A Data-Backed Guide to Newsletter Content Strategy: 17 Formats & Topics Driving ROI for Hundreds of Newsletter Creators

Newsletters are having a moment. My inbox is adjacent saturation point, and I still support discovering much newsletters I want to subscribe to.

Based connected a study of 500+ newsletter operators and a fistful of interviews pinch experts, I americium judge of astatine slightest 1 thing: Newsletters aren’t going anyplace anytime soon.

If you want to commencement a newsletter, whether connected behalf of a ample business aliases your individual brand, I’ve built you a guideline filled pinch data, master advice, formats, and taxable ideas. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• How to Develop a Newsletter Content Strategy
• What is newsletter contented strategy?
• How to Develop a Newsletter Content Strategy
• Newsletter Content Trends
• Newsletter Content Ideas

What is newsletter contented strategy?

If you have, aliases are readying to start, a B2B newsletter, give immoderate clip to your content strategy. It will germinate and alteration complete clip arsenic you fig retired what hits champion pinch your audience, but a coagulated instauration will group you up for newsletter success.

B2B newsletters service a very different intent from email trading aliases email promotions. Think of nan second for illustration much accepted marketing, wherever you’re alerting existing customers to income aliases different events and trying to get readers to click retired of nan email.

On nan different hand, nan worth of B2B newsletters is typically self-contained — that is, your assemblage tin publication your B2B newsletter and get thing retired of it without having to click out.

That’s not to opportunity that B2B newsletters ne'er person outer links — but nan really bully ones will curate those links for their assemblage and equilibrium them pinch valuable content.

B2B newsletters are an workout successful trust-building, and they require semipermanent nurturing and planning.

It follows that your contented strategy has to beryllium reader-focused, not brand-focused.

I’ll usage HubSpot’s Masters successful Marketing newsletter arsenic a predominant illustration passim this guide, since I’ve been moving connected it for astir six months now. (If you don’t subscribe yet, travel subordinate us! We person fun.)

Newsletter subscribers are arguably your astir valuable audience. Every subscriber has opted in, demonstrating immoderate level of spot successful your expertise and/or your brand.

If you want to support and turn that audience, you’ve sewage to meet and transcend their expectations for contented that’s some enjoyable and useful.

Former HubSpotter and newsletter master Brad Wolverton points retired different use to newsletter subscribers. “You ain nan audience,” he says. “You power nan message, but you tin besides study a batch astir that assemblage and really to cater to their needs.”

That feedback loop tin pass different aspects of your trading and contented strategies.

If you return thing other distant from this article, fto it beryllium these guidelines:

• Provide worth within your email.
• Stick to a regular publishing schedule.
• Focus connected acquisition content.

As you activity done nan outline below, beryllium judge that you’ve identified and defined nan roles of each stakeholders and provided abstraction for discussion. (We emotion a responsibility matrix present astatine HubSpot; they’re incredibly useful during these discussions.)

Although you want to beryllium assured successful your answers to these questions, effort to debar rigidity. Newsletter trends travel and go, audiences shift, moreover business objectives change. Revisiting and revising this outline post-newsletter motorboat isn’t a motion of failure, it’s a motion of adaptability.

1. Define your contented objectives and voice.

Build a customer profile.

When we were processing nan contented objectives for nan Masters successful Marketing newsletter, HubSpot elder head of trading Kyle Denhoff said, “Most of HubSpot’s customers are small- and mid-sized businesses that won’t person big-brand advertizing budgets.”

Denhoff says that by talking to our customers and evaluating really our Marketing Blog performed, we wished that Masters successful Marketing is speaking to digital marketers — “people who run channels for illustration websites, societal media, email, SEO, and contented marketing. And that helps america pinch editorial pillars and taxable selection,” he says.

“We decided to attraction much connected stories astir societal media trading than nationalist TV advertisement campaigns, for example. It’s conscionable excessively costly for our target customer.”

Denhoff besides suggests looking astatine demographic information and media fare to create your customer profile. Here’s what ours looked for illustration for Masters successful Marketing subscribers:

Describe your newsletter’s personality.

What are 4 words that picture your voice, and 4 words that picture what your sound isn’t?

There are nosy ways to attack marque characteristic exercises: If your newsletter drove a car, what benignant would it be? If it was a meal, would it beryllium good eating aliases accelerated casual? (Bonus tip: Duolingo’s style guideline includes a section connected marque personality, and it’s fantabulous for these types of questions.)

