Thursday, June 18, 2026

📂 Proprietary data is the final frontier of marketing content

Proprietary data sets your content apart (and you probably already have it).  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Interested in becoming a beta reader for my upcoming book Founding Marketing?

I'll send you new chapters to review every week — your input directly helps shape the book! Plus, you'll get early access to the content 100% for free.

The world is flooded with marketing content.

Google and AI are mass-producing the easy stuff. Blog posts, guides, and keyword-driven explainers are simpler than ever to pump out, which means they’re harder than ever to make stand out.

If your marketing content can be replicated by a freelancer with ChatGPT, it’s not a moat, and it is unlikely to engage your target audience.

To stand apart, SaaS companies need more than words. They need data no one else has. You need that data. And you may not realize this, but you probably already have it in some form or other.

How leaders are building with rare data

Ahrefs stands as one of the clearest examples of this phenomenon.

Their search index — spanning trillions of backlinks and keywords — fuels original research that marketers cite everywhere.

Competitors can copy their copy, but not their dataset. Every Ahrefs blog post or study carries the authority of data you literally cannot get anywhere else.

Ryan Law, Director of Content Marketing at Ahrefs, consistently publishes commentary rooted in firsthand findings.

Here’s an example. After analyzing 16 million URLs, he shared his research in this article on AI hallucinations, revealing that as many as ~2.4% of links produced by Chatgpt are faulty or made up. He cites Ahref’s unique URL data in the title of the post, “New Study: How Often Do AI Assistants Hallucinate Links? (16 Million URLs Studied).”

His work resonates because it feels grounded in reality and authoritative, far from ever being just another regurgitated summary on a common topic.

At Swipe Files, we have our own flavor of data-backed content, our yearly State of SaaS Marketing survey.

By aggregating responses across hundreds of SaaS marketers, we convert individual insights into an industry-wide benchmark. Our report doesn’t just generate clicks. The data backing it defines the content as a resource. People link back to it months or sometimes even years later.

Why proprietary data beats the commodity pile

In short, content backed by proprietary data wins because no one else can publish it but you.

When used well, proprietary data does three things:

  1. Signals authority
    Readers trust you when you can back up claims with your own numbers.
  2. Sharpens positioning
    By analyzing your proprietary data, you can uncover patterns that reveal what customers struggle with, what competitors miss, or where the market is underserved.
  3. Earns algorithmic trust
    Google favors content that’s fresh, unique, and evidence-based. AI systems are more likely to reference your content when it provides insights no one else has published.

And the formats are flexible. Proprietary data can show up in a detailed report, a blog post, a webinar, or even a single LinkedIn post highlighting a surprising trend. The key here is that it’s yours, and only you could have posted it.

Turning data into content assets

Most SaaS companies already sit on proprietary data — they just don’t recognize it.

Here are the key ways to get started on looking for the data:

  • Mine your product logs
    Your usage data is already a goldmine. Look at feature adoption, time-to-value, or usage frequency. Package those findings into trends or benchmarks that show how real customers solve problems with your product.
  • Survey your audience
    Even a small, well-designed survey can surface insights that generic industry reports miss. Ask about pain points, workflows, or purchasing decisions, then publish the results as charts, summaries, or trend reports.
  • Tap support and success teams
    Your frontline teams hear customer struggles every day. Collect and categorize the most common pain points or recurring questions. Turn them into content that not only shows empathy but also demonstrates how your product resolves those challenges.
  • Leverage social channels
    Run polls, ask open-ended questions, or analyze comment threads in your niche. These inputs can be aggregated into quick-hit data stories, giving you fresh material that reflects the voice of your market.

Don’t underestimate small data. A single chart showing how your users save time, or a list of the most common frustrations in your niche, can fuel content that competitors can’t replicate.

The closing question

The future of SaaS marketing won’t be about who writes the most — it’ll be about who finds the rarest proof.

Proprietary data isn’t just another tactic, it’s the edge that transforms content from disposable to indispensable.

What unique dataset is hiding in your company that could become your content moat? What can only you bring to the content-creation table?

I’d love to hear your (proprietary) take.

—Corey

p.s. want my brain-power on marketing your business? Book a Marketing Power Hour or invest in a Swipe Files Membership.

Swipe Files does not have sponsors. We have partners.

