When creating email marketing campaigns, newsletters are one of the most effective ways to connect your business with your audience. That's because email newsletters can help nurture customers, build brand loyalty, as well as drive traffic and conversions when you create a website.
In order to reap the benefits of your newsletter, your emails need to be engaging, insightful and visually appealing. It might seem challenging to follow all these best practices in one email, but it can be done. In this article, we've gathered 15 outstanding newsletter examples for your inspiration. They've been categorized accordingly so that you can find the best example for your type of business and your specific marketing strategy.
What makes a good newsletter?
Before you make a newsletter, you should know what separates the good from the great. Here are some of the best practices to keep in mind as you craft your own newsletter:
Set clear goals: We recommend you have a clear mission and message behind every newsletter. You can segment your email list based on goals set for certain groups, whether it's to generate awareness or drive sales. Segmentation is important because it helps you send the most relevant content in correlation to where the user is in their customer journey.
Use a range of newsletter ideas: To keep your readers’ attention, you can change up your content using different newsletter ideas. From success stories and listicles to guides, these types of content engage users so that they look forward to your next outreach.
Be visual with your design: Your newsletter design should aim to be eye-catching and intriguing. The best newsletter examples include illustrations, photos or videos. Whichever you choose, your newsletter design needs to stand out.
Include a CTA: Incorporate a strong call to action (CTA) button somewhere in the newsletter that leads to a relevant business page. If you have not yet done so, creating a website will allow you to maximize your newsletter’s traffic, elaborate on your offer and best drive conversions.
Keep it mobile-friendly: Since most emails will be read on a smartphone, you should make sure your newsletters are mobile-friendly. For instance, readers will only be able to see the first 30 characters of your subject line when opened on a phone. With this in mind, write your copy considering these space limitations.
Best newsletter examples:
Holiday newsletter examples
01. Skillshare
Subject line: Honoring Juneteenth
Online learning community Skillshare celebrates Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. In its newsletter, the company interviews its own Black artists and creators and shares their stories about what Juneteenth means to them.
Readers of the email newsletter received compelling images and powerful quotes that brought this complex topic to life. We believe this is a strong newsletter example because Skillshare successfully connects a historical moment to its own users in a unique and engaging way.
Why this newsletter example works:
Ties a national holiday back to their business
Showcases users in an effective way
Incorporates interviews and quotes
02. John Lewis
Subject line: Perfect gifts for Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a big holiday, especially for retail brands. As a business owner, you’ll need to know how to make your email newsletters stand out on this important day.
Take John Lewis’ email example as a model to base your next holiday campaign. Readers are greeted with a clear and concise Mother’s Day message in the subject line and an easy to find link to the company’s gift guide.
The brand also uses storytelling to help promote its products. For example, there is an image of breakfast being served in bed, accompanied by a text about letting your mother enjoy her favorite morning treats in her new John Lewis pajamas. After all, people want to buy products with great stories associated with them. And this newsletter example perfectly carries out that concept.
Why this newsletter example works:
Has a clear subject line
Adds value with a holiday shopping guide
Uses narrative storytelling to drive interest in their products
Home decor newsletter example
03. MiMOKO
Subject line: June newsletter + floral styling tips for beautiful home
MiMOKO sells beautiful handmade ceramic planters and vases. Although the company is primarily an online store, MiMOKO does not merely focus on promoting products and sales in its newsletter. Instead, they use many high-quality photographs to give inspiration for the product’s use.
In this newsletter example, you can find tips for styling tall vases, including using flower diversity, varying heights, and different forages in one vase. MiMOKO is able to introduce subscribers to new concepts relating to their products. Furthermore, their email helps solve a reader's pain point and puts the focus on the customer and not the business.
Why this newsletter example works:
Emphasizes on photographs, thus letting the “images speak for themselves”
Offers helpful design tips that are embedded in the newsletter
Solves a pain point and puts the customer first
Food and restaurant newsletter examples
04. Allplants
Subject line: New Dish Alert! Tempeh Rendang Curry
Instead of inviting users to open their wallets, the company opens its readers’ appetites with mouth-watering photos and detailed descriptions that foodies won’t be able to resist.
A vegan food delivery service, Allplants’ email newsletter is a great example to follow. With it, the company is able to update users about new dishes on offer, as well as ingredients and nutritional information.
Allplants also hosts a giveaway campaign for its users on their next order. Using a free incentive, like a promotion code, can be a strategic way to get people to take immediate action on your newsletter.