However you get there, I find that landing connected a database of adjectives is nan astir useful. If your customer floor plan is 20-somethings, your sound mightiness beryllium youthful and irreverent. If you’re catering to C-suite execs, it mightiness beryllium much buttoned up.

It’s besides adjuvant to specify what your newsletter isn’t. For instance, we decided that Masters successful Marketing was not arrogant, presumptuous, repetitive, aliases boring. These guidelines are conscionable arsenic helpful, particularly pinch aggregate writers involved.

Know really you want your readers to feel.

This isn’t arsenic mushy aliases subjective arsenic it sounds astatine first glance. Do you want your readers to consciousness energized and fresh to outpouring into action? Do you want them to consciousness contemplative and introspective?

We want our Masters successful Marketing readers to consciousness for illustration what they do matters — marketers are often relegated to “sidekick” roles, and we wanted to build a newsletter that was empowering and energizing. When we investigation group to feature, we look for experts who tin springiness our readers a “secret weapon” that helps them elevate their marketing.

As pinch users of HubSpot’s customer platform, we want our newsletter readers to beryllium amazed and delighted. This is cardinal to our editorial approach; we’re specifically looking for marketers who are doing things differently.

Sharpen your elevator pitch.

You cognize who you’re penning for, you cognize really your readers should feel, but … what precisely are you penning about? If you’re readying connected launching a newsletter, you astir apt started pinch thing for illustration an elevator pitch. Has thing changed arsenic you worked done nan first portion of this outline?

List nan hallmarks of a awesome newsletter.

In different words, erstwhile you constitute a awesome newsletter, really do you know it’s great? Masters successful Marketing is personality-driven, and moreover though it packs a punch, we support nan format ray and skimmable. We decided connected a lesson-based format that delivers connected some of those promises.

Identify your niche.

I emotion SWOT analyses because they thief reply nan mobility of wherever your newsletter fits successful against nan competition. What are your competitors doing well? What tin you do better, aliases what tin you do that they can’t?

Don’t beryllium acrophobic to spell ace niche. Depending connected your different goals and strategies, a mini but focused subscriber guidelines tin beryllium arsenic aliases much valuable than a ample subscriber guidelines pinch wide interests.

In an article I wrote connected B2B newsletters, I recovered that nan Ferrari Market Newsletter earns a reported $2 - $4 cardinal successful yearly gross — pinch only astir 5k subscribers.

Balance promotional and imaginative content.

If you person contented offers, sponsorships, aliases different outer links, really will that beryllium balanced against nan newsletter contented itself?

Recall that readers don’t want to click retired of your email. So if you’re including links, they amended beryllium darn bully ones.

Develop and enforce editorial and marque guidelines.

What editorial aliases marque guidelines are successful place, and really will those beryllium implemented and enforced? You apt already person guidelines for your brand, but see whether nan newsletter will construe those into a much personable voice, who will edit nan newsletter, and different applicable concerns.

This could moreover see logistics for illustration what day(s) of nan week you’ll nonstop your newsletter.

In a HubSpot study of astir 400 trading and advertizing professionals betwixt October 2023 and May 2024, emails sent connected Mondays and Tuesdays performed nan best.

These are not absolutes. I erstwhile worked for an statement pinch galore subscribers successful a state wherever nan workweek began connected Sunday, which made Sunday 1 of our best-performing days for sending emails.

2. Define your editorial approach.

How will you execute a personal, authentic voice?

I’ve spoken respective times pinch Lia Haberman, nan laminitis of nan ICYMI newsletter and a caller maestro successful marketing. She’s ever emphasized this point: Hire imaginative writers. Readers don’t want to publication trading transcript aliases comms-approved messaging.

Decide connected contented and format types.

Will you supply constrictive focus, wide coverage, master insights and interviews, etc.?

Even loosely defining nan scope of your newsletter will thief you support nan consistency readers are looking for.

3. Identify monetization strategies.

How will your newsletter support existing business offerings? Will it beryllium paid, freemium, and/or person ads aliases sponsorships? Will you beforehand it crossed different platforms?

Alexis Grant, who founded nan newsletter They Got Acquired, told maine that because she has an engaged, niche audience, she’s been very successful trading sponsorship space, moreover though her subscriber guidelines is simply a comparatively humble 7k+.

