Substack about AI for marketers or any other niche. So, you ask: What’s actually working out there?
Don’t guess. Don’t vibe. Analyze. Especially those from the most read, most respected authors or best ranked. What patterns do they follow? What value do they deliver? And how we can apply their playbook
Let’s break it down.
The workflow: How I analyze best-ranked Substack content (and do it weekly)
Step 1: Scrape the top 20 articles on your topic
I used Browse AI to scrape Substack’s search results. You could use another similar tool, but Browse AI was simple and free (basic plan), so I went with that.
Here’s how I did it:
Go to Substack’s search bar and enter your keyword (e.g. “AI marketing”).
Copy the results page URL.
Open Browse AI, set up the “Extract posts from a search on Substack” robot
Paste the URL, adjust the number of posts to 20, and run it.
Export to CSV or sync with Google Sheets for easier analysis and tracking.
Pro tip: I now monitor this same scrape every Monday morning. It’s become my ritual for staying sharp.
The results are in! I’m happy to share it with you! You can find them on the first tab.
PD: Support this work by sharing it, dropping a like, or joining the conversation below.
Step 2: Analyze the value delivered of each article with this prompt
Once I had the data, I turned to ChatGPT for insights. I wanted to know: What’s the core value of each article? Who’s it for? Why does it matter?
So I built a structured prompt for that:
Role:
Act as a senior content strategist and editorial analyst.
Task:
Analyze these Substack articles. Identify the core value it offers, who it helps, and why it resonates.
Format:
Main idea: What is the big idea in one or two lines?
Who it helps: Who’s the ideal reader? What are they trying to solve?
Value summary: What specific benefit does this article deliver to the reader? Keep it tight, use bullets.
Tone:
Clear, strategic, and concise. Prioritize insight over fluff.
Article links:
[Insert article here]Got a better prompt for this analysis? I want to see it.
Leave a comment or reply—I’m building this in public to learn from people.
The results are in! I’m happy to share it with you! You can find them on the second tab.
PD: Support this work by sharing it, dropping a like, or joining the conversation below.
Let’s zoom in on The Top 5 articles.
1. “Ambient AI, Authentic Vibes: This Week’s Breakthroughs Rewire Marketing”
Main Idea:
AI is shifting from assistive tools to ambient partners that streamline modernization across ideation, creation, and content delivery.
Who It Helps:
Senior marketing leaders and innovation teams aiming to embed AI holistically into their creative and operational workflows.
Value Summary:
Highlights cutting-edge tools (e.g., Meta’s V‑JEPA 2, Browser’s Dia, Guidde) reshaping experiences via real‑time AR, on‑device AI, and automated content updates.
Equips readers to evaluate where ambient AI can reduce production friction, protect brand IP, and enhance campaign authenticity.
Encourages strategic integration over tactical deployments—aiming for systems that elevate creativity, ethics, and efficiency.
2. “AI as Marketing Infrastructure: Playbook To Architect AI Into Marketing Workflows”
Main Idea:
True marketing leverage comes from architecting AI into end‑to‑end workflows—not just bolt‑on tools.
Who It Helps:
CMOs, growth strategists, and operational leaders focused on scaling personalized, data-driven marketing at velocity.
Value Summary:
Defines AI's power in compressing campaign cycles, accelerating iterations, and democratizing capabilities.
Offers a conceptual framework: transform marketing into an AI-driven, architecture-first engine—not just applying tools sporadically.
Challenges leaders to rethink process design: reallocate human efforts to strategy, while AI handles execution at scale.
3. “Building a Marketing Grader with AI”
Main Idea:
Demonstrates how to build a prompt-driven AI “grader” to evaluate and improve marketing assets quickly.
Who It Helps:
Growth marketers, campaign managers, and content strategists who need rapid, data-informed feedback loops.
Value Summary:
Provides a step-by-step framework for prompt design to assess copy, positioning, and creative performance.
Shows how to deploy a reusable evaluation tool across assets—landing pages, emails, ads—for consistent quality.
Empowers marketers to iterate on content effectively and democratize performance feedback.
4. “Vibe Marketing Brief — Europe’s Sovereign AI, OMol25, and Mattel’s Smart Toys”
Main Idea:
Curates recent marketing-relevant AI developments, including sovereign hardware in Europe and consumer brand AI moves.
Who It Helps:
Strategic marketers and brand leads tracking macro tech trends impacting brand positioning and trust.
Value Summary:
Highlights Europe’s push for on-shore AI compute as a “Made in EU” trust signal for privacy-first campaigns.
Showcases consumer-facing innovations like Mattel’s smart toys—practical examples of AI-powered engagement.
Encourages marketers to lean on geopolitical and tech narratives to reinforce authenticity and brand values.
