tips on writing a newsletter article

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How to write a newsletter article: 11 Tips

  — November 15th, 2023

Grabbing attention is a difficult task in today's content-heavy world. You need your content to make your readers stop and take notice. It's also important that it's of consistently high quality so your readers will continue to read and even recommend your articles.

How to improve employee newsletter open rates and drive engagement

Here are our 11 tips for writing great newsletter articles.

• Keep it short : remember, your readers are busy and need to consume content quickly. Bear in mind they may also be reading the article on their mobile phones. Stick to a concise word count with your newsletter articles. You can explore more in-depth topics in other ways – consider using video  for example.
• Make it relevant : this is a no-brainer, but you want to make sure you are including content that's relevant to your readers. You should use analytics to determine the type of content your readers are typically most interested in.
• Have a catchy headline : it's all about grabbing readers' attention. By using a catchy headline you can pique interest. Write the article content first and then come back to the headline. Make sure it sums up the article but don't be afraid to be quirky or use puns. Making use of numbers is also a good idea to capture eyeballs.
• Include a short intro that sums up what the article is about : often newsletters  will feature a home page or cover page where articles are teased with a headline and short intro. Use this space to really sell the article. Give the reader an idea of what they'll be reading but don't give too much away, make them want to click through to read the whole article.
• Use simple language: avoid using complicated language. You want your newsletter to be inclusive, and not to alienate readers with unfamiliar words or phrases. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
• Add contextual links : by adding links to the content you can direct your readers to other relevant or interesting content. This gives people an opportunity to find articles they may not have already read.
• Add a call to action : make it clear what you want the reader to do after they read the article. Do you want them to sign up for a workshop, read an important PDF, provide feedback, or simply read a follow-up article! Include a clear follow-on call to action at the end of the article.
• Proofread final article : if you've written the article, get a colleague to cast their eyes over your final draft. You will seldom notice your own errors and it's always wise to get a new pair of eyes to look over what you've written. Errors and typos can leave a bad impression on your readers, so be sure you do a simple check.
• Double check spellings of all names you mention in the article: if you are referring to people in your article be sure you have double checked the spelling of their name. People will always remember if you spell their name incorrectly and this might sway them negatively against your content.
• Good imagery: an interesting or illustrative photo is a good accompaniment to any well-written article. Take time to choose an image  that best illustrates the photos and make sure to use a good quality, high-res image. Poor photos can make the rest of the content look bad.
• Include comments facility : to encourage engagement to consider adding a comments facility to each newsletter article. This offers your readers the opportunity to get involved in the conversation and could generate some interesting discussions or even spark ideas for future content.
• Personality Punch: Inject some personality into your writing. Let your unique voice shine through, and your readers will feel a personal connection. An article without personality is like a party without music—forgettable.
• Storytelling Mastery: Craft your articles like captivating stories. Weave a narrative that keeps readers hooked from the first word to the last. Everyone loves a good story—make yours unmissable.
• Visual Variety: Don't limit yourself to static images. Embrace variety with infographics , gifs, or even interactive elements. A visually diverse newsletter is a feast for the eyes.
• Mobile Magic: Optimize your content for mobile users. Ensure that your articles are easily digestible on smartphones. The world is in the palm of their hands—make sure your content is too.
• Social Media Savvy: Spread the love on social media. Share snippets of your newsletter content, enticing readers to explore the full article. Let your newsletter be the talk of the social media town.
• Trendy Topics: Stay on top of trends in your industry. Incorporate timely topics into your newsletter to show your readers you're ahead of the curve. Ride the wave of relevance.
• Sneak Peek Surprises: Tease upcoming content in your newsletter. Give readers a sneak peek into what's on the horizon. It's like offering a glimpse behind the curtain—they'll be eager for the next act.
• Embrace White Space: Don't underestimate the power of white space. It's the unsung hero of design, giving your readers' eyes room to breathe. A cluttered newsletter is like a crowded room—overwhelming.
• Consistent Schedule: Be the reliable friend who always shows up on time. Stick to a consistent publishing schedule for your newsletter. It builds anticipation and keeps your audience coming back for more.

If you're struggling to think of regular content for your newsletter, check out our blog with 26 ideas for newsletter content.

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How to Write A Newsletter: Step-By-Step Guide (With Real Examples)

Today I’m going to show you how to write a newsletter — Sumo-style.

In fact, it’s the same newsletter writing tips we used to make $1,846 monthly recurring revenue when we promoted  this blog post  to our email list:

Want to learn how to write an email newsletter for yourself? Then keep reading!

In today’s article, I share  how to write a newsletter, including tips, step-by-step instructions, advanced tactics, and even how to outsource it.  Here we go!

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4 tips on how to write a newsletter

Before we dive into the practical steps, here are the basics of what makes a great newsletter.

1. Make it something people want to read

This one should be obvious, but I get emails telling me someone’s life story or things I couldn’t care less about all the time. It’s a waste of my time.

And that’s still not the end of the email! (Sorry Jonathan, love your work, but this is just too much for me to read in my email.)

I’m not saying this to be harsh — I’m saying it because it’s true.

Your audience doesn’t care about your life or your problems. They only care about how you can help THEM with THEIR life and problems. 

It’s just human psychology.

By the same token, don’t only send ads to your list. (Unless that’s why they opted in for, then give them what they want.)

Ask yourself: If I got this email, would I care? It’s hard to be objective, but try.

2. Fix your open rates

Getting people to open your emails is half the battle.

MailChimp ran a study of their customers and found the average open rate across all industries on their platform is just 20.81%. [ * ]

In other words,  only a fifth of your subscribers will open your email.  Not great.

Luckily, you can improve that drastically by:

• Writing great subject lines.
• Building trust with your audience that your emails are worth reading.
• Using your name in the “From” address instead of a brand name.

Put another way, here’s an equation:

Interesting Subject Line + Audience Trust = Open Rates

If your audience trusts you as a person (or as a brand) and they trust your emails are usually valuable to them, they’ll probably open your email regardless of the subject line.

On the flip side, if they don’t know you well but your subject lines pique their curiosity or touch on something they really want, they’ll also open.

When you have trust AND a great subject line? Boom! High open rates.

3. Be consistent in your delivery

This one’s easy! Don’t send so many emails you annoy your audience, but don’t be a ghost, either. Find a schedule, and stick to it (within reason).

Don’t send three emails one week, then none the next. Stay consistent.

Send weekly emails every Friday? Great! Send biweekly or monthly emails? Awesome. Send emails daily or multiple times a day? That’s probably bad unless your subscribers knew what they were signing up for.

If you’re a statistics-driven person, note that a HubSpot study which shared open rate medians also looked at the median open and engagement rates based on the number of emails sent per month. [ * ]

Here’s what they found for impact on open rates for their customers:

And for impact on click rates:

It seems the sweet spot is between  16-30 emails per month  (an email daily or every other day).

“Note: Campaigns are defined as targeted, individual emails sent to a portion of a database — not an email blast to everyone.”

That said, you should always test different frequencies to see what works best for you. A best practice is to set expectations in your welcome email to tell people how often you’ll be emailing them.

4. Keep it short and simple

The final tip before we dive into the nitty-gritty:  Don’t tell your life story!

I already mentioned this in the first tip, but it’s worth mentioning again from another angle. People are getting busier every day. Nearly 3.4 million emails are sent  every second . [ * ]

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

So do yourself and your readers a favor, and make your emails short and sweet.

Keep your emails no longer than 3 to 5 paragraphs. Use short sentences and simple, easy-to-read wording. Try to write at a seventh-grade reading level or lower (you can use Hemingway Editor to check your content’s reading level).

5 steps for writing your first newsletter

Now that you’ve got those tips in your back pocket, let’s write your first email newsletter !

1. Decide what you want to share

The first step is to figure out what you want to say or share.

Some ideas include:

• New content you created (blog posts, videos, infographics, etc.).
• Other people’s content you found relates to things your list cares about.
• Projects you’re working on.
• New product launches.
• Discounts and flash sales (use sparingly).
• *Mini blog posts (emails that are written well enough to be a blog post on their own).

*Mini blog posts are the only emails I’d ever send that are fairly long, because they provide lots of value. For example, Kai Davis often sends his list mini blog post emails: [ * ]

Once you know what you want to share, it’s time to draft your newsletter!

2. Write a draft like you’re writing to a specific person

Whenever you write an email, you should always write as if you’re writing to a specific person. This could be a persona you made up to act as your ideal subscriber, or it can be someone you know.

Either way, write the email as if you’re writing to that person. This will help you make it more personal and interesting than if you just wrote to “everyone.”

Need some inspiration? Click the button below to get my email newsletter swipe file with five awesome examples.

GET THE NEWSLETTER SWIPE FILE

3. Review the draft

After you finish your draft, don’t forget to review proofread it. Make sure it sounds interesting, you haven’t forgotten to finish a sentence, and you don’t have spelling and grammar errors.

I highly recommend you read the email out loud at least once. Reading your words out loud makes it easier to catch typos helps you see if you’ve written in an interesting, conversational tone.

If you’re feeling lazy, you can copy and paste the email into a text-to-speech tool like Natural Readers or even Word to have it read it to you.

While you’re at it, have someone else read the email. Try to find someone who resembles your audience, if possible. Otherwise, a friend or family member will do in a pinch. They’ll help you further refine the email.

4. Send to a portion of your list first

Before sending your newsletter to all of your subscribers, consider sending the draft you just proofread to a small chunk of your list (10-15%). This will help you see what kind of open rates the email gets, and make sure everything works OK.

If you don’t have a large enough list to do this, follow our  guide to growing your email list so you can get more subscribers!

5. If all is well, send to everyone

Finally, if everything sent OK and you didn’t get any warnings or people emailing you back saying something is broken or doesn’t make sense, send it to your entire email list

Give yourself a pat on the back! You wrote and sent a newsletter.

3 advanced tips for a newsletter your subscribers will love

Feeling the itch to improve? I’ve got you covered! Here are three advanced tips to take your newsletter to the next level:

1. Segment your list for better engagement

Segmenting your email list means separating your subscribers into different “segments” or “buckets”. It looks like this:

Segmented lists perform far better than non-segmented lists. MailChimp found segmented lists receive 14.31% more opens and  double  the clicks compared to non-segmented lists. [ * ]

There are a few ways to segment a list:

• Based on what they opted in for on your website (i.e., guide to email marketing versus guide to SEO).
• Based on which emails they open (i.e., email about email marketing versus email about SEO).
• Based on which links they click within the emails (i.e., link about email marketing versus link about SEO).

Ideally, you’d want to segment based on all three.

For example, if someone opts in to your content upgrade about how to lose weight, send them articles about exercise, nutrition, and supplements.

Depending on which emails or links they click, send them more emails about the topic they’re most interested in. So if they’re most interested in exercise, send them more emails about exercise.

To start segmenting in  Sumo List Builder , go to the  Success  section of any form.

Then use the dropdown under  Add Subscribers To Group  to select a group to put them in.

To use this successfully, you need to segment them by how they opt in on your site.

So if they opt in for a certain content upgrade or discount, put them in a group that sends emails related to that upgrade or discount.

2. A/b test your email subject lines

The next “advanced” technique I want to talk about is split-testing your email subject lines. (I put “advanced” in quotes because it’s actually pretty simple.)

Split testing, or A/B testing, means sending two or more variants of your subject line to see which one performs the best (i.e. gets the highest open rate).

You can also split-test the content itself, such as the email copy, type of discount, etc., but we’ll stick with subject lines for the sake of simplicity.

To A/B test your subject lines, first brainstorm some ideas. Come up with 5-10 ideas, then pick the two most promising to test.

Many email providers, such as ConvertKit , allow you to do this automatically. Click the  A/B  button next to the subject line.

3. Survey your audience to see what they want

My final advanced technique is the least technical! Surveying your audience is easy, quick, and gives you some great insight into what they want.

You can create a survey to figure out what kind of content they want to see more of, what they like or dislike about your product(s), how often they want to receive emails, and more. The sky’s the limit!

Here’s how it’s done:

• Decide what questions you want to ask (use what I said above to brainstorm ideas).
• Create a free Typeform account or use a Google Form (they both work great).
• Add the questions with choices to your survey. You can choose from multiple choice, short text, long-form text, etc..

• Copy the URL for the survey. Write up an email to send to your list and include the URL for your audience to take the survey.
• Wait for the results and review!

Here’s an example survey email you might send to your list:

Hey, [name]…

I need your help.

You see, we’re trying to [mission, such as teach a million people make $100 through Facebook ads]. But we can’t do that without you!

We want to make sure our [content/product] is the best it can be. To do that, we need you to tell us what you need so we can provide it.

Please take 60 seconds to fill out this ultra-quick survey and help us send you better [content/product]: URL

Thanks so much!

Keep crushing it, [Name]

The survey might then have questions like:

• What struggles are you having with Facebook Ads? (Long-form answer)
• Which part of the advertising process are you most stuck on? (Multiple choice)
• How many emails would you like to receive every week? (Multiple choice)
• Is there anything else you’d like us to know? (Long-form answer)

Easy-peasy!

How to outsource your newsletter

Let’s say you’re not too keen on writing newsletters every week. Is it possible to hire someone else to do it for you? If so, how?

It is, and you have plenty of options:

• Hire someone from a freelance site like FreeeUp, Fiverr, or UpWork.
• Hire someone locally or someone you know and train them to do it.
• Hire an agency that specializes in email marketing.

The first two options are cheaper but time-consuming. The third option takes virtually no time at all, but can be extremely expensive.

If you opt to hire someone as your virtual assistant or newsletter writer, here are a few tips to help smooth out the process:

• Try to find people with raving reviews. Testimonials speak a thousand words.
• In your job listing, be as thorough as possible. Explain the exact skillset you need, what your business is about, a little about you if it makes sense, and your expectations in terms of the results you’re after.
• Always give your job applicants a test. This could be a trial newsletter written in your tone and style, for example.

On average, it costs anywhere from $10 to $100 per newsletter, depending on who you hire and how involved you want your newsletters to be.

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How to Write a Good Newsletter

Last Updated: October 19, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Janet Peischel and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson . Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 632,591 times.

These days, everyone seems to have a newsletter! Writing one is simple, but with a few tricks you can make your newsletter fantastic. As long as you keep it interesting and informative, your audience will have a reason to read. It might help to think about the newsletters you open and read—they're probably useful, to the point, and personalized. Check out some of these useful techniques for your next newsletter.

Make the title or subject line interesting and informative.

• For instance, instead of using the title or subject line, "Community Newsletter, May 2021," you could say, "Spring plant sale, picnic, and community fundraiser."
• If you're writing a church newsletter that only comes out once a month, you might write, "January Newsletter: Potluck, Outreach, and Church Renovations!"

Outline the main points you want to make.

• If you're making a big announcement for your brand, you might want to limit the newsletter just to that information so there's more buzz about it. For a standard newsletter that you release every week or month, you might include a handful of smaller points—updates on a business, upcoming events, opportunities, or fundraisers, for instance.

Give authoritative information.

• You may need to research the information that you put in your newsletter. Spend time searching credible sources that you feel comfortable sharing.
• For instance, if you're sending out a nature conservation newsletter and you're bringing up the issue of fishing licenses, link to a government website with the official rules, guidelines, and costs.

Limit the promotional content in your newsletter.

• A non-profit charity might fill the newsletter with summaries about some of their key initiatives. Then, they could wrap up the newsletter with information about a current fundraising need.
• For example, if your company sells sustainable products for the home, your newsletter might cover current stories about the environment. At the very end, you might give them an offer or discount for a product on your site.

Close out your newsletter with a call to action.

• For example, if you're writing a seasonal newsletter, you might link to a schedule of events for your area or give direct links to upcoming programs.

Keep your writing conversational.

• Writing in a relaxed, conversational tone can make the newsletter seem more personal. This is a great way to build a connection with your employees, for instance.
• Be conversational but don't include a lot of slang that your readers may not know.

Make it personal.

• For example, you might imagine writing to a friend or colleague. You'll probably do a great job keeping the tone conversational and engaging this way.
• If you're writing the newsletter for a small group of people, like a congregation or your neighborhood, it's totally fine to mention people by name. You may say, "Mark completed the community garden beds last week," without having to list last names.

Choose a streamlined format that you like.

• If you've got a blog or website, you could also highlight portions from a post. Then, link to the original post so readers can check out more if they're interested. Maybe you've got a fashion blog and you can link to a recent post about a popular style trend.
• Instead of creating a double-column newsletter that packs a lot of content in a small space, go for a single-column layout so your reader can immediately see the topics you're covering. [11] X Research source

Make the format easy for your audience to read.

• Open your newsletter and check it over to see if the text is easy to read. Text that's too small might stop people from reading.

Include relevant images so your newsletter pops.

• To make the pictures more engaging, choose action images, if possible. For instance, instead of having volunteers pose and smile at a company event, share a picture of them doing something—filling care bags, taking donation calls, etc.
• Readers are currently favoring a single, relevant image instead of several smaller images in newsletters. A large image can also make your newsletter look sleek and less cluttered.
• For example, if your company's owner was recently featured in the news, use an image of them instead of clip art of a stack of newspapers.

Proofread before you send it out.

• Ask a friend to read through your newsletter to get some feedback. It's always good to have another pair of eyes looking for errors, too!
• Do an online search for sites that will proofread your work. In some cases, you may need to install an extension so it can run on your browser.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Janet Peischel. Digital Media Expert. Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.
• ↑ https://www.nngroup.com/articles/email-subject-lines/
• ↑ https://www.vic.gov.au/create-and-manage-email-marketing-campaigns-digital-standards
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/personal_correspondence/newsletters.html
• ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/279239
• ↑ https://youtu.be/06H4nL9H2Dk?t=485
• ↑ https://youtu.be/06H4nL9H2Dk?t=316
• ↑ https://www.inc.com/dakota-shane/how-to-write-an-email-newsletter-your-audience-will-actually-read.html
• ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/204844
• ↑ https://youtu.be/_c3dXgVoBHY?t=72

About This Article

If you want to write a good newsletter, you’ll need to make sure the writing is interesting, relevant, and easy to read. Think about who your audience will be when you're picking your topics since some material will appeal more to certain demographics than to others. Once you decide on your content, split your newsletter up into different sections, like a response section, letters to the editor, industry news, and feature articles, to keep your information varied and interesting. To draw your readers' attention to the different sections, write interesting headlines with powerful action verbs that will grab their attention. Before sending the newsletter out, make sure to proofread it for spelling and grammar issues as well as consistency of tone and voice. To learn how to research topics for your newsletter, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Create an Email Newsletter People Actually Read

Published: May 25, 2022

You’re sitting around a conference room, trying to figure out how to best engage your leads and customers, sell more products, or just “stay top-of-mind” for your target audience, and someone decides there’s a solution that can solve all of those problems at once: an email newsletter!

Suddenly you're "volunteered" to do it. And you've got to make sure that open and clickthrough rates don’t dip. Oh, and the first one needs to go out tomorrow.

I’ve been in that situation before, and I was terrified. Even though e-newsletters are one of the most common types of emails to send, they are actually some of the hardest to do right . In this post, we'll teach you how to create an email newsletter your customers will enjoy reading.

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is an email that offers readers and fans who subscribe a list of your most interesting content, announcements, and promotions. It can be helpful for keeping audiences in the know and also in gaining traffic.

Want to ace your new email newsletter project, or rejuvenate an old one? Beloware 10 things you need to make sure to do. And if you're looking for some inspiration, here are some awesome email newsletter examples you can check out.

How to Write a Newsletter

• Review successful newsletter examples.
• Evaluate whether or not you need an email newsletter.
• Figure out what kind of newsletter you want to send.
• Balance your newsletter content to be 90% educational and 10% promotional.
• Set expectations on your Subscribe page.
• Get creative with email subject lines.
• Pick one primary call-to-action.
• Keep design and copy minimal.
• Make sure images have alt text.
• Make it easy for people to unsubscribe.
• Test, test, test.

1. Review successful newsletter examples.

Where do you start? Before you get started creating an email newsletter, look at some examples in (and outside of) your industry. We've compiled a list of dozens of our favorite email newsletters into an ultimate lookbook.

Email Newsletter Lookbook

In-depth research on how to create a revenue-driving newsletter.

• Newsletter ad sales.
• Paid acquisition.
• Newsletter structure.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

2. Evaluate whether or not you need an email newsletter.

I know it can be kind of scary pushing back on your boss about a project you’ve been handed, but if an email newsletter isn’t right for your marketing, you shouldn’t waste your time working on one.

To figure out what you need to do, first do some research. In your industry, are there successful email newsletters that people like to subscribe to? What’s in them? With the resources you have available to you — budget, time, and internal support — could you be successful?

Then, re-examine your business’ goals. Are they trying to increase the number of leads? Better qualify leads to speak with salespeople? Close more deals? Retain more customers?

If your industry isn’t really interested in email newsletters, or if your goals don’t line up with what a newsletter could accomplish, your time might be better spent creating something else like alead nurturing email workflowor content for your blog.

So gather some data, create a plan-of-action (either for a successful newsletter or another activity), and go chat with your superior. Even if you disagree with his or her vision in doing an email newsletter, your boss will be glad you came prepared with a plan for success.

Okay, let’s say you’ve found that you should do an email newsletter. What next?

3. Figure out what kind of newsletter you want to send.

One of the biggest problems with email newsletters is that they're often cluttered and unfocused because they're supporting every aspect of your business. Product news goes right next to PR stories, blog posts go next to a random event week … it’s kind of a mess. Email -- whether it’s a newsletter or not — needs one common thread to hold it together.

Oneway to help reduce the randomness of an email newsletter is by keeping it to one very specific topic. So instead of it being about your company in general, maybe it’s dedicated to one vertical.

An example of a great, topic-based email newsletter is BuzzFeed's "This Week in Cats" newsletter. (Don't judge ... I recently adopted a kitten and I've become full-on obsessed with cats.) Though BuzzFeed writes about pretty much everything under the sun, they offer up one specific newsletter for people who love reading about cats.Because the niche is aligned with a specific interest, the articles have an opportunity to get way more engagement than they would in a newsletter featuring content from all over the website.

4. Balance your newsletter content to be 90% educational and 10% promotional.

Chances are, your email newsletter subscribers don't wantto hear about your products and services 100% of the time. While they may love you and want to hear from you, there’s only so much shillingyou can do before they tune out.

Case in point: I have a thing for shoes, and I especially love this one shoe site. I willingly opted into the company’s email list, but it now sends me emails 2-3 times a day to buy, buy, buy … and when I see its sender name pop up in my inbox, I want to scream. If they sent me educational content — about the latest styles of shoes, or how to pair certain styles with certain outfits — I might be more inclined to buy from them, or at least start opening their emails again.

Don’t be that company. In your email newsletters, get rid of the self-promotion (most of the time) and focus on sending your subscribers educational, relevant, timely information. Unless you actually have an exciting, big piece of news about your product, service, or company, leave out the promotional parts.

5. Set expectations on your "Subscribe" page.

Once you’ve figured out your newsletter’s focus and content balance, make sure you’re properly communicating about them on your subscribe landing page.

Get specific. Tell potential subscribers exactly what will be in the newsletter as well as how often they should expect to hear from you. Take a page out of SmartBrief’s book: On the subscribe landing page, it says what'll be in the newsletter and gives potential subscribers a preview link. Check it out:

Image Source

As a subscriber, wouldn’t that be awesome? You’d go in with open eyes knowing exactly who you'll be receiving email from, what they'll be sending you, and how often they’ll be sending it. As a marketer, having this information up front will help diminish your unsubscribe and spam rates as well.

6. Get creative with email subject lines.

Even if your subscribers sign up for your emails, there’s no guarantee that they will open your emails once they get them in their inbox. Many marketers try increasing familiarity with their subscribers by keeping the subject line the same each day, week, or month that they send it.

But let’s face it, those subject lines get old for subscribers — and fast. Why? Because there’s no incentive from the subject line to click on that specific email right this instant. A better approach would be to try to have a different, creative, engaging subject line for each newsletter you send.

One company that does this really well is Thrillist. Here’s a collection of email newsletters I’ve received recently:

I’ve opened every single one of these because of the company’s subject lines. Even though I know that these emails are coming into my inbox every morning, the subject lines are what entice me to click.

If you need help with your email newsletter subject lines, check out this recipe .

100 Email Subject Lines We Actually Clicked

Dozens of examples of stand-out email subject lines.

• Sales Email Subject Lines
• Funny Subject Lines
• Social Proof Subject Lines

7. Pick one primary call-to-action.

Okay, part of what makes a newsletter a newsletter is that you’re featuring multiple pieces of content with multiple calls-to-action (CTAs). But, that doesn’t mean you should let those CTAs share equal prominence.

Instead, let there be one head honcho CTA — just one main thing that you would like your subscribers to do. The rest of the CTAs should be “in-case-you-have-time” options. Whether it’s simply to click through to see a blog post or just to forward the email to a friend, make it super simple for your subscribers to know what you want them to do.

Check out the Scott's Cheap Flights email newsletter below, which was promoting their newest travel deals. It's got a photo to draw you in and chock-full of information ... but it's also pretty obvious what they want you to do: purchase the premium plan for exclusive travel deals. By placing this CTA above all the other pieces of information, Scott's Cheap Flights increases the chance that their email recipients will click on it.

