18 Email Newsletter Examples We Love Getting in Our Inboxes

 When people first start doing email marketing, they often assume they need an email newsletter.

"It'll have everything our customers care about, all in one place," they rationalize. "Our list will be different -- people will actually look forward to getting our newsletter," they argue. "Since we're only sending it once a month, it'll be a breeze to put together," they say.

Click here to download our free lookbook that's packed with our favorite email newsletters.

And while all of those things may become true for a few lucky individuals, lots of email newsletters flop. They become an uninteresting mush of content people automatically ignore, archive, delete, or straight up unsubscribe from. And this isn't great for you, your metrics, or your company's success.

So if you're thinking about creating an email newsletter, read this blog post and think really hard about whether that's the right move for you in terms of your marketing strategy.

If you've decided that you want to start an email newsletter, or you want to revamp one that's not performing well, keep on reading. We've compiled some of our absolute favorite email newsletters to inspire you to make the best email newsletter for your company possible.

Each newsletter on this list is fabulous for different reasons. Some have exceptional design, some have exceptional copy, some have exceptional calls-to-action ... but all are exceptional at solving for their subscribers' needs. 

Additionally, if you're unsure what you want your own newsletter to be about, or how you should design one for optimal conversions, keep reading — we'll explore that, next. 

Email Newsletter Ideas

Email newsletters can include a weekly round-up of blog posts, case studies regarding your product or service, upcoming company events and webinars, or even a behind-the-scenes look at your company. 

Of course, you don't want to create a newsletter just for the sake of creating one — instead, you should do thorough research on what your audience might prefer, and what your company is well-suited to offer. 

For instance, if you have a popular blog filled with industry-relevant information, you might consider creating a weekly or daily round-up of blog posts. 

However, if you work for an ecommerce company that sells workout gear, you might find a round-up of blog posts doesn't resonate with your audience. Instead, you could consider a membership newsletter that includes deals and promotions on new items, as well as a round-up of workout apps, inspirational quotes, and training courses all revolved around fitness.

If you're looking for general email newsletter inspiration, you're in luck. Here's a list of some of our favorite ideas for email newsletters: 

  • Round-up of popular or recent blog posts or videos
  • New job openings at your company 
  • New case studies or product launches
  • Membership/customer deals and promotions
  • New best practices or tips
  • Industry news
  • Quotes
  • Recent survey results related to your industry 
  • Internal employee news, including anniversaries, promotions, and birthdays 
  • Listicles (i.e. "10 Best Vacation Spots of 2020" if you work for a Travel publication)
  • A team spotlight with pictures and bios
  • Photos or stories customers have shared
  • Behind-the-scenes at your company, or interviews with company executives
  • Monthly business recap
  • New training opportunities
  • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and answers
  • Upcoming webinars, or recordings of past webinars

Next, let's explore some newsletter designs to inspire the aesthetic of your newsletter. 

Email Newsletter Design 

Your company's newsletter should be a true reflection of your brand. For instance, if your website features minimalist design and clean, plain black-and-white text, then you don't want to create a super colorful newsletter, which might confuse new subscribers. 

There are a few best practices, however, you can employ to ensure your design is up-to-par. Of course, you'll want to A/B test whichever design(s) you choose, to ensure they resonate with your audience. 

Here a few newsletter design best practices (although, again, the design should be industry and brand-specific):

  • Clean, crisp images (no blurry images)
  • Text (use same text throughout), company logo, and icons
  • Try filters, memes, or video 
  • Make the CTA clear and obvious — and just have one (i.e. "Click here to shop" or "Click here to read")
  • Create a hierarchy with CTA early-on 
  • Mobile-responsive 
  • Test the length of your newsletter to ensure it's not too short or too long for your audience

Of course, the design of your newsletter will depend on your brand, as well as the message. For instance, you might want to create a colorful, attention-grabbing newsletter if it largely focuses on visuals of new products — alternatively, if it's a round-up of recent blog posts, perhaps you try a more minimalist look to mimic the appearance of a letter. 

I'd also recommend looking into pre-made templates if you're not familiar with designing emails. If you're a HubSpot customer, you'll have a bunch of pre-made templates in the email tool.

However, if you're still unsure about your newsletter design, there's nothing better than looking at examples for further inspiration.

Take a look at the following 18 newsletters that knocked it out of the park, and consider using some of their design elements as inspiration for your own.

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