In this article we examine how reputable newsletters could boost your authority and help improve your LLM visibility. Then we show you how to use Reletter to find and contact the right publications for your brand.

Are you working on your brand's AI visibility strategy?

Now that we’re in the AI era, you should be aiming for AI citations and mentions, as more people turn to AI search platforms and Google AI Overviews to find the answers they need.

But to win AI brand mentions you first need to be visible to AI models, and for them to recognize you as a trusted source with a varied, but consistent web presence.

When an LLM decides what to cite (see also: surface in an AI summary), it's building a picture of your brand across every signal it can find, including your owned content, third-party mentions, author bios, quotes in other publications, and the topics you consistently show up on.

Kaleigh Moore, Content Strategist & AI Search Specialist for B2B SaaS

Benefits of newsletter mentions for AI visibility

Improve entity recognition

Let's look at your brand's all-important web presence.

AI visibility isn’t just about your website—it’s about how widely your brand shows up across the web.

Ahrefs deep dive on AI Overviews and brand visibility.

We'll start with a definition:

According to Google Cloud, 'entities' are specific, real things like people, organizations and even locations. So, entity recognition is when AI systems recognize that your brand name refers to a real, distinct entity, not just a random word or phrase.

The better AI search platforms understand your brand, the easier it is for them to connect it to relevant topics and potentially surface it in answers.

Email newsletters appear in your inbox, sure. But many of those newsletters also live as articles or in an archive on the author's website too. That could be on Substack, LinkedIn, another platform or a website they own, and it makes these newsletter issues publicly available to humans and AI search.

So, when your brand appears in newsletters that are reputable, relevant, publicly accessible and crawlable you give AI systems more opportunities to understand your brand and associate it with relevant topics.

That's important because today, brand mentions are critical for organic visibility in the AI era.

Strengthen authority (E-E-A-T)

Google's ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

Google Search Central

AI models appear to rely heavily on third-party validation, broad web recognition and consistent signals from reputable sources when deciding what to cite and mention. In fact, to quote Ahrefs again, "AI Overviews favor brands with widespread recognition across articles, videos, and forums across the web.” (How to rank in AI Overviews)

What's more, this Semrush study on 'LinkedIn URLs cited in AI search' found that "AI search engines tend to cite original LinkedIn posts and articles that clearly explain a topic, provide value, and come from active, credible authors."

So, when you're mentioned in respected and relevant newsletters it sends signals from yet another place on the web that your brand is trustworthy and authoritative in that niche.

Amplify visibility

A newsletter feature means more for your brand than a single mention.

Contributing something like a thought leadership piece or a case study can give you another public page on the web that may be indexed, another source that can be surfaced in search, and another piece of third-party content that AI systems may cite later.

For example, a few months ago Lia Haberman shared a LinkedIn post showing that one of her older Substack newsletter issues had been cited in Google AI Overviews, saying this “means Google is crawling Substack for credible sources.”

Your newsletter contribution content strategy might include several different kinds of content, from guest articles to interesting stats, web roundups and more. Check out this article to find exactly the kind of content ideas newsletters are looking for, and learn how to pitch them to relevant newsletters.

Newsletter features can help spread the word

When your ideas or brand feature in a respected newsletter, other creators may pick up on them and quote you in their own content. And that follow-on visibility is not limited to newsletters—it can extend to blogs, podcasts and videos too.

Not only does that spread the word to more people, it also gives AI models another place to encounter your brand and its ideas online. That extra visibility can create more opportunities for your brand to be surfaced in AI answers (i.e., bring it up as part of an answer) or cited as a source. (AI models point to you as a source and link to your site.)

How to maximize impact

#1. Target reputable newsletters

If you want newsletter mentions to help with AI visibility, where you’re mentioned matters. Here's why:

• Credibility matters. Ahrefs says AI Overviews favor brands with widespread recognition, while Semrush found that AI search tends to cite content from credible authors.
• Relevance matters too. Being in a newsletter that's well known and respected in your industry does more for AI visibility than several mentions in weaker or off-topic publications.
• Reputation often comes with better distribution. Established newsletters are often more likely to be read, shared, referenced and linked to, which can extend the original impact.

All in all, don't just chase volume. Instead, prioritize newsletters with genuine credibility in your space.

#2. Target niche newsletters

A niche newsletter gives your brand context, not just exposure. Being featured in a highly targeted publication tells readers and AI systems more about the space you belong in.

These newsletters often attract the kinds of experts, buyers, operators and enthusiasts who already discuss that topic elsewhere online, which may increase the chances of your brand being repeated, discussed or referenced in other places.

Niche relevance can also be more useful than broad visibility. A mention in a trusted niche newsletter may do more to associate your brand with a specific topic or problem than the same mention in a newsletter with a wider audience.

