{"id":16856,"date":"2025-11-19T09:35:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T09:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/?p=16856"},"modified":"2025-11-26T15:09:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T15:09:30","slug":"how-to-use-newsletters-to-build-and-retain-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/how-to-use-newsletters-to-build-and-retain-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Newsletters to Build and Retain Customers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you&#8217;re running a business or growing a personal brand, newsletters help keep your audience engaged, drive consistent traffic to your content and most importantly, build lasting relationships with your audience.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When done right, they connect, convert and build long-term loyalty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So how do you create a newsletter that people actually look forward to opening?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What makes a great newsletter?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good newsletter should consist of unique, informative and engaging content while being easily readable, well-designed and delivered in a personal way to your intended audience.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are 6 key qualities of a high-performing newsletter:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A clear purpose <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose should guide the content and design of your newsletter to ensure it effectively communicates and engages with your audience. Question are you educating? Entertaining? Promoting? Or all three perhaps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Example:<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.morningbrew.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Morning Brew<\/a> offer a great example of delivering clear purpose through their newsletter, to continually educate and inform busy professionals with a quick, witty roundup of the day\u2019s top business and tech news.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Valuable content&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your newsletter should offer valuable content your audience can&#8217;t get from you elsewhere, while serving directly to their interests. Think:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exclusive tips&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sales, promotions or early access&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exclusive subscriber content&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Industry insights&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Product updates&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Curated resources&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Example:&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Award-winning newsletter from <a href=\"https:\/\/huckberry.com\/newsletter?srsltid=AfmBOopqXKSCmNUDUAwE7DxtZctq0EPjT8jxe4bxbCPYAvik0b8ucVfp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Huckberry<\/a> offers valuable content throughout their newsletter, with exclusive tips and inspiration; offering style advice, adventure stories and gear recommendations tailored to their audience\u2019s lifestyle. They also offer sales, promotions and regular subscriber-only deals including early access to product drops and limited-time offers. Along with Subscriber-exclusive content and curated resources.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Audience Focused<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure your content is relevant to your target audience. It\u2019s easy to get lost in what you, as a business, needs to sell or market. Instead, focus on what your readers want to hear about.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about the readers needs, not just company updates and ask yourself: \u201cWill the reader care about this?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Example:<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grammarly<\/a>\u2019s Weekly Insights email focus on addressing their readers needs by sharing personalised content with tailored feedback based on the user\u2019s recent writing activity like productivity stats and their most common grammar issues. They focus their content on being helpful, not \u201csalesy.\u201d With emails often linking to writing tips, style guides or productivity advice; content the user is likely to find useful and actionable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Visual and Engaging<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A newsletter should be visual, fun and engaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding in visual elements keeps your audience excited and engaged, as more often than not, the reader will just be skim-reading through the newsletter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Try adding:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Short-form videos&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>GIFs&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graphics&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thumbnail links to your blog or YouTube channel&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Example<\/em>:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/uk\/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buzzfeed<\/a>\u2019s newsletter nails visual engagement by delivering easily digestible content in an easy-to-read format. It grabs readers attention with GIFs and memes, while bold visuals and pop culture images help to break up the text. Thumbnail links are also used throughout and a focus on bite-sized copy and minimal text blocks helps the newsletter stay highly visual, engaging and easy to skim-read.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Right Frequency&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a week newsletters works for some businesses, just as well as once-a-month newsletters work for others.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your industry niche, location and audience will all have an impact on what email frequency will work best for your newsletter. Check out reports from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inboxally.com\/blog\/the-most-important-email-marketing-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">InboxAlly<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.beehiiv.com\/p\/2025-state-of-email-newsletters-by-beehiiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beehiiv<\/a> to get a better understanding of what frequency will work for you. If you have more time, test around with different frequencies and monitor opens and click rates. It\u2019s important to strike the right balance between familiarity and curiosity.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Example:<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theskimm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Skimm<\/a> is a newsletter brand dedicated to keeping women informed about the day\u2019s top news and cultural highlights. Its main publication, \u2018The Daily Skimm\u2019, delivers a concise, easy-to-read roundup of the most important stories every morning. In addition, newsletters like \u2018Skimm Well + Good\u2019 and \u2018Skimm Sports\u2019 provide weekly deep dives into wellness and sports. They\u2019ve understood the necessary frequency for each newsletter based on their audience\u2019s preferences, delivering daily content where timeliness and immediacy matter most, and opting for weekly editions for topics of less importance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Curating your newsletter: what to include&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you being curating your newsletter, keep these 10 elements in mind to ensure maximum success.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compelling subject line: <\/strong>Tease the content that\u2019s inside to spark curiosity. Mailjet has a great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mailjet.com\/blog\/email-best-practices\/newsletter-subject-lines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guide<\/a> on the do\u2019s and don&#8217;ts for compelling subject lines.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Featured content: <\/strong>Start with the most compelling and exciting content to feature at the top of your newsletter to spark immediate interest.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visual graphics:<\/strong> Use graphics, images, videos or GIFs to keep viewers engaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clean layout<\/strong>: Keep the layout clean and organised to make it easy to read through.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Minimal text:<\/strong> Don&#8217;t overload your newsletter with text, focus on short and engaging descriptions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clear CTAS:<\/strong> Direct viewers to each article with a clear CTA.