Newsletter: what it is, what it is for, features and parts
The regular publication that keeps your audience informed: function, features, parts and an example
A newsletter is a short, regular publication that an organization sends to a specific audience to share its updates, news or announcements. It can be printed or digital, and today it is almost always sent by email.
Newsletters are published by companies, schools, city councils, associations and residents’ groups. When it arrives by email, it is also called an e-newsletter or email newsletter.
Its main function is to keep a group of people informed on a regular basis: customers, members, employees, students or neighbors.
It also serves other purposes:
- Sharing news: products, services, changes to opening hours or activities.
- Building a relationship: it reminds readers that the organization exists and gives them something useful.
- Building trust: it shows the organization’s work transparently.
- Promoting: it announces events, offers or campaigns.
- Gathering feedback: it invites readers to reply, vote or take part.
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A good newsletter has these traits:
| Feature | What it means |
|---|---|
| Regular | It comes out on a fixed schedule: weekly, every two weeks or monthly |
| Short | It sums up information in short, easy-to-read texts |
| Targeted | It is written for a specific audience that knows the sender |
| Timely | It covers recent or upcoming topics |
| Recognizable | It has a recognizable name, logo and design in every issue |
| Easy to scan | It uses headlines, images and regular sections |
| Includes contact details | It states who publishes it and how to reply |
Although every organization has its own style, almost all newsletters follow this structure:
- Masthead: the newsletter’s name, logo, issue number and date.
- Table of contents: a short list of the topics in that issue.
- Lead story: the most important topic, with a headline and an image.
- Secondary stories: shorter pieces on other topics.
- Regular sections: events calendar, tips, interviews or readers’ questions.
- Call to action: what you want the reader to do, such as signing up or visiting a website.
- Footer: contact details, social media and, in the email version, the unsubscribe link.
The email version also adds the subject line and the preheader, which decide whether the newsletter gets opened or not.
Depending on the format and the audience, the most common ones are:
| Type | Who it is for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Local audiences or people without email access | A school’s or parish’s monthly bulletin | |
| Digital or electronic | Any audience with email | An online store’s newsletter |
| Internal | A company’s employees | Staff news, policies and team achievements |
| External | Customers, partners or the general public | Launches, events and usage tips |
| Commercial | Customers and prospects | Useful content with offers and promotions |
| Institutional | Citizens, students or members | A city council’s or an association’s newsletter |
Digital is the most common type today because it arrives instantly, costs less than printing and lets you see who has read it.
In practice, yes. An “email newsletter” is simply a newsletter sent by email, and in email marketing the two terms are used as synonyms.
The only difference is in usage: “newsletter” is also used for printed or institutional publications, while “email newsletter” always refers to the email format. If you want to create your own, we explain it step by step in how to create a newsletter.
Newsletter example
Here is what a bike shop’s monthly newsletter could look like:
Free Wheels Newsletter · October
In this issue: the new autumn route, how to get your bike ready for the rain and 10% off servicing.
Lead story: on October 25 we are organizing a group ride through the mountains. Places are limited: sign up by replying to this email.
Tip of the month: check your tire pressure every two weeks.
Offer: 10% off a full service until October 31.
You’ll find more ideas in our newsletter examples.
- Define your goal and your audience. Informing employees is not the same as informing customers.
- Choose a frequency and stick to it: regularity builds the habit of reading it.
- Build your subscriber list with a subscription form and their consent.
- Design a template with regular sections so you don’t start from scratch every time.
- Write clear headlines and short texts.
- Send it and measure how many people open it and which links they click.
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These are the most common questions.
A short, regular publication with an organization’s news or updates, aimed at a specific audience.
To keep its audience informed on a regular basis, build a relationship with them and share news, events or offers.
Masthead, table of contents, lead story, secondary stories, regular sections, call to action and a footer with contact details.
One that is sent by email or published on a website instead of being printed. It is also called an e-newsletter or email newsletter.
It depends on the audience and the content. The most common schedule is once a month or every two weeks; what matters is sticking to the frequency.