8. Keep design and copy minimal.

Like we said before, a newsletter can easily feel cluttered because of its nature. The trick for email marketers to look uncluttered revolves around two things: concise copy and enough white space in the design.

Concise copy is key — because you don’t actually want to have your subscribers hang out and read your email all day. You want to send them elsewhere (your website or blog, for instance) to actually consume the whole piece of content. Concise copy gives your subscribers a taste of your content — just enough that they want to click and learn more.

White space is key in email newsletters because it helps visually alleviate the cluttered feel, and on mobile, makes it much easier for people to click the right link.

Look to Schwab's investing insights newsletter to see how this should be done. The design is clean, with just one thumbnail next to a paragraph of text, a link to read the article, and plenty of white space. The design feels uncluttered and easy to read.

9. Make sure images have alt text.

Given that visual content is incredibly important to the rest of your marketing activities, it’d make sense that you’d want to include them in your emails … right?

Right. But email’s a little bit trickier. Most of the time, people won’t have images enabled, so you’ve got to make sure your images have one essential component: alt text. Alt text is the alternative text that appears when images aren’t loaded in an email. This is especially important if your CTAs are images — you want to make sure people are clicking even without the image enabled.

Each email marketing program is different, but here is one tutorial for adding alt text to email .

10. Make it easy for people to unsubscribe.

This seems kinda counter-intuitive, but it’s key if you want to maintain an active, engaged subscriber list. Don’t use weird language like “Alter your communication with us.” Don’t hide an unsubscribe button behind an image without alt text. Besides keeping your list healthy, having a clear unsubscribe process will help ensure your email isn't marked SPAM before it hits the rest of your list's inbox.

Take a look at charity: water's newsletter below to see how to do this right. The link to unsubscribe is bolded and capitalized, making it really easy for you to take action on it (if you wanted). No footer hunting required to uncover where the heck you can change your email settings.

11. Test, test, test.

I know I just listed out nine things you should do to make sure you’re doing email newsletters right, but you’ve also got to find out what works for your company and your list. Just like different cultures of people prefer different things, different groups of email subscribers prefer different things.

So use these email newsletter best practices as a jumping off point … and then experiment to find your secret sauce. Here are a few things you can try:

Short, Funny Subject Lines

All of your subject lines should be on the short side. (They work better that way.) But have you ever tried infusing a little humor into your copy? It could put a smile on your recipients' faces — and potentially improve your open and clickthrough rates. Below's a really funny subject line example from MasterClass :

This clever F-word subject line was used to introduce their new line of fashion-centered classes with Anna Wintour.

CTA Copy & Design

Maybe your readers like loud, bright colors on your CTA — or maybe drab, bland ones are the way to go. Maybe they prefer really fun, excitable, action-oriented copy — or maybe a simple "click here" works. Definitely test out your CTA language and copy to see what resonates.

As a good example to follow, Etsy has multiple CTAs in its email newsletter, but the way that they use color and copy makes them seem very natural and easy-to-read.

Most of the emails featured in this post have lots of gorgeous, compelling images ... but that doesn't mean you need them in your emails.Try stripping away images in favor of seriously well-written copy.

Mobile Version

More and more people are surfing the web and checking their emails on mobile devices, so you should make sure that whatever design you work with is both visually pleasing and functional. This will ensure that your mobile email is engaging to both desktop and mobile users.

Want to learn more about this? Here's a detailed guide that walks you through how to optimize your email for mobile devices.

Sender Name

Another way to get a subscriber's attention is to send an email with a name they recognize — whether it's their own or a brand leader they'd recognize.

This email from Gartner used the subscriber's first name in the subject line to grab their attention. If you have a company mascot that's widely recognized, you could test sending a newsletter from them.

Want to start designing but aren't sure how? Use a template! Check out our long list of effective email templates that are free or very affordable.

What to include in a newsletter?

• How-To Guides
• Discounts and Promotions
• Contests and Giveaways
• User-Generated Content
• Testimonials
• Video Content
• Industry News
• Company Updates and Announcements

Now that you know how to put together your newsletter , it’s time to brainstorm what content your readers will enjoy. What you choose to offer will depend on your business, industry, and target audience.

If your website already has a blog, consider sending out a content roundup of your best articles and videos. Educational content is also valuable. Sending a how-to guide in your newsletter can help establish your brand as the authority on a given topic and provide readers with content that is most relevant to their interests.

Get your subscriber list engaged with contests or scour your social media channels for user-generated content featuring your brand. Customer promotion adds social proof to your brand, making it more trustworthy.

Email Newsletter Best Practices

Once you're ready to put together your newsletter, be sure to follow the above steps. Here are some best practices to guide your efforts, regardless of your newsletter's formatting:

1. Keep things short and sweet.

When making a newsletter , don't overwhelm people with too much text or imagery. Level things out. Even if you choose a photo-less newsletter, keep your message quick and to the point so the email cuts to the chase and grabs attention the whole time.

2. Make your content valuable.

No one wants to open an email with a bunch of advertisements in it. So, include gems of wisdom, tips, and helpful blog posts along the way so the reader feels like they're actually learning something. This will make the subscription feel much more valuable to them.

3. Always test your emails.

It's embarrassing when a link doesn't work or a design aspect looks wonky. So be sure to send test emails to yourself and a colleague who can give you helpful feedback. Check them on both a computer and a smartphone inbox so you can confirm that both the mobile and desktop designs look good.

4. Don’t skip A/B testing.

Aside from testing emails to make sure the design looks as it should and all links work, you’ll want to experiment with A/B testing. Performing A/B tests will help you determine the types of emails your audience prefers. You can also use A/B testing to see what works or doesn’t when it comes to CTA placement and other details.

5. Make it mobile-friendly.

With more users checking their email on mobile devices, it’s imperative that your newsletter is mobile-friendly. Nearly 60% of emails are opened on mobile devices. One way to ensure your emails display properly is by using a responsive email template . HubSpot’s drag and drop email templates are responsive by default and a great option if looking for an easy solution.

6. Monitor email frequency.

Send an email newsletter your subscribers will love.

Email newsletters are something we're all familiar with, yet it can be challenging to create a successful one for your own brand. Use the examples above for inspiration and create an email newsletter that delights your subscribers.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Learn how to build an email newsletter from scratch. Plus, check out a compiled lookbook of awesome examples from real publications.

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How to Write a Newsletter That Gets Read (+ Infographic)

Want to engage your audience while sharing your best content, deepest insights and brand story? Add a newsletter to your marketing strategy.

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you’re no stranger to the power of email marketing campaigns. Powerful tools for B2C and B2B alike, email is still one of the best ways to push prospects further down the sales funnel, and a valuable opportunity to engage existing clients.

That said, not all emails need to be sales-oriented. Have you ever considered the power of an email newsletter?

If you want a simple, consistent way to engage your target audience without annoying them (especially when they have bigger fish fry like, say, dealing with a pandemic), newsletters are the tool you’re looking for.

Email Newsletter vs. Email Campaign: What’s the Difference?

No doubt this is one of the first questions on your mind. The answer: Frequency and consistency. Newsletters are regularly occurring emails designed to keep your subscribers, customers, potential customers and other members of your target audience up to date on the latest information you have to give them. They don’t sell products – newsletters simply keep your subscribers engaged with your business, lasting for as long as your company is open.

Email campaigns, on the other hand, have a limited timeframe, a set number of emails and are generally planned in advance. They’re tools for pushing prospects down the sales funnel, directing them to gated assets, event sign-up pages or, in some cases, sales teams.

That’s an important distinction, so I’m going to repeat it: Newsletters aren’t the place for pushing products.

Newsletters are for building relationships.

A great newsletter shares knowledge with your customers in a manner that is conversational rather than promotional. Email campaigns are for sales; newsletters are for thought leadership and increasing engagement through storytelling.

Now, if that’s not a concrete enough goal for you, don’t worry. You can use newsletters to boost a variety of quantifiable metrics, including:

• Increasing qualified leads through gated content by directing readers to downloadable assets.
• Building brand awareness by promoting social media sharing.
• Increasing contact with existing customers.

You’re not limited to choosing one option; your business can have multiple newsletters, each with its own goals.

That said, your newsletters shouldn’t be a mess of content. Rather, they should be segmented into different audiences, goals or other criteria and written with a consistent subject.

To illustrate what I mean, let’s look at the newsletter page for the Harvard Business Review :

As you can see, HBR has many newsletters, and all are sorted into relevant content categories for readers. What’s more, you’ll also notice that HBR varies its email newsletter frequency depending on the content. Some are delivered daily; these are usually brief tips or snippets that can be read quickly and link readers to longer articles if they wish to learn more. Others are blog post roundups delivered weekly or monthly, which are consistent enough to keep readers engaged but not so constant that they become annoying.

So, now that we’ve discussed the various uses of email newsletters, let’s talk about creating them.

Step 1: Coming Up With Your Email Newsletter Topic

Ideally, your newsletters will exist as long as your business does, meaning they’ll evolve with it. Therefore, you should never run out of content ideas.

Now, I’ll be frank: As a writer, the idea of never running out of topics seems daunting. “Surely I’ll run into writer’s block sooner or later?”

Nope! If you ever get stuck, just think of what either your business or your audience has been focused on recently. Some simple ideas include:

Content Roundups

This is a way to ensure your email list sees your work (and a chance to show off your work, of course). You can link to your best-performing content (increasing the likelihood that it’ll resonate with your audience) or share something that could use a few more views.

In the HBR example above, you can see that the publication has segmented its roundups into various categories, including leadership, finance, strategy, tech, best of and more. You may not have as many categories (a single bi-weekly roundup may suffice for your company), but the content you include must be similarly consistent.

Company News

If your company is extremely large and incredibly active, you can create a monthly newsletter summing up your latest movements. Be careful of timing here — sending emails too frequently could annoy your audience while sending them too infrequently makes them think you’re asleep.

Case studies, white papers, infographics and surveys are all great details to share with your newsletter subscribers. Even other writing like exceptional blog posts, LinkedIn pieces, guest blogs and more can greatly appeal to your email newsletter audience.

Step 2: Creating a Killer Subject Line

Your subject line is your first chance to hook readers into your newsletter — and you don’t want to waste the opportunity!

So how do you get your foot in the metaphorical door? Follow these essential tips:

• Personalization: You need to know your audience. One subject line may appeal to a certain demographic more than another and that can help you target different audiences. Cater your content to the individual based on data as much as possible.
• Inspire action: If you’re informing clients of a time-sensitive event, offer or opportunity, emphasize that in your subject line. This can add urgency that gets your reader to open the newsletter.
• Pique their interest: Give your readers an idea of your newsletter content that’ll make them more curious and more willing to check out the full story.
• Keep it concise: You only have a few words to capture your audience’s attention, so use them wisely! The opening of your subject line needs to grab the reader and a long, wordy sentence won’t do that.
• Add numbers: Quantifiable statistics and data are a great way to make your newsletter stand out in an inbox.
• Have fun — and keep it professional: Humor is your friend. Don’t be afraid to show some personality in your subject line. On the other hand, avoid writing in all-caps or using too many exclamation points, both of which can come off aggressively, or worse, as spam.
• Look for examples: Do you have a newsletter you love? Or a brand that creates great subject lines? Take note of what grabs your attention and let that help you create your own subject lines.

Step 3: What to Include in the Body of Your Newsletter

The specifics involved in writing an email newsletter are similar to that of creating an email marketing campaign. The main difference is the structure of the body. Newsletters provide an overview of several different subjects at once, so the body is best broken up into separate sections for each.

Naturally, this means newsletters typically have a longer word count than sales emails. The latter are best kept to 50 to 200 words , while the former can be “ as long as they need to be .”

Pro tip: Your writing should be as concise as possible while still saying everything you need in order to convince the reader to take an intended action.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss the structure of an email newsletter from the beginning.

Attractive Sender and Subject Line

The sender and the subject line go a long way toward convincing people to open an email. (Want proof? Go to your spam folder and look at the garbage subjects and spammy “from” addresses. Are you at all interested in what they have to say?)

So, what makes an attractive sender?

• A name: Every guide on writing a B2B or B2C email will tell you to use a human name rather than something like “[email protected].” Doing so builds familiarity and creates that human connection that is so vital to building business relationships.

What about an attractive subject?

• Information: Subscribers want to know if the email they’re about to dive into is relevant. If they don’t get that sense, they’re more likely to leave you unread than to go searching for interesting content.
• Brevity: There’s no consensus on the perfect character length for an email subject line. Shorter tends to be better: various guides will say between 55 and 70 characters maximum. That said, shorter isn’t always possible if you want to clearly identify your newsletters.

This is where your newsletter shines. You’re compiling a lot of information about various topics here, so it’s important your readers receive a cohesive package of content while quickly understanding that the text contains information about a wide variety of subjects. This way, they can quickly scan your newsletters for the details that attract them.

Think of how a newspaper sports page is broken into separate sections. Each article is visually separate from another, divided either by spacing or lines. Furthermore, every article is about something different, but they’re all unified under a consistent theme.

Newspaper writing is also generally consistent overall. Each story has a unique tone influenced by the writer, but the masthead has a clear, consistent voice. YouTube commenters don’t write for The New York Times, after all.

Plain Text vs. HTML Emails

This section talks about newsletter design and, more specifically, how you format your newsletter content. Plain text is exactly as it sounds: the equivalent of a basic Notepad document in email form. There’s no text formatting, images or graphic elements of any kind. It sounds boring, but several studies show that plain text actually increases open rates.

One possible theory is that email clients may flag HTML-heavy emails and mark them as something to be filtered. As Hubspot pointed out, Gmail’s default “Promotions” filter tries to catch any sales-rich messaging and keep them out of the inbox. Depending on the email client’s default filter configuration, some customers may unfortunately never lay eyes on these newsletters.

Additionally, email clients display HTML differently: An HTML email opened in Gmail may look different when opened in Outlook. Furthermore, some email clients or browsers can’t display HTML emails at all, nor can screen-reading software for disabled viewers parse through the code. The reasons for this are complex (email client Litmus wrote a handy blog about it here), but the basic fact is that plain text emails offer greater consistency and ensure all of your subscribers are able to consume your newsletter.

That said, HTML can facilitate more powerful and impactful visual content. You can incorporate your brand’s colors and logos, split the body of your email into manageable sections and link to your website with attractive CTAs. Plus, HTML can introduce hierarchy into your emails via colors and font sizes, making them much easier to digest. Everything looks the same in plain text, making it difficult for readers to quickly identify the important information.

So which do you choose? The answer, of course, is both. Most email marketing platforms make it easy to convert your HTML emails into plain text, so there’s no reason to skip one version or the other.

Also, if you’re worried about some clients not displaying your snazzy HTML email correctly, you can always give readers the option to view the newsletter as a single web page in their browser.

Creating an HTML Newsletter Template

Just as newsletters are delivered according to a consistent schedule, so too should they have unifying visual elements. To put this in plain speak, a template ensures your newsletters look like they’re parts of a regular series (which, of course, they are). To put this plainly, a template ensures your newsletters look like they’re parts of a regular series (which, of course, they are).

Creating a newsletter template from scratch is complicated and requires some detailed knowledge about programming, design and various email clients, but there are some general visual rules you should always follow:

• Use a fixed width rather than a fluid layout. This means setting horizontal dimensions so readers aren’t forced to scroll from side to side or rotate their mobile devices in order to read a single line.
• Include a header. This adds visual interest, establishes hierarchy and incorporates your branding right from the outset.
• Break the body into sections. Each one will contain a different subject. The sections should be visually divided, and your most important or engaging content should a) sit at the top of the newsletter, and b) take up the most space (if your sections will be of varying size).
• Place social icons. You want people to follow your Facebook and Twitter, don’t you?
• Add a share button. This allows readers to share content from directly within the newsletter without having to navigate away from their email.
• Include a footer. This will mimic the footer on your website, reinforcing your branding and providing contact information.

This post from Hubspot has some great examples of newsletter templates if you need some inspiration.

Finally, here’s a brief checklist of other things to include:

• Your logo. It’s the most important visual element of your brand, after all.
• Headings. Important for establishing visual hierarchy and delineating different sections.
• A human face. Adding a face to go along with the sending address increases the human connection.
• Links to content/a CTA. You’ll always want to link back to your website or social pages to increase clicks/reads/engagement/whatever metric you’re looking for.

Step 4: Writing Your Email Newsletter Content

Newsletters can be jam-packed with information, but they should still be easy reads. Writing one is a bit art (using a voice that matches your audience) and a bit science (optimizing your subject, visuals and copy). Use short sentences and avoid passive voice for greater clarity.

In terms of tone, newsletters are a great opportunity to be personable and enhance the human connection between your business and your readers. Write as though you’re speaking to a friend who knows your industry: You don’t have to avoid corporate jargon completely, but you shouldn’t be overly academic, either.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough: Proofread your work .

Every spelling or grammar mistake – even the understandable ones – reduces the credibility of both your writing and your brand. the credibility of both your writing and your brand. This goes for any and all marketing content, but especially newsletters. A typo in a 2,000-word blog post is easier to overlook and forgive than one in a 100-word email.

Step 5: Scheduling Your Email Newsletter

Frequency is the main differentiator between newsletters and email campaigns. Your audience should expect to see your newsletters on the same days in a certain increment. The weekly newsletter is most common, but it can also be daily, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly.

Now, the exact frequency depends on your content and your audience. If, for example, you plan to create a newsletter showcasing your latest content, consider how frequently you update your blog and create new assets. You’ll probably struggle to include enough information for a daily newsletter, but a weekly or bi-weekly one would work.

Similarly, a monthly newsletter is good for subjects with a few pieces of content – for instance, a summary of company news. A monthly newsletter of your blog posts, on the other hand, will have too much content and readers likely won’t make it to the end.

Still, this doesn’t tell you when and how often to send your newsletters. Unfortunately, there’s no universal answer. What works for your audience probably won’t work for another company, and vice versa.

That said, you can use some generalities to get started. Experiment with different dates and times and, once you have enough data, review your analytics to see when your audience opens emails.

Step 6: Measuring and Reviewing Newsletter Data

You’ll want to give your audience some time to read your emails to get an accurate analysis, so wait two or three days after sending before reviewing your analytics.

The data you’ll want to review includes:

• Total opens/open rates.
• Total clicks/click-through rate.
• Website visitors.
• Bounce rate.

This will give you a good understanding of how people are interacting with your newsletter.

Yes, we’ve just gone through a lot, but trust me: Writing a newsletter is a lot easier than it sounds. Once you get into a consistent routine, your emails will almost write themselves.

Now tell us: What’s in your next newsletter?

Editor’s note: Updated May 2022.

Autumn Green

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Autumn Green is a Brafton writer living in Chicago. She thought she wanted to be an artist growing up, but her time in college taught her that writing is much more fun. On the weekends, you can find her browsing museums or buying cookbooks.

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How to write a newsletter (a really, really good one)

• 3 October 2022
• By Sobrina Pies Crawford

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In 2020 alone, email users sent and received over  306.4 billion emails  every day.

This means many people and brands are vying for the attention of the same people you’re sending emails to.

But despite this, email continues to be one of the best channels to engage with potential customers or users. In fact,  51%  of consumers prefer brands contacting them through email.

So how do you make sure your email newsletters stand out and get attention—with the billions of emails people send every day?

We’ve got a foolproof step-by-step guide for making your newsletter just too good to skip over.

Check out guidelines on writing a newsletter from Christine Hansen, CEO of  Christine Means Business , where she helps others build and scale flourishing online businesses.

Let’s dive in!

11 quick steps on how to write newsletters

• Make a consistency commitment
• Walk backward from your goal
• Use catchy subject lines
• Start with a problem your subscribers have
• Emphasize how their problem is affecting them
• Recommend a quick and actionable solution
• Include a call-to-action (CTA)
• Use white space
• Use engaging, well-structured content
• Check for mobile responsiveness
• Personalize wherever possible

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1. first, make “a consistency commitment”.

There’s a reason we have the phrase “consistency is key.”

On a brand level, consistency leads to an average of  33% in growth . In other words, consistency helps in building brand awareness, which leads to business growth.

The more consistent you are with your email newsletters, the more trust you build with your subscribers—and the more your business grows.

But this begs an important question here: how do you make a “consistency commitment”?

How to make “a consistency commitment”

The idea of a “consistency commitment” is that you’re regularly delivering relevant content to your newsletter subscribers.

So avoid the temptation you may have to bombard your audience with emails. If your focus is on sharing useful and interesting content that you can keep up with, you’re golden!

The exact frequency of your emails is up to you—it could be a daily, weekly, or monthly newsletter. This completely depends on your writing process and how much time you can dedicate to it.

Pro tip : You can always dial up or scale back your cadence in the future. Choose what seems possible long-term and commit to a timeframe to trial it.

For example, you could start a weekly newsletter and try that for two months. At the end of your trial period, assess if that schedule works for you and decide if you want to increase or decrease frequency based on your learnings.

2. Write emails walking backward from your goal

In most cases, you won’t be writing a great newsletter just because it seemed like a fun thing to deliver to your subscribers.

There’s almost always a goal you have in mind or an action you want your subscribers to take after or while reading your newsletter. You probably want them to click a link, reply to your email, or something else.

So whatever your goal is, keep it in mind so you can write newsletters that help you achieve that goal.

That’s what we mean by “writing emails walking backward from your goal.”

For example, the team at Yummly (a cooking and recipe app) wanted their subscribers to check out some of their food recipes. So they wrote a newsletter to help them achieve this goal.

Once you open the email, you can easily tell they wrote it with their goal in mind—to get their subscribers to click through the pictures and links to get their recipes.

Yummly’s goal was to use the email to share their recipes and persuade their newsletter subscribers to click through and read them.

This goal guided how they wrote the email; they designed everything in it (the pictures, structure, buttons) to get their audience to click and read the recipes.

3. Use a catchy and to-the-point subject line to increase your open rates

Your email subject lines are your first shot at grabbing your reader’s attention.

And  33% of email recipients  open an email based on your subject line alone.

So you want to make it catchy and to the point. And making it catchy simply means phrasing it in a way that communicates some value your subscribers won’t want to refuse.

Here are some great examples of catchy and precise subject lines:

• Look No Further. It’s Right Here! (by Jumia Food)
• The easiest product to sell online (by Bob Bly)
• How to reach new followers on Instagram (by Larry Kim)

Ideally, your email subscribers should see your newsletter’s value in your subject line within the first three seconds of reading it.

Email subject line tactics that’ll help increase your open rates

I. ethically create a fear of missing out (fomo).

Example: “This is exclusive…Are you coming?”

II. Inspire curiosity

Example: 75% of content writers make this mistake. Do you?

III. Offer some uncommon value

Example: Free gift with every purchase—TODAY ONLY!

And did you know that including the word “free” in your email subject line can  boost its open rate by 10% ?

IV. Create a sense of urgency

Example: LAST CALL! Final reductions on discontinued products

Fun fact: Creating a sense of urgency or exclusivity can give your email a  22% higher open rate !

To learn more about how to increase email open rates, read  How to Get People to Open Your Emails .

4. Start your emails talking about a problem your subscribers have (and that your offer solves)

Some of your best newsletters will start with you talking about your audience’s pain points. So keep that in mind when you want to write a newsletter.

Not sure where to start? Check out our newsletter introduction examples .

Veteran copywriter  Joel Klette  has an email list where he shares content about copywriting. And he knows he has senior copywriters on his list who may be looking to outsource some of their work but hiring writers is a huge problem for them.

So Joel sent out an email and opened with the following in his first paragraph:

“Ever found yourself angrily rewriting all of the content that the writer you hired put together?”

With a first paragraph like this, Joel is prioritizing talking about his audience’s problem in this newsletter. And if they really have the problem he’s describing, they’ll be interested in reading the rest of his email because it’s valuable information to them.

As a professional, one of your strengths is seeing your customers’ or audience’s pain points in a way that they can’t. And this is because you spend most of your time talking to them, seeing their complaints, seeing their aspirations, and so on.

This expert knowledge you have about them is an advantage. So when you start your newsletters talking about their challenges, they’re bound to read the rest of your emails.

How to start your emails talking about a problem your subscribers have

In most cases, starting your email with your audience’s problem doesn’t mean you should explicitly say “you have this problem.”

You can start by asking them a question related to the problem they have—much like what Joel did in the example above.

And then you put a bit more emphasis on that problem and share more about how it’s afflicting them, so they’ll know you know what you’re talking about and why they should listen to you.

5. Emphasize how their problem is affecting them

Emphasizing your audience’s pain points and how they afflict them will make them spend more time reading your newsletter.

The more you emphasize the level of affliction they’re facing with a problem, the better they’ll understand why your solution (product, offer) is relevant.

And once they understand the importance of your solution, there’s a good chance they’ll want to solve their problem with your solution (i.e., whatever you’re offering to solve it).

Here’s a great example from Flo (a women’s health app) of what emphasizing your audience’s pain point looks like:

They opened the email with the promise of a solution to a problem many of their subscribers have: “You can beat cramps”

They have a section that spells out exactly what their subscribers’ problems are with cramps and the benefits they’ll get from their course.

How to emphasize how your audience’s problem is affecting them

To help your audience understand the impact their problem has on them, you’ll need to explain how their problem affects them.

This means you’ll need to be a good storyteller to know how to write a newsletter. For every newsletter you write, you’ll need to come up with interesting ways to introduce their problem and put some emphasis on how it’s affecting them. That’s what being a good storyteller means in this context.

