When it comes to email marketing, one of the most popular and impactful emails you can send is the humble newsletter. While it may not be the biggest contributor to your bottom line, it’s effective in keeping your subscribers engaged and up-to-date with brand and product news.
And that’s why you need to constantly come up with newsletter ideas to help you keep your newsletters lively and relevant.
What is a Newsletter (And Why You Need One)?
Before we dive into some amazing newsletter ideas you can try out, let’s quickly make sure we are on the same page concerning what a newsletter is.
By definition, a newsletter is an email communication designed and sent out to keep your customers engaged with your brand. It comes in many forms (such as content roundups, product updates, brand news, etc) and should be sent at regular intervals.
While newsletters are meant to be mainly informational, they can also be used to promote your products/services. You just have to make sure you get the balance right – at most, your promotional material must be about 10%.
Why Do You Need a Newsletter?
Besides driving engagement and helping you build solid relationships with your customers, a newsletter also serves the purposes of:
- Great Way to Get Customer Insights: The way your subscribers interact with your newsletters can give you deep insights into their preferences, interests, and a whole lot more.
- Drive Traffic to Your Website: Newsletters, executed well, are a great way to drive traffic to your website. This is especially true if you create awesome newsletter content that leaves them wanting more. In fact, a study revealed that newsletter readers spend 80% more time on a website than non-readers.
- Gives You Segmentation Opportunities: It’s no secret that segmentation and personalization are crucial to running successful email marketing campaigns. A newsletter can give you useful data you can use to refine your segments.
- Boosts brand awareness: If people don’t know about your brand, chances are ‘pretty high that they won’t do business with you. An email newsletter is a great way to get your subscribers to know and trust you. It’s a great way to boost brand awareness.
As you can well see, newsletters are a powerful tool every marketer should be using. But how can you ensure that you never run out of newsletter ideas to keep your audience engaged?
Well, that’s exactly why we created this post. So let’s get to it, shall we?
24 Newsletter Ideas
Ready for some email newsletter ideas that will help you inject life into your email campaigns?
Ready for some email newsletter ideas that will help you inject life into your email campaigns?
Let’s dive right in.
1. Hacks (Tips and Tricks) on How to Make the Most out of Your Product
Particularly if you sell a physical product or software, your customers will want to know how to get the most value out of your product. One of the best ways to educate them is through a newsletter.
That’s why one of the best email newsletter ideas that can never go out of fashion is to use your newsletter as an educational tool. Sure, you can create tutorials on your website, but sometimes your customers don’t have the time to deep dive into a lecture. All they need are a few practical tips to help them achieve a certain goal using your product.
2. Blog Post Roundups
If your brand has a blog (of which it should), you definitely want the effort you put into creating your content to pay off. Simply put, you want to make sure that the right eyeballs land on your content. And what better way to do that than to use your email list as a blog promotion tool.
The best way to do that is to send blog post roundups in your newsletters.
One reason this works well is the fact that it helps your subscribers get a snapshot view of all the content you’ve published on your blog in a certain period of time. With people being busy, it allows them to pick the articles that resonate with them more. Of course, the result is higher engagement with your emails as well as your blog.
3. Interviews
Expert or celebrity interviews are another great newsletter idea to consider for your next campaign.
This one works well for both B2B and B2C marketing as everyone wants to know what experts and celebrities think about your product/service or industry. Make sure to structure the interview around or as close as possible to some of your customers’ concerns, pain points, or goals.
Our Email Marketing Services Include
4. Create Video Newsletters
Studies show that video content is the most consumed type of content on the internet. That’s why you need to consider incorporating video in your newsletters.
Besides the interactive factor (which is really important), video has the power to bring your stories to life. As a result, whether you’re educating or entertaining, your engagement rates will soar.
Types of video content you can consider using in your newsletter include (but certainly not limited to):
- Behind the Scenes: This can be a clip about what happens behind the scenes in your organization.
- The Making of: Give your customers insight into how your product is made.
- Tips and Hacks: Create educational video content that helps your subscribers get the best value out of your product.
Video is a powerful medium you can use to strengthen your relationships with your customers. So make sure to include it as one of your newsletter ideas for your next campaign.
5. Top X Lists
This newsletter idea works best if you’ve got a slew of products (or destinations if you’re in the travel industry) your customers can choose from. People need help on deciding on what to choose so a newsletter with the top-rated products is like a breath of fresh air for many.
Not in the travel industry and only have one product?
Not a problem.
