twitter facebook linkedin youtube-play instagram chevron-left chevron-right
Un-Fluff Your Inbox: Marketing Resources We Actually Want to Read
Marketing Foundations

Un-Fluff Your Inbox: Marketing Resources We Actually Want to Read

Are you suffering from a surplus of inbox fluff? Those seemingly endless email updates that you may have subscribed to in another life but never actually want to look at?

The new year is the perfect time to ditch unwanted email noise in favor of some fresh perspective. If you’re tired of sifting through a fluff-stuffed inbox then swap out your digital dust for some of these new marketing resources — ones that we promise you’ll actually want to hear from.

Podcast: Everyone Hates Marketers — Marketing & Branding Strategies

As marketers, we do whatever we can to stand out and set ourselves apart, but that’s no small feat. While ideas and inspiration are always helpful, sometimes, what we actually need is blunt, no-nonsense advice on how to make our work better — and that’s why the Everyone Hates Marketers podcast is at the top of our list.

The podcast, created and hosted by self-described “recovering Frenchman” Louis Greiner, releases weekly episodes that feature no-fluff, jargon-free insights from marketing experts on a mission to help digital, creative, advertising, and PR professionals “stand the f#ck out” without “selling their soul.” The podcast was also created to complement its namesake, the Everyone Hates Marketers daily newsletter.

Newsletter: Case Studied — Marketing Case Studies

Of all the types of content marketers strive to serve their audiences, case studies are by far some of the most valuable, most highly-sought-after, and at times, the most difficult to source. For all of these reasons and more, Vendry’s Case Studied newsletter is a phenomenal new find that our content team can’t wait to dive into this year.

Published weekly, each newsletter features a collection of recent marketing case studies and news stories covering a wide range of industry trends and topics. Every story is intentionally designed to be read in under five minutes, which makes Case Studied an excellent resource for content marketers looking to get inspired and stay informed — even when they’re on a tight deadline!

Newsletter: httpster — Web Development & Design Insights

People outside of the industry may not realize that creativity plays a huge role in web development projects — but we sure do! Our dev team at CI Design is made up of creative strategists, artists, and problem-solvers, which is why we know how valuable a resource like httpster truly is.

httpster covers a variety of web dev and design topics and shares inspiration from industry professionals all over the world. Both the website and the httpster newsletter are fantastic resources for web designers, dev teams, and any marketers looking to learn more about the creative aspects of the work that makes all of our digital dreams a reality.

Web Publication: ZINE — Pop Culture Tech, & Media Trend Analyses

Does anyone else miss zines as much as we do? If so, then Matt Klein’s Webby-award-winning online publication ZINE is definitely for you. ZINE offers cutting analyses of what they describe as “overlooked cultural trends.”

Both ZINE’s site and its accompanying newsletter capture the collaborative, art-forward, DIY aesthetics of the early fan-zines so many of us fell in love with while offering readers in-depth explanations and hot takes on everything from pop culture POVs to industry news, global media trends and more. If your inbox is yearning for something different, then subscribing to ZINE is an absolute must.

Newsletter: Geekout — Social Media Marketing Trends

Social media managers of the marketing world rejoice, because the Geekout Newsletter was specifically created to make your lives easier! Geekout creator Matt Navarra is a well-known social media consultant with over 20+ years of experience working with globally-recognized brands. Social media trends, platforms, and strategies change and evolve at a rapid pace, but Navarra uses his expertise to compile the latest insights into cleverly-crafted, bite-sized updates designed to help social media marketers get back up-to-speed just as quickly.

Podcast: Brand New — Design News & Creative Inspiration

Graphic design firm Under Construction, LLC created their Brand New platform to be a “catalyst for conversation” in the design industry. Updated daily, the Brand New’s website and social spaces house a wealth of resources for marketing creatives ranging from industry news, expert-led logo and rebrand reviews and analyses, UX and UI insights, graphic design inspiration, and more. For any creative professionals who are hungry for even more detailed discussions about all things design, we recommend checking out Brand New’s podcast, “The Follow-up,” which produces new episodes every other week.

Newsletter: The Daily Carnage — Daily Marketing Trends & Hot Takes

As a fun bonus, this last recommendation comes directly from CID’s Executive Director of Marketing, Heather Vaughn!

Heather: I'm over-subscribed (I just walk through life like "Yeah, here's my email address), but The Daily Carnage is a resource that always stops me mid-scroll during my daily inbox review. Why?

  • Short subject lines and preview text that’s relevant and even funny. Examples:
    • Subject: RedNote has entered the chat. Preview text: Will it last?
    • Subject: Refreshing Campaigns. Preview text: Oops.
  • A daily roundup of industry stories that marketers should know about
  • The hot takes/tips/takeaway:
    • I especially love that on Fridays, they summarize what they learned for the week like so:
      The Daily Carnage What We Learned
      Recent example of What We Learned by The Daily Carnage
    • Plenty of interactive features like poll questions, puzzles
    • You get marketing smarts but a dose of their agency personality also.

Yes, it’s from another agency that we could be competing with. Doesn’t matter. Game respects game!

Editor’s Note: If you want to get in on the fun, we would love for you to subscribe to The Daily Carnage with this referral link from Heather to send her a “thanks” for the solid recommendation.

Looking for more fresh perspectives to fuel your 2025 goals? Subscribe to CID’s newsletter to get insights and inspiration year-round or tag us in to start building forward momentum behind your brand right now.

Amy Klinkhammer

Amy Klinkhammer-Thomas

Copywriter & Content Specialist

"Bring in the Klinkhammer," they said...and we did! Amy is part of our award-winning marketing & strategy team where she writes for ads, email, the web, video and so much more. She also drinks too much coffee and spends too much time debating the Oxford comma.

Put our teams to work for your business

Contact Us