Why this newsletter example works:
Writes descriptive text
Uses a promotion code
Creates strategic content
05. Resy
Subject line: New on the Resy At Home Hit List: Cassava, Miss Ollie’s, Z Zoul, and More
Not all reservations are created equal, which is why Resy, a restaurant website, is on the mission to reinvent the way we book our reservations.
In its newsletter, Resy cooks up a selection of 10 local restaurants it recommends that month. This list is displayed using an off-balance symmetry and different-sized numbers that culminate into a truly engaging experience.
Furthermore, the newsletter content is accompanied by strong CTAs, displayed in a consistent blue font. Resy also drives people to download their mobile app with the large font that reads, “Don’t have the Resy App? Get instant access to the best restaurants.”
Why this newsletter example works:
Visual way to use numbers in a listicle
Consistent and clear CTAs
Drives users to download an app
Travel newsletter example
06. We Are Travel Girls
Subject line: Wanderlust Wednesday (June 30th, 2021)
We Are Travel Girls is a community that inspires, connects and empowers female travelers. Their newsletter below includes diverse and helpful content, including travel book recommendations, travel news and relevant product suggestions.
As a best practice for newsletter layout, they’ve included numbers, images and clear CTAs. You’ll also want to consider ways to diversify your own newsletter content, where each section continually adds value for readers.
We Are Travel Girls’ email subject line is always “Wanderlust Wednesday,” with the date added at the end. This is in reference to a day recognized in the online community in which people share travel tips, tricks and trips. The group strategically sends out its newsletter on this day. Can you think of a day of the week or month that your brand might be most relevant and take advantage of it?
Why this newsletter example works:
Diversifies content
Beautiful layout and design
Is sent on a relevant day of the week for its target audience
Design newsletter examples
07. Foreign Policy Design Group
Subject line: Foreign Policy Design: Memo #1
By turning its newsletter into a memo, Foreign Policy Design’s marketing emails show to be artistic and undoubtedly creative. At the top of their email, they use a checklist, acting as a captivating teaser. Also, their typewriter font adds to their signature look. Keeping this in mind, consider adopting some consistent design in your campaigns that will enable users to immediately recognize your emails in their inbox.
The group's layout isn't the only reason we included Foreign Policy Design in our newsletter examples. We also admire this newsletter's implementation of a survey as part of its email marketing strategy. Asking your readers directly what they want will help you create a tailor-made and relevant newsletter. As a result, you can expect higher open rates and better engagement.
Why this newsletter example works:
Uses a memo layout instead of the traditional newsletter format
Has a consistent font and design to create its signature look
Surveys its readers directly to improve content relevancy
08. AIGA Design
Subject line: Big Data’s Biases, and the Artists and Designers Filling in the Blank Spots
Professional association for design AIGA knows exactly who its audience is and speaks directly to them in its Eye on Design newsletter. The organization chooses a story from its website each week and highlights what makes it so exciting.
In the email newsletter example we've chosen below, you can see how AIGA does an excellent job summarizing a complex article about big data. You'd think a piece written about such a topic would be dry or possibly daunting to follow in an email. However, by using clear headings, images to break up text, and even a quote excerpt, the whole article becomes exciting and easy to read.
Another factor that stood out to us is that the whole newsletter consists of three: colors pink, black and white. This simplistic yet stylish email allows for a clear newsletter layout.
Why this newsletter example works:
Highlights a story each week
Makes long-form content digestible
Is simple and stylish
Technology newsletter example
09. WeTransfer
Subject line: We say it best when we say nothing at all
Sometimes it's good to think outside the box. WeShare's whole newsletter is image-based which makes a statement about the file-sharing app. Knowing its users are primarily designers and creators, this newsletter example is “eye candy” to them. We can learn that you do not have to be traditional in your email newsletters. In fact, going against the stream can help you stand out and send the right message.
At the bottom, WeTransfer writes “bring your ideas to life,” and links to their products. They've thereby connected the dots between the newsletter's focus on art and its tool that allows you to share your creativity and files.
Why this newsletter example works:
Goes against the norm with an image only newsletter
Knows its exact audience and caters to them
Bridges between the newsletter and the company’s products
Blog newsletter example
10. Wix Blog
Subject line: The dos and don'ts of great logo design
When you subscribe to the Wix Blog newsletter, you're updated with tips and guides across website design, business growth and marketing to help you succeed online. We assign themes to our weekly newsletters to help readers focus and go in-depth into a specific topic.