6. Recommend a quick and actionable solution

Once you’ve identified a problem and emphasized its impact on your audience, you’ve left a great opening to position your product, service, or even your content as the solution.

For example, in the newsletter example we shared earlier, the Flo team recommended their course as a solution to their audiences’ cramps problem. The course can be easily accessed with a single click.

By making it quick and actionable (or practical) as Flo did, your audience is more likely to act.

Check out our all-time favorite newsletter examples for a little inspiration!

7. Include a single primary call-to-action (CTA)

The secret to conversions is focus.

Newsletters riddled with multiple calls to action (CTAs) are always prompting the subscriber to go in different directions. And sometimes,  having too many choices  can lead to being overwhelmed and doing nothing at all. So it’s best to focus on one CTA.

You’ll notice this in the examples we’ve shared above from Yummly, Flo, and Joel—their emails all have one call-to-action each. Whether they’re asking their subscribers to get on a waiting list or sign up for a course; they’re all focusing on asking subscribers to do one thing at a time.

If your goal is to monetize your newsletter , try linking to your Flodesk Checkout page using a CTA button or a clear link.

Pro tip : You also need to be clear on where the button will take them. For example, if you’re asking them to read a blog post, use a button that reads “Read the full blog post.”

8. Use lots of white space

“White space” in your emails doesn’t necessarily mean blank spaces colored white. They’re simply blank spaces you intentionally leave in your newsletters to make them look uncluttered.

If you’re unsure how to use white space in your newsletters, check out some of the  Flodesk newsletter templates  for inspiration.

Flodesk comes with email templates that help you balance white space with your newsletter content. This is a great starting point, even if you plan to make design changes.

By the way, at just $38 per month, Flodesk offers users unlimited templates, email sends, unlimited subscribers, and unlimited access to all features.  Try it for free .

Unlike many of its competitors (like MailChimp) that charge more as members grow their lists and send more emails, Flodesk offers a unique flat pricing model.

9. Use engaging, well-structured content

In the era of short attention spans, messy, overwhelming content won’t capture your readers’ attention.

So designing the flow of your content is just as important as selecting nice visuals. It keeps your audience engaged and more likely to take action.

How to use engaging, well-structured content

Here are some things to keep an eye on when building the content of your email:

• Are the sections clearly marked?
• Does the progression of one content block logically flow to the next?
• Is it clear what action you want the reader to take next with an obvious, focused CTA?
• Are there any opportunities to make this more exciting?

Formatting helps guide your reader through an experience just as it would on a blog. Thankfully, Flodesk’s email builder is incredibly intuitive—which means that it’s easy to build and format your newsletter content in a way that looks beautiful and captures attention.

10. Check for mobile responsiveness

Forty-six percent of users  will open their email on their mobile devices, which means mobile responsiveness is one essential component you should always keep in mind when designing and creating your content.

But when subscribers open your newsletter on their mobile device and see it’s not loading probably, chances are they’d close it and do something else with their time.

And when this happens consistently, you might start seeing more unsubscribes than normal.

How to check for mobile responsiveness

Your newsletter software would likely have functionality that helps you optimize emails for mobile.

For example, if you’re using a tool like Flodesk, your newsletters are automatically mobile responsive.

You can easily toggle between desktop and mobile previews while creating your newsletter. This means that whatever you create will be optimal for whichever device your customer uses.

11. Personalize wherever possible

Personalization goes beyond using your subscribers’ names to greet them in emails. Instead, it’s putting high-quality, relevant content in front of the exact person who needs it.

For example, if your subscribers are app developers, personalizing your newsletter content for them means you’re not sending them emails on marketing. Instead, you’re sending them content on topics they’re interested in like the latest news in the web development industry, and so on.

Personalizing your email will help you to connect with your target audience in a way that’ll make them feel your email is directed to them alone—even though you’re sending the same email to several other subscribers.

In fact,  82% of consumers  feel more positive about a business after they consume custom (personalized) content from them.

To learn more about how to connect with your audience in your email campaigns, check out  3 Tips to Connect with Your Audience in Emails .

How to personalize your content

Once you get into a good rhythm with your newsletter and start to learn about what works for your target audience, try segmentation for better personalization.

Segmentation means classifying your subscribers into different groups so you can send each group marketing content that’s personalized and relevant specifically for them.

The more personalized your content is, the more likely you are to convert.

FAQs on writing email newsletters

How do i start writing a good newsletter.

Writing a newsletter is simpler than you might think. Here are some steps to consider when starting yours:

Decide how you’ll build your email list. You can do it with or without a website. To learn more about how to build your email list, check  How to Build an Email List Without a Website . If you don’t yet have a website, you can still build an email list with Flodesk using a full-page form. This landing page can be totally customized to your branding so that it’s seamless throughout the experience.

If you need help creating a compelling signup form, check out our newsletter signup examples .

If you have a website already, you may consider using a pop-up. This might be triggered when a website visitor hovers over the “close” tab in the browser. Whichever you choose, having a place for visitors to subscribe to your newsletter is a great place to start.

Decide how and when you’ll send your email: To keep things simple, you may want to design and send your email on the same platform. Luckily, a tool like Flodesk makes it easy to collect and segment email addresses.

Finally, you’ll want to decide when your newsletter should go out. Studies have shown that the most popular time to engage with emails is  between 8 pm and midnight . But when you send them is entirely up to you!

What should I include in a newsletter?

The short answer: whatever provides value! But here are some things you may want to include:

• A catchy subject line
• A personal greeting (Hey, [NAME])
• Nicely formatted text
• CTA buttons
• Article previews
• Feedback prompts

And don’t forget to add an unsubscribe (or opt-out) link in the newsletter footer of every email you send, starting from your very first welcome email to your subsequent newsletters. In many countries, this is a legal requirement.

And in general, it’s just good practice as a frustrated subscriber is more likely to take the issue to public spaces such as social media or fill your customer support inbox!

How to write email newsletters using Flodesk

If all this newsletter talk has you feeling a little overwhelmed, Flodesk may be the perfect solution for you.

Flodesk makes it easy for beginners and experts alike to build their email lists, engage their audiences, and convert subscribers into customers—all without a website.

Flodesk is perfect for creating beautiful, intuitive drag-and-drop designs that will delight your subscribers whenever they open them.

Here’s how you can get started with Flodesk:

• Create a free account
• Browse templates
• Play around with drag-and-drop content blocks and build your email
• Preview your email to make any final adjustments
• Send yourself a test to be sure
• Choose your audience

It’s as simple as that! No fuss, just fun, beautiful emails direct to your subscribers’ inboxes.

Once you’re ready to graduate from just a newsletter, you can start to develop email workflows that can guide your customers through a journey and drive your sales. To learn more about how to develop email workflows, read  How to Create Your First Email Workflow in Flodesk .

Learn, adapt, repeat

Newsletters may only be one type of content you create, but they are a great way to achieve many content marketing goals.

To get the best out of your newsletter, you’ll likely have to run multiple experiments and send out multiple newsletters.

This can include testing different CTAs, types of content, template designs, subject lines, offers, and more. Make sure to understand your metrics, such as open rates and click-through rates, so you can maximize your learnings.

The longer you keep your newsletter going, the more you’ll learn. Eventually, you’ll have a highly effective, impactful channel that brings in leads, sales, or whatever else you’re aiming for.

Oh, there’s one last tip before you go: don’t forget to send yourself a test email before sending any newsletters to subscribers. You never know when it will save you from a big mistake!

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Sobrina Pies Crawford

As Head of Marketing, Sobrina helps people discover and love Flodesk. An entrepreneur at heart, she's the founder of Quiet Like Horses, a content strategy business;…

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How to Write A Newsletter: Step-By-Step Guide (With Real Examples)

Email Marketing

Today I’m going to show you how to write a newsletter — Sumo-style.

In fact, it’s the same newsletter writing tips we used to make $1,846 monthly recurring revenue when we promoted this blog post to our email list:

Want to learn how to write an email newsletter for yourself? Then keep reading!

In today’s article, I share how to write a newsletter, including tips, step-by-step instructions, advanced tactics, and even how to outsource it. Here we go!

4 Tips for Writing A Great Newsletter

• Make It Something People Want to Read
• Fix Your Open Rates
• Be Consistent in Your Delivery
• Keep It Short and Simple

5 Steps for Writing Your First Newsletter

• Decide What You Want to Share
• Write A Draft Like You’re Writing to A Specific Person
• Review the Draft
• Send to A Portion of Your List First
• If All is Well, Send to Everyone

3 Advanced Tips for A Newsletter Your Subscribers Will Love

• Segment Your List for Better Engagement
• A/B Test Your Email Subject Lines
• Survey Your Audience to See What They Want

How to Outsource Your Newsletter

4 tips for writing a great newsletter.

Before we dive into the practical steps, here are the basics of what makes a great newsletter.

1. Make It Something People Want to Read

This one should be obvious, but I get emails telling me someone’s life story or things I couldn't care less about all the time. It’s a waste of my time.

And that’s still not the end of the email! (Sorry Jonathan, love your work, but this is just too much for me to read in my email.)

I’m not saying this to be harsh — I’m saying it because it’s true.

Your audience doesn’t care about your life or your problems. They only care about how you can help THEM with THEIR life and problems. 

It’s just human psychology.

By the same token, don’t only send ads to your list. (Unless that’s why they opted in for, then give them what they want.) 

Ask yourself: If I got this email, would I care? It’s hard to be objective, but try.

Want more examples of great newsletters? Click the button below!

Get The Swipe File With 5 Amazing Newsletter Examples

2. Fix Your Open Rates

Getting people to open your emails is half the battle.

MailChimp ran a study of their customers and found the average open rate across all industries on their platform is just 20.81%. [ * ]

In other words, only a fifth of your subscribers will open your email. Not great.

Luckily, you can improve that drastically by:

Writing great subject lines.

Building trust with your audience that your emails are worth reading.

Using your name in the “From” address instead of a brand name.

Put another way, here’s an equation:

Interesting Subject Line + Audience Trust = Open Rates

If your audience trusts you as a person (or as a brand) and they trust your emails are usually valuable to them, they’ll probably open your email regardless of the subject line.

On the flip side, if they don’t know you well but your subject lines pique their curiosity or touch on something they really want, they’ll also open.

When you have trust AND a great subject line? Boom! High open rates.

3. Be Consistent in Your Delivery

This one’s easy! Don’t send so many emails you annoy your audience, but don’t be a ghost, either. Find a schedule, and stick to it (within reason).

Don’t send three emails one week, then none the next. Stay consistent.

Send weekly emails every Friday? Great! Send biweekly or monthly emails? Awesome. Send emails daily or multiple times a day? That’s probably bad unless your subscribers knew what they were signing up for.

If you’re a statistics-driven person, note that a HubSpot study which shared open rate medians also looked at the median open and engagement rates based on the number of emails sent per month. [ * ]  

Here’s what they found for impact on open rates for their customers:

And for impact on click rates:

It seems the sweet spot is between 16-30 emails per month (an email daily or every other day).

“Note: Campaigns are defined as targeted, individual emails sent to a portion of a database — not an email blast to everyone.”

That said, you should always test different frequencies to see what works best for you. A best practice is to set expectations in your welcome email to tell people how often you’ll be emailing them.

4. Keep It Short and Simple

The final tip before we dive into the nitty-gritty: Don’t tell your life story!

I already mentioned this in the first tip, but it’s worth mentioning again from another angle. People are getting busier every day. Nearly 3.4 million emails are sent every second . [ * ]

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

So do yourself and your readers a favor, and make your emails short and sweet.

Keep your emails no longer than 3 to 5 paragraphs. Use short sentences and simple, easy-to-read wording. Try to write at a seventh-grade reading level or lower (you can use Hemingway Editor to check your content’s reading level).

Now that you’ve got those tips in your back pocket, let’s write your first email newsletter!

1. Decide What You Want to Share

The first step is to figure out what you want to say or share. 

Some ideas include:

New content you created (blog posts, videos, infographics, etc.).

Other people’s content you found that relates to things your list cares about.

Projects you’re working on.

New product launches.

Discounts and flash sales (use sparingly).

*Mini blog posts (emails that are written well enough to be a blog post on their own).

*Mini blog posts are the only emails I’d ever send that are fairly long, because they provide lots of value. For example, Kai Davis often sends his list mini blog post emails: [ * ]

Once you know what you want to share, it’s time to draft your newsletter!

2. Write A Draft Like You’re Writing to A Specific Person

Whenever you write an email, you should always write as if you’re writing to a specific person. This could be a persona you made up to act as your ideal subscriber, or it can be someone you know.

Either way, write the email as if you’re writing to that person. This will help you make it more personal and interesting than if you just wrote to “everyone.”

Need some inspiration? Click the button below to get my email newsletter swipe file with five awesome examples.

Get My Newsletter Swipe File

3. Review The Draft

After you finish your draft, don’t forget to review proofread it. Make sure it sounds interesting, you haven't forgotten to finish a sentence, and you don't have spelling and grammar errors.

I highly recommend you read the email out loud at least once. Reading your words out loud makes it easier to catch typos helps you see if you've written in an interesting, conversational tone.

If you’re feeling lazy, you can copy and paste the email into a text-to-speech tool like Natural Readers or even Word to have it read it to you.

While you’re at it, have someone else read the email. Try to find someone who resembles your audience, if possible. Otherwise, a friend or family member will do in a pinch. They’ll help you further refine the email.

4. Send to A Portion of Your List First

Before sending your newsletter to all of your subscribers, consider sending the draft you just proofread to a small chunk of your list (10-15%). This will help you see what kind of open rates the email gets, and make sure everything works OK.

If you don’t have a large enough list to do this, follow our guide to growing your email list so you can get more subscribers!

5. If All is Well, Send to Everyone

Finally, if everything sent OK and you didn’t get any warnings or people emailing you back saying something is broken or doesn’t make sense, send it to your entire email list

Give yourself a pat on the back! You wrote and sent a newsletter.

Feeling the itch to improve? I’ve got you covered! Here are three advanced tips to take your newsletter to the next level:

1. Segment Your List for Better Engagement

Segmenting your email list means separating your subscribers into different “segments” or “buckets”. It looks like this:

Segmented lists perform far better than non-segmented lists. MailChimp found segmented lists receive 14.31% more opens and double the clicks compared to non-segmented lists. [ * ]

There are a few ways to segment a list:

Based on what they opted in for on your website (i.e., guide to email marketing versus guide to SEO).

Based on which emails they open (i.e., email about email marketing versus email about SEO).

Based on which links they click within the emails (i.e., link about email marketing versus link about SEO).

Ideally, you’d want to segment based on all three. 

For example, if someone opts in to your content upgrade about how to lose weight, send them articles about exercise, nutrition, and supplements.

Depending on which emails or links they click, send them more emails about the topic they’re most interested in. So if they’re most interested in exercise, send them more emails about exercise.

To start segmenting in Sumo List Builder , go to the Success section of any form. 

Then use the dropdown under Add Subscribers To Group to select a group to put them in.

To use this successfully, you need to segment them by how they opt in on your site. 

So if they opt in for a certain content upgrade or discount, put them in a group that sends emails related to that upgrade or discount.

2. A/B Test Your Email Subject Lines

The next “advanced” technique I want to talk about is split-testing your email subject lines. (I put “advanced” in quotes because it’s actually pretty simple.)

Split testing, or A/B testing, means sending two or more variants of your subject line to see which one performs the best (i.e. gets the highest open rate). 

You can also split-test the content itself, such as the email copy, type of discount, etc., but we’ll stick with subject lines for the sake of simplicity.

To A/B test your subject lines, first brainstorm some ideas. Come up with 5-10 ideas, then pick the two most promising to test.

Many email providers, such as ConvertKit, allow you to do this automatically. Click the A/B button next to the subject line.

3. Survey Your Audience to See What They Want

My final advanced technique is the least technical! Surveying your audience is easy, quick, and gives you some great insight into what they want.

You can create a survey to figure out what kind of content they want to see more of, what they like or dislike about your product(s), how often they want to receive emails, and more. The sky’s the limit!

Here’s how it’s done:

Decide what questions you want to ask (use what I said above to brainstorm ideas).

Create a free Typeform account or use a Google Form (they both work great).

Add the questions with choices to your survey. You can choose from multiple choice, short text, long-form text, etc..

Copy the URL for the survey. Write up an email to send to your list and include the URL for your audience to take the survey.

Wait for the results and review! 

Here’s an example survey email you might send to your list:

Hey, [name]…

I need your help.

You see, we’re trying to [mission, such as teach a million people make $100 through Facebook ads]. But we can’t do that without you!

We want to make sure our [content/product] is the best it can be. To do that, we need you to tell us what you need so we can provide it.

Please take 60 seconds to fill out this ultra-quick survey and help us send you better [content/product]: URL

Thanks so much!

Keep crushing it, [Name]

The survey might then have questions like:

What struggles are you having with Facebook Ads? (Long-form answer)

Which part of the advertising process are you most stuck on? (Multiple choice)

How many emails would you like to receive every week? (Multiple choice)

Is there anything else you’d like us to know? (Long-form answer)

Easy-peasy!

Let’s say you’re not too keen on writing newsletters every week. Is it possible to hire someone else to do it for you? If so, how?

It is, and you have plenty of options:

Hire someone from a freelance site like FreeeUp, Fiverr, or UpWork.

Hire someone locally or someone you know and train them to do it.

Hire an agency that specializes in email marketing.

The first two options are cheaper but time-consuming. The third option takes virtually no time at all, but can be extremely expensive. 

If you opt to hire someone as your virtual assistant or newsletter writer, here are a few tips to help smooth out the process:

Try to find people with raving reviews. Testimonials speak a thousand words.

In your job listing, be as thorough as possible. Explain the exact skillset you need, what your business is about, a little about you if it makes sense, and your expectations in terms of the results you’re after.

Always give your job applicants a test. This could be a trial newsletter written in your tone and style, for example.

On average, it costs anywhere from $10 to $100 per newsletter, depending on who you hire and how involved you want your newsletters to be.

Get My Email Newsletter Swipe File

Now you know how to write a newsletter. But coming up with ideas, formatting, and design can still be hard!

That’s why I created a list of five awesome newsletter examples for you to draw inspiration. Click the button below to get my list!

Get The Newsletter Swipe File

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Writing a Newsletter Article: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing a newsletter article can be an effective way to engage with your audience and promote your brand or business. However, it can be daunting to know where to start and how to create content that is engaging and informative. This step-by-step guide will provide you with the necessary tools and tips to craft a compelling newsletter article that will keep your readers coming back for more.

The first step in writing a newsletter article is to define your purpose and target audience. Consider what information or message you want to convey and who your readers are. Understanding your audience will help you tailor your content to their needs and interests, increasing the chances of them reading and engaging with your newsletter.

Once you have a clear purpose and target audience in mind, the next step is to brainstorm ideas for your article. Think about topics that are relevant to your industry or niche, and consider what your readers would find valuable. Research current trends, news, and popular topics to stay up-to-date and provide fresh content that will capture your audience's attention.

In the following sections, we will delve into each step in more detail, guiding you through the process of creating an engaging newsletter article from start to finish.Choosing a Relevant Topic

When writing a newsletter article, one of the crucial steps is selecting a relevant topic that will engage and resonate with your audience. By choosing the right topic, you can capture readers' attention, build trust, and establish your expertise. Here are some useful tips to help you select a compelling and relevant topic for your newsletter article:

Identify your target audience: Understanding who your audience is will guide your topic selection. Consider their demographics, interests, and pain points. Tailor your topic to address their needs and provide value.

Research popular trends and industry news: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, news, and developments in your industry. This will help you identify relevant and timely topics that will resonate with your readers.

Consider your expertise and interests: Write about topics that align with your expertise and passions. This will not only make it easier for you to write the article, but also convey your enthusiasm and knowledge to your readers.

Solve a problem or provide a solution: Newsletters are an excellent platform to provide solutions to common problems faced by your audience. Consider their pain points and address them in your articles. Offering practical advice and solutions will establish your credibility and keep your audience engaged.

Review past newsletter performance: Analyzing the performance of your previous newsletter articles can provide insights into what topics resonated most with your audience. Identify the most popular articles and leverage their success by exploring similar themes or expanding on related topics.

Mix it up: Keep your newsletter varied and interesting by covering a range of topics related to your niche. Include educational articles, industry insights, case studies, interviews, or even curated content to provide diversity and cater to different reader preferences.

Remember, it's essential to be knowledgeable and confident in the chosen topic. Research thoroughly, gather relevant data, and cite credible sources when necessary. By choosing a relevant topic that appeals to your audience, you can create compelling newsletter articles that keep readers coming back for more information and insights.

Researching and Gathering Information

Before writing a newsletter article, it is crucial to conduct thorough research and gather reliable information. This step ensures that the content is accurate, relevant, and provides value to your readers. Here are some essential guidelines to follow when researching and gathering information for your newsletter article:

Identify your target audience : Begin by understanding who your readers are and what kind of information they are interested in. Consider their demographics, interests, and needs. This will help you tailor your research to provide content that is specifically targeted to their preferences.

Define your objective : Clearly define the purpose of your newsletter article. Whether it is to inform, educate, entertain, or persuade, having a clear objective will guide your research efforts and ensure that you gather information that aligns with your goals.

Use credible sources : It is crucial to rely on reputable sources for your research. Look for sources that are known for their expertise and reliability. Academic journals, industry reports, government publications, and well-established websites are some examples of credible sources. Avoid using unverified information from personal blogs or social media platforms.

Conduct thorough keyword research : Keyword research is essential for optimizing your newsletter article for search engines. Identify relevant keywords and phrases to include in your article, which will help improve its visibility and accessibility to your target audience. Utilize tools such as Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify high-performing keywords.

Organize your research : As you gather information, create a system to organize and store your findings. This could include using note-taking apps, creating folders on your computer, or using cloud-based storage services. Keeping your research organized will make it easier to refer back to specific sources or quotes while writing your newsletter article.

Fact-check and verify information : Before including any information in your newsletter article, ensure that it is accurate and up to date. Verify statistics, data, and other factual information by cross-referencing multiple sources. This helps maintain the integrity and credibility of your content.

Remember, the research and information gathering stage is an important foundation for creating a well-informed and engaging newsletter article. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your content is reliable, valuable, and appeals to your target audience.

Crafting an Engaging Headline

Crafting an engaging headline is a crucial step in writing a newsletter article. A compelling headline grabs the attention of readers and entices them to click or open the email, ensuring your content gets seen. Here are some key tips to help you create an engaging headline:

Keep it Short and Clear : A concise headline is essential to quickly communicate your article's main point. Aim for around 6 to 8 words to capture the essence of your content effectively.

Use Powerful Language : Strong, action-oriented words have a greater impact on readers. Incorporating words like ultimate, essential, or powerful can make your headline more enticing and create a sense of urgency.

Create a Sense of Curiosity : Intrigue your readers by piquing their curiosity. Craft a headline that raises a question, makes a bold statement, or promises valuable information. This encourages readers to want to learn more by clicking on your article.

Include Numbers or Statistics : Utilizing numbers in your headline can make it more eye-catching. People are naturally drawn to lists and statistics as they provide concrete information and make your content appear more credible. For example:

| 10 Expert Tips for Writing Compelling Headlines | |-------------------------------------------------| | 5 Strategies to Boost Newsletter Engagement | | How to Increase Open Rates by 20% with a Catchy Headline |

Address Your Audience's Needs : To make your headline more relatable, identify the pain points or desires of your target audience and address them directly. Offering solutions or promising specific benefits will resonate with readers and compel them to engage with your content.

A/B Test and Analyze : Experiment with different headline variations to see what works best for your audience. A/B testing can help you understand which headlines generate more click-throughs or opens. Analyze the data and optimize your future newsletters based on the results.

Remember, a captivating headline is only the first step in engaging readers. Ensuring that your article delivers on what the headline promises is equally important. By following these tips, you can craft compelling headlines that capture your audience's attention and increase the success of your newsletter articles.

Structuring Your Newsletter Article

When writing a newsletter article, it is essential to have a clear structure to ensure that your content is organized and engaging for the readers. By following a step-by-step guide for structuring your newsletter article, you can effectively deliver your message and achieve your communication goals.

1. Introduction

The introduction of your newsletter article should grab the reader's attention and provide a concise overview of the topic you will be discussing. Begin with an intriguing headline followed by a captivating opening sentence. Clearly state the purpose of your article and what readers can expect to gain from it.

2. Body Content

The body of your newsletter article should be well-structured and easy to read. Break your content into logical sections or subsections using subheadings, which not only make it visually appealing but also help the readers navigate through the article more smoothly. Each section should focus on a specific aspect related to your topic.

Use bullet points or numbered lists to present information that requires a clear and concise layout. This aids in readability and allows readers to quickly absorb key points. Support your content with relevant examples, facts, or data and include relevant hyperlinks to provide further resources or references for interested readers.

3. Conclusion and Call to Action

End your newsletter article with a concise summary of the main points discussed. Recap the key takeaways, ensuring your conclusion aligns with the purpose outlined in the introduction. Consider adding a call to action to engage readers further, such as asking them to subscribe to your newsletter, visit your website, or participate in a discussion related to the article's topic.

4. Formatting

To enhance the visual appeal of your newsletter article, make use of formatting techniques such as subheadings, bold text , and paragraphs of varying lengths. This helps break up the text and makes it easier for readers to scan the content. Additionally, incorporating images or other visual elements can make your article more visually appealing and increase reader engagement.

