Starting a newsletter as part of your email marketing strategy can feel daunting. Just like staring at a blank page during a school writing assignment, coming up with fresh content ideas can be challenging. But don’t worry—with the right approach, you can create newsletters that keep your customers excited and connected to your brand.
From practical tips to creative roundups, here are 23 newsletter ideas to spark your creativity.
Finding inspiration for your newsletter
Creating compelling newsletter content doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Here are three powerful ways to generate ideas for writing an engaging newsletter that will resonate with your customers:
Subscribe to other newsletters
Expand your horizons by exploring newsletters in your industry and beyond. If you’re worried about running out of ideas in a niche market, looking at how others communicate can unlock new perspectives.
For instance, if you run a gardening supply brand, don’t just look at other product newsletters. Follow gardening magazines or lifestyle publications—you might discover innovative approaches like:
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Featuring interviews with long-time gardeners
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Highlighting obscure gardens from around the world
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Creating themed content that goes beyond your immediate product line
Repurpose existing content
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with every newsletter. Josh Rosenblat, Shopify’s senior editor, recommends: “If your company already has a blog used for SEO, that’s a great place to find content.”
You can also get creative with repurposing your social media content. Say you run an activewear brand and recently used an Instagram Question sticker to ask followers about their most motivating workout songs. Transform those responses into a curated newsletter like “10 Workout Songs That Will Pump You Up, According to Our Community.”
Poll your audience and team
Your customers and team are gold mines of feedback and content ideas. Reach out through email surveys, social media polls, or direct customer feedback channels.
Internal teams can offer unique perspectives too. Your customer service team might suggest a newsletter that dives deeper into product features—a resource they can then use when answering customer questions.
23 newsletter ideas to keep subscribers engaged
- Company updates
- Industry news
- Tips and advice
- Team features
- Upcoming events
- Holiday-themed
- Playlists
- Recipe roundups
- Local roundups
- Gift guides and product roundups
- Guest posts
- Answering a question
- Vendor spotlight
- Behind the scenes
- Interviews
- Morning routines
- Travel guides
- What’s in my bag
- How-to guides
- Curated lists of favorites
- In/out lists
- Long-form content
- Blog roundups
Creating a consistent monthly newsletter is more challenging than sending one-off sales emails. You’ll need a steady stream of compelling content to keep readers looking forward to each issue—and prevent them from unsubscribing. Here are creative newsletter ideas to keep your content fresh and engaging:
1. Company updates
Take your subscribers on a journey inside your business. Share upcoming projects, new product previews, and team milestones that give readers an exclusive peek behind the curtain of your brand’s daily operations.
Fishwife, a tinned-fish company, recently featured a recap of their cookbook tour, recounting the team’s experiences across three cities while encouraging readers to show up to their final two events. This strategy transforms a simple update into an engaging narrative that makes subscribers feel like insiders.
2. Industry news
Go beyond your company’s immediate offerings by reporting on the broader industry landscape. An industry roundup newsletter allows you to comment on trends and breakthroughs, positioning your brand as a thought leader in your space.
If you run a skiwear apparel company, this could mean sharing updates on ski resorts and technological advancements in ski design. The key is providing valuable insights without directly discussing competitors. For example, you might explore emerging ski technologies, sustainability innovations, or interesting developments in winter sports that your audience would find fascinating.
3. Tips and advice
Sharing your knowledge is a powerful way to connect with your audience by offering useful information about making the most of your product. These newsletters provide practical value that goes beyond simple marketing messages.
Kitchenware brand Material executes this strategy brilliantly. In one of its newsletters, the brand shared a step-by-step guide on how to extend the shelf life of kitchen knives—providing genuinely helpful content that demonstrates Material’s expertise and shows customers they care about more than just making a sale.
4. Team features
Putting a human face to your business can transform how customers perceive your brand. These newsletters showcase the individuals who shape your company, creating a more personal and relatable connection with your audience.
Universal Standard, an inclusive clothing brand, kicked off the new year by sharing why its employees enjoy working at the company. Several team members described helping customers as their primary motivator—a powerful insight that humanizes the brand and demonstrates its commitment to customer service.
5. Upcoming events
Use your newsletter as a bridge between digital and physical experiences. Invite subscribers to connect with your brand through in-person events, providing exciting opportunities that go beyond online interactions.
Skinc are brand Peach & Lily teamed up with Leon’s Bagel in New York City. Its newsletter invited customers to an event where they could receive free bagels, matcha, and—for early arrivals—a sample of their new matcha cream lotion. This strategy creates excitement and gives subscribers a tangible reason to engage with the brand.
