How to Write a Newsletter That People Want to Read

Email marketing is still one of the highest-ROI channels. It works. It’s scalable, measurable, and—when done right—deeply personal.

To truly harness that power, you need to understand the psychology behind why people open, read, and click—and you need to write emails that earn attention and trust.

Benchmarks can be helpful, but they only tell part of the story. What matters most is whether your emails are useful to your audience and drive the outcomes you care about.

Blasting a newsletter just to “meet the schedule” won’t cut it.

Your newsletter is a valuable marketing asset. Treat it like a product: plan it, test it, and iterate until it delivers.

Great email outcomes come from proven tactics that respect readers’ time and preferences.

Getting people to notice, open, click, reply, and buy is tricky—but absolutely doable with a repeatable framework.

If you want to write a newsletter, you’ll need an email autoresponder. You can read our full reviews of the best email autoresponder here.

First, let’s walk through the practical craft of writing effective email newsletters that people actually enjoy.

9 Steps to Write a Newsletter

Here’s the step-by-step formula we use to produce email newsletters that get opened, read, and acted on:

1. Give people a reason to opt in
2. Stick to your goal
3. Craft an enticing subject line
4. Write a killer opening line
5. Connect in the body
6. Be consistent without annoying your subscribers
7. Discuss relevant content
8. Nail the closing
9. Measure your results

Step 1 – Give people a reason to opt in

Let’s zoom out. To get any conversions at all, you need an active list of email subscribers built on trust and clear value.

The best way is to offer a compelling value exchange. “Sign up for our newsletter” isn’t compelling. Solve a problem, save money, or save time—right away.

Think “value first.” Discounts work, but so do high-intent incentives like templates, checklists, exclusive content, or early access. Here’s a classic example from the Lands’ End website:

Subscribers get 25% off immediately—an easy yes. They’re also promised exclusive offers, which sets the expectation of ongoing value.

Beyond monetary perks, offer useful experiences: priority access, bonus lessons, community invites, or member-only webinars. Match the incentive to what your audience cares about most.

Get creative for your industry. An airline could offer priority boarding; a SaaS tool could unlock a premium feature trial; a local brand could give VIP event access or free parking.

Also: be transparent about what subscribers will receive and how often. Use clear consent, and consider double opt-in to keep list quality high and deliverability strong.

More qualified subscribers = more engaged readers = better conversions.

Step 2 – Stick to your goal

Ask this before you write a single word: what outcome should this email drive?

If you’re unclear, your readers will be too. Define one primary goal and make everything in the email support it.

Common newsletter goals include:

• Drive sales
• Increase social media presence
• Download an e-book
• Drive traffic to a landing page
• Promote a new product or service

There are plenty of others, but start with one measurable outcome and write toward it.

Pick one and commit. Mixing multiple competing CTAs in a single message dilutes attention and hurts clicks.

Here’s a past example with a single focus from Litmus:

The goal is to earn clicks, so the email gives a clear either/or choice and routes each click to tailored content. Simple, effective.

You can do the same even without overt split CTAs. Introduce the goal in the headline or opener, reinforce it once or twice in the body, then end with a strong call to action.

Make the next step obvious. Readers shouldn’t have to guess what to do.

Step 3 – Craft an enticing subject line

If your email isn’t opened, nothing else matters. Subject lines and preview text (preheaders) are your “ad copy” for the inbox.

Once you understand how to increase open rates with different subject lines, you’ll set the stage for higher engagement and conversions.

Consider how people decide to open—or to mark as spam. Data like this from CoSchedule shows the outsized role your subject plays:

Translation: the subject can make or break the open. “March Newsletter” won’t move anyone.

Personalize beyond a first name. Reference a recent action, a product category, a location, or a role-specific pain point. Marketers report that personalized subject lines and messages lift opens and clicks when they reflect real user context.

Use urgency and timeliness when it’s genuine. Deadlines, limited quantities, or breaking news can boost attention—just don’t cry wolf.

Address a specific problem. Promise a transformation, tip, or shortcut your reader actually wants.

Aim to spark curiosity and create a small “information gap” that’s satisfying to close by opening.

For B2B, a promise like “Double demo conversions in 30 minutes” can earn a look—if the email delivers.

One of our highest open rates came from asking for help with something real. That authenticity created curiosity and compelled opens.

Here’s an example from Jayson DeMers that grabbed our attention:

Yes, even a simple emoji can add personality when it fits your brand voice.

Buffer leans into audience interest with clear, benefit-oriented subjects like this:

Power words can help when used sparingly and honestly.

Sprinkle them in your subject (and preheader) when they align with real value.