Finally, niche newsletters are often a better fit for your message. Their audience is more likely to understand the context and care about what your brand does.

#3. Maintain consistency

Consistency helps AI systems build a clearer picture of your brand.

The more aligned your mentions are, the easier it is for AI models to connect your brand with the right topics, audience and expertise. Because when multiple sources use similar language about who you are, what you offer and who you serve it creates a clearer signal.

In practical terms, this means:

• Using the same brand name consistently
• Keeping your main description aligned across pitches and bios
• Repeating the same core topics, expertise areas and use cases
• Ensuring links point to the same main website or relevant landing page wherever possible.

However, this doesn't mean that every mention has to be the same. It just means your core positioning should be stable and consistent.

Here's an example. If one newsletter describes you as "a B2B email analytics platform" and another calls you “a CRM for ecommerce brands,” and a third says you are “a media database,” that mixed messaging could muddy the picture.

Pick the best wording to describe your brand and use it consistently across all platforms, including newsletters.

How to use Reletter to find newsletters to target

Finding the right niche newsletters can be frustratingly time-consuming. Fortunately, Reletter has a comprehensive database of newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost. Here's how to use Reletter to jumpstart your newsletter outreach.

#1. Use Reletter's AI search feature

AI search makes it easier than ever to bring the most relevant newsletters to light on Reletter.

• First, open Reletter's search bar and toggle the AI search to ON.
• Next, use detailed keywords to describe the audience you're looking for
• Then hit search.

Read 'How to use Reletter's AI search' for a detailed look at the whole process.

#2. Explore each newsletter in the list to find the best ones for your brand

Open each newsletter’s information page link on Reletter. Here, you'll see the following sections: showing the essentials (platform, pricing, issue numbers etc.)

• Essentials: (Platform, pricing, issue numbers etc.)
• Latest Issues links: (Read them on Reletter or on the original platform)
• Audience: (Subscriber numbers, monthly visits and an engagement score based on the growth in reactions and comments)
• Sponsorship: (Estimated cost per ad)
• Related: Other publications recommended by the newsletter's author
• Authors: The writers behind the newsletter.

Read or skim through a few issues to get a feel for the newsletter vibe, content and audience.

#3. Build an outreach list

When you find a relevant newsletter, add it to a dedicated list. This list will become your pipeline manager when you start your outreach emails.

1. Open the List button (top right corner) and tap Create a new list
2. Reletter will prompt you to name your list
3. Tap the Add button on each newsletter you want to contact.

#4. Write and send outreach emails

Create your own outreach emails to each newsletter author or use Reletter's pitch templates. These include emails for various use cases, including Advertising or sponsorship, Pitch a product or service, Cross-promotion Campaign and Other.

Final thoughts

As more people turn to AI tools and AI Overviews for answers, brands need to think about how they are represented across the wider web, not just on their own sites.

That is where newsletters can play a valuable role. Appearing in relevant, credible newsletters can help reinforce who you are, what you do, and the audience you serve and create third-party signals that AI systems may pick up on.

Newsletter mentions are not the whole strategy, but they can be a useful and often overlooked piece of it.

But for this strategy piece to work you'll need to find the right newsletters. Ones that match your brand and target audience to a tee. That's where Reletter fits in.

Enhance your newsletter mentions campaign by joining Reletter. Start today with a 7-day free trial.

Reletter now has an AI search feature and I think it’s a game-changer.

Here’s why:

1. You can be very specific in your topic search.
2. You don’t have to think about search filters.
3. It finds highly relevant newsletters that won’t necessarily surface in an ordinary topic search.
4. It’s fast!

AI search makes it easier than ever to find the right newsletters to pitch for your ad campaign or PR mentions. Just toggle it on (next to the search bar) and you’re good to go.

Two ways to use Reletter's AI search

Let’s see how this works. Imagine you’re the founder of a personal investing app. You want to run a PR campaign sponsoring or advertising in newsletters with audiences most likely to use your app.

At Reletter, we use AI search in two ways:

1. Describe the topic and audience
2. Describe the product or service you offer.

Each search will surface different newsletters, so it’s worth trying both methods. That way, you’ll have more newsletters to explore in depth before you make your final choices.

1. Describe your topic and target audience

Our app will likely appeal to a young-mid-age audience. So, let’s search for “newsletters that talk about investing for millennials with >1000 readers".

Benefits of this search method:

• You know your target audience best. Describing the audience means you can be as selective and specific as you want to be.
• The search can surface niche newsletters that a broader search might miss.
• It helps you think from the audience’s perspective and reflects the real audience you want, not just the general topic. Describing the topic and audience pushes you to search based on the content subscribers want to read, not just the labels a newsletter might use about itself.
• You’ll build a relevant shortlist faster compared to using an ordinary search.
• It works well when newsletter titles are vague or broad and might not surface during an ordinary topic search.
• You can find newsletters beyond obvious keyword matches.

