Newsletter: What It Is, How to Create One, and Examples

A newsletter is content sent by email on a recurring basis to a list of people who chose to receive it, with the goal of informing, building relationships, and keeping a brand top of mind. It’s not the same as promotional email marketing: a newsletter focuses on valuable content, not a one-off offer. It’s also one of the highest-return channels in digital marketing, according to Litmus.

Within content marketing, the newsletter is one of the most widely used formats for sharing news, articles, and material relevant to a lead or customer. In the next sections, you’ll see what it is, how it differs from email marketing, what types exist, how to create your own, and how it can even become a source of income.

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is a communication tool that a brand, company, or creator uses to regularly reach their contacts by email. By gathering useful information for the recipient, it captures the audience’s attention and strengthens the sender’s image of authority.

The name comes from “news” and “letter,” which is why it’s also called an informational bulletin. Whether with simple text or more elaborate digital marketing resources, a newsletter helps build a closer relationship between sender and reader. Everything comes down to the quality of what’s offered.

Someone working in marketing, for example, might put together a newsletter to share market updates with subscribers. The reasoning is simple: not everyone has time to search for relevant content on their own. A newsletter delivers that curated roundup, works as a marketing action to build customer loyalty, and boosts both recognition and reputation for the brand in its niche.

What’s the difference between a newsletter and email marketing?

The difference lies in the goal: email marketing aims for a direct commercial action, like a purchase, while a newsletter aims for a long-term relationship built through content. Both use email as the channel, but with different purposes. Email marketing usually has a single call to action and focuses on conversion. A newsletter brings together varied content and focuses on keeping the audience close, even without selling at that moment.

In practice, the two complement each other within a strategy. The table below sums up when each one makes the most sense:

Thinking of the two as rivals is a common mistake. The newsletter lays the groundwork and email marketing reaps the result once the lead already trusts the brand.

How does a newsletter work?

A newsletter follows a simple flow: first, the person voluntarily signs up for a list, leaving their email in a form, a landing page, or another channel run by the creator or brand.

That consent is called opt-in, and it’s what guarantees that only people who genuinely want the content receive it.

From there, the author or brand starts sending content at the defined frequency: weekly, biweekly, monthly, whatever makes the most sense for that project. Each send lands directly in the subscriber’s inbox, with no dependence on any algorithm or on the reader actively searching for the content.

When they receive the email, readers can simply consume the content, click a link, or take the action proposed in that send, like checking out an offer or signing up for an event. And at any time, they can cancel their subscription (the unsubscribe link in the footer is part of a healthy channel and keeps the list made up only of people with genuine interest).

What types of newsletters are there?

The most common newsletter types are informational, promotional, curated, and institutional. The choice depends on the goal of the send and where the audience is in their journey. The same creator can use more than one type, as long as each send has a clear purpose.

Informational newsletter

An informational newsletter delivers news, analysis, and content from a niche, without a sales focus. It’s the best option for building authority and keeping a recurring audience, because the value lies in the content itself. For beginners, it tends to be the most natural entry point.

Promotional newsletter

A promotional newsletter shares offers, launches, and discounts on products or services. It works well to warm up the base ahead of a campaign — including as part of an affiliate marketing push — as long as the offer comes paired with useful content and doesn’t take over the whole send.

Curated newsletter

A curated newsletter gathers a selection of links, articles, and material from various sources. It’s ideal for someone who produces little original content but knows the niche well and can tell what’s actually worth sharing. The work of filtering is, by itself, the value delivered.

Institutional newsletter

An institutional newsletter shares brand news, behind-the-scenes updates, and announcements. It helps stay close to customers who are already loyal, keeping the relationship alive even outside of a sales campaign.

In practice, nothing stops you from combining more than one type over time. What can’t be missing is clarity about the goal of each send.

What is a newsletter for, and what are its advantages?

A newsletter helps nurture leads, build customer loyalty, and keep the brand present without depending on social media reach. It’s one of the main tools for lead nurturing, because it gives the audience the information that helps them move forward in their buyer’s journey.

The advantages that matter most day to day for anyone using the channel:

• Owned channel: unlike social media, the email list is yours. An algorithm change doesn’t cut your reach.
• Direct relationship: email lands in the inbox, a personal space, which creates more closeness than a post in a feed.
• Low cost, high return: with an average open rate around 24% across industries in 2025, according to Mailchimp’s benchmark, email remains one of the channels with the best cost-benefit ratio.
• Authority: consistent content on a topic turns the sender into a reference, which later opens the door to selling.

A newsletter is also a good channel for sharing one-off news, like product launches, events, promotions, and special dates. If you have a blog or a YouTube channel, it’s worth sharing your most recent content there too.

How to create a newsletter?

Creating a newsletter involves five steps: defining the goal, building the contact list, choosing the sending platform, producing the content, and measuring the results. The process is simpler than it looks and doesn’t require a large upfront investment.

1. Define the goal: relationship, lead nurturing, or sales. The goal determines the type of content and the frequency.
2. Build a good list: use forms or a landing page to gather people who genuinely want to receive it. Never buy lists: it hurts deliverability and reputation.
3. Choose the platform: a sending tool organizes your sends, avoids the spam filter, and delivers metrics. More on this in the tools section.
4. Produce the content: define the email subject line, the opening text, and the curation. Valuable content comes before any offer.
5. Measure and adjust: track opens and clicks to understand what works and refine the next sends.

What should a good newsletter include?

A newsletter that works is more than just putting words together and hitting “send.” Below are the points that can’t be missing if you want to produce newsletters that convert more and more leads.

1. Produce quality, relevant content

Don’t use the newsletter just to share promotions and explicit sales pitches, because that leads many people to unsubscribe or mark your email as spam. To deliver quality content, make the most of that contact and show the customer you want to help them. That’s how you build a relationship of trust and open the door for a sale to happen.

2. Invest in a simple template and engaging copy

Choosing your newsletter’s visual design is as important as the content itself. Go for a simple template, with pleasant colors and no excess. Be careful not to overuse images: they complement the text, but shouldn’t dominate the email, since they can be slow to load or may not even open on some devices.

Before worrying about the content itself, you need to get the lead to open the email. Write subject lines that spark curiosity and hint at something new or unexpected. A good tip is to use mental triggers in your copy.

3. Go for an intimate tone

For readers to identify with your brand, approach them the way you would in a real conversation. Speak in second person, use “you” instead of impersonal phrasing, and don’t be afraid to share behind-the-scenes moments, lessons, or even mistakes (this humanizes the communication).

Swapping “the X team would like to inform you…” for “today I want to tell you about…” completely changes how the reader perceives it. Asking questions throughout the text also helps create that conversational feel, as if you were answering a question the reader themselves would have.

The more a newsletter feels like a message from someone who knows the subscriber, rather than an institutional announcement, the higher the chance they’ll keep opening future sends.

4. Don’t overdo the sends

A newsletter brings the reader closer to the brand, but sending too often has the opposite effect. The content needs to always be relevant. Responding to a customer’s interests never means bombarding them with promotions. Content that converts is content with real usefulness: it answers questions and presents solutions.

The more you know about your leads, the better. That’s why it’s worth creating a persona for your business, a profile of your ideal customer that’s useful for the newsletter and for your whole marketing strategy.

5. Make your content scannable

With several topics to cover, organize your headlines well and highlight the most important points. In longer pieces, keep just an intro or summary with a link to the full content on your site. The newsletter stays leaner, and you’ll find out, from click data, which topics grabbed the most attention.

6. Personalize the sender

The name that shows up as the sender is one of the first things a subscriber sees before even opening the email, and it weighs as much as the subject line in the decision to click.

❌ Avoid generic addresses like “no-reply@yourcompany.com”: they come across as an automated notice, not a conversation.

✅ A combination that tends to work well is pairing a person’s name with the brand’s, like “Maria from Hotmart” or “John | Newsletter XYZ.” This makes it clear who’s sending it while also reinforcing what business it’s from (which helps the reader recognize the email quickly in a crowded inbox).

Whenever possible, also use an active reply address: if the subscriber wants to respond, they should be able to reach a real person, not hit an inbox that’s never checked.

7. Use an email automation platform

To avoid the spam folder and be able to automate and analyze your sends, use email marketing automation platforms — this is part of how to use email marketing the right way. They make the work more professional. There are several options on the market, including Hotmart Send.

8. Never forget the metrics

Email marketing tools provide metrics that help you evaluate a campaign. You can find out which times generate the most clicks by studying the open rate, and understand which subjects spark more interest by watching the clicks on each piece of content.

Tracking this is essential for a good ROI.

9. Test frequently

The work doesn’t end once the newsletter is ready to send: that’s just the beginning! 👀

Running frequent A/B tests is what separates those who improve the channel little by little from those who repeat the same formula without knowing if it’s actually working.

Some elements worth testing: the email subject line (direct subject lines versus curiosity-driven ones, for example), the time and day of sending, the sender’s name, the format of the calls to action, and even the template structure.

Test one element at a time, so you can isolate what actually caused the difference in results, and give the sample enough time to be meaningful before drawing conclusions.

What’s the ideal frequency for sending a newsletter?

Frequency is one of the core traits of a newsletter. Adopting this format means sending it with a well-defined cadence, which builds the relationship with the lead: they get used to receiving the material and start to expect the email.

There’s no standard frequency for every type of activity. The recommendation falls between once a week and every two weeks. You can survey your subscribers to see if they’re enjoying the frequency and decide, together with your audience, on the best rhythm. To plan your sends, it’s worth creating an editorial calendar, where you list the actions planned for each send.

What to check before sending a newsletter?

Before any send, run a test going point by point through what will be covered. A few items that need review:

• Contact base: check the list of subscribers who’ll receive the content, since segmentation is part of the strategy.
• Typos: proofread the text to deliver the message with the best possible quality.
• Links and CTAs: make sure all links and CTAs are correct.
• Subject line: review the subject, the first point of contact, and make sure it fits the purpose of the send.

What information can I send to my lead?