We also support each niche topic using three closely related blog posts. Looking at the example of our logo-focused newsletter below, you can find one article about dos and don'ts of logos, a second one analyzing logo colors and a third post showcasing the best logos.
On top of content depth, we also find it helpful to add a product link to the landing page where users can take action and begin their creation journey. In the case of our example, you can go directly to the logo maker from the Wix Blog newsletter to get started.
Why this newsletter example works:
Creates weekly newsletter themes that go in-depth into one topic
Strong CTA’s for each blog post
Includes a link to the end product to help readers get started
Looking to start a blog? Get started with our blog maker.
Banking newsletter example
11. Ando
Subject line: Your Account is Still Waiting
While the color green might make you think of money, it also represents sustainability. In the case of Ando bank, the group is fighting climate change and wants clients to know that all its investments support green initiatives.
Since a lot of thought goes into where we deposit our money, Ando is wise to include that as part of its mission: "Banking with purpose" and "Banking for a more sustainable tomorrow" to help build a brand that's authentic and generates trust.
Additionally, Ando uses powerful repetition in its subheadings like "Banking for balance," "Banking with clarity," and "Bank with confidence." There is a good rhythmic feel to this text that also informs readers and establishes trust. Then, at the bottom comes the CTA "open my account" to convert the lead.
Why this newsletter example works:
Educates readers about the bank’s values and mission
Is well-written content
Uses strong CTAs to drive conversion
Education and school newsletter examples
12. Deakin University
Subject line: Congratulations, you made it!
Who said school newsletters have to be dull? Deakin University welcomes its accepted students with a celebratory greeting, "Congratulations, you made it!" The bright design sets the tone for an exciting future ahead upon opening the email.
Each section in this newsletter example is sectioned off with a different neon color—courses in yellow, upcoming events in pink, scholarships in blue, and preferences in purple. This type of organization method greatly enhances the user experience and makes it effortless to find what you need.
Why this newsletter example works:
Friendly subject line
Well organized color coding of categories
Exemplifies that long newsletters can still be intuitive
13. Tech Will Save Us
Subject line: Prepare For The Future
The subject line "prepare for the future" helps contextualize Tech Will Save Us' newsletter. The education company promotes projects and games that help students prepare for future careers such as in AI, robotics and space travel.
Tech Will Save Us uses cartoon images, boasting oversized typography and solid colors that make the email playful and engaging. There are sticker-like overlays such as a power voltage, pencils and stars that encompass an educational tone.
Lastly, its included subscription prices make it easy for the reader to understand the different tiers that they can choose. The group also makes the wise choice to add pricing toward the bottom email, hoping to convert at the end of a user's scrolling journey.
Why this newsletter example works:
Contextualizes its mission
Adds playful design and colors that align with the educational brand
Incorporates subscription tiers in an effective way
Church newsletter example
14. Passion City Church
Subject line: Watch "The Long Way Up" streaming on YouTube now!
Passion City Church's newsletter comes in bright colors, providing a happy and cheerful tone. In this newsletter example, the church starts by prompting new videos which are uploaded to its YouTube channel. You, too, can use a video maker to create engaging video content for your email campaigns.
A church newsletter is also a great place to remind people of upcoming gatherings and important speakers. Passion City Church advertises its pastor series effectively with a CTA button where readers can learn more about him before the event. Just like Passion City Church, in your own newsletter, you’ll want to remind people of your church's gathering times and days.
Why this newsletter example works:
Uses an inviting visual language
Promotes video content successfully
Shares the church’s gathering times and upcoming speakers
Health and beauty newsletter example
15. Ritual
Subject line: Hey, you're in!
Multivitamin company Ritual is a good example of a company staying on brand throughout its email marketing efforts. If you go to its website, you can see the same font, colors, and logo present in Ritual’s newsletter, conveying a consistent professional look. Try to use the same visual language in your newsletter as you do in your website design.
This email newsletter example has an engaging product image above the fold that is sure to pique visitors’ curiosity. It also informs readers about the company’s mission, promise and products. Ritual has kept each section to just a few sentences that educates without overwhelming the reader.
Lastly, Ritual utilizes the bottom section of the newsletter to prompt readers to follow the company on social media. Driving people from their newsletter to their social media might have likely helped grow Ritual’s Instagram to 267,0000 followers, and counting.
Why this newsletter example works:
Shows consistency in design and colors that align with its website design
Displays great use of a large image in the newsletter
Offers a strategic way to gain social media followers
Thank you, Really Good Emails, for providing some of the images for the newsletter examples in this article.