You can either create a top X list of your blog posts or even curate a list of accessories or complementary products that can help customers enjoy your product more. Use a little creativity and your subscribers will enjoy your top X themed newsletter.
6. Answer FAQs
No matter how easy to use your product or service is, customers will always have some questions to ask about:
- The product
- Your brand
- How to troubleshoot a problem
- How to achieve a certain goal
The questions your customers have are as numerous as the grains of sand at the beach. And that’s a good thing. Use those questions to create a newsletter that addresses the most frequently asked questions. Not only will this help reduce the number of calls to customer care, but it will also show your customers that you care enough about them to address their concerns.
7. Your Brand Story in the News or Social Media
Has your brand been recently mentioned in the news?
What about on social media?
That right there is great fodder for your next newsletter. No, it’s not bragging – although a little bragging is allowed. Sharing these mentions is a great way of establishing authority. People trust brands that other people and organizations standby and recommend. These mentions add more perceived value to your brand.
Besides helping establish your authority, creating a newsletter around your appearance in the news is a great way to highlight it to those who may have missed it.
8. Customer Stories
Customer stories, or reviews, are another great idea for your next newsletter. Let’s be honest, no matter how great your marketing campaigns may be, they can’t have as big an impact as that of real people crushing it with your product. This is exactly why your newsletters should include some of your customers’ success stories. Not only will this help promote your brand, but it also adds a human touch to your brand.
9. User-generated Content
Like customer stories, user-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool to use to bridge the gap between you and your customers – particularly those who haven’t fully bought into your product.
User-generated content has been the rage in marketing circles for many years. The reason for that is simple – it’s a pure form of marketing. Because readers know and understand that there are no marketing gimmicks involved in user-generated content, they tend to trust it more than content created by brands.
So, give your customers a voice and feature them in your newsletters. This type of newsletter content ideas will do wonders for your campaigns.
10. Gift Guides
Particularly around special occasions and holidays, gift guides make for a good newsletter idea.
Executed Well, These Can Help You:
- Educate your customers on the best gift ideas
- Help your customers choose the perfect gift
But more than that, gift guides can also help you connect with your customers on an emotional level as you will become a part of their special occasion.
11. Holiday Specials
Speaking of special days, holidays are an exciting time for consumers and brands alike. Of course, for you as a marketer, holidays are exciting because people tend to spend more during these seasons of fun and family time.
That’s why you need to create a newsletter around each holiday in the year.
Some Newsletter Ideas for These Special Seasons Include:
- Share the story behind the holiday
- Fun facts about that particular holiday
- Best gifts for that holiday
The list is endless. However, one thing that’s certain is that you just have to capitalize on the holidays and send out a holiday-themed newsletter.
12. Contests and Giveaways
Everyone loves a good contest. No matter the industry you’re in, nothing drives engagement like a well-orchestrated contest. And what better way to build buzz around that contest than by announcing it in a newsletter?
Whether you run them on social media or on another platform, contests are a great way to drive, not only engagement but email sign-ups as well.
13. Quizzes
Apart from contests and giveaways, another way to keep your newsletters fun and lively is to include quizzes. While many have reserved this strategy for engagement on their websites, quizzes also work very well in newsletters.
For it to work, however, you’ll have to create quizzes that are not only fun but relevant to your subscribers as well. People love interactive content in emails. And quizzes are a great way to meet your subscribers’ needs for that interactivity.
14. Event Invites and Recaps
Hosting an event?
Whether it’s in-person or online, you can create a newsletter that features the event and what attendees will gain from it. Of course, the newsletter must also serve the purpose of inviting readers to said event.
But the pre-event build-up is not the only content you can include in your newsletter. After the event, you can create some newsletters with the main highlights of the event.
This will help those who missed the event feel like they were a part of it strengthen the relationship you have with your subscribers.
15. New Product Announcements
Launching a new product?
Then do it in style by using your newsletter to build buzz around your new product.
From announcing your new product, its features and benefits, and when it will be available, your newsletter is a great tool to keep your subscribers up to speed. You can also use this as an opportunity to get people to sign up to be beta testers or the first ones to buy the product.
The bottom line, however, is that whenever you launch a new product, your subscribers should be the first ones to know. And what better way to do that than to do it through your newsletter.
16. Survey Results
One mistake many brands make when conducting surveys is that they keep the results for internal use. Those that reveal the results don’t give much effort into making their customers understand what the survey results imply.