“When group deliberation astir media and contented businesses, they’re often readying to monetize done advertizing aliases sponsorships, which require having a monolithic assemblage to make it work.”

But newsletters are different, she says. “You don‘t person to do that pinch a B2B newsletter. And that’s benignant of why I emotion them. There's truthful galore different ways to monetize.”

4. Use nan anatomy of an effective newsletter.

Key Elements

There isn’t 1 azygous correct measurement of organizing an email newsletter, but location are a fewer cardinal building blocks, according to HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to Email Newsletters:

• From Line. This includes some nan “from” sanction you spot successful your inbox arsenic good arsenic nan email reside nan newsletter is sent from.
• Subject Line and Preview Text. This is your champion changeable astatine hooking readers. Keep it short, natural, and commencement a communicative that your readers want nan ending to.
• Eyebrow. The greeting earlier your main header should tie group in. It besides mightiness bespeak your main branding.
• Body Copy. The bulk of your email should beryllium easy to publication — deliberation short sentences and paragraphs, slug points and bolding, and a personality-driven tone.
• Images. Images tin break up text, show disconnected branding, drawback readers’ attention, and moreover animate them to share.
• Calls to Action / Linked Text. Rein it in! Too galore links tin overwhelm, truthful usage them cautiously and strategically. Links should ever use your readers.
• Social Sharing. Make it easy for your readers to stock pinch their friends and networks.
• Request for Feedback. Asking readers for feedback builds a stronger narration pinch them, and it helps you build a stronger newsletter.

Pro tip: This anatomy instruction comes from nan HubSpot pros who produced nan fantabulous free eventual guideline to newsletters. It has a batch much specifications and examples connected nan nuts and bolts of newsletter writing.

Newsletter Content Trends

In our study of 500+ independent newsletter operators, we asked what formats drove nan highest of 5 metrics: unfastened rate, click rate, gross aliases profit, driving website traffic, and conversion rate.

Two of nan top-performing formats were master Q&As aliases interviews and listicles, step-by-step guides, recipes, aliases tutorials.

We asked respondents astir a full of 11 newsletter formats:

1. Expert Q&As aliases Interviews
2. Influencer Takeovers
3. Listicles, Step-by-Step Guides, Recipes, aliases Tutorials
4. Image-based Content aliases Infographics
5. Video-based Content
6. Mixed Media Content
7. Long-form Articles aliases Deep Dives
8. Two to Three Short- to Medium-Form Articles
9. Quote aliases Stats Roundups
10. Lists of Short Blurbs Followed by Related Links
11. Interactive Content

There’s tons much wherever this came from — cheque retired our free download connected nan early of newsletters — but here’s really each format drives unfastened rates, according to 500+ newsletter operators:

That doesn’t mean you should wantonness your awesome thought for a newsletter that curates long-form articles aliases heavy dives. You cognize your assemblage best, and unfastened rates are conscionable 1 metric.

Based connected nan study results and nan subject-matter interviews I conducted, here’s immoderate trends successful newsletter contented strategy that we’re seeing:

1. Shift Toward Person-centric Content

Remember that you’re penning for existent group — different group for illustration you — and show nan stories you’d want to read.

2. Importance of Niche Targeting

Developing a mini but engaged assemblage whitethorn beryllium much valuable to nan early of your business. Build spot and loyalty by offering thing that cipher other can.

3. Creator-style, Personality-driven Content

Personality and expertise are why you motion up for newsletters for illustration Anne Helen Peterson’s Culture Study aliases John Paul Brammer’s ¡Hola Papi! — they’re bully writers pinch smart, captious takes connected culture, and they’re nosy to read. Take a page from their notebooks, moreover if you’re penning astir car gaskets.

4. AI-driven Segmentation Techniques

In nan property of AI-powered personalization, there’s nary excuse for treating your email subscribers for illustration a monolith. Take advantage of exertion to conception by geographic location, interests, aliases behaviors. Read much astir AI segmentation tools.

5. Metrics Beyond Traditional Email Marketing

Click-through rates aren’t yet a KPI of nan past, but marketers are recognizing nan semipermanent worth successful metrics like:

• Subscriber maturation and health
• Organic buzz and conversation
• Social media mentions
• Reader engagement and replies

Newsletter Content Ideas

1. Interview-based Content

Examples: Masters successful Marketing (HubSpot), Lenny’s Newsletter (Lenny Rachitsky), Link successful Bio (Rachel Karten)

Lenny’s Newsletter, which features tons of master interviews, instantly names and contextualizes each master astatine nan apical of nan email (see above).

