AI has changed how consumers shop by speeding up research. But one thing hasn’t changed: shoppers still trust people more than AI.

Levanta’s new Affiliate 3.0 Consumer Report reveals a major shift in how shoppers blend AI tools with human influence. Consumers use AI to explore options, but when it comes time to buy, they still turn to creators, communities, and real experiences to validate their decisions.

The data shows:

The most effective brands are combining AI discovery with authentic human influence to drive measurable conversions.

Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified by it.

Download the full report to see what this means for your brand.

By Hugh Lee Johnson | Publisher & Newsletter Launch Coach

Social media is dying. Your reach is shrinking. The algorithm decides who sees your content. And you own nothing.

In 2026, smart entrepreneurs are making a different choice. They are building email newsletters instead of chasing likes and followers.

Here is the truth: your email list is digital real estate you own. Social media platforms are rented land where the landlord keeps changing the rules.

This shift is happening now. The professionals who recognize it are building assets that will pay them for years. Those who ignore it will keep shouting into the void.

The numbers tell the story. Email open rates average 35 to 45 percent for well-run newsletters. Organic reach on Facebook and Instagram sits below 5 percent. LinkedIn posts reach about 10 percent of your followers.

When you send an email, it lands directly in the inbox. No algorithm decides if your subscriber sees it. No platform takes a cut of your attention.

You do not need expensive software or a team to start. These AI tools make newsletter creation fast and simple.

Beehiiv (beehiiv.com) is my platform of choice. Built by the team behind Morning Brew, it offers:

Starting feels overwhelming. These five steps simplify the process.

If you are over 40, you have an unfair advantage. Decades of experience give you something younger creators lack: real stories, proven insights, and credibility from doing the work.

Entrepreneurs over 50 are twice as likely to build successful businesses compared to those in their 20s. Your experience is your greatest asset.

You are not behind. You are not too late. You are right on time.

The newsletter revolution is happening now. Every week you wait is a week you could be building an audience that belongs to you.

I created a complete guide to help you launch your first newsletter in seven days. It includes step-by-step instructions, worksheets, templates, and the exact process I use for my four weekly newsletters.

The book is called "The 7-Day Newsletter: How to Launch Your First Email Publication This Week (Even If You've Never Hit 'Send' Before)."

Seven days. One hour per day. A published newsletter by the end of the week.

Your expertise deserves an audience. Start building one today.

[Link to learn more and purchase The 7-Day Newsletter will appear here]

The step-by-step action guide for professionals over 40 who are ready to turn decades of expertise into a newsletter that builds authority, attracts opportunities, and creates income on your own terms.

$160+ Value Just $27

You've been thinking about starting a newsletter for months. Maybe years.

You know you have valuable expertise. You've spent 20, 30, maybe 40+ years building knowledge that could help others.

But every time you sit down to start, the same questions stop you:

"What platform should I use?" "What would I even write about?" "Who wants to hear from someone my age?" "Where do I even begin?"

So you close the laptop. Tell yourself you'll figure it out later. And another week passes.

Not a plan for a newsletter. Not notes about a newsletter.

A real, live newsletter with real subscribers who want to hear from you.

That's exactly what The 7-Day Newsletter delivers.

There are dozens of platforms, hundreds of "experts" with conflicting advice, and endless rabbit holes of optimization strategies designed for people with 100,000 followers.

None of that helps you get your first issue out the door.

Meanwhile, every day you wait:

And that little voice whispers: "Maybe I'm too old for this. Maybe the window has closed."

That voice is wrong.

I Know Because I Was You

I'm Hugh Lee Johnson. I spent over 50 years in sales and customer service, including 11 years selling cars.

In 2025, at 63 years old, I made a decision that changed everything.

I left my 9-5 and became a full-time content creator.

Today, I publish four weekly newsletters. I post on LinkedIn every single day. I'm building a business that's entirely mine, on my own terms.

And you know what I wish?

I wish I'd started sooner.

Not because it's hard. Because it's easier than I thought.

All those years I spent thinking I needed to figure everything out first? Wasted time.

The truth is, I just needed a clear, simple process to follow. One step at a time. One day at a time.

That's what I created for you.

The complete action guide for launching your first email newsletter in one week.

This isn't theory. It's not a course you'll never finish. It's not 47 videos you'll watch "someday."

It's a 110-page action guide with one simple promise:

By sunset on Day 7, you're a published newsletter creator.