6. Holiday-themed
Seasonal newsletters offer a creative way to connect with your audience through timely, relevant content. By structuring a newsletter around a notable day or celebration, such as Earth Day or Halloween, you can share unique perspectives that resonate with subscribers.
Domestique, an ecommerce wine shop, showcased this approach with a Thanksgiving newsletter where team members shared their personal holiday traditions. This type of content transforms a simple marketing email into a meaningful connection point, giving readers a glimpse into the human side of your brand.
7. Playlists
Music offers a unique way to connect with your audience beyond traditional marketing. Create curated playlists that tell a story about your brand, tying into your products, seasons, or core inspirations.
A swimwear brand might share a beach-themed soundtrack that captures the spirit of summer adventures. This approach transforms a newsletter from a simple marketing tool into an experience that resonates with your customers’ emotions and lifestyle.
8. Recipe roundups
Recipe newsletters provide valuable, shareable content that goes beyond product promotion. They offer subscribers something they can actually use—a delightful way to provide value while keeping your brand top of mind.
Graza, an olive oil brand, demonstrates this perfectly by featuring three recipes that showcase its Frizzle olive oil. This approach doesn’t just sell a product—it shows customers how to incorporate it into their daily lives in delicious, creative ways.
9. Local roundups
Create newsletters that highlight local resources, events, and experiences relevant to your audience. This approach positions your brand as a community-focused resource that understands and cares about customers’ local context.
Camber, a local events resource in LA, shared restaurants with outdoor seating during spring—helping locals make the most of beautiful weather. A personal trainer might compile a list of upcoming local 5k and 10k races, while a soda brand could share their favorite parks in various cities, even incorporating user-generated content for added authenticity.
10. Gift guides and product roundups
Gift guides can transform your newsletter from a sales pitch to a helpful resource. Create guides around specific holidays like Valentine’s Day, or unique audience personas—think “for the bookworm” or “for the friend who has everything.”
CAP Beauty offers a masterclass in this approach. Its product roundup newsletter features the brand’s founder and CEO, Kerrilynn Pamer, sharing her current favorite items—which include both their own products and items from other brands. This strategy creates a broader, more authentic narrative that customers want to be part of.
11. Guest posts
Invite industry experts to take over your newsletter, providing subscribers with unique insights while expanding your content’s expertise. A furniture shop might feature an interior decorator sharing tips on furniture placement, adding credibility and variety to your communication.
To maintain your brand’s voice, provide clear guidelines to guest writers. Specify the tone, key messaging, and any language preferences to ensure the content feels consistent with your brand’s personality.
12. Answering a question
Transform frequently asked questions into engaging newsletter content. This approach demonstrates your expertise while directly addressing your customers’ curiosities and challenges.
Domestique, an online wine store, excels at this. In one memorable newsletter, they dove deep into why some wines taste “mousy”—“like the inside of a mouse cage or, at best, stale cereal grain,” writes the newsletter’s author Jeff Segal.
13. Vendor spotlight
Pull back the curtain on your product creation process by featuring the people behind your products. Share insights about material sourcing, production methods, and the artisans who bring your products to life.
Kettl, a tea and ceramics brand, created a mini-profile of artisan Yoshiyuki Shimizu, exploring not just his pottery techniques but also his personal interests. This approach humanizes the brand and gives customers a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship behind their products.
14. Behind the scenes
Every product has a story waiting to be told. Giving customers a glimpse into your creative journey can transform how they perceive your brand, turning a simple purchase into a meaningful connection.
French fashion brand Apparis shared intimate details of their design process—including sketches, fabric swatches, and model styling photos from their spring/summer collection—illuminating their design process and inviting customers into the heart of their creative world.
15. Interviews
Interviews can be a powerful way to showcase the real people who embody your ideal customer profile (ICP) and brand’s spirit. By highlighting customers who truly represent your brand’s ethos, you create a deeper, more authentic connection with your audience.
Shoe brand Frēda Salvador excels at this with their Frēda Women series. They featured Lauren Herrera and Rayna Basta, founders of the vintage shop Trove, diving into their sourcing process and styling tips. This approach does more than showcase a product—it tells a story of entrepreneurship and creativity.
16. Morning routines
Sharing morning routines offers a personal look into the lives of your team or industry professionals. These newsletters can provide practical inspiration, meditation tips, and efficiency strategies that resonate with your audience.