Remember to proofread your article for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors before publishing. A well-structured newsletter article with polished writing leaves a positive impression on your readers and establishes your credibility as a knowledgeable source of information.

By following these guidelines for structuring your newsletter article, you can deliver impactful content that effectively communicates your message to your audience.

Writing an Attention-Grabbing Introduction

The introduction of a newsletter article is crucial as it sets the tone for the rest of the content and determines whether readers will continue to engage with it. An attention-grabbing introduction can captivate readers, pique their interest, and compel them to read further.

1. Know your audience: Before crafting the introduction, it's essential to understand the target audience. Familiarize yourself with their interests, preferences, and pain points. This knowledge will allow you to tailor the introduction to resonate with them and address their specific needs.

2. Start with a compelling hook: Begin the introduction with a strong hook that captures the reader's attention. This can be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or an intriguing statement. It should be relevant to the topic of the article and create a sense of curiosity.

3. Provide a brief overview: After the hook, provide a concise overview of what the article will cover. This gives readers an idea of what they can expect and helps them determine if the content is relevant to their interests. Keep it concise and highlight the main points to maintain the reader's interest.

4. Use storytelling techniques: Engage readers emotionally by incorporating storytelling elements into the introduction. By sharing personal anecdotes or relatable experiences, you can establish a connection with the readers and make the article more relatable and engaging.

5. Highlight the value: Clearly communicate the benefits or value that readers will gain by continuing to read the article. This can be in the form of insights, tips, solutions, or valuable information. By emphasizing the value, readers are more likely to be motivated to read on.

6. Keep it concise: While it's essential to grab the reader's attention, it's equally important to keep the introduction concise. Aim for a paragraph or two, focusing on the most compelling aspects. Avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information upfront.

7. Use powerful language: Choose words that are captivating, descriptive, and memorable. Employ strong verbs and vivid adjectives that create a sense of urgency or excitement. Pay attention to the tone and language used, ensuring it aligns with the overall tone and voice of the newsletter.

In conclusion, crafting an attention-grabbing introduction requires careful consideration of the audience, a compelling hook, a concise overview, storytelling techniques, value highlight, and powerful language. By incorporating these elements, you can create an introduction that entices your readers and encourages them to explore the rest of your newsletter article.

Developing the Body of Your Article

The body of your newsletter article is where you provide the main content and deliver the key message to your readers. It is crucial to structure this section effectively to grab and maintain their attention. Here are some steps to help you develop the body of your article:

Create an Introduction : Start the body of your article with a compelling introduction that will hook your readers. Clearly state the purpose of the article and what they can expect to gain from reading it. Make the introduction concise and engaging to keep your readers interested.

Organize Your Ideas : Before you start writing, brainstorm and organize your thoughts. Consider the main points and subtopics you want to cover in your article. Create an outline to ensure a logical flow and smooth transition between ideas. This will help you present your information in a clear and coherent manner.

Support with Evidence : To enhance the credibility of your article, support your statements with relevant evidence, whether it's data, statistics, or expert quotes. This will strengthen your arguments and provide valuable insights for your readers. Use bullet points or markdown tables to present this information concisely and clearly.

Use Subheadings : Break your article into sections using subheadings. Subheadings make it easier for readers to scan the content and find the information they are looking for quickly. Make sure your subheadings are descriptive and accurately represent the content of each section.

Include Examples and Case Studies : Adding real-life examples or case studies can make your article more relatable and practical. It helps readers understand how the information applies to their own situations. Use anecdotes or success stories to illustrate your points effectively.

Keep it Concise : While it's essential to provide enough information to support your main message, avoid unnecessary fluff. Keep your language clear, concise, and to the point. Use short sentences and paragraphs to make it easier for readers to digest the information. Remember, clarity and brevity are key when writing for newsletters.

By following these steps, you can develop a well-structured and engaging body for your newsletter article. Remember to stay focused on your main message and deliver valuable content to your readers.

Using Persuasive Language and Examples

When writing a newsletter article, using persuasive language and examples can greatly enhance its impact on the readers. The skillful and judicious use of persuasive techniques can captivate the audience and compel them to take the desired action. Here are a few strategies to employ:

Appeal to emotions : Emotions can be a powerful tool in persuasion. By appealing to the readers' emotions, you can generate empathy and make your message more relatable. Use compelling stories, personal anecdotes, or vivid descriptions to evoke emotions that align with your message.

Highlight benefits : Clearly express the benefits or advantages of the action you want the readers to take. It is crucial to articulate how your proposition can improve their lives, solve a problem, or fulfill a need. Make sure to showcase the specific advantages in a concise and impactful manner.

Use social proof : Incorporating social proof into your newsletter article can enhance its persuasiveness. Share success stories, testimonials, or case studies that demonstrate how others have benefited from following your advice or utilizing your services. This helps build trust and credibility.

Incorporate credible data : Backing your statements with reliable data, statistics, or research findings can add weight and credibility to your arguments. Ensure that you cite trustworthy sources and present the information in a clear and easily understandable format. Use markdown tables to present any numerical or statistical data in a visually appealing manner.

Provide concrete examples : Bring your ideas to life by including concrete examples that illustrate your points. Real-life examples not only make your arguments more tangible but also help readers envision how they can apply the ideas or concepts in their own lives.

Remember, the goal of using persuasive language and examples is not to manipulate or deceive the readers. Instead, the purpose is to engage them, present compelling reasons for action, and provide them with valuable information or opportunities. By employing these techniques effectively and ethically, your newsletter article can inspire and motivate the readers to take the desired action.

Incorporating Visuals and Media

Incorporating visuals and media into a newsletter article can be a powerful way to engage readers and make your content more visually appealing. Whether it's images, videos, infographics, or charts, these elements help break up text-heavy articles and provide a visual representation of the information you are trying to convey. Here are some tips on how to effectively incorporate visuals and media into your newsletter article:

Choose relevant visuals: Select visuals that are directly related to the content of your article. High-quality images that align with your message can capture readers' attention and enhance their understanding of the topic. Avoid using stock photos that feel generic or unrelated to your article's subject matter.

Optimize image size and resolution: Ensure your images are optimized for web viewing. Large image files can slow down the loading speed of your newsletter and discourage readers from engaging with your content. Compress images to strike a balance between quality and file size, without compromising the visual appeal.

Insert videos or multimedia content: Embedding videos or other multimedia content can enrich your newsletter article. Videos can provide additional context, demonstrations, or interviews, making the content more interactive and engaging. However, make sure the videos you choose are relevant to the topic and enhance the overall message of your article.

Create infographics or charts: If your article contains data or statistics, consider presenting them in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Infographics or charts can illustrate complex information in a concise and visually appealing manner, making it easier for readers to absorb key points.

Place visuals strategically: Insert visuals at appropriate intervals within your article to ensure a smooth transition between text and media. Visuals can act as visual breaks, helping readers rest their eyes and maintaining their interest throughout the article. However, be careful not to overwhelm readers with too many visuals, as it can distract from the main content.

By incorporating visuals and media into your newsletter article, you can effectively enhance your content and engage readers on multiple levels. Remember to choose relevant visuals, optimize their size and resolution, and strategically place them within your article. This visual diversity can help deliver your message more effectively while keeping readers engaged and interested.

Proofreading and Editing Your Article

Once you have written your newsletter article, it is crucial to proofread and edit it before publishing. This step ensures that your content is polished, error-free, and delivers your message effectively. Here are some key steps to take when proofreading and editing your article:

1. Read with a critical eye : Approach your article as a reader and scrutinize it for any errors or inconsistencies. Look out for grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, and awkward sentence structure. Pay special attention to punctuation, as it can significantly affect the clarity and flow of your writing.

2. Check for factual accuracy : Verify all the facts, data, and statistics presented in your article. Make sure they are up-to-date, relevant, and properly sourced. If you have included any direct quotes or referenced external sources, ensure their accuracy and credibility.

3. Review the overall structure : Assess the coherence and organization of your article. Ensure that your ideas flow logically and that each paragraph connects smoothly to the next. Consider the readability of your content by breaking up long paragraphs and using subheadings, bullet points, and lists to make it more scannable.

4. Eliminate unnecessary content : Trim any redundant or irrelevant information that may dilute your main message. Conciseness is key in newsletter articles, so strive for brevity and clarity. Remove any jargon or technical terms that may confuse your readers.

5. Check for consistency : Ensure consistency in tone, style, and formatting throughout your article. Review headings, subheadings, font sizes, indentations, and bullet point usage. Consistency helps create a professional and cohesive reading experience.

6. Test for readability : Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Is your article written in a way that is accessible and engaging to them? Consider using tools like the Flesch-Kincaid readability test to gauge the readability level of your article.

7. Proofread for spelling and grammar : Utilize spell-checkers, grammar-checkers, and proofreading tools to catch any spelling, grammar, or syntax errors. Don't solely rely on these tools, though; they may miss some nuances that a human eye can catch.

8. Seek a second opinion : Ask a colleague or trusted friend to review your article. Fresh eyes can often spot mistakes or suggest improvements that you may have overlooked.

9. Finalize and format your article : Once you are satisfied with the content, ensure that your article adheres to the formatting guidelines of your newsletter. Pay attention to headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and any other formatting elements required. A well-structured and visually appealing article enhances readability.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your newsletter article is error-free, well-structured, and ready to be shared with your audience.

Creating an Effective Call-to-Action

An effective call-to-action (CTA) is a crucial element of a newsletter article as it prompts the readers to take a specific action after engaging with the content. Whether it's signing up for a service, purchasing a product, or simply subscribing to a blog, a well-crafted CTA can significantly increase user engagement and conversion rates. Here are some key steps to creating an effective call-to-action:

Be clear and concise : A CTA should clearly communicate what action the reader is expected to take. Keep the message simple, focusing on a single goal to avoid confusion. Using strong and action-oriented language grabs attention and motivates readers to take the desired action.

Create urgency : By creating a sense of urgency, you encourage readers to act promptly. Limited-time offers, countdowns, or incorporating time-sensitive language like Don't Miss Out or Act now can help prompt immediate action. Providing a deadline for an offer or limited availability of a product can amplify this effect.

Offer value : Make sure to communicate the value readers will receive by taking the desired action. Whether it's a free resource, a discount, or exclusive access, highlighting the benefits they will gain increases the chances of conversion. Clearly state how their lives will improve or problems will be solved by engaging with the CTA.

Use eye-catching design : A visually appealing and prominent design helps draw attention to the CTA. Consider using contrasting colors, larger fonts, or buttons to make it stand out from the rest of the content. Positioning the CTA strategically within the article, such as at the end or strategically placed throughout, increases its visibility.

Make it easy to take action : Ensure that the steps required to complete the desired action are straightforward and user-friendly. Reduce friction by providing clear instructions, minimizing form fields, and streamlining the conversion process. For example, using pre-filled forms or offering one-click options simplifies the experience for the reader.

Test and optimize : A/B testing different variations of your CTA can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with your audience. Test different wording, colors, placement, or even different CTAs altogether to determine what generates the best response. Continually monitor and optimize the CTA to improve its effectiveness.

By following these steps, you can create compelling calls-to-action that drive reader engagement and conversions. Remember, the ultimate goal is to inspire readers to take action, so craft your CTAs with precision, considering the needs and desires of your target audience.

In conclusion, writing a newsletter article requires careful planning, engaging content, and effective delivery. By following this step-by-step guide, newsletter authors can create compelling articles that captivate their audience and drive desired outcomes.

Know the audience : Understanding the target audience is crucial for crafting relevant and engaging newsletter articles. By tailoring the content to their needs, interests, and preferences, authors can increase the chances of reader engagement and satisfaction.

Establish a purpose : Clearly defining the purpose of the newsletter article helps authors stay focused, ensuring that the content adds value to the readers' lives. Whether it's providing information, offering insights, or promoting a product, a clear purpose will guide the writing process.

Create a compelling headline : A catchy headline grabs readers' attention and entices them to explore the article further. It should be concise, intriguing, and accurately represent the content of the article.

Craft an engaging introduction : The introduction sets the tone for the article and hooks the reader's interest. It should introduce the topic, highlight its relevance, and create a desire to continue reading.

Organize content logically : Structuring the article in a logical manner improves readability and comprehension. Using headings, subheadings, and bullet points make it easier for readers to navigate the information.

Use relevant examples and anecdotes : Including real-life examples and personal anecdotes can make the content more relatable and memorable. These stories help to connect with the readers on an emotional level and reinforce key points.

Incorporate visuals : Adding relevant images, infographics, or videos can enhance the article's visual appeal and convey information more effectively. Visuals break up the text, making the article more engaging and easier to digest.

Write in a conversational tone : Using a conversational tone makes the article feel more personal and relatable. It helps the readers feel like they're having a conversation with the author, fostering a stronger connection.

Proofread and edit : Before publishing the newsletter article, it is essential to proofread and edit it for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Typos and errors can undermine the credibility and professionalism of the content.

Encourage reader interaction : Closing the article with a call-to-action encourages readers to engage further. This can be through comments, sharing on social media, or subscribing to the newsletter.

By following these steps, newsletter authors can craft high-quality articles that effectively engage their audience and convey their message. With practice and refinement, they can continually improve their newsletter articles, establishing themselves as trusted sources of valuable information.

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How to Write a Newsletter Article

Creating a newsletter can be a difficult task and doing it effectively can be even harder. Knowing how to write a newsletter article is crucial here and you need to learn which elements should be included and how to use them properly.

But first, you have to be clear if you really need to send a newsletter or not. Think about what you want to achieve and if you have enough content available.

An online newsletter complements your existing communication accompanied by announcements about product updates, offers, events and general news about the company. It is not a promotional email dedicated to a single topic, promotion or event that includes additional content to make bulk.

If you feel that you can not provide enough important content or that the newsletter focuses on a single event or promotion, you should consider the option of designing an independent email marketing campaign to support these marketing objectives.

In this guide, you will see some newsletter article examples and learn some key elements that you should include in your campaigns.

You can use these to get newsletter article ideas for your emails and create something that could get more email subscribers  so you can continue to build your list effectively. Then, you can focus on implementing your  email marketing strategy  and achieving the results you desire.

How to Write a Newsletter Article: Getting Started

Personalization

If you really want to focus on personalization, you should go beyond simply including the name of the recipient of the email in the  subject line . Currently, most companies already do, so subscribers are accustomed to this type of customization and do not perceive it as something new and exclusive.

If you want to differentiate yourself to the maximum, try to adapt the content of your emails to each recipient.

The first step to achieve relevance is to understand who the person really is that receives your emails. If you have a large amount of information about the tastes, tendencies, and habits of each recipient you will be able to select relevant content for each one of them.

For example, an eCommerce site that has differentiated targets in terms of products, showing in their emails a specific selection of goods and/or promotions based on the characteristics of a purchase will make the communication more relevant to that recipient.

Regardless of the specific profile of the target you are targeting, in terms of content, remember that you are talking to real people, not robots. Use, as far as possible, a relaxed, accessible and personal tone. This way, you can create and maintain fruitful relationships with your customers.

One Email For Every Topic

Don’t confuse your subscribers with multiple topics in one email. This makes it cluttered and hard to convey a particular message.

Every email should have its own specific topic that it addresses. If needed, you can add other parts at the bottom such as “What’s New This Week”, or “What You May Have Missed”.

The main part of the email, which is the start where people will read first, is where your main message should be.

If you want to draw people to a specific page on your website, do it straight away at the top of the email. This increases the clickthrough rate to your desired page and conveys the message immediately.

Find A Striking Headline

To open or not open an email? That is the question. We live in an age where we are bombarded by the inbox and the subject of each mail is a very important factor in deciding whether to open it or throw it in the trash.

The headline is everything when it comes to sending out emails to your subscribers.

It can literally be the difference between someone opening your email or not.

DON’T USE ALL CAPS for your headlines or stupid forms of clickbait.

People are a lot savvier online than they used to be and scan their inbox in a few seconds to see if you look like spam or not.

There are various forms of headlines you could try, but you will ultimately need to experiment to find out what your subscribers are more receptive to.

“ [OPEN] Have you seen the latest about… “

If you saw this in your inbox, would you open it?

I probably would to be honest. Nothing about it looks spammy to me and it finishes on an unfinished note that intrigues me to open it.

Share Valuable Content

People gave you their email address for a reason.

And it was most likely because they want to receive future communications from you about your website.

They could have subscribed for other reasons, like to get a discount code or freebie for example.

But these people are still subscribed nonetheless and offer you the potential to work with.

Offering them something of value in every email you send increases the chance that they will purchase something from you.

This is where you can create high-quality blog posts and let your readers know about it.

The blog posts can even have a few  upsells or cross-sells  in it but should be made for the purpose of providing great information for free.

Start Writing

Sometimes you can think of what to put in your newsletter. So, just start writing and see what comes out.

As we mentioned before, don’t send out newsletters for the sake of it.

If you start writing and you manage to crank out something of substance, see if you can provide value to your readers with it. Sometimes the best ideas can come from nothing, so just give it a go.

Tips For Writing an Email Newsletter Article

Offer Real Value

Offer value as no one else can and start building lasting relationships with your audience. There are many fakers in the world of marketing, offering the illusion of valuable content but with the delivery of nothing. Real value will deliver you real results, so treat this element properly and your audience will appreciate it.

Keep a Schedule

This can be one of the easiest solutions on the list. The fact that you publish constantly and on a similar schedule helps readers to establish an “appointment” with your content.

Thus, excitement and anticipation are established that can be fulfilled. If you publish daily, but for three days you do not publish anything, your credibility may be affected. But if you always follow a schedule, your reputation may increase.

Also, you should be aware that there are certain  times for email marketing  that are better than others, so take this into consideration before you send out your emails.

Maintain Attention

You may have only 15 seconds to convince a reader that your content is worthwhile. You must hook them; Remember that it is very easy for any reader to be distracted and stop reading your content.

Careless work provides an easy way out of your content and this is a very common email marketing mistake  to commit. Try to retain them, provide the right quality and quantity so that they do not go to the competition and remain by your side.

Consistent and Simple Design

The design should be consistent with a large number of blank spaces that make it attractive and easy to read. If you follow a fixed structure, readers will become familiar with the design format and each time it will be easier to navigate through each edition.

The key is to make it as practical as possible so that readers find the sections they are most interested in so that they do not get lost and frustrated with so much information.

The presentation is important since the opening rate is provided by the subject line but many times the click rate depends on whether the user is impacted by the image of the email or not.

So remember to include the logo of your company, use a clean template, check the spelling, and test before sending.

Optimized for Mobile

A lot of people admit that they will delete any email that is not adapted to mobile . If your email does not take into account this factor for a correct design and launch, your marketing budget is not being spent effectively.

With the segmentation by device, you can send the correct message on the right device and thus capture a larger number of customers.

Every article or post is a story. But there are so many “storytellers” in the business at this time that the next marketing conference should be around a campfire.

In this context, however, narration means providing proof with a narrative. Use examples from the real world, for example, testimonials from your customers whenever you can.

When you can not, involve the imagination of your audience with the story of how your life will change with the solution you bring.

Don’t Include Excess Information

Newsletters usually contain news that covers all areas of the company, which makes it difficult to try to group all the articles together. You could create master sections that are constituted by relevant subtitles and images that help guide the reader through the information.

Instead of placing the launch of a product and opening a new office between the announcement of a partnership and an article about a new employee, a good tip would be to create a section called “Our Team” that contains all the information related to employees and another section called “Business Expansion” with company news?

Your newsletter has to be easy to read and direct, so you must maintain a minimal design and copy. In turn, the text should be clear and concise and point to a call-to-action markup that redirects readers to the web page in question or  landing page .

Sending A Newsletter Article

Once you have gone over everything and optimized your newsletter article for each different element you can prepare to execute your campaign and send out your emails.

You can use an email service provider to do this such as GetResponse who will be able to help you build a subscriber list, create newsletters, segment lists, and much more to in order to build an effective campaign.

You can then  study and track your analytics  after the campaign is finished so you can chop and change things round in order to get better results in the future.

How to Write a Newsletter

Email marketing is killer. It works. It’s awesome. You need to do it.

But in order to truly harness the power of email marketing, it’s important to understand the psychology behind it and to know how to write emails that get results.

The statistics say that email marketing is effective. But statistics tell only part of the story. Statistics can’t predict whether  your email marketing efforts will be effective.

Just sending a newsletter for the sake of meeting your weekly or monthly requirement is not effective.

Your newsletter is a valuable marketing resource, and it’s time for you to start writing them as such.

In order to create a successful email marketing campaign, it’s crucial to know the tricks of the trade.

Getting people to notice your emails, open your emails, click on the stuff in your emails, and respond to your emails is tricky.

If you want to write a newsletter, you’ll need an email autoresponder. You can read our full reviews of the best email autoresponder here.

But first let’s look into the subtle art of writing effective email newsletters.

9 Steps to Write a Newsletter

Here’s the step-by-step formula you must follow to write great email newsletters:

• Give people a reason to opt in
• Stick to your goal
• Craft an enticing subject line
• Write a killer opening line
• Connect in the body
• Be consistent without annoying your subscribers
• Discuss relevant content
• Nail the closing
• Measure your results

Step 1 – Give people a reason to opt in

Let’s take a step back for a minute. For you to get conversions in the first place, you need to have an active list of email subscribers .

The best way to do this is to give them a great reason to opt in . Just saying “sign up for our newsletter” isn’t appealing.

How can you approach this? Value. Pitch people with value. Give them an incentive to sign up. Check out this example from the Lands’ End  website:

Customers who sign up for their newsletter will get 25% off their orders. It’s a no-brainer for customers to opt in.

But the value doesn’t stop there. They continue by saying their newsletter subscribers also get access to exclusive offers. This implies they’ll get other discounts in the future as well.

Besides monetary discounts, think about other ways your company can add value to prospective newsletter subscribers.

It depends on your company and your industry, but try to get creative here. For example, an airline could offer priority boarding to customers who subscribe to their newsletter.

You could provide free online seminars or e-book downloads to anyone who signs up for your newsletter. If your company hosts events, you can offer free parking passes or free entry to subscribers.

Just think outside the box. The more people subscribe, the greater your conversions will be.

Step 2 – Stick to your goal

What do you want your newsletter to accomplish?

This should be the first question you ask yourself before you start writing. If you don’t know the answer to this, how will your subscribers know what to do?

Here are some common goals for email newsletters:

• Drive sales
• Increase social media presence
• Download an e-book
• Drive traffic to a landing page
• Promote a new product or service

There are tons of other goals your company might have. But if you’re struggling, use these to get started in the right direction.

Pick one and go with it. Trying to jam all these into one message is complicated and will confuse your audience.

Here’s a great past example of a newsletter with a simple goal from Litmus:

The goal of this newsletter is clearly to increase clicks to improve their engagement rates. Rather than just writing a lengthy article about the pros and cons of single vs. double opt-in landing pages, they give their subscribers an option.

They’ll get different content based on which CTA button gets clicked.

You can use a similar strategy in your newsletter, even if you don’t want to be as direct.

First, introduce your goal with the headline or opening statements. Then, discuss it in greater detail throughout the message by mentioning it once or twice. Finally, end with a strong call to action like in the example above.

Emphasize it. Don’t make it ambiguous. The customer should have a clear direction of what action to take after reading your newsletter.

Step 3 – Craft an enticing subject line

You can’t get conversions from your email newsletter if nobody opens it. Your subject line can make or break the success of this marketing campaign.

Once you understand how to increase open rates with different subject lines , you’ll have a better chance of getting high conversions from your newsletters.

Take a look at this data  about how recipients view the subject lines of a message:

As you can see, the subject line can determine whether or not the message gets opened or reported as spam.

How can you entice people to open your newsletter? For starters, make sure your subject lines are not boring. Subject lines such as “March Newsletter” don’t give anyone a reason to open their emails.

So you need to be personal:  82% of marketers  report that personalized subject lines lead to increased open rates. Furthermore, 75% of experts say personalized messages drive higher click-through rates.

One of the most common ways to personalize a subject line is by using the recipient’s name.

Another enticing way to encourage opens for your newsletter is a time-sensitive subject line. Come up with a way to create a sense of urgency.

There’s valuable information in your newsletter that needs to be read right away. Breaking news is something your subscribers would want to hear immediately.

We’ve found that addressing a common issue or concern also works well.

For example, you might promise that the contents of your email can help solve a problem, provide readers with valuable information to improve their lives, or make them happier.

You’ll want to make it so that readers are so intrigued by the subject line that they can’t resist opening your email.

You’ll want to pique their curiosity and leave an information gap that can be filled only by clicking.

For instance, a B2B company might use a subject line such as “How to Double Your Sales in Just 30 Minutes.”

One of our highest open rates came from an email we sent asking for people’s help. We genuinely needed and wanted the response of our readers.

When we asked for readers’ help, it created an information gap between our request and the point of our request. Why did we need help? The result was an insane level of open rates.

I’ve seen other great marketers do the same thing. Jayson DeMers, for example, created this email subject line that caught our attention:

He even used a smiley face.

Buffer knows that their audience wants to hear about social media tips. That’s why they use subject lines like this one:

Throwing in some power words that stimulate readers and appeal to their emotions can have a tremendous impact as well.

Use these terms when you’re coming up with the subject line for your newsletter.

