67 engaging email newsletter ideas

Do you ever sit down to write your email newsletter and wonder what the heck to say? To keep your audience’s attention, you need to be useful — whether that means providing information, making people laugh, being inspirational, or offering deals people can’t find elsewhere. You need email newsletter ideas, and you need them now!

That’s why in this post, we’ve gathered 67 email newsletter ideas you can use right now to create engaging and informative newsletters your customers and clients can’t wait to open.

But before we dive into email newsletter ideas, let’s talk about how to write a captivating newsletter.

You're probably subscribed to at least a few email newsletters. Most of us are in the age of the internet and information galore. But I bet there are some you read all the way through, some that you skim, and others that you delete without even opening.

Why do you read some until the end and others not-so-much?

The answer: STORY.

I’m willing to bet that the email newsletters you love the most are rife with stories — they may be funny stories, uplifting stories, motivating stories, horror stories, or cautionary tales.

We humans are natural-born storytellers and story seekers. We look for ways to relate to one another and to find our place in this vast universe that we live in, often through story. It's how we bond.

So, by strengthening your storytelling mojo, you just might strengthen your bond with your readers as well.

3 great reasons to write story-driven email newsletters

As you can see, storytelling is an important aspect of creating a newsletter. Now, it’s time to understand the reasons you should be writing story-driven newsletters.

1. Storytelling helps your audience relate to you

Telling stories makes you relatable, which strengthens your bond with your readers.

Everyone has stories to share with the world about lessons they’ve learned, funny things that have happened to them, interesting encounters, sadness, and heartbreak.

Every story you share with your readers and with the world could potentially be the exact words that someone needs to read right now.

Sharing yourself and all that you’ve experienced is one of the greatest gifts that you can give to the world and to your readers. They’ll think you’re far more interesting if you talk about what’s really going on with you than if you solely send out promotional emails and lists of upcoming events.

2. Storytelling makes writing your email newsletters a breeze

Telling stories actually makes it easier to write your email newsletter, because all you have to do is think about what’s happened to you recently that could be of value to your readers.

Obviously, you’ll want your stories to be tied into your business and whatever you normally write about, but your life is ripe with content.

For example, maybe you’re a musician with an upcoming gig you want to promote in your newsletter.

Perhaps you could lead into it by telling your readers about this really funny thing that happened with your drummer in rehearsal last week, and how you don't know if you'll make it through your next gig without cracking up about it. Oh, and by the way, readers — you should probably come to the gig, because it’s going to be the best time ever!

See how that works? Tell a story and invite people into your world. Interesting things that are share-worthy happen all the time.

Start thinking about what’s happened in your world lately that your readers might be interested in.

3. Storytelling helps you strengthen your brand message

If your brand is all about caring for the planet, you could share personal stories about how excited you were about the new water-saving showerhead you purchased.

If your brand is all about punk music, you could write about an amazing punk show you went to and share a pic of you and your friends there.

Stories give your brand more depth. They can show that you’re walking the walk, so to speak.

What is your brand all about? What stories can you share about yourself and from your life to deepen that message?

Start keeping a small notepad with you so you can write down interesting things that happen, funny things that you see, strange encounters you have, and conversations you overhear. It’s all fodder for amazing, story-driven email newsletters.

Now that we’ve covered why storytelling should be at the core of your email newsletters, let’s go over actual ideas you can use right now.

Below you’ll find a collection of 67 different email newsletter ideas that you can use to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and promote your offers.

Keep in mind that not all of these email newsletter ideas will work for you — it depends a lot on your industry, the tone you’re going for, and your target audience.

However, they are a great starting point that you can save and refer to over and over again when you’re facing writer’s block and feel like you have nothing to say.

Feature something (or someone) awesome

Customer or member of the day, week, or month.
Employee or volunteer of the day, week, or month.
Product, artwork, or song of the day, week, or month.
Quote, poem, scripture, recipe, joke, or word of the day, week, or month.
Deal of the day, week, or month.
Your own achievements. Have you been recognized as a leader in your industry? Share your achievement with your email subscribers, as there is no better way to build your expert status, not to mention your customers love celebrating with you.
Interview one of your readers and write about it.
Share customer success stories and highlight how your product/services helped.
Highlight podcasts you listen to that are useful for your industry.