This is why one of the best newsletter ideas that can set you apart from the competition is to create a detailed report (easy to understand, of course) that you share with your subscribers. Bonus points if you can present the results in the form of an infographic. The more visual, the easier it will be to digest the results of the survey.
Our Email Marketing Services Include
- Email Strategy and Audit
- Email Campaign Management
- Email Marketing Automation
- Email Template Production
- Dedicated Resource
- ESP Vendor Evaluation
- Email Deliverability
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud Expert
- Klaviyo Email Marketing Expert
17. Case Studies and Reports
If there’s one thing people love, it’s knowing how someone else achieved the results they themselves are seeking to achieve. That’s exactly where case studies come to play. Create case studies (or reports) of your customers who have used your product/service successfully. Carefully document the challenge, process, and results. Package everything into a case study and send it off to your subscribers in the form of a newsletter.
Not only will doing this build trust and credibility, but it’s also a great way to inspire and motivate your customers to reach their goals. And who doesn’t need a little motivation every now and then?
18. Letter From the CEO
Another great way to make your customers feel connected to your brand is to pen a personal letter from the CEO. The contents of the letter can vary from a simple “touching base” letter to alerting customers of changes or advancements in products or the brand itself. Here’s an example from Namecheap, a domain registration service:
Subject line: A privacy update from Namecheap’s CEO
Getting such a letter will endear your customers to you as a personal note from the CEO shows that they are not just customers but valued members of your family. Bonus points for sending an email that touches your readers in a personal way. In this case, privacy is a big concern for Namecheap’s customers, making it a very important message worthy to be delivered by the CEO himself and not just one of the departments.
19. Updates to Problems Customers Have Been Facing
Whether it’s a problem with the product itself or a stage in the customer journey, keep your customers in the loop concerning what you’re doing to rectify the problem. You’ll have to be careful to use positive language with this one. This is because customer complaints mean a negative experience, and the only way to reverse is to show empathy and provide a solution.
Yes, you guessed it – a newsletter is one of the best ways to win your customers’ trust back. By sending them updates to problems they’ve been experiencing, they’ll see that you have their best interests at heart.
20. Address Current Social and Economic Issues
World events make for interesting conversations – even in newsletters. Address current issues that affect the world, like the COVID-19 pandemic, for example. People are interested in knowing their favorite brands’ stances on issues and how they plan to respond.
While commenting on current global or regional events is a great way to spark conversations, show empathy, and stand in solidarity with a cause, you will have to be careful in your wording. This particularly applies to sensitive events and happenings that your brand feels compelled to lend their voice to.
21. Highlight the Employee of the Month
Recognizing employees who perform exceptionally well is a great way to motivate your staff to work well. But it shouldn’t just end at being an internal affair. Instead, create an “employee of the month” newsletter that you send out to your subscribers. Getting to know the people who serve them so well is another great way to foster an emotional connection between your customers and your brand.
22. Share Your Victories
Everyone loves a good story – especially if it has a happy ending. Whether it’s a milestone you’ve achieved or a new partnership, sharing your victories with your subscribers is a sure-fire way to:
- Make your subscribers feel honored
- Get them excited about your journey
- Make your subscribers feel like part of the team
One thing people love more than hearing a great story is being a part of that great story. And that’s how you make your customers feel when you share your victories with them. So, next time your brand achieves something, make sure to celebrate with your subscribers.
23. Highlights of the Office Party
While you can’t invite all your subscribers to your office party, you can make them feel like they were a part of it by sending them highlights of the event. Yes, especially the goofy ones. Your newsletters aren’t meant to be all business. Use them to spread some fun and laughter too. And what better way than giving them a free pass into your office events.
Besides giving your subscribers a couple of giggles and brightening up their day, lighthearted newsletters also help give your brand a human touch. And human touch is something many consumers look for in a brand.
24, Ask Subscribers to Refer You to Friends and Family
Everyone needs help once in a while. And letting your subscribers know that they could play a valuable role in the growth of your business is a great way to make them feel helpful. That’s why using your newsletter to ask for referrals is one of the best newsletter ideas you can implement.
Not only will this help you grow your email list, but it will certainly have a positive impact on your bottom line as well.
24 Newsletter Ideas to Keep Your Audience Engaged
- Hacks (Tips and Tricks) on How to Make the Most out of Your Product.
