In this Article
There’s no doubt that email marketing is the future.
Email newsletters are fast to put together, cheap to distribute, easy to monetize, and you’ll never have to worry about gatekeepers or fickle social algorithms again.
But finding the perfect idea for your email newsletter can be a tough case to crack. It can be tricky to decide what to send, how to format your emails, and what topics to write about.
To help you get started, we dove into a few of our favorite newsletter email examples from independent creators—artists, writers, educators, and even bakers—to bring you ideas, inspiration, and advice on how you can launch your own email newsletter.
Let’s dive in!
What makes a fantastic email newsletter?
Spend a few minutes looking through your favorite email newsletters, and you’ll probably notice a few common patterns they all share:
Great email newsletters are personal
Ever see a sender’s name pop up in your inbox, and you just know it’s gonna be great before you even open their email?
That’s a pretty clear sign the writer is onto something good.
The best email newsletters don’t just have a catchy name. They are entertaining, engaging, and personable and give your audience something they can’t get anywhere else. Readers instantly know that email could only have come from you or your brand before they even open it.
Dense Discovery is a great example of this. While much of creator Kai Brach’s weekly newsletter is dedicated to curated links, book reviews, and other content, he always takes the time to write a short personal intro for each new edition and ask subscribers to reply and share their comments on how they’re doing.
Great newsletters always include a personal touch.
Pro tip: Open up a two-way conversation with subscribers by using your personal email address as the reply-to address for your newsletter. That way, subscribers can easily respond to questions and share their thoughts—and you can build a stronger relationship with subscribers.
Great email newsletters are consistent
I get it: you’re busy. It’s easy to let your newsletter fall to the bottom of your to-do list when you’re already juggling client work, teaching online courses, or just generally running your business.
But consistency is key when it comes to growing an audience. The best newsletter creators stick to the same schedule, week in and week out.
Choosing a consistent publishing frequency shows new subscribers what to expect. It makes it easier to build a habit around reading your content and fosters trust that you can deliver what your newsletter promises. For you, committing to a set schedule keeps your newsletter from falling off your agenda—it becomes a habit instead of a burden.
Consistent newsletter design is also important. Familiarity is endearing and makes your newsletter memorable—not to mention on brand. For the last two years, I’ve sent out a regular Friday newsletter for my blog Reading Middle Grade, maintaining the same simple layout.
Consistent branding and design are just as important as a reliable newsletter schedule
Readers always know what to expect, and they can skip to preferred sections and enjoy the content they like.
Pro tip: If you don’t have time for original writing every week, consider repurposing the best content from your blog in your newsletter.
Great email newsletters are relevant
If you remember one thing about great newsletters, it should be this:
Your newsletter is about your audience. Not you.
For a thriving newsletter, you need to provide value right from the moment new subscribers join your list. You should write to a specific audience with a specific set of problems and interests.
Avoid switching back and forth between topics. Write one week about the best newsletter tools to grow your business and the next about how your pets are getting bigger every day, and your subscribers will quickly be making a beeline for the unsubscribe link.
One of the most relevant email newsletters in my inbox comes from Lindy Alexander. Lindy teaches freelance writers how to grow their business on her website, The Freelancer’s Year, and every week she shares a new email packed with tips, tricks, and lessons from her years spent writing for clients. She doesn’t try to make her newsletter interesting for everyone—but she does provide insanely valuable advice to her target audience of freelance writers.
The best email newsletters are relevant to their audience. Image via Lindy Alexander.
Pro tip: If you need to target different audiences with the same newsletter, consider segmenting your audience.
Tools like Kit make it easy to split subscribers into different groups based on their interests, experience level, and shared struggles. For example, you could send more personal updates to subscribers who regularly reply to your newsletter or target subscribers who show an interest in a particular topic with a sales offer.
Just remember: You’re writing for your audience, not for you.
The 7 types of content you can include in your newsletter
Email newsletters are incredibly flexible and don’t need to be bland and boring. Your newsletter can include a weekly round-up of blog posts, curated content, news and interviews, or even a peek behind the scenes of your company.
To inspire you, here are some examples of email newsletter content you can include:
#1: Original writing (or links to original content)
Original content makes your newsletter unique and difficult to duplicate but can require lots of time to write each edition.