Have some fun

Themed "horoscopes" (e.g., gardening horoscope, career horoscope, writing horoscope)
Contest or giveaway. This can be in your newsletter or through one of your social media channels.
Creative signature. If you usually sign off with “sincerely,” try an alternative like “cheers,” “until next time,” or maybe even “XOXO” if it’s appropriate.
National day or holiday. Highlighting those days works great on social media, and adding it to your newsletter can encourage your subscribers to interact with you on their preferred social media channel.
Create a fun quiz for your followers to take. Airbnb, for example, had a marketing campaign built around a quiz asking followers, “What kind of family are you?” The quiz involved choosing vacation locales that appealed to the quiz-taker, then produced a result that gave them their family type and the vacation location that suited them, and invited them to follow through and book a trip.
Showcase your/your employees’ pets. Everyone loves cute pet pictures.
Welcome new hires to your small business by introducing them to readers with a short bio/profile.
Create a challenge for others in your industry with a checklist of tasks to complete. If you’re able to, attaching a prize to completing the challenge can be a fun addition.

Provide useful information

Simple instructions for how to make a [blank] (e.g., floral arrangement, killer resume).
Alternatively, write a deep dive into a complex topic that helps your audience understand the nuances of a tricky subject. Flex your knowledge!
Five tips and tricks on a topic relevant to your audience (e.g., productivity, living frugally, networking, parenting, entrepreneurship, mindfulness).
Simple instructions for how to start a [blank] (e.g., book club, email newsletter, Etsy shop).
Three steps to do [blank] better, faster, saner, or cheaper.
Debunk common industry myths.
Share case studies.
Open job listings in your industry.
Or, if you’re hiring, let your readers know.
New regulations/laws that may impact your readers who are in a similar industry to you.
Share takeaways from a recent event (such as a conference, convention, etc.) and how your readers can apply that information.
Share challenges that you’ve faced with your business, including how you solved these challenges.
Top 10 things you wish you knew before starting a small business (or whatever your particular niche is about).
For seasonal newsletters, consider making a gift guide.

Make an announcement

Milestone announcement (e.g., sold your 100th house, celebrated the five-year anniversary of your business).
Upcoming events. These can include your own and/or other relevant events in the community.
Pre-sale or pre-registration alert.
Product launch or new feature announcement.
Last-chance alert for a product, sale, or event registration.
Let readers know when a popular product has been restocked.

Curate fabulous content

Teaser for your video, podcast, or blog post.
Blog post roundup (including links to posts by you and/or others in your industry).
Best free online resources on a topic relevant to your business.
Links to the latest authoritative research on topics relevant to your business.
Product or behind-the-scenes video (When you launch a new product, consider making a video about the product in use or film the process of making it. Video is a great way to drive engagement.)
A roundup of all the top-ranking content about your topic.
Provide a list of the social media profiles that you follow in your industry and why you follow them.

Give it a personal touch

History of your organization or business.
Things or ideas you’re loving right now.
Mission statement for you or your organization, or business.
The best advice you ever got about [blank] and how it can help your readers.
Behind-the-scenes glimpse of your organization or business.
Personal anecdote that helps your readers learn more about you and your organization or business.
Books you’re reading or want to read.
A tool or a resource that helps you be more effective in your business.
Lessons you’ve learned from running your own business.
Mistakes to avoid in your industry.

Go visual

Unexpected or metaphorical photo or drawing.
Professional photo of you in your element.
Infographic.
Quote graphic.
“Day-in-the-life” video from you or an employee.

Make it about them

Customer or member testimonial or success story.
Timely call-to-action. Why should they do it now? What's in it for them?
Subscriber-exclusive offers.
Customer or member survey. Collect feedback and report results in a future newsletter.
Headline, image, or story that taps into your readers’ aspirations (e.g., be more fashionable, generous, business-savvy, or fit).
Crowdsourcing for a future product. Ask readers to vote on which product or service you should release next.
Sincere note of thanks and appreciation to your audience.
Local community incentives and happenings. If you’re running a local business, this is a great way to show your involvement in the community.

Email inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time. Keeping a running list of ideas on your phone or your computer can really help you strategize and send thoughtfully.

Final thoughts

There you have it — 67 email newsletter ideas to invigorate your email marketing campaigns. The ideas on this list will help you share an actionable tip, an inspiring story, or show the human side of your brand.

Keep in mind that it's a great practice to have a very clear outline of the content you want to communicate, and the way you want to communicate it, before you sit down to compose your email newsletter.

You'll save yourself time and make it most likely that your email newsletter hits its mark with your readers.

You probably already are applying some of these content ideas in your mind right now and thinking about ways to incorporate storytelling into your email marketing.