- Blog Post Roundups
- Interviews
- Create Video Newsletters
- Top X Lists
- Answer FAQs
- Your Brand Story in the News or Social Media
- Customer Stories
- User-generated Content
- Gift Guides
- Holiday Specials
- Contests and Giveaways
- Quizzes
- Event Invites and Recaps
- New Product Announcements
- Survey Results
- Case Studies and Reports
- Letter from the CEO
- Updates to Problems Customers have Been Facing
- Address Current Social and Economic Issues
- Highlight the Employee of the Month
- Share Your Victories
- Highlights of the Office Party
- Ask Subscribers to Refer You to Friends and Family
Newsletter Best Practices
Increase Your Campaign’s Effectiveness
As much as these newsletter ideas are enough to power your next campaign, without newsletter best practices to back them up, your campaign may fall flat on its face.
So what are the main best practices you must follow when sending out your newsletters?
Here Are 7 You Dare Not Ignore:
1. Use Proper Opt-in Practices
Before sending out your newsletter, make sure that your subscribers opted in properly. There are rules and regulations governing the sending of bulk emails. And no matter which region of the world you’re in, one of the rules governing email marketing concerns the sending of spam.
Spam simply means sending unsolicited emails – particularly in bulk. This means if you don’t get permission to send your subscribers emails, they’ll probably report you for spamming – and rightfully so. The solution to this is to make sure you get permission to send marketing materials whenever a person subscribes to your email list. And the best way to do this is to use double opt-in.
2. Set Expectations From the Start
One of the most important things you can do concerning your newsletter is to set expectations right from the start. When people sign up to receive your updates, let them know:
- What kind of content to expect from you
- How often they should expect to hear from you
- That you promise not to spam them with unnecessary communications
Once your readers know what to expect from you, they’ll be more open to receiving your communications, thereby increasing the chances of them opening your emails.
3. Think Mobile First
It’s not an option anymore – your newsletters have to be mobile-friendly. That’s because we are living in a mobile-first generation and any content that can’t be consumed on mobile is bound to be ignored. In fact, studies show that 71.6% of emails that don’t render properly on mobile devices get deleted immediately. This means you just have to use responsive email templates if your brilliant newsletter ideas are to see the light of day.
4. Optimize Your Subject Line and Pre-Header Text
One of your first ports of call should be your subject line. Your email subject line is the hook that reels in your subscribers. Executed well, it will grab attention and promise to scratch an itch your readers have been struggling with.
Your second port of call in improving your open rates is your pre-header text. This is the digital version of the Johnson Box on snail mail and acts as a preview into what your newsletter is all about.
These two important elements of your email should be given considerable thought to ensure they’re crafted well enough to elicit those coveted clicks.
Read more about email subject lines.
5. Always Include a CTA
Sure it’s a newsletter. But that doesn’t mean you should give your readers updates and leave it at that.
Always, always, include a CTA in each and every one of your newsletters.
People want to know what to do next after consuming your content, don’t leave them hanging. Direct them to a promotion, a blog post, or any other resource that is tied to the contents of your newsletter. That way, you encourage engagement with your other assets.
6. Keep the Copy and Design Simple
It can be tempting to try and impress your subscribers with an out-of-this-world email design.
Resist that temptation.
Instead, focus on simple designs that don’t distract from the main message of your newsletter. Speaking of messaging, also make sure to keep your copy short, sweet, and engaging. Overcomplicating your newsletter will only result in your subscribers:
- Missing the main point of the newsletter
- Clicking out of your newsletter (no one sticks around for a hard-to-read message)
- Unsubscribing
When it comes to newsletters, simple is always better. So watch your design and keep your copy easy to understand.
7. A Little Promotion is Allowed
Ah yes, this is one thing many marketers have been debating about for cyber centuries – should you include promotions in your newsletters.
The simple answer – yes.
The long version, however, is that a little promotion is allowed in your newsletters. And when you do include a promotion, make sure to do it tactfully. After all, the main reason your reader opened the email was to get the updates you promised in your subject line.
So how do you sneak in a promotion into your newsletter?
- Find a way of tying the promotion to your main newsletter content
- Put the promotion in the “P.S” section of your email
Don’t be shy about slipping a promotion into your newsletter. Just do it properly and your customers won’t mind. In fact, they even appreciate you for it.
Set Your Newsletter Ideas into Motion
A newsletter is a powerful tool in your email marketing toolbox. Unfortunately, it’s never given the credit and effort it deserves. Give the humble newsletter its rightful place in your email marketing campaigns. Invest in it and you’ll definitely enjoy a boost in engagement as well as revenue.
So, go ahead and set these newsletter ideas in motion.