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"7\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reduce promotions:<\/strong> Keep promotional content under 10% of your newsletter. Focus on value content instead.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"8\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Social links:<\/strong> Make it easy for readers to follow you on other platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"9\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unsubscribe button:<\/strong> Allow subscribers to easily opt-out if they want.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"10\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Feedback: <\/strong>Ask your readers what they want to see more of, helping to nurture a community.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1063\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-1063x1600.png.webp\" alt=\"newsletter layout example\" class=\"wp-image-16936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-1063x1600.png.webp 1063w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-199x300.png.webp 199w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-768x1156.png.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-1021x1536.png.webp 1021w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-400x602.png.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-800x1204.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-832x1252.png.webp 832w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/09\/inner-150x226.png.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/inner.png 1201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1063px) 100vw, 1063px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should be included&nbsp;in a newsletter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key is to mix value with variety. You want your readers to feel like each newsletter is worth their time whether they&#8217;re there to learn, discover or simply stay updated.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a breakdown of content types that consistently perform well and help build stronger customer relationships:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Blog posts<\/strong>: Share your latest or most relevant blog posts to drive traffic back to your site.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Company updates<\/strong>: Share company milestones, upcoming changes or a peek into your creative process. This will make your audience feel like insiders.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How-to guides<\/strong>: Position yourself as a helpful expert. Share tutorials, how-to guides, FAQs and tips that help your audience.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Testimonials and case studies<\/strong>: Feature real customer stories, testimonials or case studies that highlight success with your product or service. Read more on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/best-ways-to-use-testimonials-reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">importance of sharing social proof here. <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Competitions and Giveaways<\/strong>: Nothing boosts engagement like a chance to win something! Promote giveaways and competitions directly through your newsletter.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Industry news<\/strong>: Share any relevant trending news in your industry. This positions your newsletter as a go-to resource, even when it\u2019s not just about you.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Event announcements<\/strong>: Let your newsletter subscribers be the first to know of any events you will be attending or sponsoring.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1<strong> Tip:<\/strong> Every industry has its own style and approach to newsletters. One of the best ways to gather inspiration is to subscribe to your competitors\u2019 newsletters. Pay attention to what they include, the type of content they share, the frequency of their emails and how they engage their audience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FOSS apps for building &amp; sending emails &nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider using free open-source tools like Listmonk or SendPortal to build, manage, and send email campaigns giving you full control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>ListMonk<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/listmonk.app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Listmonk<\/a> is a , self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager. It\u2019s designed to handle large volumes of emails quickly, making it great for businesses or creators who want full control over their subscriber data and sending process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key features include:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Subscriber management with tags, custom fields, and import\/export&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Campaign builder with Markdown and HTML support&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advanced segmentation and targeting&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Email previews with test sends&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reports on delivery, open, and click-through rates&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SMTP integration (Amazon SES, Mailgun, Postmark etc.)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SendPortal<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sendportal.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SendPortal<\/a> is a self-hosted email marketing platform that focuses on subscriber and campaign management, with a user-friendly dashboard. It\u2019s built with Laravel and ideal for teams that want to manage newsletters without monthly SaaS fees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key features include:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Drag-and-drop email editor or custom HTML&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>List and tag management&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Campaign creation and scheduling&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SMTP integration (Amazon SES, Mailgun, etc.)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Detailed analytics (opens, clicks, bounces)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Multi-tenant support (for agencies managing clients)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some other notable options to check out include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keila.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keila<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notifuse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Notifuse<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mail-train.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mail Train<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newsletters are a direct link to your most loyal and engaged audience. When you consistently provide value, keep things fun and personal and listen to your readers, your newsletter becomes a powerful tool to build and retain loyal customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class='code-block code-block-3' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<hr>\n<br \/>\n<H4>Upgrade your hosting \ud83d\udcc8 Unleash your websites \ud83d\ude80<\/h4>\n<p>Build, deploy & manage all your sites\/apps at scale. Use our high-spec cloud servers to ensure blazing-fast load times, every time. Get market-leading speed, security & customer support.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel optimisations &amp; more<\/li>\n<li>One click migration from any host, any time<\/li>\n<li>Free Email, DNS, CDN, SSL, SSH, Backups, Security &amp; Git integration all baked-in<\/li>\n<li>Global reach with 60+ global data centres<\/li>\n<li>Award-winning support from real people<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Find out why over 1 million agencies, online stores, developers, multi-site hosting and high traffic sites use our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/managed-cloud-servers\">Managed Cloud Servers<\/a> to ensure peak performance, every time.<\/p>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Our guide on what to include in your newsletters to build and retain your customer base.","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":16937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business-tips","cs-entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16856"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17753,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16856\/revisions\/17753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.20i.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}