There’s a nexus to perceive to aliases watch nan afloat interview, but there’s besides a skimmable database of bulleted takeaways for easy reading.

Pro tip: Identifying, reaching retired to, and interviewing experts tin return rather a spot of time, truthful springiness yourself a agelong lead for interview-based content. On nan positive side: If you’re nan sole newsletter writer, interviews are a awesome measurement to bring successful caller perspectives, opinions, and ideas.

2. Expert Insights and Case Studies

Examples: Newsletter Examples (Brad Wolverton), After School (Casey Lewis), Really Good Emails (Matthew Smith)

Really Good Emails is really bully astatine 2 things: Sharing really bully emails, and making really bully GIFs.

Aside from nan focused lawsuit studies, CEO Matthew Smith & co. are enjoying themselves, and it shows — which keeps it connected my subscription list.

The intros are grabby and afloat of personality, which gets readers excited astir lawsuit studies, which person a (perhaps unearned) estimation arsenic being a spot dry.

Pro tip: If you person niche expertise, this is your clip to shine. The champion newsletters successful this class supply expertise and commentary that you really can’t get anyplace else.

3. Personal Stories and Behind-the-Scenes Updates

Examples: Kayleigh Moore’s newsletter, Craft Talk (Jami Attenberg)

Kayleigh Moore’s newsletter, astir each kinds of writing, starts pinch a personalized greeting. Moore past instantly launches into a behind-the-scenes acquisition — penning questions she gets asked — and promises a speedy instruction conscionable for you.

Pro tip: Even if nan topics are extracurricular your industry, I urge subscribing to a fewer newsletters that indulge your ain interests and hobbies, whether that’s pizza aliases popular civilization aliases pottery. Regularly reference different penning styles connected divers topics will only make you a amended newsletter writer.

4. Industry Trend Analysis

Example: ICYMI (Lia Haberman)

Lia Haberman, 1 of nan experts I talked to for this article, does a peculiarly bully occupation getting a batch of manufacture inclination study and updates into 1 email.

Headings are clear and accordant from email to email, and she uses emoji, slug points, and bold type to make judge her one-second summaries really do return 1 2nd to read.

Pro tip: Another class for nan niche experts to strut their stuff, manufacture inclination study has to beryllium skimmable and nosy to read. No matter really overmuch you want to cognize astir a peculiar industry, it’s improbable you’ll person clip for a heavy dive connected your greeting commute.

5. Educational Content Tailored to Specific Audience Segments

Examples: They Got Acquired (Alexis Grant), The Freelancer’s Year (Lindy Alexander)

They Got Acquired laminitis Alexis Grant, who I besides said pinch for this article, has a very circumstantial focus: It “shares stories of companies that waste for $100,000 to $50 million, revealing insights that lead to life-changing exits.”

Having a captive niche assemblage intends that moreover though Grant has a comparatively mini number of subscribers, they’re very valuable, some to her and to sponsors.

Pro tip: Alexis Grant uses an AI segmentation instrumentality to make nan astir of her acquisition content. New subscribers are invited to return a study that narrows down their demographics, and she tin conception accordingly.

6. Actionable Resources (Reports, Guides)

Examples: SEOFOMO (Aleyda Solís), Work Life (Atlassian)

Atlassian, nan makers of Trello, has a twice-monthly newsletter pinch announcements, tips for a much productive activity life, and stories from its ain playbook.

It’s a operation of respective kinds of newsletters mentioned here, and that blend makes it much nosy to publication than conscionable a study aliases guide.

Pro tip: These newsletters whitethorn beryllium harder for a sole usability to maintain, peculiarly if you’re doing original investigation and/or creating robust reports aliases guides.

Build Your Own Newsletter Content Strategy

Now that you’re equipped pinch knowledge (and a batch of data), it’s DIY time.

Remember nan 3 captious guidelines, which each newsletter master I’ve spoken to has reiterated: Provide worth within your email, instrumentality to a regular publishing schedule, and attraction connected acquisition content.

Here’s 1 more: person nosy penning it.

Because if you’re enjoying it, chances are that your customers will, too.