14 Newsletter Formats: The Ultimate Guide

Here are 14 newsletter formats and template tips you can use to craft compelling emails.

Email newsletters can be an effective way to reach your potential customers and clients with your marketing message. Everyone, from startups to non-profits, can benefit from a well-crafted newsletter. In addition, the best newsletters will generate interest in a product, service, or event and help your branding efforts succeed. Getting started with newsletters can be challenging, but once you figure out the basic layout and terminology, you can effectively use these to reach your target audience.

Newsletters should contain a mixture of text, links to your blog or website, images, and call-to-action buttons. You may even be able to embed a video into an email newsletter, depending on your goals. Above all, a newsletter needs to be exciting and engaging. You do not want to give the recipient any excuse to hit that “unsubscribe” button. Also, the format needs to be visually appealing, naturally drawing the eye to the target action, whether clicking a link to your blog or hitting the CTA button.

The format of newsletter emails depends on the reason you are sending them. Here is a closer look at 14 newsletter formats you can consider and information on how to use these newsletters effectively.

1. Company Newsletter

Company and business newsletters share plans with customers and internal team members as a business tries to stay on top of changes. These newsletters should be easy-to-read and include clear headings, minimal images, and links to more information if people want to read more than what is covered in the newsletter. For example, you can use a company newsletter to make company-wide announcements or to reach your email subscribers with important company announcements. Make sure the most important information is first with a clear header to make it more likely that the reader will catch it.

2. Real Estate Newsletter

Real estate newsletters keep real estate customers aware of changes in the market and the work of the real estate agent or firm. They can highlight new listings, and some agents will find this is all they need from their email marketing campaign, or they can add helpful tips and tricks for buyers and sellers.

An email newsletter template for real estate agents needs plenty of room for images of properties. It should also contain links to the agent’s social media accounts and have a catchy subject line that encourages the reader to open it. Remember that real estate is the service people only need occasionally, so throw in some information that will keep readers engaged even when they do not need to buy or sell, such as home decor tips or information about remodelling ideas that add value to the home.

3. New Product Announcement Newsletter

When a company launches a new product, it deserves a newsletter series. The first newsletter will highlight the product and all that it offers. However, this can be followed with an email marketing campaign that keeps the product in front of potential buyers. After the initial launch, you can send newsletters that explain more about the product and its benefits. You can also add discounts to your email campaigns to encourage people to buy your product.

4. Fashion Newsletter

Clothing manufacturers and fashion bloggers can drive traffic and conversions using newsletters. A well-crafted newsletter with insider content and powerful words in the subject line will get people involved with your brand. If the recipients are interested in fashion, giving them fashion tips directly in their inboxes will keep them interested in your brand and its offerings.

For this newsletter layout, use numbered lists and some images to make scanning easy. Use social media to get people to sign up for the email list for your exclusive fashion and beauty secrets. You can also use this type of newsletter to highlight particular products you wish to sell more if that aligns with your marketing goals.

5. School Newsletter

A school newsletter can be a fun way to keep parents and students updated about what is happening in a school. It can also provide a place to publish the work of your students. Teachers can also add kid-friendly websites to the newsletter to encourage learning outside of the classroom.

A school newsletter can be school-wide or for an individual classroom. Use it to update families about upcoming events, like fine arts performances or sports events, highlight exceptional students or drive attention to fundraisers and community outreach. The biggest reason to have a school newsletter is to keep people connected and engaged with the larger school community and to keep the doors of communication between the school, teachers, and parents open.

6. College Newsletter

The school newsletter idea is not limited to high school and younger classrooms. Colleges and universities can use newsletters as part of their marketing strategies, keeping students aware of what is happening on-campus and providing a reason for prospective students to get involved and engaged with the campus and its culture.

The key to an effective college or university is building a strong sense of community, and newsletters can help keep people connected to that community. You can send them to alumni, students, prospective students, and parents of students to help build the community. In addition, these newsletters should heavily feature the college’s logo and colors for branding effectiveness.

7. New Customer Sign-Up Newsletter

When a company signs up a new customer, they can put that customer into a digital marketing campaign using a newsletter template. The new customer newsletter will not only welcome the customer to the company but also provides some background information about the company and what it offers, highlight a specific product or service and encourage them to join an online community for the business.