We partner with trusted top-tier service providers. In fact, I reached out to them — each one has been carefully selected and vetted so I have 100% confidence in recommending them to you. Doing business with them supports this newsletter. 😊

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  • Sales.co — Cold email from idea generation to A/B testing, all you have to do is show up for the sales call.
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  • Dofollow — My go-to service for sourcing high-quality backlinks in ethical ways to help you rank higher in Google.
  • Embarque — Level up your content and SEO at an affordable price, from keyword research to content production to promotion.
  • A Team Overseas — Proactive VAs for founders who need more than just order-takers.
  • Latin Remote Workers — Save up to 70% on salaries by hiring exceptional talent from Latin America.
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📂 Tiny Marketing Ideas: Host Twitter Spaces

Today's newsletter is proudly supported by Boopos 🎉

Thinking about selling your SaaS business? Boopos can help. As a specialized tech M&A advisory firm, they’ll guide you through every step, leveraging proprietary data and an extensive network across the US and Europe to help you achieve an exit on your terms. Use my link and mention 'Corey' or 'Swipe Files' to get a free consultation with their expert team and get started.

Idea 💡

Host Twitter Spaces to engage followers, talk about issues related to your product, and bring in guests.

Twitter Spaces have emerged as the dominant live audio platform. Content that's uniquely fit for spaces include AMAs, round table discussions, and casual drop by chats.

Examples 🔍

Resources 📚

Twitter Spaces: How to Use it Effectively to Grow Your Brand

Should you use Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse for live audio?

Cheers,
Corey

p.s. want my brain-power on marketing your business? Book a Marketing Power Hour or invest in a Swipe Files Membership.

Swipe Files does not have sponsors. We have partners.

We partner with trusted top-tier service providers. In fact, I reached out to them — each one has been carefully selected and vetted so I have 100% confidence in recommending them to you. Doing business with them supports this newsletter. 😊

See how these services can help you grow and mention "Swipe Files" or "Corey" for special treatment:

  • Conversion Factory — My SaaS marketing and design agency without the BS of unpredictable costs or contracts.
  • ReactSquad — The only developer matchmaking service for SaaS startups focused on vetted engineers who focus on React & Node.js.
  • xFusion — Get trained, reliable, and affordable customer support reps ready to go for your business.
  • Sales.co — Cold email from idea generation to A/B testing, all you have to do is show up for the sales call.
  • Videodeck — Done-for-you video production with an expert team at an affordable price.
  • Dofollow — My go-to service for sourcing high-quality backlinks in ethical ways to help you rank higher in Google.
  • Embarque — Level up your content and SEO at an affordable price, from keyword research to content production to promotion.
  • A Team Overseas — Proactive VAs for founders who need more than just order-takers.
  • Latin Remote Workers — Save up to 70% on salaries by hiring exceptional talent from Latin America.
  • Testimonial Hero — Done-for-you professional video testimonials and case studies.

Refer a friend to this newsletter and unlock 5 more exclusive Tiny Marketing Ideas!

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iPhone Air 2 📱, inside Anthropic ban ⚖️, Claude Design + Code 👨‍💻

The second-generation iPhone Air is now in advanced testing. Apple plans to launch the device in Spring 2027. The device will retain its current look ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

TLDR

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TLDR 2026-06-18

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📱

Big Tech & Startups

Anthropic Employees Accuse Trump Administration of Targeting Them (11 minute read)

The Trump administration's ban of Anthropic's models has been criticized by cybersecurity experts and Anthropic employees as unfair. More than 150 cybersecurity experts have signed an open letter calling for the administration to lift the restrictions. Employees say that the well-known multiple protections built into the Fable model to prevent its use for cyber offensive uses is evidence that Anthropic is being unfairly targeted.
Apple Prepares Second-Generation iPhone Air for Spring 2027 (3 minute read)

The second-generation iPhone Air is now in advanced testing. Apple plans to launch the device in Spring 2027. The device will retain its current look, but with a second rear camera for ultrawide-angle photography and an improved battery life. It will be powered by a version of the A20 Pro processor, the same chip coming to this Fall's iPhones.
🚀

Science & Futuristic Technology

Uneven Frontiers (52 minute read)