Here are just some of the power words you can use:

• Mind-blowing
• Jaw-dropping

Additionally, according to studies by MailChimp , time-sensitive words in the subject line with the highest impact on open rates are:

You get the idea. I recommend that you check out this list of more than 801 power words  from Smart Blogger for more ideas.

Here’s something else we do to save time and effort and increase effectiveness of our email campaigns: we use or repurpose our blog article titles as email subject lines.

This doesn’t work for every industry or email marketing campaign, we know. But it works for us. The goal of our email marketing efforts is to help people with great content. That content, of course, lives on our blog. So,we might as well use the title of our article as the subject line.

How to Get More Emails Opened

Half the battle is getting prospects to open your emails.

Research from HubSpot found that companies with 1-10 employees typically receive a median open rate of 35.3% and companies with 26-200 employees receive a median open rate of 16.97%.

Here’s another look at the stats  from SmartInsights . Find your industry in the list, and see how your open rates compare:

These numbers aren’t exactly staggering.

We’ve found that the key to maximizing open rates is making emails as personal and interesting as possible.

For instance, we suggest using your first name as your from address.

Why do we suggest this?

The data says so. In one survey, researchers asked “What most compels you to open a permission based email?”

We know what would get me to open an email: the from line!

Do we trust the sender? Do we want to hear from them? Do we like what they write? Is it going to help us in some way?

The best way to find that out is by looking at who sent the information.

Just take a look at these numbers. The from line is leading the subject line  by double!

Most people are already drowning in emails and don’t want to open something from some questionable corporate entity. But many are willing to open something from a real person, who is reaching out to them one-on-one.

If you are signed up to receive emails from us, you expect to see “Neil Patel” in the subject line.

We wrote the email, so we might as well be the one sending it.

Besides, it gives you, the reader, the authentic sense that you’re hearing from us (Quick Sprout) as an entity, not some disembodied email marketing software.

Step 4 – Write a killer opening line

Now that you’ve gotten readers to open your email, you need to draw them in deeper with an awesome opening line.

This is probably more important than you might think.

Why do we say this?

Because the subject line isn’t always the first thing that people see!

Yeah, I know you’ve been told that the subject line is the most important element of an email. As I explained above, however, the from line seems to have a higher level of impact on whether or not the email gets opened in the first place.

But is that all? The from line and the subject ?

No. The first line of the email is important too.

Most email browsers today display a portion of the message directly in the email browser. You don’t have to open the email to read a small section of it.

Depending on the length of the subject line (and the viewport of the browser), the body of the email has two or three times as much visibility!

It’s not just desktop email programs that do this, though. Don’t forget about mobile devices!

Most mobile email apps show the opening line.

So, what do you write in your opening line?

We like addressing each reader by their first name. This comes across as being personal and authentic, which is key for getting them to read on.

We also like to avoid the classic “Hi, my name is…” routine.

Instead, we prefer to opt for something like “I noticed that you…” or “I saw that we both…”

This approach helps the reader relate to us better and faster. We gain their attention by drawing upon a shared experience.

Make sure you get to the point of your email from the get go. Preliminary chatting might turn off people who simply want to find out what the email is about.

Just get right to the point so that you can make an instant connection.

Notice how Jacob McMillen did this in his email:

Writing like this will earn the respect of your readers. You value their time. You give them what they need. They get on with their lives.

Step 5 – Connect in the body

This is where it’s time to really connect with your reader. It’s your opportunity to show how your product or service can provide them with real value and improve their life.

We suggest keeping it short and simple and not overloading your reader with extraneous information.

Remember, the point here is to gain their attention and build some initial rapport. You’re just looking to warm them up to advance them through the sales funnel.

You’re not necessarily going for the jugular right away.

Be sure to break up text into short, digestible paragraphs.

We also suggest speaking in second person and using you when speaking to readers.

Ask personal questions to give your email an intimate feel as if you’re talking face-to-face.

We think HubSpot gives some good examples of this:

• Do you have unanswered questions about [topic]?
• How, if at all, would you like to improve your strategy?
• Is [benefit to them] a priority for you right now?

Hubspot even has  a free AI email writing tool  to help get you started.

If you’ve ever read Ramit’s emails, you know he does a great job with this. The paragraphs are short. The tone is personal. And the whole point of the email is spot on: it’s filled with helpful, actionable information.

Step 6 – Be consistent without annoying your subscribers

When people subscribe to your newsletter, they expect to hear from you on a regular basis. Make sure you deliver the newsletter to your subscribers as promised.

If they signed up for a weekly newsletter, you’d better send them a newsletter once per week. If they signed up for a monthly newsletter, sending them an email three times per year isn’t delivering on your promise.

Slacking off on your consistency will damage the reputation of your brand. Your subscribers won’t be interested in converting because your credibility is lost.

Conversely, people won’t be happy if they are expecting a monthly newsletter but instead get emails from you three times per week. This is annoying and could cause them to unsubscribe or report you as a spammer.

Take a look at the top reasons why subscribers report spam:

Getting too many emails is at the top of this list.

We see this happen to companies all the time. Just because a person gave you permission to send them emails doesn’t mean you can take advantage of that privilege.

Step 7 – Discuss relevant content

As you just saw from the research above, people also unsubscribe from emails if they think the content is irrelevant. It’s important for you to stay on brand and on topic at all times.

For example, let’s say you’ve got a company that manufactures various home goods like couches, coffee tables, and lamps. You shouldn’t be talking about the local weather, politics, or recent sporting events.

It’s irrelevant to your brand, and it’s not what your subscribers want to hear about.

Also, it’s a pretty good idea, in general, to stay away from controversial topics in your newsletter. I’m referring to things like religion, politics, race, and things of that nature, unless, of course, your business is in one of those spaces.

People have a different perception of industries  based on the relevancy of their email content:

As you can see, the retail industry leads the way in this category. So if your company is in the entertainment, travel, media, or non-profit sectors, you may want to reassess the topics of your newsletters.

One way to make sure you deliver the most relevant content is by letting your subscribers choose what they want to hear about. They can also decide how often they want to hear from you.

When subscribers are initially signing up to receive your newsletter, let them customize these options. Here’s an example of what Iwe’re talking about from Envato Tuts+:

By default, new subscribers receive all emails. But if they want to hear from this brand only once a month, they can unselect the Weekly Digests option.

These subscribers can even decide what type of content they want to hear about. People who want to get newsletters about music and audio may not be interested in code or web design topics.

If you employ this strategy, you won’t have to worry about your subscribers thinking your content is irrelevant.

This creates more work for you because you’ll have to write multiple newsletters each week and month. But it’s worth it because your conversion rates will be much higher for each campaign.

Add Visuals to Enhance Your Content

If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while, you know how much we love using images and videos to explain concepts.

While your newsletter isn’t a blog, you can still use the same strategy. You need to understand not everyone will read every word of your content.

The average subscriber only spends 51 seconds  reading a newsletter and 10 seconds reading a brand email. Furthermore, people only read about 20% of the text on a page.

If you want your message to resonate with your audience, include visuals. Pictures and infographics make it easy for people to scan through your content.

In addition, try to use videos in your newsletters as often as you can. Emails that include videos have 96% higher click through rate and about 5.6% higher open rates.

Even if they aren’t reading every word, they can still get a general sense of your message. This relates back to the notion of sticking with a common goal throughout your newsletter.

Take a look at this information about how visuals can impact a reader:

People are visual learners. Using images and videos can help people process and retain information better. Don’t be afraid to add these elements to your newsletter.

Plus, visuals will make your message look a lot more organized. Nobody wants to read giant blocks of text.

Tell a Story

As we discussed earlier, people don’t dedicate lots of time to reading the text and reviewing newsletters. You’ve got to come up with ways to keep your audience engaged.

Stories are interesting.

Once you hook your audience with a captivating story, they’ll continue reading it to find out what happens. What story should you tell?

Get creative.

You can tell your story or a story about your company. Again, just make sure it’s relevant. Don’t be boring.

Research shows  storytelling helps boost conversions:

It’s also an effective strategy for B2B marketers.

Not all your newsletters should be a story, but it’s definitely a good idea to throw some into the mix from time to time.

Create Urgency

Here’s another thing I’ve learned.

Many people have a tendency to procrastinate. Maybe they’re wrapped up in something at the moment or just aren’t in the mood to complete your desired action right now.

This is no good because once they close an email, the odds they’ll come back to it are slim to none.

That’s why it’s vital to create urgency so that they feel compelled to take action right away.

Most marketers complain that the “most challenging obstacle” to their email marketing is getting people to take action by clicking on the call to action (or whatever the click goal of the email is).

We’ve found that setting a tight deadline tends to work well for this.

For example, you might say that an “offer expires tomorrow,” or “get it before it’s gone,” or “only 10 spots left.”

This is essential for getting a prompt reply.

Step 8 – Nail the closing

Besides the subject line, the closing is arguably the most important part of an email.

It’s the point where a reader will decide whether or not they want to act on your offer and proceed any further.

The goal here is to wind down and transition into a well-crafted call to action  (CTA).

What do you want them to do next?

Maybe it’s to check out a landing page, sign up for a course, download an e-book, or straight up buy a product or service.

Whatever it may be, your CTA needs to be crystal clear.

Tell them exactly what you want them to do next, and make sure there’s no guessing what that action is.

Some of us have the mistaken idea that we need to sneak in the CTA or somehow hide it in the email so it’s not so obvious. Please don’t make this mistake.

Your CTA is the money of your email—the reason why you’re sending it in the first place. Make it strong, unmistakable, and absolutely clear.

Step 9 – Measure your results

The only way to find out whether your newsletter is converting is to take the time to actually measure that.

Whatever email marketing software you’re using should have these analytics tools built directly into the platform. Take advantage of them to see how you’re doing.

Look at things such as:

• Bounce rates
• Click-through rates
• Unsubscribes

Identify which types of newsletters had the highest conversions. Continue using the same strategies.

If some of your newsletters had terrible conversion rates, you need to understand what went wrong. Did you not have a clear goal? Was the content irrelevant?

Once you figure out why your newsletters aren’t converting, it will be easier for you to make the necessary changes.

But you can do this only if you’re actively tracking the results of each campaign.

The bottom line is that email still matters and can be just as effective as many of the newer marketing tactics.

It’s easy to get distracted by creating a sizzling-hot Twitter strategy, building a Facebook group, or starting your live video channel.

Those are all great things, and we don’t discourage you from implementing them.

But email still works— although not on its own. To truly get results, it’s necessary to follow the right formula and understand the mindset of your readers.

Your email newsletters are an effective way to communicate and market to your subscribers. If you write them correctly, you’ll see higher conversion rates. But you need to get people to opt in to your newsletter in the first place. Give them a reason to sign up.

Before you start writing, make sure you have a clear goal in mind. End the message with a strong call to action reflecting your goal. Don’t rush when you’re creating a subject line. Use words and phrases that are personalized and create urgency to increase your open rates.

Be consistent and deliver relevant content. Let your subscribers decide how often they want to hear from you and what topics they want to read about. Use visuals and storytelling tactics to increase your conversions as well. Also make sure you measure the results of each newsletter to see if it was successful.

If you follow these tips, you’ll notice a drastic difference in your newsletter conversion rates.

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Table of Contents

Writing Engaging Email Newsletters: 9 Proven Best Practices

• Shreyas Nair
• May 22, 2023

Are you tired of sending out bland, boring email newsletters that never seem to grab your readers’ attention? It’s time to shake things up and inject some personality into your writing!

Writing for an email newsletter is all about connecting with your audience and delivering valuable content in a conversational, relatable tone.

Whether you’re promoting your latest product or sharing industry insights, a well-written newsletter can help you build a loyal community of followers.

Unlike a blog post or social media update, an email has to grab the reader’s attention within seconds, or it’s likely to get buried in a crowded inbox.

So how do you make sure your emails stand out? It all starts with the subject line and continues with a well-written, engaging intro.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the ins and outs of writing for an email newsletter. From crafting the perfect subject line to structuring your content for maximum impact, we’ve got you covered.

But first, let’s start with some basics.

What is an email newsletter?

Put simply, a newsletter is a regular email (or series of emails) that you send to a list of subscribers with the goal of keeping them informed and engaged.

Newsletters can cover a wide range of topics, from industry updates and company news to special promotions and behind-the-scenes peeks.

Think of it like a digital version of a newsletter you might get in your mailbox but with the added bonus of being able to track how well your email is performing and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Newsletters are a great way to build a relationship with your audience, showcase your brand personality, and drive traffic to your website.

Why should you have a newsletter?

If you’re a business owner, you might be wondering why you should bother with sending out a newsletter. After all, aren’t there a million other things on your to-do list already?

Well, here’s the thing: newsletters are a powerful marketing tool that can help you stay top of mind with your audience, drive traffic to your website, and even generate leads and sales.

Here are just a few reasons why your business should have a newsletter:

• Keep in touch with your customers – Newsletters allow you to regularly communicate with your audience and provide them with valuable content, whether it’s industry updates, company news, or special promotions.
• Build brand awareness – Newsletters help you establish your brand’s voice and personality, which can help you stand out in a crowded market.
• Generate leads and sales – By including calls to action and links to relevant pages on your website, newsletters can help you generate leads and drive sales.
• Track your results – Email marketing platforms allow you to track the performance of your newsletters, so you can see which tactics are working and which aren’t.

So, if you’re not already sending out newsletters, it’s time to give it a try! 

Nailing the basic elements of a newsletter

If you’re planning on creating a newsletter, there are a few key elements you’ll want to include to make it a success.

• Subject line
• Preview text
• High-quality, valuable content
• Featured content
• Actionable CTAs
• Social share buttons
• Unsubscribe links

But why? Let’s dig in.

1. Subject line

When it comes to writing a newsletter, the subject line is arguably the most important element.

It’s the first thing your readers see and can be the deciding factor in whether they open your email or send it straight to the trash.

So, how do you come up with a winning subject line?

First and foremost, make it relevant. Don’t try to trick your readers into opening the email with a misleading subject line. They’ll quickly catch on and lose trust in your brand.

Instead, make the subject line clear and to the point. If you’re announcing a sale, say so. If you’re sharing a new product launch, let them know.

Next, keep it concise. With attention spans shorter than ever, you want to get to the point as quickly as possible.

Aim for around 50 characters or less, and avoid using jargon or unnecessary words.

Make it catchy, but not too flashy. A catchy subject line will definitely pique your readers’ interest, but going too far with exclamation points and all caps can come off as spammy.

Strike a balance and try to be creative without going overboard.

Finally, consider your audience. Think about what your readers are interested in and what will grab their attention.

Use language and tone that speaks to them and resonates with your brand.

Take a few extra minutes to come up with a killer subject line. It may seem small, but it can make all the difference in getting your message across to your readers.

2. Preview text

The preview text is an often overlooked yet super important element of a newsletter. It is what shows up in the subject line of your email.

If you want to entice your subscribers to open your newsletter, you better make it good! It’s like a little teaser of what’s to come in the actual newsletter.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But wait, isn’t the subject line more important than the preview text?”

Well, yes and no. The subject line is definitely important, but the preview text works hand in hand with it.

Think of the subject line as the headline and the preview text as the lede. They both work together to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to learn more.

So, how do you write a killer preview text? First, keep it short and sweet. Aim for around 50 characters or less.

Next, make it relevant to the content of your newsletter. Don’t try to trick your subscribers into opening it with false promises.

Finally, add a little personality. Your preview text is a chance to show off your brand’s voice and make a connection with your audience.

One last tip – make sure to test out different preview texts to see what works best. A/B testing can be a game changer when it comes to email marketing.

The title is often the first thing your readers will see in the actual newsletter. It’s the hook that draws them in and gives them a sense of what the newsletter is all about.

So, it’s important to choose a title that’s catchy, clear, and concise.

Here are a few tips to help you come up with the perfect title for your newsletter.

• Keep it short and sweet – Remember, you only have a few seconds to grab your readers’ attention. So, make sure your title is brief and to the point.
• Use action words – Action words like “discover,” “unlock,” and “explore” can help spark readers’ curiosity and encourage them to click on your newsletter.
• Use numbers – People love lists and numbered articles, so consider using numbers in your title to draw in readers.
• Make it relevant – Your title should be closely tied to the content of your newsletter. This will help your readers understand what they can expect to find inside.
• Get creative – Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with your title. If you can come up with something unique and attention-grabbing, it can really help your newsletter stand out.

4. High-quality, valuable content

Good content is key when writing an email newsletter. After all, what’s the point of sending out a newsletter if there’s nothing interesting or valuable for your readers to read?

So, how do you create good content for your newsletter? Here are a few tips.

• Know your audience – Understanding who your readers are and what they’re interested in will help you create content that speaks to them and keeps them engaged.
• Keep it fresh – Nobody wants to read the same old thing over and over again. So, make sure to mix it up and provide your readers with a variety of content to keep them coming back for more.
• Provide value – Your newsletter should offer something of value to your readers. Whether it’s tips, insights, or just plain entertainment, make sure your content is worth their time.
• Be authentic – Your readers will appreciate honesty and authenticity, so don’t be afraid to share your own experiences and insights.
• Edit, edit, edit – Good content doesn’t just happen. It takes time and effort to craft. Make sure to proofread and edit your newsletter carefully to ensure it’s error-free and easy to read.

5. Featured content

The main attraction in your newsletter is most likely the featured content.

It’s the meat of your newsletter, and it’s what your readers are most likely to be interested in. So, it’s important to choose your featured content wisely and make sure it’s something your readers will really enjoy.

Here are a few tips to help you choose the best featured content for your newsletter.

• Keep it relevant – Your featured content should be closely tied to the theme of your newsletter. If you’re writing about travel, for example, it makes sense to include articles about cool vacation destinations or tips for planning a trip.
• Mix it up – Don’t be afraid to mix things up and include a variety of different types of content in your newsletter. This could include articles, videos, podcasts, or even infographics.
• Stay current – If you can, try to include content that’s timely and relevant to what’s happening in the world right now. This will help your newsletter feel fresh and relevant to your readers.
• Get personal – Consider including personal stories or experiences in your featured content. This can help your newsletter feel more authentic and relatable to your readers.
• Keep it short and sweet – Remember, you want to keep your readers engaged, so try to keep your featured content brief and to the point.

Make sure to give your featured content the attention it deserves. This is what your readers are most likely to be interested in, so it’s worth putting in the extra effort to make it really shine.

Incorporating media into your newsletter can be a great way to spice things up and keep your readers engaged.

Whether you’re using images, videos, or audio clips, media can help bring your content to life and make it more interactive and visually appealing.

Here are a few tips for using media in your newsletters.

• Use high-quality images – Choose images that are relevant and visually appealing. Avoid using blurry or pixelated images, as they can be a turn-off for readers.
• Embed videos – If you have a video that’s related to your content, consider embedding it into your newsletter. This can help break up the text and make your newsletter more dynamic.
• Use audio clips – If you have an audio clip that you think your readers would be interested in, consider including it in your newsletter. This can be a great way to add another layer of content to your newsletter.
• Use infographics – Infographics can be a great way to present complex information in an easy-to-understand way. If you have an infographic that’s relevant to your content, consider including it in your newsletter.
• Keep it balanced – While media can be a great addition to your newsletter, it’s important to keep things balanced. Don’t overdo it on the media, as this can be overwhelming for readers and make your newsletter hard to read.

If you’re looking to add some pizazz to your newsletter, consider incorporating some media into your content. Just be sure to use it wisely and keep things balanced.

7. Actionable CTAs

The call-to-action (CTA) is a crucial part of your newsletter that tells your readers what you want them to do next – whether it’s to visit your website, sign up for your email list, or make a purchase.

So, it’s important to craft a CTA that’s clear, compelling, and effective.

Here are a few tips to help you write a killer CTA for your newsletter.

• Keep it simple – Don’t overcomplicate your CTA. Use clear, concise language that tells your readers exactly what you want them to do.
• Make it actionable – Use verbs like “click,” “sign up,” or “buy now” to give your readers a specific action to take.
• Use a sense of urgency – Creating a sense of urgency can be a powerful way to get your readers to take action. Consider using phrases like “act now” or “limited time offer” to encourage them to act quickly.
• Personalize it – Adding personalization to your CTA can make it more effective. For example, using the reader’s name or location can help make the CTA feel more relevant to them.
• Test and optimize – Don’t be afraid to experiment with different CTAs and see which ones work best. Testing and optimizing can help you find the perfect CTA for your newsletter.

8. Social share buttons

If you’re writing a newsletter, you want as many people as possible to read it, right? Well, one simple way to help get your content out there is by including social sharing buttons in your newsletter.

Simply put, social sharing buttons allow readers to easily share your newsletter on their social media accounts.

So, if someone loves what they’re reading, they can easily share it with their followers, which can help them reach a whole new audience.

But it’s not just about getting more readers – social sharing buttons can also help improve your newsletter’s SEO. When someone shares your content on social media, it creates a backlink to your website.

And the more backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in search engines like Google.

So, how do you add social sharing buttons to your newsletter? It’s actually pretty easy.

Most email marketing platforms, like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, have built-in options for adding social sharing buttons to your newsletters.

Simply choose the social media platforms you want to include, and the buttons will automatically be added to your newsletter.

But don’t just add any old social sharing buttons – make sure they’re prominently displayed and easy for your readers to use.

You don’t want them to have to hunt around for the buttons or struggle to figure out how to share your content.

9. Unsubscribe link

The unsubscribe link may not seem like the most exciting topic, but trust us, it’s actually pretty important.

First of all, the unsubscribe link is a legal requirement for email marketing. It’s a way for your readers to opt-out of receiving your newsletters if they no longer want them.

But the unsubscribe link is also an opportunity for you to show your readers that you respect their time and attention.

By providing an easy way for them to unsubscribe, you’re demonstrating that you value their preferences and don’t want to waste their time with emails they’re not interested in.

So, where should you put your unsubscribe link? It’s generally a good idea to include it at the bottom of your newsletter, along with any other legal information or fine print.

That way, it’s easy for your readers to find if they need it, but it’s not in their faces if they don’t.

While it may be tempting to bury your unsubscribe link in the hopes of keeping as many subscribers as possible, it’s actually much better to be upfront and transparent.

This will help you build trust with your readers and keep them engaged with your newsletters in the long run.

In short, don’t forget to include an unsubscribe link in your newsletters. It’s not the most exciting part, but it’s an important part of responsible email marketing.

Best practices when writing a newsletter

Here is a list of the best practices for writing an email newsletter to help you craft the perfect email.

• Keep it short and simple… again.
• Establish a tone
• Review other successful newsletters
• Survey your audience to see what they want
• Stay clear of technical jargon
• Write the way you talk
• Balance your newsletter content
• Link the most important details
• Make it easy for your readers to unsubscribe

Let’s jump into each of them in more detail.

1. Keep it short and simple… again.

Yes, you’ve read this almost throughout the whole article, but that’s only because it’s really important!

With a newsletter, it’s important to keep it short and simple. Your readers are busy people, and they don’t have time to wade through a long, drawn-out email.

Make sure you get to the point quickly and keep your newsletter as concise as possible. Use bullet points and headings to break up the text and make it easier to read, and avoid using jargon or overly complicated language.

By keeping your newsletter short and simple, you’ll be more likely to capture your readers’ attention and keep them engaged.

The next time you sit down to write a newsletter, remember the old adage: “less is more.”

2. Establish a tone

Your tone sets the mood for your entire newsletter and helps your readers understand what to expect.

So, how do you establish a tone? It’s all about finding the right words and language that align with your brand and the message you want to convey.

Whether you want to be serious and informative or lighthearted and fun, make sure you choose your words carefully.

Once you’ve established your tone, it’s important to stick to it throughout your newsletter. This helps create a cohesive and consistent experience for your readers.

So, if you start off with a light and playful tone, make sure you maintain it throughout your newsletter.

3. Review other successful newsletters

It can be helpful to review successful examples for inspiration. After all, there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel when it comes to crafting the perfect newsletter.

So, where can you find these successful examples? One option is to browse newsletters from companies or organizations you admire. Take a look at their titles, layout, and content to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Another option is to search online for “best newsletters” or “successful newsletters” and see what pops up. You might find some great examples that you can learn from and adapt to your own newsletter.

Keep in mind, however, that what works for one newsletter might not work for another. So, be sure to review these examples with a critical eye and adapt them to fit your own brand and goals.

4. Survey your audience to see what they want

It’s important to keep your audience in mind. After all, they’re the ones reading it! So why not ask them what they want to see?

By conducting a quick survey, you can gather valuable insights and make sure your newsletter hits the mark every time.

Plus, it’s a great way to show your audience that their opinions matter to you. So don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for feedback – it’ll make for a better newsletter experience for everyone involved.

5. Stay clear of technical jargon

It can be tempting to throw in a bunch of technical jargon to impress your readers, but that’s usually not a good idea.

Why? Because technical jargon can be confusing, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the topic you’re writing about. It can also make your newsletter feel stuffy and boring, which is the last thing you want.

So, what should you do instead? Keep it simple and clear. Use language that’s easy to understand and avoid using terms that most people won’t recognize.

This will help your newsletter feel more accessible and enjoyable for all of your readers.

6. Write the way you talk

It’s important to remember that you’re writing for a human audience. And let’s be real, humans love to communicate with other humans – it’s just how we’re wired.

When you’re writing your newsletter, try to write like you talk. It’ll make your writing feel more personal and relatable.

What do we mean by that? Well, imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend or colleague. You probably wouldn’t use big, fancy words or speak in a formal tone, right?

