Newsletters are a great medium. But if you want to reap the rewards of your email marketing efforts, you need to stand out from the competition. And the best way to do that? Is to learn from the best.
In this article, we’ve listed 10 outstanding newsletter examples. So that you can find inspiration. Small businesses have one. Top 500 companies have one. Solopreneurs have one. And you should have one too. That’s just how powerful newsletters are.
Why? Because a good newsletter can help you build brand loyalty, nurture leads and drive extra conversions.
It’s also a great tool to connect with your audience on a regular basis. And stay top-of -mind.
But on the flip side, your customers’ receive dozens of emails. Every single day. And their inbox is a very crowded place. So if you want to get the most out of your email marketing efforts, your newsletter needs to stand out from the competition.
In this quick guide, we’ll help you write a remarkable newsletter. So that you can attract more attention. And drive more sales.
To do that, we’ve curated a list of 10 outstanding newsletter examples, from 5 different fields and industries:
- Business newsletter examples
- Restaurant newsletter examples
- SaaS newsletter examples
- Real estate newsletter examples
- Travel newsletter examples
You can use these newsletter samples as inspiration for your next campaign. And learn from them to up your email marketing game.
Business newsletter examples
There are all types of business newsletter examples out there. But only a few of them are actually worth reading.
1. Morning Brew
Morning Brew is a free daily email newsletter that gives you need-to-know info in a way you didn’t know you needed. It has over 4 million subscribers. Which makes it one of the biggest newsletter in the world. Here’s a sample of the Morning Brew newsletter. And a brief explanation of why it works so well.
Subject line: ☕ Wine and dine
What we love ⤵️
“The best newsletters, the ones that accumulate tens or hundreds of thousands of subscribers, are not “newsletters.” Don’t think of them like that. Think of them as niche news stations. Prime-time TV channels”, once wrote digital writer Dickie Bush.
We couldn’t agree more. Your newsletter shouldn’t be about you. Or your company. Or your products. Of course you can talk about those things. But your newsletter should focus on your readers. Who are they? What do they want? And how can you help them to achieve it?
Here’s Dickie Bush again: “The best newsletters either save you 1,000 hours of annoying work “finding” everything you’re looking for, or save you 1,000 hours of trial and error by accelerating your knowledge in a particular category”.
That’s exactly what Morning Brew does in this example. Every day, their team goes out there, curates the most news-worthy subjects they can find, and then compresses all that information in a short, quick and entertaining read.
How do they do it? They break down each subject into small bites that are easy to digest. They use emojis, titles and images to make their newsletter scannable. And they focus on delivering high-quality content to their recipients.
2. The Saturday Solopreneur
The Saturday Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter operated by Justin Welsh. The emails are sent to 100 000+ web entrepreneurs. And each new issue is packed with tips about content creation. Justin Welsh also uses his newsletter to promote his paid online courses.
Subject line: TSS #065: 3 Excellent Self-Promotion Strategies from Under-the-Radar Creators
What we love ⤵️
Specificity sells. And Justin Welsh knows that. Look at how precise his newsletter subject line is in this particular example. You know right away if this content is for you or not, and what you’re going to get from reading it.
The newsletter’s design is minimalist. Mostly plain text, a logo, and a few embedded tweets. Which goes to show that you don’t need to be a seasoned UX designer to start your own newsletter. If design isn’t your thing, keep it simple and stick to plain text.
As for the content itself, this is where The Saturday Solopreneur newsletter really shines. Each week, Justin Welsh tackles a new challenge that his audience is facing. And he breaks down how he dealt with this problem when he first started his journey as an entrepreneur.
Overall, reading this newsletter example feels like having an educational and entertaining chat with some kind of mentor. Which is why so many people love reading Justin Welsh’s weekly newsletter.
Restaurant newsletter examples
Working in the food industry? Use your newsletter to whet your customers’ appetite. And turn them into regulars. Here are 2 mouth-watering newsletter examples.
3. One Trick Pony
This small company sells peanut butter. And every once in a while, they send out a newsletter. Their emails are always packed with photos of their products and tasty recipes. Don’t you feel hungry just by looking at it?
Subject line: The Peanut Butter Lovers Have Spoken
What we love ⤵️
This food newsletter keeps it simple. One Trick Pony hooks your attention with a photo of their product and a bright yellow background. This sets them apart from the boring corporate newsletters right away.
They also have a great tone of voice. Their writing paints a vivid picture: “I couldn’t find a spoon so I ate it with my fingers”. And it’s fun: “as soon as you wipe the PB off your face”. So don’t be afraid to add a dash of personality to your newsletter. As long as it matches your brand.
Lastly, One Trick Pony used client reviews as social proof. This is a classic marketing tactic. But it works great. Sometimes, it’s best to let your customers do the talking.
4. McDonald’s
McDonald’s is the most popular fast food in the world. Some may say it’s because of their burger recipes. Others might argue that it’s thanks to their brilliant marketing. In this example, McDonald’s shows that, when it comes to newsletters, design (sometimes) matters.
Subject line: Share the love ❤️ 💌
What we love ⤵️
This example of a newsletter is the complete opposite of The Saturday Solopreneur newsletter we saw earlier. Almost no text. Just a newsletter idea. And a playful design to bring that idea to life. Which proves that the only limit when creating a newsletter is your imagination.
Ultimately, the goal of most newsletters is to get your recipients to click on a link. So that you can redirect them to a product page or a special offer. And get a sale. In this example, McDonalds does a great job of making us want to click.
Their newsletter is like a romantic Valentine’s day invitation. It piques your curiosity. Want to know what’s inside the letter? Then you’ll have to “tap the heart to find out”. Simple, yet very powerful. Want to do the same in your own newsletter? Be intriguing. Be inventive. And surprise your readers.