17. Travel guides
For brands with a global outlook or products related to travel, curated travel guides can be an exciting way to engage subscribers. These newsletters should go beyond simple product promotion, offering guidance on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, or activities.
Tableware company Gohar offers a series of restaurant recommendations. In one newsletter, they shared their staff’s favorite Barcelona dining spots—transforming a simple email into a travel companion that readers will eagerly anticipate.
18. What’s in my bag
For brands selling bags, luggage, or accessories, a “What’s in My Bag” newsletter series can provide practical insights into your products’ real-world functionality, showing customers exactly how versatile and useful your products can be.
19. How-to guides
Step-by-step guides can transform your newsletter from a marketing tool to a valuable resource. Show customers creative ways to use your products, styling tips, or practical techniques relevant to your industry.
Fashion brand STAUD showed subscribers three different ways to style a tie-dye maxi dress.
The Lip Bar, a vegan beauty brand, took a similar approach with a newsletter sharing an easy makeup routine using minimal products—proving that how-to content can be both informative and inspiring.
20. Curated lists of favorites
Your newsletter doesn’t always need to be about your products. Curated lists of team favorites—from books and albums to restaurants and experiences—can transform your communication into something readers genuinely look forward to receiving. In practice, this could mean expanding your readers’ knowledge with industry roundups—but you can also broaden your content to include other things you like, whether or not they’re directly related to your products.
Saie Beauty’s “Trending at HQ” Substack newsletter shares a wide range of interests—from a Leon Bridges album to a Brooklyn coffee shop—demonstrating that your brand is about more than just products. As Josh notes, these newsletters function as “a resource to expand your recipient’s worldview.”
21. In/out lists
In/out lists offer a creative way to showcase your brand’s personality while providing entertaining, bite-sized content that subscribers will look forward to reading. These lists can be both humorous and subtly promotional, giving readers a glimpse into your brand’s unique perspective.
A stationery store might create a playful chart that hints at their offerings while poking fun at common organizational challenges:
| In | Out |
| Using stickers to add flair to your planner | Scrap paper for to-do lists |
| Writing with pastel pens | Reminders that don’t make sense later |
| Penciling in some “me” time | Forgetting to drink water |
22. Long-form content
While newsletters are typically short, there’s a place for in-depth, long-form content that truly provides value for your audience. Long-form newsletter content gives founders a space to explore topics and share expertise related to their brands. The key is setting clear expectations and delivering genuine insights that go beyond surface-level marketing.
Amy Smilovic, founder of clothing brand Tibi, runsThe Creative Pragmatist newsletter. She shares personal insights, thoughts on fashion and creativity, and outfit ideas featuring Tibi pieces, resulting in a newsletter that feels more like a conversation with a trusted friend than a marketing email. As Josh points out, “If you’ve promised an in-depth informational article, subscribers will happily read a thousand-word newsletter.”
For example,
23. Blog roundups
Blog roundups offer a strategic way to highlight your existing content and drive traffic to your website. By curating a selection of your best or most relevant blog posts, you can provide additional value to your subscribers while keeping them connected to your brand.
Take a look at this example from CAP Beauty. The skin care and wellness brand previews articles from their blog The Thinking CAP, enticing readers to click through to the full blog. This approach works whether you’re focusing on a specific theme or offering a diverse selection of content that appeals to a wider audience.
Newsletter ideas FAQ
What types of content should I include in my newsletter?
Unlike traditional email campaigns that focus on immediate sales, newsletters should provide long-term value. Focus on content that educates, entertains, or provides genuine insights—whether that’s industry news, expert tips, or exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at your brand.
How often should I send out my newsletter?
Most small business owners find success with a monthly or quarterly newsletter schedule. While some brands manage weekly or daily newsletters, the most important factor is consistency and sustainability. Choose a frequency you can maintain without sacrificing quality.
How do I build and maintain a mailing list for my newsletter?
To build a mailing list, start by offering easy opt-in opportunities. This could mean adding sign-up options during checkout, creating splash pages with enticing discount offers, or providing valuable free content in exchange for email addresses. Use a professional email service like Shopify Email to manage and nurture your subscriber list.
How do I design a visually appealing newsletter?
Create a consistent visual experience with a unified color palette, professional fonts, and a compelling header graphic. Sprinkle images throughout the newsletter to break up text and maintain visual interest. Professional email tools like Shopify Email can simplify the design process, helping you create beautiful, on-brand newsletters with ease.
