How to Write a Good Newsletter

Co-authored by Janet Peischel and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 19, 2023 References

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.

1

Make the title or subject line interesting and informative.

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Mention the content of the newsletter and use keywords. You're more likely to skip over a newsletter if the subject line or title just repeats the name of your business or the date of the newsletter. Instead, give a little taste of what the newsletter covers by dropping interesting keywords.^{[1]
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Janet Peischel
Digital Media Expert

Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}^{[2]
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- 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!"

2

Outline the main points you want to make.

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Write about key points so you don't overwhelm your readers. If someone opens your newsletter and sees a lot of topics like a list of all your products, they may quickly skim or not even start to read. To grab your reader, pick just a couple of points that you want to cover. Include things that have high-quality value for your readers like exclusive offers, opportunities they should be aware of, or changes to your services or business.^{[3]
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- 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.

3

Give authoritative information.

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Cultivate trust with your readers by sharing accurate, reliable information. This is important whether you're selling products, interacting with your community, or you run your own blog. Always support information that you're sharing by backing it up with credible sources or interviews. For example, if you have a real estate newsletter, you might link to current mortgage rates or housing sales.^{[4]
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Purdue Online Writing Lab
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- 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.

4

Limit the promotional content in your newsletter.

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Aim for 90% new or informative content with less than 10% promotional content. Most readers won't appreciate a newsletter that's just pushing them to buy products. Instead, they're looking for something of value. This might mean information about a topic they're interested in, an update about something that's important to the group, or about an upcoming event, for instance. If you do include promotional info, keep it brief!^{[5]
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- 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.

5

Close out your newsletter with a call to action.

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Give links to your own website or other sources that you referenced. This encourages engagement with your readers and it's a good way to offer even more information without cluttering up your newsletter.^{[6]
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- 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.

6

Keep your writing conversational.

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Write your newsletter as though you're communicating with a friend. Instead of using stilted, formal word choices, use contractions and try to keep your writing loose. For instance, instead of saying, "The Cultural Center values your input on a recent survey. It is very good of you to give your time," you could write, "The Cultural center really values the time you spent giving your input on our recent survey. Thanks again."^{[7]
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- 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.

7

Make it personal.

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Address the sender by name so they feel a connection. Check if your email marketing platform lets you add recipient's names to the introduction. As you write the rest of the newsletter, imagine you're writing specifically to one person instead of an audience. This makes it easier for you to write in a thoughtful, individual way that connects more with your readers, even if you've got a lot of them!^{[8]
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- 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.
- Keep the demographics of your audience in mind when you're writing so you can tailor the information to the people you want to reach.^{[9]
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  Janet Peischel
  Digital Media Expert
  
  Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}
- 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.

8

Choose a streamlined format that you like.

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Keep things simple and do a layout that you enjoy. You might write a paragraph for each topic you want to cover, you could use a questions-and-answers format, or you might share a customer success story, for instance. Stick with 1 style so you don't overdo it. Once you find a format you like, it will probably be easier to sit down and make your newsletter on a regular basis.^{[10]
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- 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]
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9

Make the format easy for your audience to read.

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Stick with 1 to 2 fonts that are large enough for viewers. Too many fonts, colors, and sizes can be distracting in a newsletter. To streamline your newsletter, use 1 font for the whole newsletter or use 1 for the headings and a separate font for the text.^{[12]
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Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines

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- 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.
- Break up longer paragraphs into shorter sections so your newsletter is easier to skim.^{[13]
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  Janet Peischel
  Digital Media Expert
  
  Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}

10

Include relevant images so your newsletter pops.

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Break up the text with useful images that grab your readers. Avoid using generic stock photos or clip art. Instead, add photos that match the material of your newsletter. Aim for inserting 1 relevant photo for each of your main points. This can also help to visually separate your points.^{[14]
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Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines

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- 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.

11

Proofread before you send it out.

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Grammatical errors and typos can turn off some of your readers. While you probably have a spellchecking or grammar tool, don't rely completely on it. Spend some time reading through your newsletter before you finalize it. Pay attention to how the tone sounds and whether or not you included all the information you wanted to.^{[15]
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Purdue Online Writing Lab
Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines

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- 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.

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Question

Should a newsletter normally contain picture attachments?

Community Answer

It doesn't have to, but pictures are always an enhancement if they are of good quality and relevant. They can add an extra dimension to the text, and are powerful in evoking an emotional reaction: sympathy, anger, etc.

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How do I write a newsletter for an NGO who's aim is to help women?

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Focus on the concept of work the NGO is doing for women. Highlight recent work, future goals and the people doing and benefiting from the work.

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Can we put advertisement in it?

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Paid advertisements in a newsletter can be acceptable. Be sure the advertisement is appropriate and relevant to the target market of your newsletter. Having paid advertisements is also a helpful way to defer the cost of producing the newsletter.

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