Here are just some of the power words you can use:

• Amazing
• Mind-blowing
• Jaw-dropping
• Blissful

Time-sensitive terms also work when the urgency is authentic. Mailchimp has highlighted words that often correlate with more opens, like:

• Urgent
• Breaking
• Important
• Alert

You get the idea. For more inspiration, check out this list of more than 801 power words. Use them to sharpen, not to sensationalize.

Pro tip: reuse or adapt blog post titles as subject lines when the goal is to drive readers to that article. Pair with a strong preheader that completes the thought.

How to Get More Emails Opened

Half the battle is getting prospects to open your emails. The other half is giving them a reason to keep opening over time.

Research shows open and click benchmarks vary by company size and industry, so compare your program to peers—not to generic averages.

Here’s another look at industry stats from SmartInsights. Use them directionally, then focus on improving your own trendline:

Benchmarks won’t wow you, and that’s fine. Sustainable gains come from consistent improvements to list quality, relevance, and deliverability.

Use a recognizable from name (often a person + brand), authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and send to engaged segments.

Why this matters: people decide to open largely on who it’s from. A trusted sender earns the click more than a clever subject line ever will.

Ask yourself what would make you open: Do you recognize the sender? Do you expect value? Do you like their emails? That trust is built over time with consistently helpful content.

Remember: with modern privacy features (e.g., automatic image preloading in some mail apps), opens are noisy. Treat open rate as a directional signal, not a KPI. Optimize for clicks, replies, and conversions.

If you’re on our list, you expect to see a recognizable sender like “Neil Patel” or “Quick Sprout”—and consistent value behind it.

Send as a real person representing your brand. It feels human, and it sets a clear expectation for tone and content.

Bottom line: be recognizable, authenticated, and relevant—every time.

Step 4 – Write a killer opening line

Once you earn the open, your first line and preheader must reward the click. They should echo the subject, add context, and pull the reader down the page.

This matters more than you think.

Why? Because in many inboxes, the preview shows your first line right beside the subject—sometimes even more prominently.

GASP!

You’ve probably been told the subject is everything. It’s critical—but the from line and the first line often decide the open and the read.

Most email clients show 30–90 characters of preview text pulled from the top of your message. Make those characters count.

It’s the same on mobile—maybe even more so—where space is limited and scanning is the norm.

Most mobile apps surface your opening line, so lead with value, not boilerplate.

So, what should you write first?

Address the reader directly and make it personal and relevant. If you can reference a recent behavior or preference, even better.

Skip the “Hi, my name is…” routine.

Try openers like “Quick one about your [goal]…” or “Noticed you were comparing [X vs. Y]—here’s a shortcut.”

Establish relevance fast. Readers decide in seconds whether to keep going.

Get to the point. Respect their time. Clarity beats clever.

Notice how Jacob McMillen does this—straight to value with no fluff:

That kind of writing earns trust. You value the reader’s time, deliver the goods, and let them get on with their day.

Step 5 – Connect in the body

The body is where you deliver value and earn the click. Show, specifically, how your product or content improves the reader’s life or work.

Keep it concise and scannable. Use short paragraphs, meaningful subheads, and bullets where it helps. One email, one main idea.

Your goal here is momentum—warming readers up to take the next step, not overwhelming them with everything at once.

You don’t have to go for the jugular immediately. Deliver a quick win, then invite the deeper click.

Break text into short, digestible chunks so readers can skim and still grasp the value.

Speak in second person—use you. Ask questions that mirror their goals and objections.

Personal, relevant questions help your message feel like a 1:1 conversation:

• Do you have unanswered questions about [topic]?
• How, if at all, would you like to improve your strategy?
• Is [benefit to them] a priority for you right now?

Hubspot even has a free AI email writing tool if you need help with drafts.

If you’ve read Ramit’s emails, you know the style: short paragraphs, a conversational tone, and relentlessly practical advice.

Step 6 – Be consistent without annoying your subscribers

Set expectations and keep them. If someone signed up for weekly, send weekly. If they opted into monthly, don’t ghost them—or spam them daily.

Consistency builds trust and keeps your domain reputation healthy. Inconsistency makes you forgettable—or worse, reportable.

On the flip side, sending far more often than promised triggers unsubscribes and spam complaints fast.

Here are common reasons people mark emails as spam, via Litmus:

Too many emails tops the list. Respect your audience’s attention. Cadence should match the value you can deliver.

Pro tips: offer a preference center, cap frequency for broad sends, and “sunset” long-term inactives to protect deliverability.

Step 7 – Discuss relevant content

Irrelevant content is a fast path to unsubscribes. Stay on brand and on topic. Every send should align with why the reader subscribed in the first place.

If you sell home goods, readers don’t need hot takes on last night’s game or politics—unless that’s core to your brand.

Steer clear of polarizing topics unless they’re integral to your audience and mission.