Sign-up newsletters have an 82% higher open rate than other types of email marketing, so this is a type to spend some time developing. The key to making a new customer newsletter effective is not overdoing it. Make sure it welcomes them to the company, but do not send too many emails or added too much content to this newsletter. Instead, use it to get them excited about your company and what it can offer them.

8. Nonprofit Newsletter

Getting enough donations and keeping people engaged is one of the biggest challenges of a nonprofit organization. The correct email newsletter design might help. With an eye-catching, informative newsletter, you can encourage people to maintain their loyalty and service to your organization.

You can create a newsletter template that gives you a place to share testimonials and stories about your services as a nonprofit organization. You can also send infographics through this email to show how valuable donations can be and how many people you can reach with a particular donation amount. When people read these stories, they are more likely to want to donate to help similar stories take place. Be sure to add a call-to-action that encourages the reader to donate, and make the CTA button and link very obvious and high up on the page within the newsletter design.

9. Event Newsletter

Are you hosting an event or webinar? Create a newsletter around it. The newsletter can help build excitement about the event while keeping it in the minds of your target audience. If you are hosting an online or hybrid event, connecting with your target audience using a newsletter is essential.

With an event newsletter, you can generate more buzz about your event. Highlight speakers or vendors to generate interest in them. Give customers an incentive for attending the event so that you will have better success. Make sure you use terminology in the newsletter that creates a sense of urgency and bold the fonts that highlight the date and time. After reading, the recipient should have an intense fear of missing out and aim to be at the event, no matter what.

10. General Monthly Newsletter

You don’t always need a specific reason to send a newsletter. If you have a business or organization that needs to reach people regularly, then consider setting up a general monthly newsletter and give people an incentive to sign up for it. Include high-quality content of particular interest to your readers and use an attention-grabbing subject line to increase open rates.

To make your monthly newsletter effective, give your readers a reason to open it. Interesting information that is of benefit to them is essential. Updates about your business and its direction are also helpful. Consider including a discount or promotion if your business is an e-commerce business. An informative case study could also be a great option to include in this business email.

11. Health and Wellness Newsletter

A health and wellness newsletter is a tool for wellness businesses to keep their clients and customers informed about health-related topics. These newsletters are effective because they are sent to people who want and need the information. You can fill this type of newsletter with educational tips and infographics, tutorials on fitness programs, recipes, and information about the products your company sells.

If you include a special offer on a product in this type of newsletter, make the offer clear and concise. It should have a large font and a clear CTA button to increase the chance of getting clicks. Also, ensure you offer value on top of the sales pitch so that people will click and read the newsletter.

12. Retail Industry Newsletter

A retail industry newsletter differs from a fashion newsletter because not all retail stores sell clothing. With a retail industry newsletter template, you can communicate with your potential customers what you offer them that makes your business stand out. For example, if you have a curbside pickup or an online shopping option, highlight that in your newsletter. If you take a specific form of convenient payment, like PayPal or Zelle, highlight that. Include information about your products, and add engaging, personalized photos of those products or people using your products to make readers interested in purchasing.

13. Holiday Newsletters

The holidays are a great time to capitalize on people’s natural spending tendencies. Set yourself up for success by creating a space on your business website for holiday promotions, such s “Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas.” Then, tie that link into your newsletter. You could send a curated gift list with links to products or a special discount for people who buy from your promotion. The key is timing. Send this newsletter close enough to the holiday that it makes sense but far enough out that people have time to make their purchases.

14. Announcement Newsletter

An announcement newsletter is used to make some announcements for your business. Think of it like a press release, but for your email subscribers. It can be an announcement about a new service or product, a change to the business structure, a new employee, or a new promotion. The key to making an effective announcement newsletter is giving the recipient a reason to open it. Therefore, you want it to sound exciting from the subject line to the main header, so people will want to read. Also, make sure you choose a relevant announcement that gives people a reason to click because if it is too generic, they will ignore it or, worse, unsubscribe from your email list.

Looking for more, check out our round-up of the 12 best newsletter examples!