AI will make some parts of biopharma faster and cheaper, but other facets of the industry are restricted by the physical world. Recruiting patients, dosing them, and waiting for results will still take time. Drug discovery will accelerate, but clinical development will remain a bottleneck. The durable position is built around the bottleneck, not in the path of advancing discovery models.
Mobileye is entering the US robotaxi market with standalone service (2 minute read)

Mobileye is launching a robotaxi service in the US in 2027. The vertically integrated service will use the company's Moovit mobility platform to interact with customers booking rides and coordinate drivers. It will begin service with about 100 robotaxis in a yet unnamed city. The company plans to scale up to around 17,000 robotaxis within the next five years if the initial pilot goes well.
💻

Programming, Design & Data Science

4,000 LIQUID-COOLED GPUS OUTPERFORM 5,300 AIR-COOLED. THE MATH IS GETTING HARD TO IGNORE. (Sponsor)

Thermal throttling in air-cooled systems doesn't just affect GPUs, it creates fabric congestion that impacts the entire cluster. WhiteFiber breaks down why liquid cooling is a workload performance decision that might change your ROI calculations.

Read the analysis →
Lore (Website)

Lore is a version control system optimized for projects that combine code with large binary assets. It is designed for scalability and caters to both the needs of developers and artists. Lore features a verifiable, tamper-evident source of truth, an intuitive interface, and a full-surface API. It is fully open source under an MIT license.
Anthropic ships major Claude Design overhaul with design system imports, code round-trips, and a fix for its token-burning problem (13 minute read)

Anthropic has shipped an overhauled version of Claude Design that attempts to fix its token consumption issue. With the update, Claude Design has transformed from a prototype toy to an enterprise platform. Users can now bring design systems into Claude Design from a GitHub repository, design files, or raw uploads. It can output consistent branding at speed and scale.
🎁

Miscellaneous

TLDR is hiring a curator for TLDR Hardware! (TLDR Curator, ~3 hrs/week)

500,000 people have already signed up for TLDR Hardware, our new twice-weekly newsletter covering chips, robotics, energy, and devices. If you work in hardware and want to help curate it, send your LinkedIn or resume to hardware@tldr.tech!
Musk's Next Move May Be a Megamerger of SpaceX and Tesla (10 minute read)

Many of Elon Musk's fans and investors expect him to merge SpaceX with Tesla. The two companies have long shared executives and other resources and are jointly developing multibillion-dollar projects. Musk controls SpaceX and is Tesla's largest shareholder, so it could raise legal issues and prompt lawsuits if he made the deal. However, this is unlikely to stop Musk, who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican candidates, including President Donald Trump.
Apple to Raise Prices Due to Memory Chip Crunch (7 minute read)

The surging costs of memory and storage chips are prompting Apple to raise its prices on its products. Apple's next major product launch is likely to be in September, but price increases could come sooner. The AI infrastructure buildout is eating up supplies for memory and storage chips. Prices have quadrupled since last year, and they're expected to continue increasing into 2027.

Quick Links

What Shopify built on Catalog API in a few days (Sponsor)

Shopify's Spring '26 Edition: 150+ updates that put merchant products everywhere buyers are, from AI chats to in-store, anchored by Shopify's global product Catalog and the Universal Commerce Protocol. Read more.
Mark Zuckerberg Orders His Employees to Start Having Fun Again After Brutal Layoffs Culled Their Colleagues (3 minute read)

Mark Zuckerberg attempted to lift employee spirits by promising to host a companywide AI hackathon in July, but workers told him that they were in no mood for such a thing.
You Got Faster. Your Company Didn't (3 minute read)

AI is enabling people to work faster by passing the actual work to the next person.
Why we're bullish on loops (5 minute read)

Loops allow agents to prompt themselves and improve products without input.
Local Qwen isn't a worse Opus, it's a different tool (28 minute read)

Local Qwen is able to provide real value for businesses in certain tasks and workflows.
Building a design system specced for engineers and agents (12 minute read)

AI makes putting together a design system less expensive than before, making the cost of building without a design foundation exponentially higher.
AI coding agents taught robots how to install GPUs and cut zip ties (4 minute read)

The Nvidia GEAR lab will open-source the ENPIRE harness so that anyone can host their own self-running robot lab at home.

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📂 Proprietary data is the final frontier of marketing content

Proprietary data sets your content apart (and you probably already have it).  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏...