Newsletters are great to stay in touch with your customers, build trust and drive sales. There’s a whole range of different types of newsletters to choose from depending on the purpose, which can be confusing.
The wrong type of newsletter can lead to a drop in engagement, which can impact sales and a decrease in customer trust. So, how do you decide which type of newsletter to use and when to use it?
In this article, we’ll explain all the different types of newsletters available and help you choose the one that’s best for your business.
We’ll look at:
- Welcome newsletter
- Drip campaign
- Promotional newsletter
- Blog update newsletter
- Summary or round up newsletter
- Curated newsletter
- Paid newsletter
- Event recap newsletter
- Interview newsletter
Let’s begin.
Different Types of Newsletter
Let’s take a closer look at each of the newsletter type to see which one would work best for your business.
1. Welcome newsletter
A welcome newsletter is a type of email that’s sent to new subscribers to welcome them and introduce them to your brand. It’s typically sent soon after someone subscribes to a list, and it’s a great way to build rapport and start a relationship.
It’s short and to the point. It includes a brief introduction about the company or individual as well as information on what sort of content subscribers can expect to receive.
It’s also a good idea to include a call-to-action, such as a link to a blog post or a discount code for a product in the welcome newsletter.
Welcome newsletters are important as they help to set the tone for future communications. You’ll be more likely to build a lasting relationship with subscribers if you’ve got a well-optimized welcome email.
- Example: Feedly
- Who it’s best for and when to use it: Any online business can use it to welcome new users to their email list. This is usually the first email your subscribers will ever receive from you.
2. Drip campaign
A drip campaign is a series of email newsletters sent at regular intervals over a set period of time. They are usually sent out in a sequence, with each email building on the last. The goal of a drip campaign is to engage your subscribers and build trust with your brand.
Drip campaigns are usually automated using email marketing tools such as MailerLite, Mailchimp, Sendinblue, and more. The first email in the series is used to welcome subscribers to your list and introduce your brand while subsequent emails educate subscribers about your products and services.
- Example: newsletter.tips
- Who it’s best for: Businesses and marketers who want to make use of automation to create an evergreen marketing funnel. Usually used for teaching something.
- When to use it: When you’ve high-value evergreen content that is not time-sensitive or part of a news cycle. This way, whether subscribers start your drip automation next week or next year, you can be confident that they’ll benefit from it.
3. Promotional newsletters
Promotional newsletters are used to advertise special offers, new products, or upcoming events. These newsletters are typically short and concise with a clear CTA.
Promotional newsletters have a potential to significantly increase sales and build customer loyalty. It’s an effective way to keep customers informed about your company and its offerings. Promotional newsletters can also be used to promote your business in other ways, such as by sharing customer testimonials, contests, or highlighting social media posts.
These newsletters are generally sent on a monthly or quarterly basis before an upcoming sale or holiday season.
- Example: WPPOOL
- Who it’s best for: eCommerce, digital products and SaaS websites.
- When to use it: Promotional newsletters should be a part of your overall email marketing strategy. It should never be the only kind of email marketing you send. Instead, make sure to balance out promotions with building a relationship with your subscribers by adding value through content.
4. Blog update newsletter
A blog newsletter is a summary of the most recently published article that’s sent to subscribers on a regular basis, usually once or twice a week. These newsletters provide a great opportunity to share your latest posts and bring traffic to your website.
By sending out a blog newsletter, you essentially give your subscribers a taste of your latest content in the hopes that they’ll be encouraged to visit your website to read the full article. Not only does this drive traffic to your website, but it also helps to build relationships with your subscribers by providing them with regular updates.
- Example: Neil Patel’s Blog
- Who it’s best for: Bloggers and publishers.
- When to use it: When you have high-quality content and want to direct subscribers to a specific blog post you think they’ll enjoy.
5. Summary or round up newsletter
Instead of a single article, a monthly summary newsletter includes your most recent articles, upcoming events, and current promotions. It contains a brief summary of each piece of content and a call to action encouraging subscribers to view it.
This type of newsletter is ideal for businesses that regularly create and publish new blog posts, informational videos, and downloadable assets like eBooks and white papers.
- Example: Elementor’s Blog
- Who it’s best for: Bloggers and publishers who regularly put out great content month after month.
- When to use it: When you have a high volume of content and don’t want to spam subscribers by sending them email updates every time you publish something new on your blog. This lets subscribers choose which posts they’re most interested in and only read those.
6. Curated newsletter
A curated newsletter is a weekly or monthly email newsletter that contains links to articles, blog posts, videos, or other online content that has been carefully selected by an editor from multiple sources.
The idea behind a curated newsletter is to provide subscribers with a selection of the best content from around the web, all in one place. This saves subscribers from having to wade through endless amounts of content to find the gems themselves.
- Example: The Gaming Pub
- Who it’s best for: Experts in a particular niche who stay up to date on all the latest news.
- When to use it: When you not only want to share posts from your own blog but also want to position your newsletter as “industry news”. This lets you go from creator to curator.
7. Paid newsletter
A paid newsletter is an exclusive content newsletter that’s available behind a paywall. The goal of this newsletter is to provide subscribers with content that is not available anywhere else. The content may include articles, interviews, tips, behind-the-scenes looks or product recommendations.
Paid newsletters usually have a small email list because they’re targeted at small groups of people who value the content and want to support their favorite content creators.
- Example: Freelance Football Opps
- Who it’s best for: Experts who can offer something unique that users won’t find anywhere online.
- When to use it: When newsletters are your business and you want to make money directly off your content. If your newsletter is for marketing purposes you should not create a paid newsletter as that greatly diminishes your reach.
8. Event recap newsletter
An event recap newsletter provides a summary of an event that has recently taken place. It includes a variety of information, such as a description of the event, photos, quotes, and feedback from attendees.
The newsletter gives a recap to people that may have missed attending the event.
It also serves as the opportunity to promote similar future events.
- Example: Texas Squared
- Who it’s best for: Local organization conducting meetups and events regularly.
- When to use it: It’s best to send event newsletters before and after an event. Before an event, you can send out a newsletter to increase anticipation and get more people to the event. After an event, you can send out a newsletter to allow attendees to relive the event and recap the event for those who were unable to attend.
9. Interview newsletter
An interview newsletter is created by conducting interviews with people who are experts in a specific field or topic. It typically contains a transcript of the interview, as well as an opinion and analysis from the interviewer.
The primary goal of an interview newsletter is to provide subscribers with new and interesting information from the expert that motivates them to achieve their goals.
- Example: No CS Degree
- Who it’s best for: Media houses or podcasters who interview people on regular basis.
- When to use it: When you may not be an industry expert but want to make a name for yourself in a specific industry or niche. Interviewing experts is a great way to establish your name and drive awareness for your newsletter. It can also help you learn about the industry too.
Things to consider when choosing the type of newsletter
It’s well-known fact that every $1 spent on email marketing, you get $42 in return. A newsletter is one of the most important aspects of growth that businesses can’t afford to ignore.
Apart from other things, the success of your newsletter also depends on the type of newsletter you choose to send to your subscribers. The right type can help ensure that your message is getting across to your target audience. Below are some questions you can ask yourself when deciding on the type of newsletter:
What can you offer – Ask yourself what kind of content can you offer your subscribers that no one else can.
What is your goal – It’s important to consider the goal you want to achieve with the newsletter. Do you want to drive sales, boost engagement, grow traffic, or build a relationship with your customers?
Who is your audience – You should have a clear idea of who you’re trying to reach with your email newsletter, what are their interests, and what kind of information they would be interested in receiving from you.
What format will you use – There are several different formats you can use for your email newsletter, from a traditional text-based email to a more modern, image-heavy design. Consider what would work best for your business and your audience.
Answering these questions can help you pick the right type of newsletter for your business and to convey the right message to subscribers.
Conclusion
There are many different types of newsletters that one can use as a marketing channel. The above listed are some of the popular types that businesses across different niches can send to their subscribers. Choosing the right type of newsletter can help you engage with your audience, build relationships, and most importantly drive sales.