Besides news and institutional updates, a newsletter works well for sharing content that helps the lead move forward in their buyer’s journey. It’s worth remembering it doesn’t always have to be tied to timing: if you have a blog or YouTube channel, share your latest articles and videos there too. What matters is keeping things relevant for your base — which also ties into any broader email marketing strategy.

How to measure newsletter results?

The four main newsletter metrics are open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, and bounce rate. They show whether the content is being opened, whether it sparks interest, and whether the list is healthy.

Newsletter examples for inspiration

Good newsletters tend to have a fixed format, a distinct voice, and curation subscribers wouldn’t find on their own. Some formats that work well in practice:

• Niche curation newsletter: rounds up the best content of the week on a topic. This is the case for newsletters that are a reference in the digital market.
• Behind-the-scenes newsletter: a creator shares how they built a project, including lessons and mistakes. It builds closeness and loyalty.
• Serialized educational newsletter: each edition teaches part of a bigger topic, like a learning track. It works well for people who sell courses.
• Brand newsletter: combines useful content with business news, keeping the offer a small part of an email packed with value.

What they all have in common is consistency. The subscriber knows what they’ll get and when, and that creates the ritual that keeps the open rate high.

How to build a contact list for your newsletter?

A contact list only has value when it’s made up of people who consented to receive that content. It’s no use having thousands of emails if no one on the list asked to be there: it drags down open metrics, increases unsubscribes, and even hurts the deliverability of future sends.

Some effective ways to build a contact list for your newsletter:

• Form on your site or blog: a simple field, visible in the header, footer, or between articles, already captures people engaged with your content.
• Dedicated landing page: a page just for the newsletter, explaining what the subscriber will get and how often, converts better than a generic form.
• Free resources (lead magnets): an ebook, checklist, class, or free template in exchange for an email is one of the fastest ways to grow the list.
• Sign-up during checkout or registration: when it applies, offering the option to join the newsletter at the moment someone is already buying or signing up for something of yours.
• Promotion on social media: using the channels where you already have an audience to invite people to move to a channel that’s entirely yours.

It’s worth reinforcing one point: buying email lists is never a good strategy. Beyond violating data protection rules that require explicit consent for sending communications, purchased lists tend to have very low engagement and hurt the sender’s reputation (which can even cause emails to genuine subscribers to land in spam).

Growing slowly, with people who genuinely signed up, is worth far more than a large, disengaged list.

Can you make money with a newsletter?

Yes, a newsletter can become a source of income in two ways: as a paid subscription product, or as a channel that helps sell digital products like courses, mentorships, and communities. This is where a relationship-based format connects directly to a creator’s income.

The context helps explain why this path has grown. The creator economy keeps expanding worldwide, and selling digital products is already one of the main income sources for content creators, with returns well above other activities, according to recent industry studies.

It’s worth staying realistic: a large share of creators still haven’t managed to monetize what they produce. For those just starting out, that’s not a red flag — it’s a roadmap: the difference between monetizing or not usually comes down to treating content as a business and using an owned channel with a low barrier to entry. A newsletter is exactly one of those channels, because you start with a small list and grow at your own pace.

In practice, a newsletter can be your first digital product or the channel that supports the sale of everything else. On Hotmart, an all-in-one platform for creators built on principles like how Hotmart works, you can set up a paid subscription, organize delivery through a members area, and centralize payment, with no monthly fee and no sign-up fee. You create the account, register the product, and the platform only takes a cut when you sell.

Tips from newsletter experts who spoke at Hotmart FIRE

During the FIRE Festival, a panel on newsletters brought together names behind newsletters that are a reference in the digital market and free subscriptions. Here are a few tips the experts shared:

The newsletter format is an option for content creators who want to work with text instead of video or audio. Beyond a blog, they can also produce in newsletter format and keep their audience connected there.

The first step is to understand what the audience wants and deliver exactly that. If you do curation and have a wide range of topics in your niche, you can lean on those topics without needing to reinvent the wheel.

Have commitment to your cadence and settle on formats that work. If your newsletter is weekly and always brings a piece of news, a reflection, and a set of tips, find ways to stay consistent with that. It creates a ritual with your audience.

The subject line deserves full attention. The content can be the best you’ve ever produced, but if the subject line is weak, the open rate drops. Write it with the same care as the rest of the content.

Only write and send content you’d genuinely want to receive yourself. And the more niche the newsletter, the higher its open rate tends to be.

Newsletter summary

As we’ve seen, a newsletter is a recurring email communication channel, built on the trust of people who voluntarily signed up to receive it.

Unlike email marketing, a newsletter doesn’t live off immediate conversion: the value lies in maintaining the relationship with the audience, delivering relevant content, and, over time, turning that closeness into authority (and into income, if that’s the goal).

For beginners, the path involves defining a clear goal, building a list of people who genuinely want the content, choosing a sending platform, keeping consistent frequency, and tracking metrics to improve with every edition.

The table below brings together the main information about newsletters:

If you already have an audience on another channel or you’re starting from scratch, a newsletter is one of the most accessible formats to test: it requires little upfront investment, and the return grows along with the consistency of what you deliver.

Frequently asked questions about newsletters