What is a newsletter and how to create one?

A newsletter is a simple way to maintain regular email contact with people who consciously want to receive your content, offers or updates. In practice, it helps build relationships and trust without depending on social media algorithms, because you reach the recipient directly in their inbox. A well-planned newsletter can educate, inspire and support sales at the same time, provided you stay consistent and focus on quality. To begin with, all you need is a basic sending tool and a few hours a week to prepare content and analyse results. In this article, you will go through what a newsletter is (and what it is not), as well as the business goals it most often helps to achieve. That will make it easier to design communication that makes sense both for your brand and for subscribers.

what is a newsletter and why is it worth using?

A newsletter is a recurring email sent to people who have consciously signed up to a subscriber list. It is not spam if there is consent and a clear option to unsubscribe in every email, because the recipient retains control over whether they want to keep receiving messages. It is most often used to build relationships and maintain contact (e.g. education, updates, inspiration), as opposed to a sales campaign aimed at a specific transactional goal. In practice, a newsletter can include sales elements, but it is worth adjusting the proportion of content to offer to the specifics of the industry.

It is worth using a newsletter because email is a channel that is not limited by an algorithm and allows you to reach the recipient’s inbox directly. It works particularly well when you have a consistent topic to communicate about (e.g. new products, content, events) and can maintain regularity. If you do not have the resources for consistent sends, it is more sensible to start with simple automations (e.g. a welcome sequence) than to run chaotic mailings. In the long term, a newsletter also supports brand-building and trust, because it allows you to maintain a consistent communication tone and deliver on the promise made at sign-up.

1. 01Informed consentSubscription is the recipient’s choice.
2. 02Relationship buildingEducation, inspiration, contact.
3. 03Direct reachIt lands in the inbox without algorithms.

A newsletter is recurring contact based on trust, not one-off selling.

what are the most common business goals of newsletters?

The most common business goals of a newsletter include generating sales, recovering abandoned baskets, increasing blog traffic, webinar sign-ups and building a customer base. Email is often chosen instead of (or alongside) social media because it enables direct communication with subscribers. In e-commerce, a newsletter often supports promotions and product recommendations, in services it plays a lead nurturing role, and in online education it helps distribute materials and sell courses. For example, a cosmetics shop may send skincare routines with links to bundles, while a law firm may send a monthly summary of legal changes.

A newsletter’s success is assessed through metrics matched to the goal, although in practice open rate and CTR are checked most often. Typical open rate ranges are around 20–35% (depending on the industry and the quality of the list), and CTR for well-matched content often falls within 2–5%. In e-commerce, RPM (revenue per 1,000 emails sent) and email’s share of sales can also be important. If a newsletter is meant to support the business, KPIs should be set from the start and send results should be consistently compared against the goal, rather than relying on an “eyeballed” assessment.

how do you build an effective newsletter strategy?

An effective newsletter strategy comes down to a clear plan: who you are writing for, what you promise and how you regularly deliver value in subsequent sends. Start by defining 1–2 personas and their real problems, because that makes it easier to choose topics and relevant examples. Next, describe a specific benefit on the sign-up form (rather than generic “news”), so the subscriber immediately knows why they are leaving their email address. At this stage, it is also worth planning recurring sections that reduce production time and build recognition.

To make the newsletter work for results, set KPI from the outset and measure them after every send in the context of the goal. In practice, a simple 4–8 week content map works well, based on a mix of topics (e.g. education, inspiration, case study, offer, Q&A), so you are not improvising week after week. Choose the frequency according to your capacity and industry, but predictability should be the priority. If you are worried about burning out, start with a lower frequency and only increase the pace after a few sends, once the process is working. Match the length of the email to the audience and format. Often a shorter, concise message with 1–2 links works better than a “wall of text”.

• Define the audience (1–2 personas) and the main problem you solve.
• Define the sign-up value proposition (a concrete benefit for the subscriber).
• Set the goal and KPI (e.g. open rate, CTR, clicks, leads or revenue).
• Plan a content map for 4–8 weeks and recurring sections.
• Set the sending rhythm and one main CTA in the email, linked to the path to purchase.
• Create a simple brief and production process (topic, goal, 1 idea, 1 CTA, segment, links).

The strategy should also take the purchase journey into account, even if you do not sell in every email. A practical setup is, for example, education → free webinar → consultation → paid offer, where the CTA follows naturally from the message topic. Match the tone and level of formality to the audience and the offer. In regulated industries, precision matters, while for creators a more personal style and recurring formats often win out. If several people prepare the newsletter, a short brief template helps maintain consistency and avoid getting stuck at the “where do I start” stage.

1. 01Define the audience and the problemPersonalise content for 1–2 personas.
2. 02Plan the value and benefitA concrete promise on the sign-up form.
3. 03Measure results and deliverSet KPIs and regular content sections.