2. Describe your app and let Reletter infer your target audience

Sometimes it’s easier to describe what you sell than to sum up the people who might buy it. For example, we could search for "audiences that would use a personal investing app".

Benefits of this method:

• It lets AI connect your offer to related interests, behaviors and newsletters with adjacent audiences. For example, people who would use a personal investing app might also read newsletters about budgeting or career growth.
• Finds newsletters that you might not have considered at first glance.
• Surfaces newsletters whose readers have the right needs or goals. People don’t always identify with a neat audience label, but they still have needs, problems and goals that relate to your product.

Using a combination of the two search methods gives me 13 relevant newsletters to consider. So, what should I do next?

Create a newsletter outreach list

Reletter's AI gives each search result a relevance score, showing exactly how closely a newsletter matches your search term.

Reletter's AI search is designed to weed out newsletters that wouldn't be a good fit, so you're very unlikely to see a relevance score of less than 70/100.

Next step: I'll check Reletter's newsletter info - and visit each newsletter site -  to see which ones would fit best with an investment app.

1. Explore each newsletter to see if it's a good fit

Reletter has a page of info on each Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost newsletter in its database. For example, here’s the information page for Millennial Money on Substack.

Here you’ll see data we’ve gathered on how long the author has been writing the newsletter, how many issues they’ve produced, whether it’s a free newsletter or has paid upgrades, a website link and links to recent issues. Read them on Reletter or jump to the original published issue.

I always spend some time on each newsletter's website noting the look, who else has advertised and reading the About section to understand the author and the topics they cover.

2. Create a list

Use Reletter to make a list of relevant podcasts you want to pitch. Here's the easiest way to do it.

1. Open Lists (top right corner) and tap Create a New List.
2. Name the list and tap create.
3. A search bar will appear. Toggle AI search to on and enter your search phrase.
4. You'll see the search results appear on the left and your list on the right.
5. Open each newsletter page and tap the Add to list button (top left)
6. Close the page. That takes you back to the list.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 until you have a complete list.

Open your list and use it as a pipeline manager to keep track of your pitches.

3. Get contact info to reach out

Reletter is a newsletter database and search engine for newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost. Each newsletter page includes a list of contact emails and social links.

Click the blue Contacts button (top right) to open the list.

Then write your own email or use our Pitch Template to reach out.

Final thoughts

Reletter is your one-stop shop for newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost. On this database you can search for newsletters, check their suitability, find contact details and pitch the authors all on one platform.

Now's the time to join Reletter.

Find the right newsletters for your next advertising or PR campaign using Reletter in AI search mode.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial.

If you want to be noticed in your industry, getting more of your content into newsletters is a smart way to go.

People trust industry publications because they’re usually written by and for insiders. Think of them as reliable inbox briefings for professionals in that one niche or field. The most successful consistently provide value to email subscribers who are likely to be your perfect target audience.

This article breaks down how to get content featured in industry newsletters and shows how you can find Substack and LinkedIn newsletters using Reletter.

1. Pick the right type of mention

Readers subscribe to industry newsletters for curated links, valuable insights, how-to guides and industry news, so that's the sort of info to provide. Depending on the industry and your role in it, you might choose one of these four mention categories:

Curated link worth reading

This is a classic newsletter mention. It usually includes a short blurb explaining what it is and why the content matters, and a link to the blog post, article, video or social media post. Send the editor a quick explanation, a tight suggested blurb, one link and a standout takeaway line they can quote.

Tool or resource

Let the newsletter editor know if you’ve got a powerful tool or standout resource that solves a real problem in your industry. Say who it’s for, how it helps and why it works. Consider offering early access, a limited-time special discount or free resources to their newsletter subscribers.

Trends and data

Mention data worth sharing, and add your viewpoint or audience takeaway (why it matters). Depending on your industry, examples of valuable content might be:

• Benchmarks
• Market maps
• Cost curves
• Adoption rates
• Policy impacts
• Emissions factors.

Offer the editor the best stat and your plain-English interpretation. For example, you might say why it's a game changer and what that means for the target audience. Include a chart or image the newsletter can use (and don't forget to mention permission/attribution guidance and links.)

Expert quote

This happens when you are seen as an authority in some way. Do you have a unique point to make or commentary on breaking news, new regulation, pricing shifts or major deals or technology inflection points in your industry?

Send the editor a pre-written, standalone quote along with your credentials. You might also include an optional longer paragraph they can pull from, or helpful tips on what their newsletter subscribers should do next.

2. Build a target list

Substack and LinkedIn host many industry newsletters, but finding the right ones can be time consuming. Here's how you can use Reletter to shorten the process.

Let's use the energy and climate tech industry as an example.