SaaS newsletter examples
Want some more inspiration to create your newsletter? Here are 2 great SaaS newsletter samples to help you start writing your next email campaign.
5. Headspace
Have you ever heard of Headspace? This British company created a web and mobile app to help people meditate. In their newsletters, they often showcase new features, share meditation tips and offer special discounts.
Subject line: This will be your year ✨
What we love ⤵️
Before we even open the email, we know it’s going to be a good one. Why? Because of the subject line. Headspace starts with a desirable outcome. They foretell that we’re going to have a great year. Who doesn’t want that?
Notice how the subject line doesn’t reveal too much. It is designed to spark your curiosity. Why will this be our year? To know the answer, you have no choice but to open their newsletter. Clever, right?
Headspace then focuses on what matters. Providing value. And delivering on what they promised. They do that with 2 things : a special offer to kickstart the new year, and extra content in their app.
6. AllTrails
AllTrails is a mobile app that is designed to help people find hiking trails and outdoor adventures. This SaaS company has a freemium business model. And they use their newsletter to convert their free subscribers to paid subscribers.
Subject line: Make sure every step is in the right direction
What we love ⤵️
This is yet another great newsletter example. In this email, AllTrails showcases “Navigator”, one of their app’s key features.
They highlight the main benefits of this tool with a bullet list, add some social proof with a testimony, and include a screenshot of the product.
Lastly, they finish strong, with a 7 day free trial. And they include a link to a detailed how-to guide in their Help Center.
By the end of the newsletter, the readers:
- Know about the new feature
- Understand how to get the most out of it
- And have the opportunity to check it out for free
That’s a lot of value. In just one newsletter.
Real estate newsletter examples
As a real estate agent, broker or company, your network is one of your most precious tools. So use your newsletter to build trust with potential clients and nurture existing relationships. Like Zillow and Houzz in the examples below.
7. Zillow
With nearly 200 million monthly visitors, Zillow is one the biggest real estate platforms in the United States. The company was created in 2006 to help people sell, buy, rent or finance their real estate projects.
Subject line: Your perfect home is out there
What we love ⤵️
This newsletter email is short and to the point. We love that it starts with a question:
“Thinking about buying?”.
Because it’s a great way to strike up a one-to-one conversation with your reader:
“Yes, I’m looking to buy a home”.
“Oh, is that so? Then here are some tools that might be helpful”.
We also love that Zillow is presenting their reader with 4 different options. They make your life easier by gathering all the useful information in one place. And then they let you choose what’s most suited to your situation.
8. Houzz
Houzz is another popular American website. The company was created in Palo Alto, in 2009. And it focuses on interior design, landscaping and home improvement. Their newsletter is a great example of how game-changing personalized mails can be.
Subject line: Neighborhood Favorites: The 3 Most Popular Stories in Greenville
What we love ⤵️
Where do you live? Chances are, if you live in a city, you want to learn about what’s trending around you. Houzz knows that. So they ask for your location when you subscribe to their newsletter. Which then allows them to send you personalized emails.
In this example, the newsletter starts with “People near Greenville are loving this stories”. This is a great hook. It has some social proof. Plus, it feels as if the email was written specifically for you and the people of Greenville.
Houzz also uses the exact same tactic in their newsletter subject line. The key take-away here? Try to personalize your newsletter. Whenever you can. Your engagement rates will improve tremendously.
Travel newsletter examples
Working in the tourism industry? You can inspire your leads and customers with a newsletter that shares exciting trips ideas, special offers and travel tips. Here are a couple of great travel newsletter examples.
9. Cover4Caravans
Time to hit the road. Cover4Caravans is a small British company that sells caravan insurance policies. So naturally, their newsletter targets caravan and tourer owners. In each email, they share helpful information about the caravan way of life.
Subject line: News from the Pitch
What we love ⤵️
This newsletter talks (a bit) about caravan insurance. But it’s not the main focus. Otherwise people would quickly get bored. The emails are filled with practical information related to caravan travel, like how-to guides and gear reviews.
We also love that Cover4Caravans signed their newsletter with the name of the author, Megan Herbert, as well as a profile picture, and some contact details. This makes the company seem more human and approachable.
They even added a “Get in touch” call-to-action to prompt people to reply, ask questions or comment. Which is a simple, yet effective way to keep in touch with their community. And strengthen their relationship with their readers.
10. Airbnb
We all know what Airbnb does. And there’s a good reason for that. This housing platform has stellar communication across the board. And their newsletter is no exception. Each email is packed with tips to help you get the most out of the Airbnb platform.
Subject line: Drumroll, please
What we love ⤵️
This newsletter example is all about making the life of your recipients easier. To do that, Airbnb came up with a curated list of the top 10 major upgrades that their hosts should know about.
But there’s more. Instead of writing yet another release note, like most travel platforms would, Airbnb summarized their important updates in a short video clip. The video is embedded in the email, so all you need to do is click play, sit back and relax.
Adding videos to your emails is a great way to make your newsletter stand out from the competition. Videos are a fun and engaging way to share information with your recipients. Plus, they make your company look more human, since people can associate a face with it.
How to send your newsletter
Want to create your own newsletter? You don’t need expensive or complicated tools to do so. In fact, you can get started right away with Mailmeteor, our free emailing software.
With over 6 million users worldwide, Mailmeteor is a trusted email marketing solution to send personalized mass emails from Gmail.
Use it to track your results in real time, manage unsubscribes and up your newsletter game. Our free plan lets you send up to 50 emails per day. Feel free to give it a try and let us know what you think. No strings attached.
To help you get started, we’ve aslo written a detailed guide on how to send a newsletter in Gmail. Happy sending :)