5. “3 tips BRUTALES para crear contenido en LinkedIn Viral”
Main Idea:
Offers three powerful tactics to optimize emotional storytelling and hooks for viral LinkedIn content.
Who It Helps:
Individual contributors and solopreneurs aiming to grow engagement and visibility on LinkedIn.
Value Summary:
Clarifies the emotional vs. rational positioning to sharpen your hook’s appeal.
Shows how personal storytelling and vulnerability drive shareability and connection.
Provides actionable structure for crafting magnetic LinkedIn posts quickly
PD: If you’re one of the authors featured, consider this a salute. You’re writing the blueprint. If you’re not yet, you’re in path like me :)
Step 3: Find the patterns behind what works
Once you’ve extracted insights from your top 20 articles, zoom out. Look for patterns. Techniques. Shared DNA.
Role:
Act as a senior content strategist and analyst.
Task:
Analyze the following 20 articles and identify the core drivers behind how they deliver value effectively. Pinpoint the patterns, techniques, or frameworks that make the content impactful, engaging, and useful to their target audience.
Format:
Present a list of actionable insights—succinct takeaways that a marketer, writer, or strategist can apply to create similarly high-value content.
Each insight should be:
Specific and behavior-focused (what to do or improve)
Rooted in observed patterns across the articles
Brief (1–2 lines per insight)
Numbered list format (for easy scanning)
Objective:
Surface repeatable principles that define content success in the AI marketing space—insights that inform both editorial direction and content creation best practices.Here’s what Chat GPT found:
Actionable insights: What top AI content gets right
Anchor content in real tools and use cases.
Referencing specific AI products or workflows grounds abstract concepts in tangible utility.Frame insights within evolving roles and identities.
Many articles speak directly to shifting identities (e.g., CMO → AI orchestrator), which helps readers self-identify and engage deeply.Blend macro trends with micro applications.
Successful content connects big shifts (like the AI singularity or attention economy) with practical next steps for teams or creators.Use prompt-based workflows to demystify AI.
Walkthroughs that show how to use AI via prompts (e.g., for grading, presenting, generating content) remove friction and increase reader confidence.Leverage curated summaries for information efficiency.
Digest-format posts (e.g., “AI Summary Tuesdays”) consistently add value by saving readers time while surfacing relevance.Position content as a mindset shift, not just a tactic.
High-performing articles go beyond “how-to” and instead rewire how marketers think (e.g., ambient AI as infrastructure, not just tools).Use bold, personal narrative to build trust. Articles like “Why I Switched from SEO to AI” perform well because they mix vulnerability with expertise.
Create modular frameworks or templates.
Repeatable systems (e.g., AI grader prompts, D2.9 framework) turn knowledge into assets readers can apply immediately.Layer technical depth with plain-language clarity.
Strong articles explain advanced ideas (e.g., sovereign compute, generative SEO) without jargon overload, expanding accessibility.Design for curiosity and contrarianism.
Headlines like “Sé que esto no te importa…” or “Gentle Singularity” invite readers to engage with unexpected perspectives.Tie content to emotional relevance or authenticity.
The best-performing pieces often link AI to deeper human drivers—empathy, credibility, trust, vulnerability.Document what’s emerging—not just what’s proven.
Exploring beta tools, speculative use cases, or upcoming trends positions the author as a forward-thinker and earns attention.Build narrative consistency across platforms.
Authors who return to core themes (e.g., “vibe marketing” or “AI as assistant”) establish thought leadership through repetition.Structure with ruthless clarity and scan-ability.
Lists, bullets, prompts, and subheadings allow busy readers to extract insight even if they don’t read top to bottom.Invite the reader to act, not just consume.
Articles that end with clear next steps, challenges, or frameworks elevate passive reading into professional development.
Bonus: Automate the process
Once you’ve nailed this process, automate it. Use a tool like Gumloop to combine scraping + prompting + Google sheet formatting into a single workflow.You’ll save hours.
Referral code if you want to save money in credits: LAURAGUM
The bottom line
This is your competitive edge. While others are reacting to AI news, you're reverse-engineering what actually works in the AI content game—and building smarter because of it.
You don’t need more tools. You need better questions, sharper frameworks, and a system for turning noise into insight.
If you’re one of the authors featured above, consider this a salute. You’re writing the blueprint. If you’re not yet, now you know how to.
Want the full spreadsheet with all 20 article breakdowns?
Got a better prompt for this analysis? I want to see it.
Leave a comment or reply—I’m building this in public.
P.S. Found this valuable? I’d love your feedback. Cast your vote in the poll and help me keep improving.
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Sharper prompts. Bolder insights. Fewer clichés.
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