I know we’ve all ended up on a boring newsletter at some point in our digital lives, right? You know the type, either it’s got no substance, it’s repetitive, or is always trying to sell you something. Because we’ve all been there, it’s easy to get too in your head about your newsletter content ideas. 

How do I make sure my email actually gets read? How do I engage my audience and continue to provide them with value and build trust? The last place you want to end up is in the Bermuda Triangle of your audience's inbox, never to be heard from again. Worry not, we've got you! 

Today, we're tackling everything from choosing the perfect topic to crafting a standout newsletter. Plus, we're dishing out 20 of our favorite newsletter content ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Let’s go!

Choosing a Newsletter Topic: The Art of Relevance

In the beginning, picking a newsletter topic can be hard, especially if you’re starting from scratch. It’s like preparing a dish for a potluck. You want to offer something that'll appeal to most of your guests, while still staying true to your own flavor. So, how do you hit that sweet spot?

1. Know your audience 

Do you have any customer data? This could be from previous purchases, from your social media followers, your current email subscribers, or those who’ve responded to your ads. What interests your audience? What challenges do they face? What excites them? Curate your content around their interests as it relates to your brand.

2. Align with your business

First and foremost, your topic should resonate with your business goals and brand image. Remember, your newsletter is a representation of your business. This is easier if you have more of a personal brand, because your brand is you! 

With other branded businesses, just make sure that the topic, tone, and style matches how you display your brand and talk about your offers.

3. Scan the landscape

As with creating social media content, keep an eye on any trends or topics that are trending in the world and in your niche. Is there something timely and relevant you can weigh in on? Afterall, The best content you can produce is content that is relatable.

Making Your Newsletter Standout: The Secret Sauce

Any good newsletter content idea is like a good story — it captures the reader’s attention, delivers an unexpected twist, and provides them with entertainment so they’re wanting more. There are lots of different ways to achieve this in your content but here are three ingredients we think are particularly important:

1. Personalization 

People love being addressed by their name, and newsletters are no exception. Use subscriber data to personalize content, showing you value them as individuals. You can take this even further with your email marketing software by utilizing trackable links for them to click and using their expressed interests to further personalize their email newsletter content.

2. Quality content

Deliver value with each newsletter. There’s lots of ways for things to be valuable to people. Value doesn’t always mean educational, sometimes value means that you’re providing your audience with a funny story or opening up and sharing about your journey as a business owner. 

Whether it's a unique insight, practical advice, or exclusive offers, ensure your reader gains something with each email [even if that’s just a better understanding of you, the person behind the business].

3. Engaging design 

A visually appealing newsletter can significantly boost engagement. Make sure that your email has your brand vibe whether this is using brand colors or images relevant to your business.

Also make sure that you’re formatting your newsletter for easy reading [or skimming, even]. Have subtitles or section headings so people can easily identify the information that’s the most useful for them. 

If it’s appropriate for your target audience, even consider adding a TL;DR [too long, didn’t read] statement at the top of your email. This might be counterintuitive but not every newsletter you write won’t hit 100% with your audience and they’ll appreciate you being upfront and concise about what to expect from this particular email. 

We’ve got more tips for creating engaging newsletters in this post if you’re looking to round out your newsletter game.

What Not to Include in a Newsletter: The No-Nos

Having a bank of newsletter content ideas is important because it makes drafting up the next week's email much easier, but it’s just as important to know what to not include in your next newsletter. Remember, especially with new subscribers, you’re essentially emailing strangers and they’ll be quick to leave if they don’t like the vibe of your newsletter. 

1. Overwhelming promotions 

This one almost goes without saying, but we see so many business owners make this mistake when coming to our platform, Social Fox. 

While promoting your business is important, your newsletter shouldn't come off as a relentless sales pitch. Basically, don’t be a broken record. Spend the majority of your time providing value and helping your audience build a relationship and build trust with you as the business owner. 

Keep promotions subtle and value-driven. People will be much more likely to buy if you aren’t flaunting your offers in their face, every… single… email. 