Here are some ideas of what you can include with each edition of your newsletter:
- A short essay or story
- A personal anecdote (a mistake you made and how you handled it, something new you learned…)
- Answer a frequently asked question by your subscribers
- A simple how-to tip
- Infographics and other kinds of visual content
- A step-by-step guide related to your niche, service, or product
- Share the results of a survey you send to your email list
- Let them know if you’re looking for help or are hiring!
Author Logan Ury shares original writing in every issue of her newsletter and always leaves her readers with a homework assignment. She’s shared essays and anecdotes and answered frequently asked reader questions.
Original writing makes for excellent newsletter content
#2: Curated content
Curated content is a great way to provide value without investing lots of time in creating original content of your own.
Share those links—along with your unique take—with your audience each week, for example:
- Articles and blog posts
- Videos
- Books
- Social media posts
- Podcasts
- News articles related to your niche or industry
You can also share curated content as a section of your newsletter if you’d rather share a mix of content types.
#3. Interviews and case studies
This is an easy way to add unique and engaging content to your newsletter without investing a ton of time. Each week, you can feature a new person, so there’s always something new to keep your subscribers engaged.
You can share interviews with:
- Industry leaders
- Colleagues
- Inspiring people
- Customers
In each edition of her marketing newsletter, Content Connect, freelance writer Ashley Cummings shares an interview with a colleague or industry leader.
Interviews are a valuable newsletter content option. Image via Content Connect.
#4: Industry news
Become the go-to person for updates and opinions on your chosen niche by sharing your thoughts with subscribers each week. You can share everything from:
- Upcoming events
- New industry trends
- Industry secrets
- Prognoses about your niche or industry
This kind of content positions you as an industry expert and builds subscriber trust in anything else you share.
#5: User-generated content
UGC is a great way to increase engagement and make your newsletter a dialogue with your readers.
It could include:
- Tweets
- Facebook posts
- Instagram posts
- Quotes
- Testimonials
- Shout-outs to your most loyal subscribers
#6: Promotions and sales pitches
Just remember, your subscribers didn’t sign up to be pitched every week—only promote sparingly, and don’t turn your newsletter into a sales letter.
Your newsletter is a great place to:
- Launch new products
- Promote upcoming events
- Talk about new product features
- Advertise a special offer or sale
Freelance writer Marijana Kay uses her Freelance Bold newsletter to promote her product, Data Vault ahead of a price increase.
Marijana Kay promotes a digital product in the Freelance Bold newsletter
Marijana regularly sends informative emails to her audience (not just sales emails), so they’ll be open to the occasional promotional content—especially when the product benefits them.
#7: Entertainment
Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your newsletter! It will keep you and your subscribers entertained.
Add the stuff you run across during the week, like:
- Funny social media posts
- Quotes
- Quizzes
- Something funny that happened to you
- Behind-the-scenes pictures
Do I have to use all 7 types of content?
Of course you don’t need to include all seven content types in your newsletter. Always consider your audience—and what they would be interested in reading—when choosing which content you include in your newsletter.
Say you’re a business coach—you might highlight recent blog posts, relevant industry information, and client success stories. However, if you’re a musician, you might prefer to include videos from your latest concerts, exclusive content for subscribers, and links to purchase your merchandise.
After sending your newsletters for some time, it will make sense to have a look at your statistics to get a better feeling of what type of newsletter content your target audience enjoys most. That doesn’t mean you have to exclusively stick to that “content mix,” but it will help you to fine-tune your email marketing strategy and focus on what works best for you and your readers.
11 inspiring email newsletter examples from Kit customers
If you still need inspiration for what to include in your email newsletter, look no further. Check out these 11 outstanding examples of email newsletters, and consider using some of their ideas and content in your next edition.
Blogger newsletter examples
#1: Bake Club by Christina Tosi
Baking maestro and owner of Milk Bar, Christina Tosi, brings her unique energy directly to her fans’ inboxes with her weekly newsletter, Bake Club.
Tosi’s Bake Club emails are cheery and chock-full of helpful content
She also uses email to help promote her weekly Instagram Live episodes of Bake Club—a free weekly show that includes games, prizes, and a baking demo.
