The channel you own
Social media reach rises and falls with every algorithm change. Your email list does not. When someone gives you their email address, you can reach them directly, as often as they want to hear from you. That is why a good newsletter is one of the most valuable long-term assets a business can build.
The key word is good. Most business newsletters are ignored because they are only promotions. People open newsletters that give them something worth their time.
Start with a clear promise
Before choosing a tool or a template, write one sentence: "Every [week or month], [who it is for] get [what they get]." For example: "Every month, clinic owners get one practical idea to grow their practice." Or: "Every fortnight, D2C founders get the most useful lessons from our work with brands."
A clear promise makes it easier to write each issue, easier for people to subscribe, and easier to stay consistent.
Choose a format and stick to it
Readers like knowing what to expect. Pick a simple, repeatable structure, such as:
- one main idea or story,
- two or three useful links or tips,
- one short update from your business,
- one clear call to action.
Keep it scannable, with short paragraphs and clear headings. Write like a person talking to one reader, not a company addressing a crowd.
Pick a realistic frequency
Monthly is a good starting point for most businesses. Fortnightly or weekly can work if you have the material and the time. The worst outcome is starting weekly and disappearing after a month. It is far better to be reliably monthly than occasionally weekly.
Choose the right tool
For product, offer, and customer emails, use an email marketing platform that connects to your website, store, or CRM, so you can segment subscribers and automate welcome emails. For idea-driven newsletters from a founder or expert, a platform like Substack can be simpler and help with discovery, as we explain in Substack for brands and founders.
Grow your list the right way
Add a clear signup form to your website, especially on blog posts and your homepage, with a reason to join. Mention it on social media and in your email signature. Offer something useful, such as a guide or checklist, in exchange for signing up. Invite existing customers.
Always get clear consent, make unsubscribing easy, and never add people without permission or buy lists. Bought lists damage your sender reputation and your brand.
Balance value and selling
A simple rule: most of each issue should help the reader, and a smaller part can promote what you sell. When your newsletter is genuinely useful, readers are far more open to your offers when they do appear.
Measure what matters
Track open rates and clicks, but also replies, forwards, unsubscribes, and the enquiries or sales that come from the newsletter. Ask readers what they want more of. Review every few issues and adjust.
Make each issue work harder
A good newsletter issue is a goldmine of content. Each main idea can become LinkedIn posts, X threads, carousels, and a blog article, as we show in how to turn one idea into a week of content. Plan issues alongside your content calendar so everything works together.
Newsletters at Outlier Labs
At Outlier Labs, we run email and Substack newsletters for brands and founders: defining the promise, planning issues, writing them in your voice, and turning them into posts for other channels. If you want a newsletter people look forward to, tell us about your business.
