UA Email newsletters remain an effective tool for promoting a business and driving sales. But when you’re sending newsletters on a regular basis, marketers often run into the same problem: what to write about, and where to find content ideas. Emails written in the style of “Buy from us at a great price” or “We’re the best company on the market” get old fast. Subscribers want to see something interesting, something that’s actually valuable to them.
In this article, we’re sharing 15 content ideas that will help make your email marketing more effective.
1. Talk about your industry
You know your industry well, but how much do your subscribers actually know about it? Use your emails to talk about the specifics of your field, share recommendations, and let people know what your brand is about and why you offer the products you do. This kind of content can spark interest and pull in more attention from your subscribers.
Example: Charitywater.org’s newsletter, which lets subscribers learn more about the nonprofit’s work.
2. How-to guides
Step-by-step guides are a type of content audiences genuinely love. You can share how-tos in your newsletters too. Put together a useful step-by-step guide — as text, video, or a series of photos — and see how your subscribers respond to it.
Example: a video tutorial from Design Files on using the Figma design tool.
3. Company news
Updated a product? Got a new partner? Tell your audience about it. Invite subscribers to an event you’re organizing, or announce the launch of new products or services.
Example: Boosted, the American maker of electric skateboards and scooters, builds anticipation before unveiling a new product.
4. Blog posts
If you want to drive more attention to your blog posts, share them in your newsletters.
Example: Trunk Club announces a blog post in an email.
5. List posts
List posts are another content format audiences love. Put together your own “Top 10 products or tools…” and don’t forget to work your business into it somewhere.
Example: a “10 restaurants for a great meal” list post featured in a newsletter.
6. User-generated content from social media
Never thought about sharing user-generated content in your newsletter? You should. Audiences tend to love it. Put together a roundup of popular posts or reviews left by users on your social media. It grabs attention and builds trust in your company.
Example: one company regularly collects its most popular tweets and publishes them in its newsletter.
7. Referral program
Your emails are a good place to talk about your referral program, run “invite a friend” promotions, and ask subscribers to recommend your products or services to friends and family.
You can also team up with other companies for cross-posting — publishing your content on their channels and theirs on yours. This helps you reach a new audience and win new customers.
Example: SelfWealth explains the benefits of its referral program and invites subscribers to join.
8. Coupons, discounts, and promotions
One reason people subscribe to a company’s newsletter in the first place is that they want to hear about promotions and discounts. Send out coupons and announce promotions periodically. To encourage purchases, create urgency by putting a time limit on the offer.
Example: Blue Apron gives customers a coupon for their first purchase.
9. Reviews and testimonials
Reviews and testimonials help build trust. Don’t be afraid to feature them in your newsletters, but don’t overdo it — blatant advertising is annoying. Publish reviews that will actually be useful to other readers.
Example: the Le Tote brand uses testimonials in its newsletters to say more about the business.
10. Surveys
Users like giving feedback. Run a survey in your newsletter. This lets you learn what customers think while boosting engagement.
Example: Kate Spade Saturday invites subscribers to take a survey and offers a discount in return.
11. A letter from the CEO
A message from the company’s leadership can be used to welcome new subscribers, thank customers for their orders, or share plans for the future. This kind of email helps build and maintain a trusting relationship with your audience.
12. An invitation to follow on social media
From time to time, you can send subscribers an email inviting them to follow your company’s social media accounts.
Example: Stein Mart invites subscribers to follow the company on Instagram.
13. Video
If your company has a YouTube channel, you can put together video roundups in your newsletter. Data shows that including a video link in an email boosts open rate by 6%.
Example: Later promotes its video course by embedding a video in the email.
14. Answers to common questions
Your customers almost certainly have questions, so use your newsletter to answer the most common ones. Your audience learns more about your business and gets useful information in the process.
15. Contests and quizzes
Contests, quizzes, and tests are an engaging content format that grabs attention even inside a newsletter. Come up with a contest or quiz that fits your audience and invite subscribers to take part.
Example: Mod Cloth uses a quiz to invite users to find their unique style.
These content ideas will help you diversify your email newsletters, boost engagement, and make your email marketing more effective.