You’d just talk normally, using language and words that feel natural and comfortable.

That’s exactly what you should aim for when writing your newsletter. Use language that feels natural and conversational.

This will help your readers feel like they’re having a conversation with you, rather than reading a dry and formal document.

7. Balance your newsletter content

Finding the right balance between educational content and promotional material is key. You want to provide value to your readers while still promoting your brand and products.

One way to strike this balance is to aim for a 90/10 split – 90% educational content and 10% promotional material. This way, you’re providing your readers with valuable information while still being able to showcase your products or services.

Remember, your newsletter should be all about your readers, not just about promoting your brand. So, focus on providing them with useful and relevant content that they’ll actually want to read.

Of course, this balance may vary depending on your industry and your readers’ needs. But as a general rule of thumb, the 90/10 approach is an effective balance.

8. Link the most important details

It’s crucial to include relevant links to the most important details in your newsletter. After all, you want your readers to have easy access to the information they need, right?

So, what should you link to? It really depends on your newsletter’s focus and the content you’ve included.

If you’ve mentioned a new product or service, make sure to include a link to where readers can learn more. If you’ve included a quote or statistic, consider linking to the source for further context.

And don’t forget about social media! If you have a strong presence on platforms like Instagram or Twitter, make sure to include links to your profiles so readers can stay up to date on all your latest updates.

In short, including links to the most important things in your newsletter helps make it easy for readers to access the information they need and stay connected to your brand.

9. Make it easy for your readers to unsubscribe

While you want your readers to stay subscribed, you also want to make it easy for them to unsubscribe if they no longer want to receive your emails.

Think about it this way – if someone is feeling overwhelmed by the number of emails they receive and they can’t easily find the unsubscribe button, they may just mark your newsletter as spam.

Not only does this mean you’ll lose a reader, but it can also damage your reputation as a sender.

So, make it easy for your readers to say goodbye if they need to. Include an unsubscribe button in every newsletter and make it easy to find.

It’s better to have a smaller, engaged group of readers than a large group of unhappy subscribers.

Plus, it’s just the polite thing to do.

Craft top-notch newsletters with Scale It Right

Writing a newsletter may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! With a little planning and organization, you can easily create a newsletter that your audience will love.

Start by determining your goals and target audience, and then gather content that aligns with those objectives.

Want to learn how you can create an engaging newsletter from scratch? Here’s a helpful article:  7 Steps To Create A Popular Email Newsletter

But if you’re feeling overwhelmed or just don’t have the time, there’s no shame in seeking out professional help. This is where Scale It Right comes in.

Our team of experts has the skills and experience to guide you through every step of the process, helping you craft successful and read-worthy newsletters from scratch.

By outsourcing these tasks to us, you can focus on your core business activities while still building a strong email marketing presence.

Plus, our services are tailored to your specific needs and goals, ensuring that your newsletters are effective in growing your subscriber list and achieving your desired outcomes.

So don’t hesitate to reach out to us and discover how we can help you create a personalized newsletter, just the way your audience wants it!

About Scale It Right

At Scale It Right, we offer hyper-focused demand generation as a service to help your startup or SMB scale and grow. Our approach is designed to help businesses generate high-quality leads and accelerate their growth through targeted marketing campaigns and personalized outreach.

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How to write a newsletter: step-by-step guide.

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So, you want to know how to write a good newsletter.

You’re in the right place.

I’ve been writing email newsletters for upwards of 8 years and have helped dozens of clients with their email campaigns.

It seems simple; it’s just a newsletter, after all, right?

Not so quick.

Copywriting is an art, and when done right, it can make you serious coin.

Heck, 82% of B2B and B2C companies use email marketing.

But, many entrepreneurs attempt writing newsletters before they’ve learned the proper strategies and the results are lackluster.

Sound familiar?

Today you’re going to learn how to write a newsletter that captivates people and makes them take action.

Take out your typewriter (not literally), and let’s get into it!

What is a newsletter?

Newsletters are printed or online reports that people can subscribe to. They contain useful pieces of content, updates, and news, as you can guess.

Companies regularly send out newsletters that share stories, information, and resources to help employees perform better.

But we’re focusing on a different type of newsletter today— a marketing newsletter . This is used to drive traffic to websites, generate sales, and grow relationships with subscribers.

This is the Friends Newsletter from Nick Gray for illustration:

Email marketing is older than your grandma (not literally, but close) yet still drives massive ROI.

Don’t believe me?

I’ll let the data do the talking: email marketing generates $40 for every $1 spent , according to Lyfe Marketing.

I’ve also consulted with clients and helped them set up email campaigns that generate five figures in MRR.

You can learn the strategies I used in my online courses .

But without out of the way, I’m going to teach you arguably the most important component of writing newsletters next…

Newsletter subject lines

The subject line of an email will make or break your email campaigns.

If it’s boring, no one will open it.

And if no one opens it, you won’t make any money. 👎

Approximately 35% of all recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. It’s crucial that you take the time to craft one that’s irresistible to click.

One of the best newsletter subject lines to test is one that includes their name .

I’ve never experienced higher open rates with newsletter copywriting than when I use someone’s first name in the subject line.

Something as simple as “To { Name} ” or “Hey { Name} ” works wonders.

Why is this? Because it’s been proven that calling someone by their name enhances something known as conscious processing .

It peaks their awareness, makes them more likely to examine the information, and makes them feel emotionally attached to it—since it’s their name and identity, after all.

It also shows that you’ve done your research and you’re not just sending another copy and pasted email.

To pull this off, make sure that you require at least a first name when opting into your newsletter like MobileMonkey does on their blog :

You can also use a sense of urgency or FOMO (Fear of missing out).

This will entice subscribers to open the email to avoid missing out on something great. Here are some newsletter subject line examples using this tactic:

• “12 Hours Left to Get Your Free Copywriting Course “
• “You’ll Regret Not Knowing These 5 SEO Tips “
• “John, Are You Making This Deadly Marketing Mistake?”

Look how lead pages used this strategy by simply stating, “We’re sorry:”

It instantly creates a sense of mystery.

What happened?

Is something wrong?

There are many questions that might go through your head when you hear a company you’re a customer of apologizes without context.

This no doubt greatly increased CTR as recipients would be interested to read the email.

Furthermore, I love keeping a swipe file to reference every time I’m writing a newsletter. This is simply a spreadsheet with ideas and inspiration.

When you see a headline, subject line, or any piece of copy for that matter, copy it into your swipe file. Obviously, don’t steal material from other writers, but use it for brainstorming.

I go into email marketing and lead generation more in-depth in my copywriting course if you’re interested in learning how to grow a profitable writing business.

Newsletter best practices

Now that you understand what a newsletter is and its components, let’s touch on some best practices and what to include in a newsletter.

Always include an opt-out

The Federal Trade Commission enforces a set of laws known as the CAN-SPAM Act .

This covers commercial email laws, and you absolutely need to be aware of it. Or else you might get the FBI knocking at your door.

Okay, probably not.

But, they are legitimate laws that you need to follow, and you can get into legal trouble if you break them.

Two of the rules you must follow are:

• Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future emails from you.
• Honour opt-out requests promptly.

Any modern email service, whether it’s Mailchimp or Aweber, will provide you with an option to let subscribers opt out.

Always include this in the footer of your emails and ensure that if someone does opt out, you don’t continue emailing them. That’s when the feds will come knockin’.

If you’re enjoying today’s topic, I’d also recommend you read my email follow up guide since it contains a lot of useful information that ties in email marketing in general.

Don’t use misleading subject lines

Have you ever added “FW:” or “RE:” to an email without prior contact with that person?

If so, I have something really bad to tell you…

You’re a criminal!

The second requirement in the CAN-SPAM Act is to not use deceptive subject lines. It must accurately reflect the body of the email.

I would avoid using those prefixes in your subject lines.

Not only is it technically against the law, but it’s tricking people, and I don’t think you want to start off your relationship with a client or subscriber on that foot.

Monitor employees and team members

Do you have employees that email subscribers or prospects on your behalf?

Then you need to be monitoring that they are also following the CAN-SPAM act and general best practices.

Because guess what?

It might be someone else physically sending the emails, but it’s still coming from your address.

A.K.A, you all will get into trouble.

To avoid this, I like giving my team templates and resources to send them on the right track. Give them the link to the CAN-SPAM guidelines , email scripts, and maybe this article.

Don’t overdo it

No one wants to be spammed to death with emails every day.

Omnisend performed a study on email frequency and it’s correlation to open rate and click-through .

They discovered that the fewer emails that were sent on a monthly basis, the higher the open rates and click-through rates became.

What can you learn from this? Quality over quantity. Don’t send out emails every day. Perhaps not even every week.

Aim for a few extremely high-quality newsletters every month.

Include social sharing

Visual content is up to 40% more likely to get shared than non-visual content.

Social sharing is the easiest way to achieve a viral effect with this in mind.

Ensure that there are Facebook and Twitter sharing links at the end of your newsletter, so subscribers can forward it to all of their friends.

On that note, if you use Facebook to promote your business, don’t miss out on my Facebook ad copy article.

Add other social networks to the newsletter if you’d like, as well.

Imagine if you had 1,000 subscribers, and 50 of them shared it. Those 50 people could reach an additional 500 users if 10 individuals per subscriber read it as a result.

Writing a newsletter – the meat and potatoes

Alright, you have a good idea of what a newsletter is, what it achieves, and how to get subscribers to click based on the subject line.

Now it’s time to learn how to write a newsletter article.

How you go about this will change depending on your individual business goals, but the principles remain the same. Here’s what you need to know:

Use storytelling to create emotional connections

Stories help subscribers emotionally relate to your business, its message, and its product.

You can get a story in three different ways: stating your own experience, sourcing someone else’s story, or crafting a fictional tale.

A personal story is effective because you can tie it into writing a newsletter article effortlessly. Let’s say that you’re promoting an e-book on affiliate marketing you recently published.

You could tell the story of how you were broke and in debt, but stumbling upon affiliate marketing changed your life. You bought a car, got an apartment, and now know the secrets to master it as a business.

That’s pretty simple, of course. But, consider your own life experiences, especially emotional ones, and how you can mention them in newsletters.

Look how Ramit Sethi talked about his experience getting married and asked for subscribers’ best piece of advice in this email :

It’s a simple illustration of how a piece of personal information can make you feel closer to the other person sending the email.

If you don’t have any stories to share, there’s nothing wrong with using someone else’s. Publications, specifically news outlets , do this every day. Everyone loves a good story, but it doesn’t have to directly be yours.

Research stories and case studies on the topic of your newsletter. If it’s about machine learning, find a story about companies that used AI to transform their productivity and output.

Lastly, you can always just make up a story.

But, be careful. Don’t claim anything outrageous, like a previous customer used your product and generated $1 billion.

People will see right through that, and they’ll lose trust in you.

Read my guide on storytelling in copywriting to learn more effective tactics.

Make it a slippery slope

The goal of the headline is to make them read the first sentence.

…The goal of the first sentence is to make them read the second sentence.

…The goal of the second sentence is to do the same as above until they finally reach a call to action.

Focus on the flow of your words. You want the subject line to intrigue them first. It should relate to their needs, wants, or pain points as a customer.

Then, the first sentence needs to be bold . Use an interesting stat, a thought-provoking question, or make an absurd comment. The goal is to hook their attention.

Traffic Think Tank executed this perfectly in one of their promotional newsletters.

Short and snappy sentences make it easy on the eyes.

Every sentence has a meaning and substance while effortlessly leading into the next.

Use the other copywriting principles in the remainder of the body, and next you know, they’re at the end of the newsletter with their credit card out.

The slippery slope method was developed by the famous copywriter Joseph Sugarman. I wrote a blog post covering some of his main tactics you can read here .

Make them feel like it’s real

Imagine selling flashy cars like Ferraris or Lamborghinis. We’ll call our company Bambino’s Autos .

We’re trying to increase how many subscribers call to schedule a test drive for some new arrivals.

How could we convince these people to come test a $500,000 car?

Simply, actually.

Just make them feel like they already own it . We could write something like this:

Everyone is staring at you. People are taking pictures. The scream of the V12 engine turns every head in sight. You’re pressed back into your seat with the slightest touch of the peddle, and the digital dash looks like something developed by NASA. Just glancing at the car gives you the jitters, let alone knowing that you own it. Test drive the new Lamborghini SVJ today.

Even if you’re not a car enthusiast, I think it’s safe to say that writing like this would make you excited to go for a test drive.

It speaks to the customer’s interest in appearing special, wealthy, and wanting to drive fast. I’m generalizing here, but follow along.

The goal is to make them imagine as if they already own the product and the experience that would come along with it.

This, as a result, generates the associated emotions and makes them more likely to take action. Cool, huh?

Predict their questions and answer them ahead of time

To make your email newsletters “slippery,” you need to be able to predict what questions and thoughts your subscribers are having. This allows you to answer them ahead of time and keep them flowing through your content.

Consider what they would want to know about pricing, features, benefits , refunds, and any other detail about what you offer. Weave this into your copy, and they will think you’re a mind reader.

More importantly, it prevented obstacles.

If someone has to stop and scratch their head or wince in suspicion, you’ve lost them .

They’re likely to click off the email and do something else—losing you the sale.

This requires you to have a solid buyer persona and a great understanding of your ideal customer.

Do you? If not, it’s something you need to develop because all great copywriting stems from it .

I recommend using a free form tool like Google Forms .

Use one of the available templates or start from scratch.

Add questions that you would like to know about customers. Good ones include:

• How much are you willing to spend on this type of product?
• What problems are you experiencing in this area?
• Why do you shop with your favourite brands?
• How did you find our business?

Send this out via (no pun intended) a newsletter to collect feedback.

Finish it with a call to action

A call to action is very literal.

It’s telling the reader to take some form of action that gets them closer to a sale.

In your case, it might be a discovery call, consultation, or similar.

You can’t just leave them hanging either, so the end of the newsletter needs to forward them somewhere. Examples of calls to action are:

• “Buy it now”
• “Continue reading”
• “Get our free e-book”
• “Schedule a call today”

Want to hear some crazy stats? Wordstream found that emails with calls to action lead to a 371% increase in clicks and a 1617% increase in sales.

Yep, you read that right, too.

It’s such a simple concept, but it makes so much sense, as well.

As humans, we want to be told what to do.

It makes our lives easier since it means we don’t have to think harder.

When we see a call to action, it immediately helps us move on to the next step.

Look how the retailer Huckberry did this in one of their Labor Day sale emails:

They use the “Shop Now” call to action many times throughout their newsletter to promote visiting their online store.

Best time to send email newsletters

In my cold emailing guide , I spoke about how the best time to email someone is before 9:00 AM and after 5:00 PM.

Why do you think this is?

…Because it’s before they get to work and after they’ve come home.

Your email will be one of the first things they see when they check their mailbox if you follow this strategy.

Additionally, Hubspot discovered that emails sent at 11:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday experience the highest open rates.

Try it out for yourself.

Every business has a unique audience, so monitor data to see if your subscribers are different. You might notice that they open emails at 2:00 PM more, for example.

Summing up newsletter copywriting

Copywriting newsletters is a great way to reach a large audience, and collecting an email list is one of the wisest things a business owner can do.

Focus on nailing a subject line that people would want to open in the first place. Urgency and using someone’s first name is a proven tactic.

Then, take the time to craft a body of text that acts as a slippery slope. Every sentence should flow smoothly into the next and ideally will make them want to finish reading the entire newsletter.

Add in your own personal stories to make them relateable, or find one that relates. Poke their imagination with vivid detail, and answer any questions they might have before they’ve even thought of them.

If you do all of that, they’ll make it to the end of the newsletter, and you can finish it with a call to action.

Check out my copywriting courses to learn more and get mentorship from me and a community of writers.

Here’s an infographic that sums up everything I spoke about today, as well:

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Writing A Newsletter People Actually Read: Tips and Examples

An email list full of targeted subscribers is a fundamental asset for online success. But that’s only half the battle. 

Next, you need to engage with your subscribers and provide them with value. You do this by writing a newsletter that people actually want to read.

But not everyone is confident in their writing ability. And if you fail to connect with your subscribers you’ll never convert them into customers.

In this article, you’ll learn exactly how we’ve gone about writing our email newsletter. You will find the rest of this content beneficial even if you’ve never written a newsletter before. 

These tips helped convert over 30,000 of our subscribers into purchasers of our products.

Table of Contents

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is a publication that provides an update on current events or products. It’s distributed through email to subscribers, usually free of charge.

Newsletters are one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available. Of course, writing an effective newsletter requires time and good writing skills, but it can pay off big time.  

Especially if you use email as your primary means of communication with customers or prospects.  

But you already knew that much.  What you may not know is how to write an effective newsletter. So let’s take a look at what goes into creating that winning campaign.

Tips For Writing A Newsletter

To write a good newsletter, you need to keep it short and exciting. 

People only need 11 seconds to scan through an email and decide if it’s worth reading. You have to capture their attention within that short space of time. 

But before you write a single word you must decide whether or not you need to send a newsletter.

Purpose of Your Newsletter

What’s the purpose of your newsletter?

Are you sending out a newsletter solely to generate more leads or traffic? Or do you have valuable information to share with your subscribers? 

Will readers actually benefit from your content?

If not, try to avoid filling your subscribers’ inboxes with irrelevant content. Otherwise, most of your emails will end up in the spam folders and you’ll have a lot of unsubscribers. 

Remember, there are a lot of people competing with you for a spot in your recipients’ inbox.

The only way to stay ahead of the competition is to provide content that enriches other people.

Assuming that it is your aim, let’s move on to the next step, deciding what type of newsletter to write.

Types of Newsletters

The type of newsletter you write will naturally depend on your intended audience. 

There are 3 Types of Newsletters:

Company Newsletter

Consumer newsletter, organization newsletter.

A company newsletter provides employees and staff members informed and keeps them focused on company goals. 

A company newsletter is usually set out at regular intervals, eg. monthly. And gives updates on milestones, revenue, and losses, and overall performances. It also outlines company goals for coming time periods. 

A consumer newsletter is sent out to customers, prospects, and clients. 

The main purpose of this newsletter is to provide useful information to help customers better use your products or services.

It keeps your audience in touch with what’s going on with your brand and provides updates on:

• Product Launches
• Product Defects
• Affiliate Offers and recommendations

Digital marketers need to be good at writing consumer newsletters. 

These newsletters are used to communicate both internally and externally. 

Organization newsletters are sent to:

• Past, Present, and Future Partners
• Beneficiaries 
• Board Members and;

These newsletters have a unique mix of information that helps keep customers and associates abreast with updates, information, features, tips, announcements, industry news.

So now you should have a clear understanding of the type of newsletter you’ll be writing.  

Let’s see how we can make our content more impactful.

Writing Impactful Content

Having a positive impact on others comes down to one simple thing, providing value. 

If people feel like they wasted time reading your content they won’t make the same mistake again. 

With each interaction, they must gain something that improves their lives or businesses. 

To achieve this we focus on two things, Education and Benefits. 

The key to educating your audience is knowing what issues they are facing. This is also known as your subscribers’ Pain Points. 

With their pain points in mind, it will be easy to share tips, content, and resources to help them.

Let’s look at an example. 

A lot of digital marketers struggle with generating enough traffic for their offers. 

Writing a newsletter that explains how you were able to overcome the same issue will…

Educate and Inspire. From there you just need to show them how to replicate your solution. 

Benefits sell. People don’t make purchases or take action because of features. They do so in hopes of getting some kind of benefits in return. 

This allows you to enrich your subscribers’ lives while meeting your campaign objectives. 

Let’s see another example. 

Now that people understand how you overcame your issues with traffic, it’s time to show them how. 

You can do this by directing them to a product, training, or software that helps them get more traffic. 

But, just telling your subscribers that they will get more traffic by viewing your recommendation is not enough. 

You need to say how this increase in traffic will benefit them. 

What will they gain? Let’s say your audience is made up of hopeful affiliate marketers. 

Well, more traffic means more leads and sales. With more sales, they can finally quit the 9-5 life . 

Here, the benefit they’ll gain from your recommendation is freedom. Freedom from the corporate rat race. 

Of course, these examples mostly apply to consumer newsletters. But the general concept applies right across the board. 

Proofreading

When writing a newsletter you must ensure it is free of typos, grammatical errors, and false info.

There is nothing that says unprofessional more than an email that is poorly written. 

If you don’t have time to proofread your newsletter, consider hiring someone who can. Online tools like Grammarly are quickly becoming a writer’s best friend. 

That said, sometimes you may not write in your native language. Let’s say English is your second language. 

It’s said that after 15 years old, it’s impossible for anyone to become a native speaker of a new language. 

So it might be hard for you to structure all your sentences correctly. 

In this case, you can use that to your strength. Overcoming any language barrier in itself is an inspiring accomplishment. 

Try to incorporate these unique concepts when writing a newsletter. Also, experiment with different fonts to find the best fonts for newsletters in your particular niche.

It will help differentiate you from everyone else in your subscribers’ inboxes.  

The Anatomy of A Successful Newsletter

A successful newsletter will include most of the following elements:

• Curiosity Based Subject Lines;
• Valuable Content;
• Captivating images and/or GIFs;
• A primary call-to-action;

Company & Personal Details

• Unsubscribe link.

Curiosity Based Subject Lines

Your newsletter’s subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see. It needs to inspire enough curiosity to get people to open your emails. 

As the saying goes, “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning”.

The concept here is to tease your readers. Get them to wonder:

• What does this mean?
• Did that really happen?
• Am I missing out?
• Is that true?

Here are a few curiosity-based subject lines that worked really well:

Valuable Content

I’ve said this several times already but it’s worth mentioning again. 

Every interaction with your subscribers must bring value to their lives or business. 

Keeping your audience’s best interest in focus is the key here. 

In exchange for trying to enrich other people’s lives, you’ll gain their loyalty.

And it doesn’t have to be anything complicated either. 

A value-based email can be something as simple as:

• Sending a New Years’ greeting. 
• Recommending a useful resource
• Offering existing customers a discount 
• Providing extra free training

Captivating Images and/or GIFs

Using images and GIFs in your newsletter is an effective way to boost click-through rates.    

Remember, once your email is opened you’ll have just 11 seconds to get people interested in what you have to say. 

Visually appealing content will help to grab the reader’s attention. At the same time, they help to break up texts and make them easier to read. 

Of course, it would be unwise to use images or GIFs that aren’t congruent with your content or brand. If you do add images to your newsletter ensure it’s something your readers need to see.

Use high-quality images that look good across all devices. You can access royalty-free images from iStock , Pixabay , and Pexels . 

As for GIFs, it’s best to use them sparingly. 

Too many GIFs can become distracting and may seem unprofessional. 

GIFs should be no more than a few seconds long.

Create your own professional GIFs using the GIPHY platform .

Call to Action (CTA)

Before writing a newsletter you must have some specific goal in mind. 

In addition to providing value to your readers, what do you want to gain from your newsletters? What action do you want your subscribers to take?

Do you want them to:

• Reply to your email?
• Visit your website?
• View your products or services?
• Download content?
• Give you feedback?

Whatever your goal is, it should be clearly stated with a Call-to-Action.

Including a call to action in your newsletter increases the click-through rate by more than 20%? 

Here’s an example of a solid call to action.

“ Click The Button Below to Download Your Free PDF “

How well people engage with your CTA will determine your campaign success.

We’ll expand on this topic further down in this post!

You may think your email address is enough for readers to recall who you are but trust me, it’s not. 

You should include personal or company details in the Signature of your email. 

This can be done by using a signature. A signature is a perfect opportunity to brand every email you send. It helps to reinforce who you are and what you do. 

You may want to include the following in your email signatures.

– Name – Position – Phone number – Email – Website – Logo –

Adding a personal image to your signature will work wonders. It helps to “humanize” your brand and gives your readers a face to relate to. 

Adding a signature also gives you one more chance to add links to important information.

Unsubscribe Link 

Like it or not, people will unsubscribe from your email lists from time to time. 

Your role is to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Otherwise, they’ll take the next best option to stop hearing from you – marking your emails as spam. 

If many people mark your content as spam you will have deliverability issues. 

Most of your emails will not get sent to your recipient’s inbox. And this will ruin your sender reputation real quick.

“It’s better to have 10 subscribers than one email marked as spam”. 

To avoid this unnecessary burden, include an unsubscribe link in all your newsletters. 

Writing A Newsletter People Want To Read: Best Practices

It’s time to get down to the meat of the matter. How exactly do you write these highly engaging newsletters?

 Let’s break it down starting with the subject lines. In digital marketing circles, getting open rates of 5% is considered exceptional. 

Well, we have been able to get open rates of over 16% consistently following these tips. 

How To Write Effective Subject Lines

A good rule of thumb with email subject lines is to keep them short and personalized.  

Keeping Subject Lines Short

Most of the time, only the first 40 characters of your subject line will be visible to your readers. 

But that’s all you need to inspire curiosity in your reader. 

In fact, the shorter the better. 

American government officials are experts at keeping their email subject lines short:

Adding Personalizations 

Generic subject lines do work. But why be generic when you can get so much more personal with your audience. 

It’s a common practice to collect as much personal data as possible from leads with an optin page.

This may include name, email address, city,  age, and gender .

With this data, you can write more personalized emails. This allows you to speak to each subscriber on your lists individually. 

Let’s say you have a subscriber on your list named Bob. Which of the following subject lines do you think he’ll be more curious about? 