The key to success is a clear plan: for whom, what and how you deliver value regularly.

what tools should you choose to create a newsletter?

When choosing tools for newsletter creation, it is best to look at the sending platform (ESP) and how efficiently you will implement automations, segmentation and measurement of results. Among the most commonly chosen solutions are MailerLite (easy start), Brevo (good pricing), GetResponse (advanced funnels), Mailchimp (popular, but can be more expensive) and ConvertKit (often chosen by creators). In practice, the decision should be based on integrations with e-commerce/CMS, automation capabilities and the cost at your number of contacts. If you plan to grow the list, also check the options for segmentation and dynamic content in campaigns.

If deliverability matters to you, it is crucial to send from your own domain and configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC in DNS. A good practice is to use a subdomain (e.g. newsletter.yourdomain.pl), especially at higher volumes, as this helps protect the reputation of the main domain. It is also worth making sure the From and Reply-To fields are consistent: the sender should be easy to recognise, and replies should go to a mailbox that someone actually monitors. Such interactions can strengthen quality signals with some email providers.

To build the message, you can use a drag-and-drop editor or prepare your own HTML, depending on the resources and level of control you need. At the beginning, a simple, lightweight template usually works better (1 column, readable fonts, clear CTA), because clarity more often wins than an elaborate design. Before you send a campaign, check how it renders in different inboxes and on mobile. Outlook can lay out content differently from Gmail, and issues often come from tiny fonts or images without ALT. If you have access, tests in tools such as Litmus or Email on Acid help you quickly spot differences.

When choosing a tool, pay attention to integrations and analytics, because without them it is harder to connect the newsletter with traffic and sales. On WordPress websites, form integrations and automatic source tagging are useful, while in Shopify/WooCommerce purchase events are crucial for segments and automations. To measure results, use UTM parameters (e.g. utm_source=newsletter, utm_medium=email, utm_campaign=…) and analyse performance in GA4 and the sales dashboard. In addition, a preference centre (choice of topics or frequency) helps reduce unsubscribes, because the recipient can tailor communication instead of opting out altogether.

How do you acquire subscribers in line with the GDPR?

You can acquire subscribers in line with the GDPR provided that you collect email addresses only from people who knowingly sign up and receive clear information about who will write to them and for what purpose. The basis is a voluntary, specific and informed consent, as well as meeting the information obligation (e.g. a link to the privacy policy), rather than pre-ticked checkboxes. In practice, forms in the footer, a landing page and a checkbox at checkout (unticked by default) work well, as does a pop-up shown after a certain time (e.g. 20–40 seconds). If you want a better-quality list and less risk of fake addresses, consider double opt-in, which supports deliverability.

Sign-ups are encouraged by a promise of a specific benefit, i.e. a lead magnet tailored to a real audience need. Examples that effectively collect sign-ups include a -10% coupon for the first purchase, PDF checklists, a 5-email mini course, a Google Sheets calculator or a live webinar. An e-book makes sense when it solves one problem and is concise (e.g. 10–20 pages), rather than being a general “guide to everything”. At the same time, it is worth limiting the data scope: often an email address is enough, and the first name can remain optional for personalisation purposes.

Legal and ethical acquisition also means not sending unsolicited commercial information and not using addresses “from the internet” as presumed consent for a newsletter. In Poland, the mere presence of an email address in CEIDG is not equivalent to consent to be added to a list, so it is safer to separate cold outreach from the newsletter. Do not buy databases, because it usually ends in a low open rate, high complaint volumes and the risk of domain blocks, and you also do not have valid consent. It is also worth having rules from the very first email: a visible unsubscribe link and clear sender identification (company name, address, contact) genuinely reduce the number of spam complaints.

If you use an email marketing platform, make sure the formalities related to data processing in the tool are in order. In practice, you usually enter into a DPA/data processing agreement with the provider, which answers the question of whether the tool may process subscriber data. This is a good moment to check where the servers are located and what security measures the provider declares. This ensures that list acquisition and management remain consistent not only from a marketing perspective, but also organisationally.

1. 01Informed consentVoluntary, clear sign-up.
2. 02Information obligationClear purpose, link to the policy.
3. 03No automatic consentsCheckboxes unticked by default.
4. 04Double opt-in (optional)Verification, higher quality.
5. 05Valuable lead magnetReal benefit for the recipient.

Build your list legally, transparently and effectively, offering value and respecting the user’s choice.

how to personalise and optimise newsletter content?