Perception of relevance varies by industry. Research has shown retail often fares best here, with other categories needing tighter targeting.

Let subscribers choose topics and cadence up front, and honor those choices. You’ll send fewer irrelevant emails and get more engagement from each one.

Here’s an example of preference options from Envato Tuts+:

By default, new subscribers get everything. Opt-down options (like monthly digests) reduce fatigue and keep good subscribers on your list.

Let people choose content categories, too. Someone who loves music production may not want web design tips. Send what’s requested and skip what’s not.

It’s more work to segment and tailor content, but conversion rates pay you back—fast.

Add Visuals to Enhance Your Content

Images, diagrams, GIFs, and short clips help busy readers grasp your point at a glance.

Not everyone will read every word. Visuals help scanners get the gist and decide to click for more.

The average time spent on brand emails is short—often seconds, not minutes. Pair concise copy with supportive visuals to land your message.

Video boosts engagement. You can’t count on native video support in every client, so use a static thumbnail (or lightweight GIF) that clicks to a landing page. As Campaign Monitor notes, including video elements can lift click-through rates when done thoughtfully.

Accessibility matters: add descriptive alt text, use sufficient color contrast, avoid image-only emails, and make buttons real HTML—not just pictures.

Visuals also create structure. No one wants a wall of text. Use whitespace and imagery to guide the eye to your CTA.

Tell a Story

Attention is earned. Storytelling is one of the best ways to keep it.

Stories pull readers forward. They’re memorable and persuasive when they mirror your audience’s journey.

Tell customer stories, share behind-the-scenes moments, or narrate a mini-case study. Keep it relevant and tight.

Get creative—and keep it real. Authenticity beats theatrics.

Research shows storytelling can lift conversions by making messages stick:

This works in B2B just as well as B2C. Use narrative to connect dots between pain, solution, and outcome.

Not every newsletter needs a story, but adding them regularly keeps your content fresh and relatable.

Create Urgency

Most readers procrastinate. They mean to act “later” and never do. Your job is to make “now” the easiest choice.

People get busy or lose the tab. Once they close, the odds of return shrink fast.

Use honest urgency to nudge action: clear deadlines, limited inventory, or time-boxed bonuses.

Many marketers say the hardest part is getting the click. Urgency helps bridge the gap between interest and action.

Short, specific deadlines work best. “Offer ends tomorrow,” “Only 10 spots left,” or “Closes at midnight” all make the next step obvious.

Use urgency responsibly. Manufactured scarcity erodes trust.

Step 8 – Nail the closing

After your subject, the close is the highest-leverage part of the email. It’s where momentum turns into action.

This is the moment readers decide whether to take the next step or bounce.

Transition cleanly into a strong call to action (CTA) that matches the single goal you set earlier.

What’s the one thing you want them to do?

Visit the landing page, enroll in a course, download the guide, start a trial—pick one.

Your CTA should be unmistakable: action verb + benefit + low friction. Make the button easy to find and easy to tap.

Don’t bury the ask. Repetition is fine: one primary button plus a text link for scanners.

Your CTA is the whole point of the send. Make it bold, clear, and aligned with the value you just delivered.

Step 9 – Measure your results

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Track every send and let the data tell you what to do next.

Your email platform should provide robust analytics. Pair that with UTM tracking and your analytics tool to see downstream impact.

Look at signals like:

• Open rates (directional; treat with caution due to privacy features)
• Bounce rates and spam complaints (protect deliverability)
• Click-through rate and click map (what earned attention)
• Unsubscribes and preference changes (content/relevance feedback)
• Forwards, replies, and conversions/revenue (true success metrics)

Identify which themes, formats, and offers convert best. Do more of that.

For underperformers, diagnose the bottleneck. Weak goal? Fuzzy CTA? Off-topic content? List quality? Fix one thing at a time and retest.

Run A/B tests on subject lines, preheaders, send times, and CTA copy. Use holdout groups to measure true incremental lift.

Track cohort engagement over time. Healthy programs grow their engaged segment and keep complaint rates low.

Conclusion

Email still matters—and it complements your social, content, and paid channels beautifully when you respect the inbox.

It’s easy to chase the newest platform. Build those, but don’t neglect the owned channel that consistently drives results.

All those channels are great. We’re fans of testing them intelligently.

But email works—when it’s valuable and focused. Results come from understanding your readers, setting a clear goal, and delivering on your promise every time.

Use a strong opt-in, set a single objective, write specific subjects and preheaders, and make your opening line do work. Then deliver concise, useful content that leads to one clear CTA.

Be consistent. Let subscribers choose topics and frequency. Use visuals and stories to make messages sticky. And measure what matters so each send gets smarter.

Follow these steps and you’ll see a meaningful lift in engagement and conversion—without burning out your audience.