For Christina, her newsletter is the perfect medium for reaching her audience—and her fans get something new and tasty every week.
The types of content they use
Packed full of yummy goodies, each edition combines Tosi’s delightful personality with new recipes, cooking tutorial videos, and plenty of user-generated content (including a special birthday shout-out message for subscribers).
Why it works
As a food blogger, Tosi’s video content makes her newsletter accessible to more readers. The addition of user-generated content also creates a sense of community between Tosi and her subscribers and among subscribers themselves.
Course creator & educator newsletter examples
#2: Maker Mind by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a productivity powerhouse. Since launching Maker Mind, her weekly newsletter, in July of 2019, she’s attracted more than 20,000 subscribers eager to read practical productivity tips backed by neuroscience.
Anne-Laure’s newsletter helps her subscribers make the best of their time
The types of content they use
Each weekly edition includes links to Anne-Laure’s original articles on her blog, curated links to interesting content, updates on her growing membership community, and a short personal message.
Why it works
Anne-Laure combines original writing with curated content to thoroughly cover each topic. She’s also impressively consistent. While she admits to never quite knowing which topics and articles will resonate, writing a new article on her blog every day helps maximize the chance that her writing will strike a chord with subscribers.
Artist and writer newsletter examples
#3: Austin Kleon’s weekly newsletter
Every week since 2013, writer and artist Austin Kleon has shared ten things he thinks are worth sharing with his 75,000+ subscribers.
Austin Kleon maintains a consistent newsletter about creativity
Austin shares three tips for writing a weekly newsletter in this blog post:
- Send a newsletter you’d actually read
- Pick a repeatable format
- Turn off unsubscribe notifications
“Lots of people start newsletters because it’s one more box to tick on their Content Checklist™. Please don’t be one of these people. It’s hard for people to love things that are made without love.” – Austin Kleon
The types of content they use
Each edition includes at least 10 (but often far more) highly curated links covering a wide range of topics, from creativity and art to homeschooling and productivity. But there’s one thing you can be sure of after reading Austin’s newsletter: you’ll never be bored.
Why it works
Austin’s links are carefully curated to match his audience’s interests, allowing him to grow a thriving community—without writing new content each week.
#4: First Person Artist by Kimberly Brooks
“Art is an enduring relationship with the world,” explains fine artist and author Kimberly Brooks on her blog First Person Artist. Since the early 2000s, she’s been sharing articles, interviews with other artists, and—more recently—videos of studio visits with her subscribers.
Kimberly Brooks’s newsletter includes a mix of essays and interviews
Kimberly brings the same invigorating passion to each newsletter edition as she does to her art. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, you can take plenty of inspiration from Kimberly’s newsletter.
The types of content they use
Kimberly’s newsletters feature everything from artist interviews, essays on the creative process, and the occasional promotional piece for her educational books.
Why it works
As an artist with years of experience, Kimberly has won her audience’s trust over time. She’s also firmly connected to her audience, often integrating personal stories and ideas while still writing about a specific topic.
Podcaster newsletter examples
#5: Creator Science by Jay Clouse
After leaving the hustle and bustle of a career in product management behind, Jay Clouse now devotes his professional life to helping artists and creatives take the plunge into self-employment with confidence.
Jay Clouse shares tips for creators in his newsletter
In his weekly newsletter, Creator Science, he shares insights and inspiration from both his own personal experiences and stories from other successful creators on how they built their businesses.
The types of content they use
Creator Science includes links to Jay’s original writing on his blog, some curated links to articles and podcast episodes, and a link to an episode of his podcast, Creative Elements. He often throws in some promotional material at the end to remind subscribers of the ways he can help them.
Why it works
Jay’s weekly email keeps things simple. His language is friendly, personal, and inviting, and he always asks readers to respond and let him know what’s going on in their worlds. In this way, Jay is able to promote his courses and membership site to his audience without feeling overly promotional.
Coach newsletter example
#6: Create & Sell by Brennan Dunn
Brennan Dunn harnesses his passion for email marketing by sharing tips on the subject with his newsletter subscribers.
Brennan Dunn’s newsletter is geared toward helping other creators thrive
The types of content they use
Brennan’s content mix includes original writing about building and growing a business as a creator, case studies of successful creators, and candid thoughts on various creator tools.