You personalise and optimise a newsletter most effectively when you tailor the content to the segment and the recipient’s behaviour, and give the email one clear goal. Personalisation is not just “Hi {name}”, but above all tailoring recommendations and messaging to what the user does (e.g. categories viewed). In practice, segments based on the sign-up source, activity and purchases, as well as dynamic blocks that display different content depending on the tag (e.g. B2B vs B2C), are helpful. This approach usually makes it possible to send less, but more precisely.

It is worth refining the email content through a clear structure and an unambiguous “next step” for the recipient. When a message has too many threads and links without a clear hierarchy, clicks usually drop, so it is better to stick to the rule: 1 goal and one dominant CTA. The copy in the paragraphs should quickly answer three questions: what do I gain, how do you know this, and what should I do now, while the subject and preheader should promise specific value. If you are only building your communication rhythm, recurring sections (e.g. “Tip of the week”, “Tool of the month”) make scanning easier and shorten preparation time.

Optimisation also covers UX and readability, especially on mobile. Since most recipients read on mobile, use a 14–16 px font, larger buttons (min. ~44 px high) and shorter lines of text, because CTA that is too small and links placed too close together can reduce CTR. Make sure the text-to-image ratio is right: an email that is too “image-heavy” looks empty when images are blocked, so add ALT text and move the key message (offer/CTA) into the text. For accessibility, use good contrast and descriptive links (“See the checklist”, not “click here”), because then the email is easier to scan.

Finally, refine the elements that genuinely affect quality and filtering risk. Avoid exaggerated phrases like “100% FREE.”, overusing exclamation marks and suspicious link shorteners, and always deliver on the promises made in the subject line within the content. If you care about a repeatable standard, rely on a simple framework: a short introduction, the main value, a CTA and a PS with an additional benefit or link. This format makes it possible to write even very short emails (approx. 120–200 words), as long as they are specific and have a clear next step.

what automations are worth implementing in e-mail marketing?

It is worth implementing automations in e-mail marketing when you want to respond to recipient behaviour and generate results without sending every email manually. The most important foundation is the welcome sequence, because it reaches people with the highest intent right after sign-up and immediately sets expectations. A typical structure is 3 messages: the first delivers the promise and the lead magnet, the second shows the best content or starter offer, and the third asks for a reply or choice of preferences, which makes segmentation easier. This start helps you match communication more quickly and maintain a consistent experience after sign-up.

In e-commerce, the most practical automations are abandoned cart and post-purchase, because they are based on specific buying events. An abandoned cart often recovers sales when you send 1–3 emails within 1–24 hours with a reminder and, for example, free delivery instead of large discounts. Post-purchase is a good place for instructions, cross-sell (e.g. “this product goes well with…”), and a request for a review after 7–14 days. This way, the newsletter supports the entire post-purchase cycle, not just a one-off transaction.

In B2B, automations most often take the form of lead nurturing (drip campaigns), which gradually guide the recipient from problem awareness to a sales conversation. In practice, a sequence works well: problem → consequences → solution → case study → meeting offer, and you can also implement scoring (e.g. +5 points for a click, +10 for visiting the pricing page) and pass “hot” leads to sales. After 60–120 days without opens, trigger re-engagement, and treat no response as a signal to deactivate or remove the contact, because inactive contacts reduce reputation and increase costs in the ESP. With a new domain or IP, increase volume gradually (warm-up), starting with the most engaged segments.

how do you measure success and optimise newsletter campaigns?

You assess the success of newsletter campaigns when, after each send, you analyse metrics directly linked to the goal (traffic, leads or sales), rather than relying on intuition. Typically, open rate, CTR, unsubscribes, spam complaints, bounce and revenue or number of leads are checked. If you are accountable for sales, connect campaigns with analytics via UTM and review the results in Google Analytics 4 and the e-commerce dashboard. Click-to-open rate (CTOR) can be particularly useful, because it shows content quality at a given open rate level.

• Open rate, CTR and CTOR (content quality relative to opens).
• Unsubscribes, spam complaints and bounce (risk to reputation and deliverability).
• Revenue/leads from campaigns (including tracking via UTM in GA4 and sales data).

Campaign optimisation is based on regular A/B tests and improving one element at a time so that the result is not down to chance. Test a single variable, e.g. the subject, send time, email length, CTA or layout (button vs link), and make the decision after a sample of at least several hundred recipients. If you want your tests to produce reliable conclusions, do not combine several changes at once in one experiment. In practice, this consistency translates more quickly into steady increases in CTR and conversions.

Deliverability and predictable growth in results also require quality control and ongoing monitoring of sender reputation. It is worth keeping an eye on Google Postmaster Tools and having DMARC set up, as this makes it easier to diagnose bounces and reduce the risk of domain spoofing. As the list grows, processes become more important: a content calendar, a QA checklist (links, footer, UTM, mobile tests) and clear segmentation rules. This makes it easier to maintain a consistent sending standard even when you increase scale and the number of campaigns.