2. Irrelevant content 

Stay on topic. If your newsletter is about online marketing tips, don't suddenly veer into discussing your favorite pizza toppings [at least not unless you’re using it as a metaphor or it obviously ties back in]. 

There’s a difference between storytelling content and your own musings or ramblings. The line can be fine at times but it’s worth knowing which stories are relevant and which aren’t.

If you need help with crafting engaging storytelling content, make sure to grab our Storyselling Guide so you can weave stories into your email newsletter ideas like a pro!

3. Long-winded content 

Newsletters should be concise and digestible. If you want to really expand on a topic, emails aren’t the place to do it [at least not the whole explanation in one email]. 

Consider making that topic into a blog post or a video for those who wish to delve deeper and linking that in your email as an added resource. 

The Downfall of Newsletters: Common Pitfalls

We’ve mentioned this multiple times already, but most newsletters fail because they forget their purpose: to provide value to the reader. When you sit down to draft your newsletter content ideas you should consider one thing first: am I writing this newsletter to serve my audience or to serve myself? 

Now yes, obviously, you’re running a business, and at some point, you’ve got to sell your offers or products, but overly sales-y emails laced with desperation to make a quick sale will never convert. Provide value first and prioritize the relationship with your subscriber and you’ll be golden. 

Another potential pitfall to look out for: consistency. If you write a month's worth of weekly newsletter and then they don’t hear from you for three months until you launch a new product that screams “I only care about writing to you when I want something from you” which is not a good look. 

Show up consistently in your newsletter, whether this means one a month, once a week, or somewhere in between. Start with a frequency that you can easily manage and then increase from there when you get more comfortable.

Serving Up Fresh Content: 20 Newsletter Content Ideas

Because we’re givers here at Social Fox, we’ve put together some newsletter content ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. Take a look at these but remember to always put your own unique twist on them and make them relevant to your business.

1. How-To Guides: Share practical tips and tricks related to your niche or product.

2. Insider Peeks: Give a behind-the-scenes look at your business [people are nosy and love BTS content].

3. Product/Service Spotlights: Highlight the benefits of your offerings in an authentic, storytelling way.

4. Customer Testimonials: Share success stories from your customers.

5. Exclusive Discounts: Reward your subscribers with special offers that make them feel valued.

6. Curated Content: Share useful articles, videos, or resources from around the web that will be relevant and valuable to them.

7. Industry News: Keep your audience updated on the latest in your industry.

8. Interviews: Feature conversations with industry experts or team members.

9. Surveys or Polls: Encourage interaction to gain a better understanding of your audience, their pain points, and their preferences.

10. Q&A Section: Answer commonly asked questions from your customers to help address any objections they might have.

11. Upcoming Events: Promote webinars, product launches, or special events.

12. Monthly Roundups: Recap your top blog posts, news, or product updates. This is a great recurring newsletter content idea to use once a month. 

13. Contests or Giveaways: Drive engagement and excitement in your brand and products.

14. Inspirational Stories & Personal Anecdotes: Motivate your audience with uplifting or entertaining stories that tie into your brand, your why, or just lets your audience get to know you a little more.

15. Book/Product Reviews: Share your thoughts on relevant books or products that your audience would find valuable.

16. Infographics: Provide information in a visually appealing format if you’ve been consistent in emailing your list. Starting with graphic heavy emails initially can be marked as spam by email service providers. 

17. Holiday-Themed Content: Capitalize on seasonal interest or events.

18. FAQs: Address frequently asked questions about your business or products.

19. Guest Posts: Let an expert in your niche share their thoughts on a particular topic.

20. Community Spotlight: Highlight a customer, employee, or community member.

Now that you’ve got some newsletter content ideas tucked away in your back pocket, get to drafting! We like to batch our newsletters for each month so we can create a story arc if we want to, plan around different promotions, and most importantly, schedule our emails in Social Fox so they’re sent out on autopilot. We love a good business automation around here!

So, go on, give these strategies and content ideas a whirl. And remember, the key to a successful newsletter is to consistently deliver value, be authentic, and stay connected with your audience!