Why it works
Each edition of the Create & Sell newsletter is honest and feels like a chat with a friendly fellow creator who has years of business under his belt. Brennan shares what he’s working on as well as any tips he’s discovered that week for a successful business. He also offers readers the chance to suggest a topic he’ll address in the next edition.
YouTuber newsletter examples
#7: Mapped Out Money by Nick True
Nick True’s Mapped Out Money newsletter is a complement to his and his partner Hanna’s personal finance blog of the same name. The two also run a YouTube channel. Nick and Hanna want to help more people reach their financial goals.
Nick True’s newsletter is simple and text-based
The types of content they use
Nick shares a variety of content including short essays about managing finances, links to original blog content and YouTube videos, as well sneak peeks into their personal life.
Why it works
With simple text-based formatting, this newsletter is fuss-free and will appeal to readers who want no-frills value. The wide array of content formats can also be exciting for subscribers who get bored with the same styling every week.
Influencer newsletter example
#8: Janssen Bradshaw of Everyday Reading
Janssen Bradshaw’s Everyday Reading blog shares lifestyle content designed to help families read more. She sends out a newsletter at least twice every week.
The types of content they use
The Everyday Reading newsletter features two main content types links to original content (and excerpts of those) and news of product deals that Janssen shares with her mailing list.
Why it works
Janssen knows her audience and gears her content toward their needs. They value her recommendations and the tips she shares on the blog, so she brings similar content to the newsletter and can stay consistent without having to write newsletter content from scratch. Plus, her emails are always short and sweet.
Designer newsletter examples
#9: Kelsey Baldwin at Paper + Oats
Kelsey Baldwin is a graphic designer and an In Design whiz helping budding designers and entrepreneurs learn to create graphics for their businesses. She sells printables on Etsy and runs the Paper + Oats newsletter where she shares about design, productivity, and entrepreneurship.
Kelsey shares tips for entrepreneurs in her newsletter
The types of content they use
Kelsey shares short essays on productivity, links to original writing on her blog, quick marketing and entrepreneurship tips, and the occasional promotional email for her digital products.
Why it works
Since her audience is largely composed of entrepreneurs, Kelsey focuses on related topics that will appeal to them.
Author newsletter example
#10: The 3-2-1 Newsletter by James Clear
Anyone who cares about productivity probably knows James Clear. Although his bestselling book, Atomic Habits, is one reason for his popularity, his 3-2-1 Thursday Newsletter has also garnered fans of its own—over 2 million of them.
The types of content they use
James is upfront about his newsletter’s contents. He promises 3 short ideas from him, 2 quotes from other people, and 1 question for the reader (hence, 3-2-1). Essentially, he uses a mix of original writing and curated content to connect with and inspire readers.
Why it works
James’s predictable content format is comforting to readers; they know his emails will only take a few minutes to read and can be sure that they will provide value every single time. With his curated content, he also exposes them to similar thinkers and productivity experts they can benefit from.
Musician newsletter examples
#11: Ryan Baustert
Musician and coach Ryan Baustert is a member of the indie band Throw the Fight. Ryan has an email newsletter for teaching other musicians how to grow an audience on Spotify and market their business effectively.
The types of content they use
Ryan mostly uses original content to guide musicians toward building a profitable music business. He often includes helpful promotional content for his course, Crush it on Spotify.
Why it works
With over 4000 subscribers, Ryan is definitely doing something right. His content is actually useful and provides much-needed guidance for indie musicians from a seasoned indie musician. Although his newsletters are often promotional, Ryan always leads with information that benefits his audience.
Launch your email newsletter with Kit today
When people subscribe to your newsletter, they want to get to know you—your thoughts, your work, and your perspective. Those unique insights set your newsletter apart from other creators—and keep your subscribers coming back each week.
So if you’ve been struggling to find the right idea for your newsletter, grab a free Kit account and start collecting some ideas. If you’ve been putting off that next edition of your newsletter for too long, take inspiration from our examples.
Kit now makes it easier to create your newsletter with templates. You don’t have to create and design everything from scratch. Wanna give it a spin? Set up your newsletter with Kit today!
