Guide · Newsletters

Newsletter content – what should you write?

A good newsletter contains things the recipient benefits from: tips, guides, customer stories, industry news and invitations. Keep the selling to a small part and let the rest help, inspire or teach something.

Here you get a simple workflow, 17 ideas to pick from and advice on how to shape the text so that it gets read.

Always think added value

The newsletters that get read give something back. Content that helps, inspires or teaches something makes subscribers stay. To get it right, you need to know your target audience: what do they wonder about, what do they want to get better at and what do they enjoy reading?

It is easy to start banging the sales drum. Hold off on that. When you help your readers with things they benefit from, you build trust, and sales follow as a result. A common rule of thumb is that at least 90 percent of the content should give knowledge or value and at most 10 percent should be pure selling.

Slipping into your own perspective is human. So make a habit of pausing before every send and asking: what does the recipient get out of this?

Tip: read more about purpose and target audience in the newsletter checklist. As the list grows, a program for email sends helps you keep your sends in order.

Write a content statement

What will you write about, and what can someone who signs up expect? Write it down in a short content statement. It helps you internally and makes the promise clear to the reader.

One paragraph is enough. Say who the sends are for, which topics they cover and what the recipient gets out of them. If the organization has an explicit vision, it is good if the statement connects to it.

An example: With our newsletter, you who are X stay up to date on X, X and X. It makes it easier and more fun to X.

Let the channels work together & mix the material

You do not need to write everything from scratch. Use what already exists on the website and in your social channels. The newsletter gets content, and the other channels get more visits.

Content is more than text. Blog posts, news articles and guides work well, but also make use of video clips, pictures and podcast episodes.

Plan & prepare newsletter content

Decide on a basic structure that every newsletter follows, for example an industry news item, a tips article, news from you and an offer. It makes the work easier before every send and gives the reader something to recognize.

Prepare the content well in advance, but leave room for what is relevant right now.

Some have a theme for every send. If you follow an industry where a lot happens, it may suit you better to keep it open. Either way: stick to the purpose and never fill out with things that do not belong to the theme or the content statement. The same structure works when you write to colleagues in an internal newsletter.

Examples of newsletter content – what should you write?

Good content starts from what the recipient needs. Some common examples:

Guides that solve a problem
Lists of tips
Customer stories
Comments on trends and news in the industry
Short analyses within your field
Blog posts and resources from the website

Many benefit from a fixed structure: an article, a news item, a concrete tip and a clear call to action. The newsletter is then faster to make and easier to take in.

Feel free to reuse material from the web, social media, customer conversations and events. You save time and get a common thread in your communication.

Create a free newsletter

Newsletter content ideas

Here are 17 ideas to start from when you plan your next send.

Customer testimonialsLet a customer tell about a project or their whole journey. Add a photo and highlight a quote.

Comments on industry newsYour view of a news item gives the reader something more than the news itself.

Let the expertise shineLet employees explain what they know best, for example a trend or something many people find complicated.

Top 10List the best resources or the sharpest tips for a certain challenge.

A guide to the company's productsShow how customers get more out of what they have already bought.

Unexpected usesIs someone using your product in a way you had not imagined? Tell the story.

New facesWelcome new employees with a short introduction and a few questions.

Behind the scenesShow how things are made or what an ordinary day looks like at your place.

Frequently asked questionsAnswer questions you often get, preferably about something that is relevant right now.

A thank-you from the CEOA sincere thank-you to customers and employees has its natural place.

Put a face on the companyInterview colleagues about what they do and who they are.

Report from eventsSum up the most important points from the trade fair or conference you visited.

Spread invitationsA course, talk or webinar coming up? Add an invitation.

Run competitionsCompetitions tend to raise the open rate. Make it easy and fun to take part.

Get a guest columnInvite a profile in the industry to write a recurring column.

Follow the yearly cycleConnect the content to the season, for example when it is time for maintenance or service.

Highlight the most popularLink to the most-read posts or most-watched clips right now, from the season or from the past year.

Also think about what you write directly for the newsletter and what works better as a blog post first, to be featured in the send afterward.

Design the content & finish the newsletter

Most people skim first. Make it easy to catch the main points in a few seconds, and guide the eye where you want with these tools:

A subject line and headline that spark interest
A first paragraph with the most important part
Pithy subheadings
Bulleted lists
Short sentences
Bold where it helps the reader
A clear call to action that stands out

Pictures matter, but choose them with care and do not fill the newsletter with pictures and graphics. A clear, stripped-down visual style works best. Always add alt texts.

How to do it in Paloma

In Paloma's newsletter tool you gather the content, build the send and see how it went. This is how it works:

Choose a template

Start from a ready-made template and add your logo and colors. Feel free to look at our newsletter templates first.

Fill in the content

Add text, pictures and buttons in the order you have planned.

Send a test

Send a test to yourself and check the links, the pictures and how the newsletter looks on a phone.

Send and follow up

Choose a contact list and send. Afterward you see opens and clicks, and know what to do more of next time.

The free account covers 250 emails a month, and you do not need a card to get started.

Frequently asked questions about newsletter content

What should you write in a newsletter?

Write things the recipient benefits from: tips, guides, industry news, customer stories, offers and invitations to events. The goal is content that helps, inspires or informs.

How often should you send newsletters?

It depends on the target audience and on how much you have to tell. Many send once a month or every other week. Most important is a steady pace and that every send gives something.

How do you find ideas for newsletter content?

Start from questions you get from customers, news in the industry, blog posts on the website and what you share on social media. Lists, guides and tips articles tend to work well.

How long should a newsletter be?

Short enough to skim. Use short paragraphs, clear headings and bulleted lists. Short summaries that link on to the website often work best.

How do you make a newsletter that engages?

Write about what is relevant to the recipient, use clear headings and have a call to action that is easy to find. A personal tone and concrete tips tend to give more opens and clicks.

Which tool can you use for newsletters?

With a newsletter tool you design sends, manage subscribers and follow statistics for opens and clicks. Paloma is a Swedish platform with a free account for 250 emails a month, with no card and no lock-in period. Paid plans start at 95 SEK a month and all data is stored in Sweden.

Get started

Create your first newsletter for free

Choose a template, add your content and send. You are up and running in a few minutes.

Create a free account

250 emails a month for free No card, no lock-in period Data stored in Sweden

Read on: tips for better newsletters and the guide on email marketing.