“ Hey Bob ” or the more generic subject line “ Dear Customer .”

Definitely the first option right?

Here’s another example:

“ Hi Bob! It’s time to check out our latest product. “

Bob will get the feeling you are writing specifically to him. He’ll want to know what you have to say.

If Bob had recently purchased  a product from your company, you could use something like:

“ Bob, thank you for the purchase “, or even just:

“ Thanks again, Bob! “

Try not to overthink this. Keep your emails short and simple even when personalized. Use these examples as your reference:

Admittedly, it may take a while to personalize each email you send from a free platform like Gmail. 

That’s one reason why email automation tools have become so popular in recent years. 

Adding personalizations to your emails can be easily done using autoresponders like Mailvio. 

Mailvio allows you to customize all emails you send to your subscribers. And all with just a few clicks. Saving you hours of time.

Write Informative Subject Lines

Information-based subject lines are a great way to state what value you have to offer in your emails.

With only a quick glance, readers will instantly know if your content is important to them or not. 

Informative subject lines work best to provide product, brand, and company updates. 

They can be as simple as:

• “ Announcing the newest version of our popular __________! ” or:
• “ The newest version of our __________ is now available! “

Be sure to use promotional keywords or phrases that also inspire curiosity.

For example, if your product is “the world’s most powerful blender,” your subject line could read:

• “ The world’s most powerful blender is now available! ” or: 
• “ Introducing the most powerful blender on the market! “

A vague subject line like “New product launch!” or “New product!”  it’s unlikely to draw much attention.

Highlight Incentives and Promotions

Incentivised subject lines work really well with past and present customers. 

People who spend money with you once will likely do so again if they had a good experience the first time around.

Sometimes, they just need a little nudge. 

Let’s take a look at 8 impressive promotional subject lines with an example:

The idea here is to tell customers how much they can save or how much more they will be getting for the same cost.

Notice how the above subject lines are clear, and build curiosity. 

And a few of them include one important aspect which takes us to the next point, Urgency. 

Subject Lines With Urgency

Quite a few people will open your emails and be interested in your content but won’t take action. 

Whenever people feel they have more time to think things over they will. And this could lower your conversion rates. 

So, get people taking action fast, you’ll need to add some sense of urgency to your subject lines and your CTA. 

As usual, here’s how it’s done in real life:

Avoid Using Spammy Words 

There is no point in writing a newsletter if it ends up in the spam folder. Your subscribers will never see it. That’s why your newsletter subject lines should be spam-free.

Avoid using words and phrases that will trigger spam filters. This include:

• Click Here Now

Also, be careful of spammy syntax. Some people have come up with clever ways to get around spam filters. 

For instance, instead of writing Money, they’ll write something like M.O.N.E.Y.

Spam filters are really smart and will pick up on this. 

Lastly, email subject lines should not be in all CAPS.

Adding An Effective Call To Action

We’ve already mentioned the importance of including effective CTAs in your email campaigns.  Now let’s go into more detail on how to make your CTAs work for you.

Here are five tips to help you out:

• Make them short 
• Use authoritative language and action words
• Create a sense of urgency 
• Choose a prominent location
• Offer incentives

Make your CTA short 

Just as with your subject lines, you want to keep your call to action short and to the point. 

No one has all day to read your Call to Action. Make sure that they are bold and not hidden within a cluster of texts. 

It’s a good idea to have your call to action as stand-alone sentences or simple buttons. 

Use Authoritative Language and Action Words 

Keep your call to action specific. Don’t be afraid to tell your readers exactly what you want them to do. Be direct. This will increase the chance of your readers taking the desired action by up to 70%

Try using active verbs like go, visit, shop, sign up today, download, or start now.   

For example:        

“ Download the free report now ” or; 

“ Start your 30-day trial” .

Avoid industry jargon or buzzwords as much as possible when crafting a CTA. 

Add Urgency

Add a sense of urgency wherever you need people to take action.

You’ve already seen how to do this for your subject lines. The same concept applies to calls to action. 

For best results, your CTAs should always include some sense of urgency.

Add a countdown timer or use phrases like;

 “ Hurry! You’re about to miss out ,” or “ offer expires soon ” to add a sense of urgency.

Use these tactics sparingly as they tend to lose effectiveness if overused.

Offer incentives 

Consider offering an incentive if you want to make it extra easy for subscribers to engage with a CTA.  

You can do this by adding a discount, free e-book, or another type of bonus to your CTA. 

Digital marketers are experts at providing bonuses. This works exceptionally well when your incentive is congruent with your CTA.

We have had great success in the past implementing this idea.

For your next call to action, try using  some version of the following:

• “ Download the free report now and get 50% off! “
• “ Click here to start your 30-day trial now. “

You can also use incentives in place of bonuses. These work really well:

• “ Click here for a chance to win $100! ” 

Be sure to deliver on whatever incentive you promise. 

Choose a Prominent Location

The rule of thumb is to add your call to action only if they’re needed. 

You do not want to insert CTAs all over the place just hoping people will act on them. Embed them wherever they may be relevant in your email body.

And remember: People scan emails rather than read them from top to bottom. Make sure not to bury your call-to-action where it will be missed!

You can also add a P.S. section after your email signature that provides more information and a call to action.

How to Boost Newsletter Engagements

Writing a newsletter with great subject lines, valuable content and good CTAs will earn your emails a place in many inboxes.

But how do you get into those inboxes? It starts practicing good list hygiene to boost engagement rates. 

Here are 5 tips that will help you do that:

Clean Your Email Lists

• Remove inactive subscribers; 
• Segment Your List;
• Limit the frequency of your email campaigns; 
• Use mobile-friendly email templates; 

Removing Spam Traps and other invalid emails from your list must be done before sending an email.

Failure to do so will result in most of your emails ending up in the junk or promotion folders. 

You’ll also incur a high bounce rate and poor sender reputation. 

Which will over time, lower your engagement rates and cause deliverability issues. 

Thankfully, cleaning your email list only takes a few seconds using an affordable list cleaning service . 

Remove Inactive Subscribers 

Poor engagement rates don’t sit well with email clients.  In fact,  many of them will begin blocking your emails if you have a large number of inactive subscribers.  

It’s a good practice to delete subscribers who do not interact with any of your emails at least once every 3 months. 

You can also attempt to re-engage with your subscribers. This is best done by sending emails to remind people why they signed up to your list in the first place. 

These can be very effective when done right. 

Segment Your List

List segmentation allows you to send relevant information to individual groups of subscribers. 

People will engage more with content that pertains directly to them.  This will boost your engagement and click-through rates. 

And the likelihood of your emails getting marked as spam will drop considerably.

Think about the different demographics of people on your email lists.  

It is a common practice amongst digital marketers to segment their lists by:

• Purchase Date
• Email Openers
• Inactive Users
• Products Bought

Limit Campaign Frequency

Email marketing campaigns work best when they’re sent out on a regular schedule.

According to data collected by Experian , the optimal number of emails you should send per month is between 6 and 10.

If you send more than that, subscribers might become overwhelmed and unsubscribe from your list.

But still, it’s important to stay in contact with your subscribers so they won’t forget about you. 

So how often should you send newsletters and other email campaigns ?

The best way to find out is by conducting A/B split testing.

Try sending different volumes of emails over set periods of time. For instance, you could send 20 emails in one month then send only 10 the following month..

You can then compare the results in terms of open rates to determine how often is best for your list.

The more targeted and responsive your subscribers are, the better your results will be.

It’s also important to consider the timing of your emails.

Each person on your list will check their emails at times most convenient to them. 

If your campaigns are delivered outside of their “ email checking ” hours, your open rates will be low.

Most autoresponders now allow you to check what time your subscribers are most likely to open your emails. 

Use Mobile-Friendly Email Templates 

Billions of people open their emails on their phones. When writing a newsletter you have to also consider the templates you use. 

Your email templates must be mobile-friendly and responsive. Otherwise, your readers will have a poor user experience.

Using Mailvio To Improve Engagement

Regular email service providers like Gmail and Yahoo have very limited functionalities. 

They are great for sending personal emails but are not reliable for business efforts. 

The solution is to choose an autoresponder like Mailvio to get the best from your campaigns. 

There are many other autoresponders to choose from but…

When it comes to ease of use and affordability, Mailvio is the logical choice .

Here’s a quick overview of some of Mailvio features:

To test drive this autoresponder for yourself, click here .

Conclusion 

We have written countless newsletters and other types of emails using these same techniques. 

And our campaigns have been consistently impressive. Generating open rates of over 16% and higher than normal click-throughs. 

Of course, our results are not typical. And We do use Mailvio to automate all of our campaigns .

Be sure to implement what you have learned today the next time you are writing a newsletter. 

Then come back and share your results in the comments below. 

Wishing you success on your next campaign.

Related posts:

• Subject Lines For Newsletters: 14 Tips To Skyrocket Your Open Rates!
• Best Fonts for Newsletters – The Ultimate Guide (With Examples)
• What Is The Best Font For Emails To Boost Engagement
• 9 Effective Tips to Avoid Spam Trap and Mail Effectively

Steven is the co-founder of Mailvio and oversees the operations and technical strategy and implementations. Steven has been an online entrepreneur since he was 14 years old and has been running SaaS companies for the last 10 years.

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How to write mailing list newsletters – 20 top tips.

Table of Contents

If you are looking to boost your B2B business engagement with your clients, newsletters are a powerful tool for companies to connect with their audience and share valuable information. 

In the business world, communication is key and newsletters play a crucial role in keeping clients informed and engaged. In this blog, we’ll explore 20 important tips on how to write a newsletter article that resonates with your B2B audience. 

From writing compelling subject lines to proofreading, we’ll cover everything you need to know to write effective newsletters that drive engagement and build brand loyalty. 

Why Developing a Newsletter Content Strategy Matters

You might wonder whether the commitment to putting together regular newsletters is worth the effort and time. If you are, you may be shocked to learn that email marketing remains a popular option for companies to boost business. This is due to one key reason – it’s effective.

According to Statista , in 2023, approximately 52% of marketers have reported a two-time improvement for their marketing emails’ returns on investment (ROI) percentages. Additionally, 5.7% had a four-fold rise in ROI percentage compared to their 2022 rate.

As you can see, it’s worth taking the time to create a newsletter.

What’s the best method of capturing this potential boost to your business? It’s simple – create regular, reliable content that people would like to read.

Of course, many companies are also doing this, so you’ll need to do your best to make your business stand out. 

Here are a few tips to help you write the best newsletter for your business:

What Content Should Your Newsletter Article Contain?

Newsletters are a great way to inform your clients about your company’s most recent announcements and news. They also let businesses promote and share blog articles, roundups, and other helpful information.

Many B2B businesses send out newsletter articles regularly, be it daily or weekly.

Creating regular content in newsletters can be challenging, even for seasoned marketers with exceptional writing abilities. Here’s a short checklist of ideas:

• UGC and Community Material
• Feedback Collection
• Welcome Email
• The CEO’s Message
• Thank You Email
• A Company Milestone or Anniversary
• Resource Roundup
• FAQs and Answers
• Success Stories and Testimonials
• Guides to Business or Service Updates
• Special Offers and Discounts

The above content ideas for the newsletter are only the beginning. The most important thing is adding value to your B2B business and gaining more subscribers through the content you write for your newsletters.

Writing Great Newsletter Tips

Establish branding.

The top tip for all newsletter is to establish branding . It would be best to think about ways to develop a consistent identity that should reflect your business culture and identity. 

Pick a short title, use your company’s font (if there is one), and always use your brand’s colour scheme when sending newsletter articles to targeted audiences.

Compelling Subject Line

The subject line of your email newsletter is one of the initial impressions readers get before they open your newsletter.

A compelling subject line will grab your readers’ interest and encourage them to open and read your email. 

Here are some of the best newsletter tips for writing subject lines:

• Include action words at the start of the sentence to spur readers into making a move. For example, “Shop smart on April 1st.” 
• Create a sense of urgency by setting deadlines such as “Get 40% discount by midnight” or “Limited time offer.”
• Ask a question to pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to open your email to find the answer.

Whatever you choose to do regarding your subject line, you must ensure that your newsletter’s content fulfils the promise stated in the subject line.

Ensuring your subject lines are engaging and consistent with the content will boost engagement and open rates. 

Be Informative Without Being Too Salesy

Newsletters must offer benefits to the intended audience. If you are using an obvious template to promote your company, the readers can spot it and it will feel disingenuous. 

Refrain from doing the sales pitch; clients are much more likely to be convinced by engaging content and not with excessive marketing.

Segment Your Audience

When creating your newsletter, take advantage of the power of segmentation to improve your offering. Make your message more engaging at a deeper level by targeting specific segments within your readers.

Behaviour: Customise content for regular and occasional clients and show gratitude for customer loyalty.

Frequency: Engage clients regularly and plan topics for those who do not attend regularly.

Personal and Professional: Separate the clients who are the core of your business from professionals. Think about separate newsletter articles that cater to different areas of interest.

Interests: Identify the readers’ interests.

Segment based on the interests of users ensures focused newsletter material that draws attention. 

Know What Inspires and Motivates Readers

There are hundreds of email newsletters sent out each day.  What makes people want to read yours? 

Understanding what motivates and inspires people to read your newsletter is the sole factor you should be aware of when you send out a newsletter. 

Find a unique and compelling reason to make someone go through your newsletter. You’ll get loyal readers who look forward to reading what you’ll send out next time.

Second or Third-Person Point of View

A specific writing style should be a part of your business branding strategy. There are two main viewpoints you can take:

Second Person – this is when you, your and yours are used.

Third Person – this utilises she, he or it, as well as they.

A second-person viewpoint can feel like it has been written directly for you, the reader. The third person is more formal and less personal. There is no right or wrong – but make sure you choose one and keep it consistent throughout your emails.

Insert a Summary in Your Newsletter

When your email is made up of several parts, with many different subjects, it’s advised that you include a summary. 

The summary allows readers to find out what is interesting in your newsletter quickly.

You can also add hyperlinks so subscribers can go directly to your B2B business website after reading your newsletter articles.

Offer Quality Content

Before you begin the process of writing, you must establish the goal of your newsletters and the kind of material you would like to include. 

To avoid readers hitting the unsubscribe button, you need to offer additional relevant information.

You could include some of the below options:

• Evidence of your expertise in a field
• Stories about your B2B business and company
• Statistics showing what your business has achieved
• Highlight your services
• Include promotional offers 
• Answer queries

Your newsletter articles should be brief and, most importantly, to the point.

To draw your audience’s attention, you can add the title text or key figure you want to highlight using a larger font, an italic font, bolding, underlining or even images.

Help Your Clients

Business is not just about receiving; it’s also about giving. You must offer your clients the best service so that people can trust you and recommend your services and business to their family and friends. 

Ensure you respond to your emails regularly and never leave even one query unanswered. 

This act of showing the utmost care and interest can help to establish your business not just as competent in a particular subject but as a company which is invested in its clients. 

Create Story-Rich Content

Here are two scenarios:

Brand A’s newsletter mainly provides news about its business but has not seen any growth over the years. 

Brand B’s newsletter features its successes and offers tips for others and its readership grows monthly. 

If your newsletter is rich in information and helpful to your readers, you’ll build a solid and loyal audience.

Add Graphics and Photos

Graphics can give visual consistency, making the newsletter look professional and more interesting. Unbroken text is unpleasant to look at and will not captivate your readers, unlike strategically placed images which compliment your articles.

High-quality images aren’t just an excellent way to show data; they help enhance your content to be more memorable, engaging and easily shareable.

Utilising high-quality graphics, images, or videos relevant to your material will enhance the aesthetics of your newsletter. 

Do not use generic stock photos. Choose original images since they will make your material stand out and create a unique look. If you add images to your email newsletters, ensure that they are correctly designed and optimised to email so that they are quick to load and don’t interfere with the design of the material.

Make sure you have the correct formatting and size of images, so it doesn’t negatively impact the loading speed of your newsletter and user experience. Optimising your visuals is essential.

Links to Social Media

Including hyperlinks to your social media accounts like LinkedIn and X (Twitter)  is essential to inform people about your company and business. 

If your current audience finds your newsletter valuable and informative, they’ll forward it to others, improving the number of people who read it. This means you can gain more followers in less time.

Also, ensure you inform everyone (via your profile) that you’ve released another one of your newsletter articles. If they don’t already subscribe, they could miss out and this is a way of drawing their attention to your content.

Choose a Streamlined Format 

Make it simple. Create an arrangement that you like. You could write a paragraph for each topic you want to cover, use a questions-and-answers format, or share a customer success story. Choose a single style to ensure consistency. 

Creating your regular newsletter will become much easier when you have found a layout you like. 

If you have an online website or blog for your B2B business, highlight a portion of an article and then link back to the original blog post so readers can find out more information. 

Also, instead of writing a double-column newsletter, packed with information, opt for a single-column layout so your readers can immediately notice the subjects you’re discussing.

Strategic Newsletter Frequency

How often do you want to send out a newsletter? If It’s too often, you may be overwhelmed by trying to create enough high-quality content. If it’s not often enough, there is a risk your readers will forget about your business. 

• High Frequency and Low-Quality Content – this is at risk of being marked as spam.
• Low Frequency and Low-Quality Content – this content will be ignored.
• Low-Frequency and High-Quality Content – this produces results and an increase in performance. 
• High Frequency and High-Quality Content – this approach generates the best results in client engagement.

Keep your audience engaged by providing high-quality content that creates a sense of anticipation and interactivity. Try bi-weekly or weekly newsletters to find the perfect balance and ensure your messages are read instead of being lost in a spam inbox. 

Choose your segments wisely and spread out several newsletter articles to ensure maximum impact while still keeping your readers engaged.

Show That You Care

Many people are drowning in emails and may not have time to read newsletters. 

You need to make sure you stand out in their inbox and offer more than what is an obvious sales tactic. 

People like businesses that care about their clients, employees, suppliers, and the environment.

Create a Responsive Newsletter

When we refer to a “responsive” website or application, it means that they adhere to specific standards and are compatible with all media types.

81% of people open their emails via their mobile. That is why it’s crucial to ensure that the material included in newsletters is accessible and compatible with any format, including tablets, desktops, and mobiles.

A simple font, a colour scheme with high contrast, and an appropriate font size are suggested to make reading easier and more enjoyable.

Your newsletter and pictures must be 600 pixels wide to be readable on mobile.

Check Your Spelling and Grammar

Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can erode your reputation and make your business look less professional. 

Proofreading is essential and there are many online tools to help you spot any mistakes in your writing.

If you’re editing the email newsletter by yourself or using a professional editing company, it is essential to carefully review your newsletter’s material before you send it to your readers.

Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling and accuracy to ensure that your content is error-free and portrays your business excellently.

One suggestion is to take the time to read your material out loud as this will help you identify any incorrect words or mistakes that you could miss while reading your text in silence.

Also, think about getting someone else to review your material for you, as they could spot mistakes you’ve missed.

Offer an Attractive Freebie

One of the main reasons that encourages people to subscribe an email newsletter is when they’re offered something for free in return. It’s a great way to offer a benefit to your clients – for instance; a checklist or a free online course, ebook and video series, or information graphs and wallpapers charts, etc. 

The most important thing to be aware of is that your offering should be of a high standard. 

The clients are more likely to buy your services if they are pleased with your offer. If you provide good quality content, your company will also be seen as being more reliable.

Include a Call to Action

To make your newsletter more interesting, make sure you have a clear objective and include a Call to Action . 

You can include hyperlinks, buttons, clickable images, text or anything else that can persuade the reader to take action. 

They are the levers used to:

• Increase the number of readers who visit your company page
• Collect qualified leads
• Increase sales

Use Simple Language

When writing an email newsletter, avoid jargon, such as technical terms, that can confuse or bore your audience.

Instead, it would help if you used conversational language to help your clients to understand and connect with your business.

Writing casually and talking directly to the readers could help make your newsletter more enjoyable and easily accessible.

By combining easy and understandable terms, you will provide a more accessible and personal experience for your readers and boost the efficiency of your email marketing campaigns .

Final Thoughts

Making newsletter articles engaging requires a lot of attention and focus.

If you follow these tips on how to write a newsletter article, you can create a newsletter that draws the attention of your audience and builds an ongoing relationship with your readers to produce a significant payoff in your marketing campaigns. 

No time to write engaging newsletters yourself?

Let 100 Pound Social tick newsletter writing off your to-do list.

Our expert UK-based content team is ready to craft engaging B2B newsletters to impress your prospects.

To find out how we can tick newsletter, blog, and social media post creation off your to-do list (from just £100 per month), join a 15-min demo today.

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How to write a newsletter introduction: Examples to inspire your next newsletter issue

Last updated:  26 December 2023

Ahmed Chougle

WordPress writer.

Writing an effective newsletter introduction is all about getting a busy, distracted subscriber interested enough to keep reading the rest of your newsletter.

The goal of your first sentence is to get your reader to read the next sentence. If you haven’t hooked them, chances are they’ll stop reading and click on the next email in their inbox. A missed opportunity.

Hence, an awesome newsletter introduction is really important for building engagement, loyalty, and conversions over time.

The problem is that writing a good newsletter intro isn’t always easy. It requires creativity, attention to detail, and some basic knowledge about your audience.

In this article, we’ll give tips on how to write a perfect newsletter introduction and share some real-world examples to get you inspired for your next issue.

Best practices for writing catchy newsletter introductions

1. be clear and concise.

Don’t overwhelm your readers with too much information or bore them with long, rambling sentences.

Think about what you want to say and why your readers would care. Then, get to the point quickly.

If you’re not sure where to start, try writing a list of bullet points or short sentences that capture the essence of what you want to say. Then, flesh out those points with a few more sentences. Once you have a rough draft, go back and edit for clarity and conciseness.

Keep in mind that every audience is different. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with formats and styles until you find something that works for you and your readers.

Real-world example: Brainstorm Force

The team at Astra clearly states what the newsletter is about right at the beginning. The second line tells subscribers who this update is for (eCommerce) and the benefits (enhances the shopping experience). The third line goes into a little more detail and reassures the readers that it helps makes things super easy.

This could’ve been a dense paragraph, but Astra manages to fit a lot of key information in just 3 lines.

2. Don’t bury the lede

Everyone’s busy. Tell your subscribers the juiciest bit right at the top to get them hooked. You don’t want to bore your readers and have them give up on your newsletter before they even get to the good stuff.

Burying the lede is a common term in journalism where the most important part of the story is placed at the end or hidden in the middle, instead of summarised at the beginning, where it belongs. 

An effective introduction should be short and one that takes readers to the main point of the newsletter before any background information or supporting details.

Real-world example – Jared Newman, advisorator.com

After the first sentence welcome message which stays the same every week, Jared immediately dives into the main point of the email so that you know exactly what the rest of the email will be about (DuckDuckGo’s email privacy tools), in the first 10 seconds of opening the email.

3. Start with a hook

A good newsletter introduction should always start with a hook. This could be an interesting statistic, a personal story, or a question that piques the reader’s curiosity. The goal is to get the reader’s attention and make them want to read more.

Real-world example – Simon Harper, srhdesign.co.uk

Simon catches the attention by mentioning the birthday presents and then hooks the reader by further telling them that it has finally arrived and that it’ll be something special just for his subscribers. What a great way to entice subscribers to keep reading!

4. Be personal

The best newsletter introductions are personal and make the reader feel like they are part of a community. A good way to start a newsletter introduction is by telling a story that is personal to you and relatable to your reader. This will make your newsletter seem more like a conversation rather than a one-sided broadcast message. 

Another tip for writing personal introductions is to address your readers by name. For this, you can use mergetags in your email marketing software to pull the reader’s name into the newsletter automatically.

Real-world example – Viktor, user-interface.io

Even though this is a newsletter about user interface design, Viktor starts off by talking about the weather in Armenia and his vacation. 

This allows readers to build a relationship with him as a person, rather than just skim his UI tips. 

5. Focus on the benefits for the reader

What will they gain from reading the newsletter? Why should they care about what you have to say? What is in it for them? If you can answer these questions in your introduction, you will have a better chance of getting them to read the rest of the newsletter.

By highlighting how the newsletter will improve their life or business, you will immediately capture their attention and interest. In order for them to understand the benefits, be specific and give examples.

Real-world example – MailerLite

In this example, MailerLite clearly states the benefits the readers will get from reading the newsletter, i.e. 19 strategies to increase the conversion rate. 

6. Use a consistent one-line summary introduction

People subscribe to more than one newsletter and receive 100 to 120 emails daily in their inbox. When they receive your newsletter, they may not remember why they subscribed to you or what your newsletter is about.

By including a consistent one-line summary introduction at the top of each newsletter, you remind your subscribers what the newsletter is all about and why they’ve subscribed.

Real-world example – Shane Parrish, Farnam Street Brain Food

Shane uses a consistent one-liner summary in his weekly newsletter – Brain Food is a weekly newsletter full of timeless insights.

This sets expectations of what the newsletter contains, and how often a subscriber can expect to receive. it.

That’s it! If you follow these best practices, you can be sure that your newsletter introduction will effectively engage readers and encourage them to read the rest of the content.

Takeaway: Email newsletter introductions

Your newsletter introduction is as important as your subject line.

The subject line is the first thing recipients see when they open their inbox, and the introduction is the first thing that they see when they open a specific email. The newsletter introduction is your opportunity to hook a reader and get them interested to read the rest of your email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the email newsletter introduction so important.

The introduction to your email newsletter is important in setting the tone for the rest of the content. A good subject line catches the reader’s attention, and a good introduction grabs their interest.

It’s the first thing your readers will see after opening the email. It should be engaging and interesting, but most importantly, it should be clear about what the newsletter is about. A good introduction will make it easy for readers to understand what they can expect from the newsletter and will encourage them to keep reading.

How to start a newsletter with an introduction?

You can start a newsletter by introducing the newsletter itself, explaining what readers can expect to find inside, and perhaps providing a brief overview of the main topic of the current issue. You can follow the tips that we’ve shared above to write an eye-catching introduction that’ll hook your readers.

How to introduce yourself in a newsletter?

If you’re writing the introduction for a welcome email, you can start by telling your readers who you are and what you do. This’ll help them connect with you and understand your perspective. Next, tell your readers why you started your newsletter. Finally, end the introduction by encouraging them to reply or ask questions. This will make them feel valued and engaged.

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How to create viral thought leadership content, how to grow your email list – proven tactics for all stages.

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Tips for Writing Engaging Newsletter Content

Looking for tips on writing engaging newsletter content? Check out our article for expert advice and strategies to captivate your readers.

Are you struggling to create engaging newsletter content that captivates your readers? Look no further! In this article, we will provide you with essential tips and tricks for crafting newsletter content that will keep your audience hooked .

But first, let’s clarify what we mean by newsletter content .

Newsletters are a common medium used by businesses and organizations to communicate with their audience , providing updates, news, and valuable information. However, it’s not enough to simply send out a newsletter; it must be engaging and compelling to grab the attention of your subscribers.

That’s where we come in!

Our goal is to help you understand the importance of creating engaging newsletter content and provide you with practical tips to achieve it. We want to ensure that every newsletter you send out has a lasting impact and resonates with your readers.

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Table of Contents

So, why is engaging newsletter content so important?

Well, it goes beyond just sharing information.

Engaging content captivates your audience , keeps them interested, and encourages them to take action.

Whether it’s clicking a link, making a purchase, or sharing your newsletter with others, the ultimate goal is to create a meaningful connection with your readers .

Helpful Tips for Writing Engaging Newsletter Content

In this article, we will cover the dos and don’ts of writing engaging newsletter content. From crafting attention-grabbing headlines to providing valuable insights, we’ll guide you through the process of creating newsletters that your audience won’t be able to resist.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into our top tips for writing engaging newsletter content that will make your readers eagerly await your next update!

Know Your Audience

Before diving into the content creation process, it’s essential to conduct thorough audience research .

By understanding your subscribers’ needs, interests, and pain points, you can create content that resonates with them on a deeper level.

Segmenting your subscriber list based on demographics, interests, or past interactions can also help you tailor your content to specific groups, delivering a more personalized experience.

Craft Attention-Grabbing Headlines: Captivate Your Audience

The headline is the first thing subscribers see when they receive your newsletter, so it’s crucial to make it catchy and compelling.

Incorporating numbers or statistics, using power words, and creating a sense of urgency are effective strategies for grabbing attention .

After all, a captivating headline is the gateway to capturing your audience’s interest and encouraging them to open your newsletter.

Write Engaging Introductory Paragraphs: Hooking Your Readers

Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention with a compelling headline, it’s crucial to hook them with the opening paragraph .

Start with a captivating opening line that piques their curiosity and makes them curious to read more.

Address your readers directly, making them feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

Provide a preview of the newsletter’s content, giving your readers a clear idea of what they can expect.

Use Clear and Concise Language

To ensure that your newsletters are easy to read and digest, it’s important to use clear and concise language .

Keep sentences and paragraphs short , avoiding complex sentences or technical terms that might confuse your readers.

Using bullet points and subheadings can also enhance readability, allowing your subscribers to quickly scan the content and find the information they’re looking for.

Incorporate Visual Elements

Visual elements such as images, infographics, and videos can significantly enhance the engagement of your newsletters.

Adding relevant images or graphics can make your content visually appealing and help convey your message more effectively.

Infographics or charts can be used to present data in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format.

Including videos or GIFs can add an interactive element to your newsletters, capturing your audience’s attention and encouraging them to explore further.

Personalize the Content

Personalization is key to creating a meaningful connection with your subscribers.

Addressing subscribers by their name creates a sense of familiarity and shows that you value them as individuals.

Tailoring your content to their preferences and interests will make them feel like you understand their needs.

Adding a personal touch through storytelling can also create an emotional connection, making your newsletters more engaging and memorable.

Include Call-to-Actions

Including clear and compelling call-to-actions (CTAs) in your newsletters is crucial for driving action.

Encourage readers to take specific actions such as signing up for a webinar, downloading a free resource, or making a purchase.

Use persuasive language that highlights the benefits of taking action, and provide clear instructions on how to proceed.

By guiding your readers through the desired actions, you can increase conversions and achieve your marketing goals .

Regularly Test and Analyze

To ensure the effectiveness of your newsletter content, it’s essential to regularly test and analyze your efforts.

Conduct A/B testing for subject lines and content to see what resonates best with your audience.

Monitor open, click-through, and conversion rates to gauge the performance of your newsletters .

By making data-driven improvements based on the insights gained from testing and analyzing, you can continuously optimize your content for better engagement and results.

Engage with Subscribers

Engagement goes beyond just delivering content; it’s about building relationships with your subscribers.

Encourage feedback and comments , creating a space for conversation and interaction.

Respond promptly to inquiries or concerns, showing your subscribers that their opinions and experiences matter.

Reward active subscribers with exclusive content or offers, fostering a sense of exclusivity and appreciation.

FAQs about Writing an Engaging Newsletter

A newsletter is a communication tool that distributes information, updates, and announcements to a specific audience. Its purpose is to keep readers informed and engaged with a particular topic or organization.

Engaging newsletter content is important because it helps build and maintain reader interest, increases open and click-through rates, and drives website traffic and conversions.

The key elements of engaging newsletter content include catchy subject lines, clear and concise content, visual appeal with images and graphics, personalization and audience targeting, and call-to-action buttons and links.

To make your newsletter content more engaging, tell stories or share personal experiences, use conversational language and tone, incorporate relevant and timely information, include interactive elements like surveys or quizzes, and provide exclusive offers or discounts for subscribers.

Consistency is key when determining the frequency of newsletter distribution. Choose a schedule that you can consistently maintain and consider what suits your audience and industry.

You can measure the success of your newsletter content by tracking open and click-through rates, monitoring website traffic and conversions from newsletter links, and analyzing subscriber engagement and feedback.

Best practices for writing engaging newsletter content include segmenting your audience and tailoring content accordingly, using A/B testing to optimize subject lines and content formats, and continuously learning from analytics to adapt your approach.

Additional resources for improving newsletter content writing skills include online courses and tutorials, industry blogs and forums, and books and eBooks on email marketing and content writing.

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Writing a Newsletter for Business: Examples, Format, and Strategy (2023)

Every message you send should promote your product, service, or mission successfully. But writing a newsletter for your business can seem frustrating. Where do you begin: with the design, the content, or both? Will people even find it engaging? As a blank screen stares back at you, you may feel overwhelmed. Keep calm and read on to learn all about newsletter writing from start to finish.

What Are 5 Elements of an Effective Newsletter?

For a summary of the main points in this article, read 5 Elements of an Effective Newsletter for Business . If you prefer to absorb everything, dig into the details below.

What Should Be Included When Writing a Newsletter?

Your goals can determine the newsletter content and the design. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development suggests you answer the question, “What is this about?” in one clear sentence. And aim to give your readers information that will appeal to them. Ideally, it will help them do better jobs or live better lives.

If you’re in business, your priority may be to get more leads, which can eventually turn into sales. You can address every stage of your buyer’s journey , from their awareness of your business to consideration, decision-making, and loyalty. So, when writing a newsletter, feature content that informs potential customers about you and your products or services and how you can help them.

To build a great newsletter , plan what to include in each issue.

Content Ideas to Help You Build a Relationship With Your Readers

• News or upcoming events: your own or from sources you credit
• One or more of your recent blog posts (links with or without summaries)
• Discounts, special offers, or giveaways (a free guide, a prize drawing, etc.)
• Your thoughts on a topic tied to your product or service
• Readers’ comments, including questions and answers

And it doesn’t have to be all business. Katz also recommends you blend stories about your life experiences with your business knowledge to connect with readers and build trust. A more personal touch may make you stand out as someone people can relate to rather than a faceless brand name. It can also keep your content interesting. Their responses to your content could reveal how popular it is or how well it converts.

To write a short (and good) newsletter article , consider:

• The purpose of the piece and if it fits the theme of your message; if not, find a suitable topic. To refine your subject, link your article goals to the different stages of the buyer’s journey (more on that later).
• The writing style: will it be informational or tell a story? Will you go for laughs?
• The outline or structure.

Artificial intelligence can help, but check any facts for accuracy and tailor any content it generates to your unique brand voice, language, and tone .

Learn how to write a newsletter article for business.

Regarding formatting, research and marketing firm Fenwick studied 100 email newsletters by B2B (business-to-business) companies in different industries. They found four common newsletter formats:

• The Summarizer: about 69 percent of the emails repackaged pieces the firms had already published
• The Hard Sell: 18 percent of the messages focused on product/service benefits
• The Homepage: eight percent of the newsletters curated content from across the web and provided analysis/context
• The Forwarder: five percent of the emails the firm generated when it published a new piece of content without any context

Need more ideas? See the samples below.

What Is a Newsletter Example?

If you run a professional services firm (lawyers, insurance, real estate agents, etc.), these are some examples of excellent e-newsletters . I also have some thoughts on healthcare emails .

Among 501(3)(c) charitable nonprofits, I like the National Hemophilia Foundation’s HEMAWARExpress . It features a tasteful design with images and brief descriptions that link to the full articles. The headlines are short. Other copy, such as the sponsored content, is formatted into two columns to stand out from their own articles. Every image is eye-catching, designed to help tell the story. The newsletter could, however, be shorter. With fewer content blocks, readers would scroll less and save time.

Editing tip: Make sure your headlines follow a consistent case style. In the example above, one of the headlines among the sponsored content is lowercase, but the rest of the words in the headlines are capitalized — consistency is key for easy reading.

I’ve created e-newsletters for economic development nonprofits. One of my local chambers of commerce, the Bangor Region Chamber , excels at keeping their content and design short and sweet, without bold colors, large fonts, or other distracting elements.

These examples can guide you in choosing the content, design, and style of your newsletter. As shown, depending on your audience and subject matter, your copy should keep a friendly and informational tone throughout.

How Do You Start Writing a Newsletter?

Next to your copy, the design also determines the basic newsletter structure. Follow AIDA, which stands for attention, interest, desire, and action.

• Attention – Get people to click on your emails. Put the most interesting parts at or near the top. Start with a compelling subject or headline — the first thing readers will see. Use power words , numbers, emojis, news, or scarcity (“This Friday Only”) to grab attention. Subject Line , Sharethrough , Advanced Marketing Institute’s Headline Analyzer and other analyzers can help you choose click-worthy titles. If your email marketing platform allows for it, include some preview text. It can build on the headline and offer more details to influence opens through helping readers see the value of your email. Inside, much of the age-old writing advice for articles applies, such as starting with enticing sentences to keep people reading. Generally, that involves stating an intriguing fact, adding a good quote, or asking a question. Images should also draw readers in. Personalize the copy by tailoring it to users’ interests or behavior.
• Interest – After you’ve started, the challenge is to keep people reading. HubSpot suggests you do that through “building relevance.” If you know why you’re sending people your newsletters, ask yourself, “What value are they going to get from it?”
• Desire – Build on the initial steps through showing readers the value of your product or service.
• Action – This is the goal of your email. It involves a clear, persuasive, and eye-catching “call-to-action” (CTA), such as a sentence or a button that links to your website where readers can learn more. It could be a paragraph about your featured article with a link to the full piece. Action verbs help. Focus on the benefits of the content — what readers will get from it — to earn clicks.

To write a great CTA, HubSpot recommends you ask yourself:

• What do I want the reader to do?
• Why should they do it?
• How will they know to do it?

Beyond CTAs in link form, buttons are easy to see. You can change the design and add white space around them. Some copywriters suggest you use the word “me” or “my” instead of “you” or “your” in your CTAs to enhance their appeal.

• Book Your Tour and Save
• Schedule My Free Consultation

The footer can include links to any social media pages and information that complies with CAN-SPAM (U.S. and Canada) and GDPR (Europe) laws.

Keeping It Simple to Maintain Interest

Whatever you decide to include in your emails, the Content Marketing Institute recommends they be “simple and focused.” Stick to one topic. If you must add more information, mention it briefly after the body of the email. Too many details can stop the flow and decrease interest. The text should be conversational and helpful, written in a tone appropriate for your style and brand and your target market or buyer’s “persona.”

Some experts recommend the average newsletter be 300 words or fewer — or about six to seven lines of text per message — with simple words, short sentences, and action verbs.

Research backs this up. The Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), which studies internet usage patterns, analyzed 117 newsletters with infrared emitters and webcams to capture people’s expressions. They also used eye-tracking heat maps that showed where users looked.

Their research reveals that people tend to skip introductory text. A little over one-third of the time (35 percent), users skimmed or glanced at the material. The average time users spent opening a newsletter was 51 seconds.

Another of their usability studies of ten emails showed that “users have highly emotional reactions to newsletters.” Because they arrive regularly in their inboxes, readers tend to see them as an ongoing relationship, with more of a bond between them and the company than a website or a blog. And the format must be simple. Only 23 percent read them thoroughly. Users skimmed, scanned, or didn’t open the rest.

A heat map , like those the NNG used that connects to your email marketing platform, can note where people tend to look. Tracking readers’ activity, including open rates, can help you determine future content.

Later, we’ll cover how to create a newsletter template to house your content.

Get The Easy 5-Step Business Newsletter Template

What should i write in my first newsletter.

Your first newsletter can set the standard for later emails. It may serve as an introduction, apart from a “welcome” message or script you send new subscribers automatically. It can also state the purpose of your newsletter and cover content you feel is most relevant to readers. And you may mention when they can expect to receive it.

HubSpot follows a holistic approach to writing a newsletter. They suggest you “consider how to send the right email to the right person at the right time.” They recommend you ask yourself:

• When will this contact see value from this email?
• Will they be able to do something with it right now?
• Is this information relevant to their needs or goals?

Each potential customer is at a different stage in the buying process; some may be in an “awareness” stage and need more educational content compared to someone who is still deciding and needs more information, such as a consultation.

How Do I Create a Newsletter Template?

Popular email marketing platforms such as MailChimp and Constant Contact offer templates you can customize with your own colors, fonts, content, stock photos, and branding. You can also choose premade templates based on the audience and subject matter. They typically feature a header and a footer, with one column throughout or a mix of one- and two-column content blocks. There’s usually only one of each column style per email.

Fenwick suggests that when it comes to design, you should keep it simple (like your content). The B2B newsletters they studied “buried whatever point they hoped to make in walls of tiny text, crammed non-essential images into two-column formats (not a death sentence, but difficult to pull off).” They also “produced an experience that felt nothing like their website.”

The newsletters Fenwick ranked the highest were:

• An average of 241 words long
• Used fewer images
• Had one column
• Featured the same colors and branding as the company websites

What Does A Well-Designed Email Look Like?

Fenwick gave the average newsletter a score of 1.83 out of three — just below average; newsletters in their top ten percent achieved a 2.6. They granted only 20 percent of the companies high marks. The top email newsletters were simple, visually appealing, and kept readers’ attention throughout. “The lowest scoring email newsletters were cluttered, poorly formatted, and featured several different nested headers, many columns, and a disorienting amount of text.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, great writing and great design are correlated. Companies that have good copy also have good design instincts and vice versa.”

ADA Guidelines for People With Disabilities

An overlooked part of newsletter design is compliance with accessibility standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the European Union Accessibility Directive . The ADA requires certain businesses to accommodate people with disabilities. Web content for them should be accessible for navigation by voice, screen readers, or other assistive technologies. The ADA guidelines apply to businesses that run 20 or more weeks yearly with at least 15 full-time employees or those that provide public accommodation, such as inns and restaurants.

Often, people believe websites must be ADA compliant — they can be subject to fines if they aren’t — but newsletters and emails aren’t often discussed. The ADA guidelines aren’t specific, so much of them are based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines . The ADA legal requirements for an email include:

• Maintain a logical reading order
• Use heading elements in code — if you rely on templates and don’t know HTML, this won’t apply
• Include enough contrast between text and background colors ( WebAIM contrast checker tool )
• Provide “alt text” for images
• Feature meaningful link text
• Keep your code concise (not applicable if you rely on templates)
• Use a descriptive subject line

Also, check how your emails look in light and dark modes and if necessary, change your design elements to improve accessibility . The dark mode setting in email clients shows the text, icons, and other user-interface elements in light colors against a dark background.

The design elements can also include providing enough space around your text and not using colors that are too similar. People with vision problems may find italics hard to read. Links, ideally, include three or more words. Linking to an entire sentence (if it’s short) can be easier to read. Campaign Monitor recommends avoiding “click here” and “read more,” in favor of the more precise, like “Read our recommendations for better links.”

Many of these guidelines are for the visually impaired, so the content should make sense and work well with other devices, such as screen readers.

A descriptive subject line should refer clearly to the newsletter content.

Example: “Picked for you: Light Wash Jeans” (Levi’s®).

Whether or not your business must meet government accessibility laws, it’s practical to make your content easy to read for everyone.

Planning Your E-Newsletter by Design

MarketingProfs suggests you type or hand-draw a basic design before you begin. If you’re working with a designer or programmer, you can give it to them and they can go from there. They also suggest you ensure the look and feel are clear and consistent with your brand and its voice.

HubSpot recommends you keep the type of device your readers will use to see your messages in mind. Smartphones are among the smallest screens. Plain text emails work best for newsletters that focus on content. This format is also helpful if you’re linking back to a blog post or a website. Newsletters in HTML format may be more eye-catching than text.

Plain text emails work best for newsletters that focus on content. This format is also helpful if you’re linking back to a blog post or a website. Click To Tweet

To quote HubSpot, “Regardless of which type of email you are sending, your reader needs to know what you’re trying to convey. Aim for a clean, straightforward design to display the value you are sending.”

Elements of Design That Enhance Appeal

As covered earlier, every email, to comply with your country’s laws, should have a footer. Per the CAN-SPAM Act in North America, it must have your physical address and links for readers to unsubscribe or to email preferences. It should include your company name, street address, city, and state. The option to unsubscribe is a “goodwill” gesture. HubSpot sees it as a way to build and maintain trust.

For faster load times, use fewer images and keep them fairly small. MailChimp, for example, prompts users to size them 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels high.

Also, too many columns can confuse readers. When you’re ready to test your design, check how it looks on other devices. Some email platforms offer this feature. You may also send yourself a copy. This helps with all parts of editing and proofreading, from design elements (images, content blocks, fonts, white space) to checking links and the content itself.

HubSpot uses the following steps when creating a template to show the reader value, explain the action they should take, and create a conversation that feels natural:

• Set a goal.
• Outline your email design; write and design the content to involve the reader in your conversation (and convert).
• Focus on creating a consistent experience.
• Bring everything together and create a call to action to guide the reader to their next steps.

Essentially, everything should support the goal of your message and be consistent throughout. And format the writing and the design elements for easy scanning and reading. That’s another part of building a relationship with your readers.

Design Elements That Improve Engagement

Think about the different elements of your email. The top, or header, should be a focal point — put details you want people to see first here, such as your logo.

Headers, links, bold text, and white space throughout emphasize certain parts of your newsletter, making it scannable. White space gives your content room to breathe, breaking up text and images for easier reading.

In most email marketing platforms, the standard width is 600 pixels, but you may be able to change the settings to suit different screen sizes.

How Do You Sign Off a Newsletter?

Depending on the content, each “block” or section can have its own call-to-action (CTA). These usually appear at the end of the block. Campaign Monitor recommends you add some personality to the end of your newsletter or CTA. Your final message should match the tone of the rest of your content.

They suggest you:

• Know your audience
• Keep it pleasant, short, and sweet
• Show gratitude when it’s appropriate

Less is sometimes more.

How Often Should You Send a Newsletter?

The short answer: it’s up to you. 🙂

If your emails will feature the latest news or promotions, it may be better to send them daily or weekly. For evergreen content, every two weeks or once a month can work well. At the least, it shouldn’t be less than four times a year or quarterly.

Ann Handley of MarketingProfs offers the following rules of thumb:

• Quality matters more than frequency (with some exceptions). It takes her about eight hours to write and publish her newsletters, hence she issues them every two weeks. She also believes there’s no “right answer” to the question of how often you should publish. To her, weekly or every two weeks is a minimum. She sees monthly as too infrequent.
• “Write only when you have something to say” doesn’t work. (The Content Marketing Institute has promoted that philosophy.)

For professional services firms or solopreneurs, Michael Katz advises that every two weeks is fine; he publishes his on that schedule and finds that “it keeps me very visible and top of mind.” And he says that nearly all of his clients publish theirs monthly.

For many people, more often is too much work. He reasons that with social media and other tools, you can get more mileage out of your newsletter through posting on other platforms. Like other forms of content, newsletters yield benefits over time.

Research can help you decide the best schedule. Fenwick — remember them? — suggests that “For a newsletter to remain enjoyable, one email per week is probably fine.” Their analysis found that companies sent an average of six emails monthly. The ones they ranked in their top ten percent averaged 11 per month. They advise that sending an email every other day is a lot and suggest sticking to the average.

How Do I Make a Newsletter for Free?

Few email marketing platforms are truly free; many of them offer limited trials and then charge a monthly fee based on the number of subscribers and/or how often you send.

MailChimp is among the most well-known free providers for lists of 500 or fewer subscribers. It offers a decent variety of templates for non-designers or programmers, but if you know HTML, there’s an option for that. You can also preview your newsletters, send tests, and check links. And you can send every new subscriber a “thank you” or “welcome” email. Plus, the platform provides solid metrics, letting you track clicks and opens, including the best dates and times for sending. A/B tests are available for paid accounts.

Other services offer similar options based on the number of contacts and emails you send. With Mailjet , the free limit is 6,000 subscribers and 200 emails daily. The plan includes:

• Unlimited contacts
• Advanced statistics
• Advanced email editor

ConvertKit , popular with content marketers, provides their free plan to users with up to 1,000 subscribers. It includes:

• Unlimited landing pages and forms
• Sending email broadcasts
• Selling digital products and subscriptions
• Email support

Other extras are available through their paid plans.

Other Types of Platforms

Sending a newsletter directly from a social media platform or a blog can be easier than using an email newsletter provider. Essentially, your blog serves as the newsletter, as you email everyone an update whenever you post.

Creating the newsletter on the platform is more “plug-and-play,” and doesn’t require coding or much design, saving set up time.

Some popular free options:

Depending on the platform, you might not own all of your data there, namely your subscriber list. As Ann Handley of MarketingProfs has said of LinkedIn , access to that data can be a problem if the company folds. Major changes could also happen under new owners, like when Elon Musk bought Twitter.

These platforms could also change their content policies and limit what they deem acceptable for posting.

If you meet the access criteria and have over 150 followers on LinkedIn, you can make newsletters through a personal profile or a company page. Google and other search engines may index them, and with LinkedIn’s high domain authority, they could outrank your website or blog content.

Sending an existing newsletter through the platform can cross-promote your content to a wider audience. Once you publish, unless you’ve opted out, everyone in your network will be notified.

beehiiv and Substack look similar. Substack is becoming more of a social platform, letting people react to posts and offering audio/video features, including podcast hosting. It’s geared more toward those interested in earning money from their content. Both sites let you email blogs to an established list for free. If you decide to charge for subscriptions, however, Substack will get a 10% cut and their payment processor, Stripe, will take 2.9% plus $0.30 (USD) per subscriber transaction.

Compared to Substack , beehiiv is more SEO-friendly and is more of a webhosting blog service. It bills itself as the solution for writers who want more flexibility and options, like access to surveys and advanced analytics (mainly for paid users). It’s free for lists of fewer than 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. With its application programming interface (API), it acts similar to an email service provider like MailChimp.

How Do You Write a Professional Newsletter?

After you’ve finished writing a newsletter, check for errors. A thorough read-through to catch mistakes before you hit “send” will make your newsletter look polished. Email yourself and anyone else on your team a test message (or three). Use this list to spot mistakes:

• Check all links.
• Nowadays, many email marketing platforms convert your e-newsletter content for viewing on mobile devices. Go over the design elements, such as font sizes and colors, and links to images, to ensure they’re consistent across all devices. Is everything easy to read and scan? Keep your sentences three to four lines long (or less) to enhance scannability.
• Check the readability level. Some grammar experts recommend that your content read at an eighth or ninth-grade level or below. To check the level, use The Hemingway App .
• Edit and proofread .
• Ensure everything makes sense and is correct, including any names, dates, and times. Figures should add up.

If you follow all the steps I outlined above and avoid mistakes , you should be on your way to writing a business newsletter.

The best of luck to you in your efforts!

To see my newsletter, subscribe below. Plus, you’ll get a gift — my Easy 5-Step Business E-Newsletter Template .

Need help sending your newsletter regularly? Contact me , check out my newsletter writing packages , or request a free e-news audit .

• First published: September 7, 2021
• Last updated: November 27, 2023

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