The easiest way to build a list is from the search screen. Enter your topic, then add filters, if needed. I'd recommend at least using the Active filter, so you only see newsletters that have recently published an issue.

Tap the Build a List button (top right corner) then tap the Add button on each newsletter you want to investigate.

Reletter will build your list and suggest other newsletter ideas to try.

Tap the blue Go to List button to see your list and pipeline manager. (You can also access the list from anywhere in Reletter by opening Lists (top right, next to the Home button.)

Open each newsletter’s link to view the data Reletter has collected (subscriber numbers, how many issues published, website and contact details, chart rankings, etc.), then open an issue or two to get a feel for its writing style or tone and the topics it covers.

3. Write a convincing pitch

You’re providing genuinely valuable, concise and relevant content that fits the newsletter audience. Now, you need to get the editor’s attention. Start with a compelling subject line (you want them to open the email).

Here's what to include:

• Why you picked them. Show you've read their newsletter by referring to a specific topic and issue.
• A convincing reason for them to mention you.
• The newsletter content (just a one-line hook if you can).
• The value (what their readers get/why they should care).
• The easy ask - some copy-paste content they can drop in as-is.
• Make your content super simple for them to use, with no pressure or strings attached.

Finally, keep your pitch brief (aim for 5-7 sentences max.) so it only takes the editor a few minutes to read.

4. Follow up once

As I said, you don't want the editor to feel pressured. However, often people will see your idea but forget to follow through with it.

So it's a good idea to follow up after a few days to check they got your email. That second email could be the reminder they need.

What if you don't have "news"?

Editors are often looking for fresh newsletter ideas, so if you don't have breaking news, data or links to share, try offering one of these ideas:

Template

Editors love templates because they’re instantly useful and easy to summarize in one line. Share a plug-and-play doc their audience can copy and use straightaway.

Checklist

Checklists work well in newsletters because they’re skimmable and feel practical. Offer a short list that helps readers avoid mistakes or move faster in their business.

Unique/controversial opinion

Pitch a clear take that challenges a common assumption and back it with reasoning or an authentic example.

Customer story with a lesson

Share a mini case study or success story. Mention a specific problem, what was tried, and the measurable or observable outcome. Make the lesson transferable so email subscribers can apply it even if they’re not your customer.

Upcoming events

Let the editor know about important upcoming events that might interest their loyal audience. Make them highly relevant to those readers. For example, you might highlight:

• Local events for location-specific newsletters
• Fundraisers for non profits
• A warning about regulatory deadlines (combine it with a "what to do" checklist),
• Calls for speakers, awards or grant applications

Final thoughts

Still wondering how to get mentioned in newsletters?

#1. Do your homework before you pitch any industry newsletter. Check their Reletter profile to find:

• Subscriber numbers
• Reader engagement
• Related newsletters (Other publications recommended by the newsletter authors)

#2. Use Reletter links to read a few issues.  You're looking for:

• Style and tone (can you match it?)
• Content—do they use curated links or create original content?
• Mentions—which of the above mention-types do they use? Do they seem to have preferences?

#3. Send your pitch to the correct contact.

• Reletter does its best to provide up-to-date email addresses for each newsletter in its database. (Tap the Contacts button to see them.)
• Reletter also provides a website link. Some newsletters give details on how they prefer to be pitched, so it's a good idea to check for that before you hit send.

Ready to find industry newsletters and create your first newsletter target list?

Start searching with Reletter and get your first 7 days for free

Do you want to get in front of someone else's newsletter audience? Reletter indexes millions of newsletters across Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost.

Manual searches can take hours. But because each resource page reveals data you won’t see on public profiles, using Reletter slashes the time it takes to build a tight, targeted list.

Here’s a practical, step-by-step workflow you can follow to find 30 suitable newsletters in approximately 30 minutes using Reletter.

Why are you reaching out?

Let's just check your purpose. Do you want to:

• Sponsor the newsletter?
• Advertise your product or service?
• Be featured or interviewed in an upcoming issue or blog post?
• Feature the author in your own newsletter?
• Write a guest column?
• Suggest a content swap?
• Invite cross-promotions with other newsletter creators?

Will you target one newsletter platform or work across all three? Your purpose and platform will shape the search terms and the filters you use.

The scenario

Let's suppose I'm a B2B SaaS marketer, with a weekly newsletter on product-led growth (PLG).

I've written a short series on well-known product-led companies like Canva, or Airtable to help other marketers learn about the concept. Now, I'm hunting for SaaS marketing newsletters interested in featuring my series as a guest post or content swap.

Step 1 - Use the search tool and filters

Start on the Home screen and type in a topic that matches your niche or campaign goal – for example:

• “B2B SaaS marketing”
• “Personal Finance for Millennials”
• “Productivity for creatives”

Reletter will search across titles and descriptions, then order the results by relevance and estimated subscribers.

💡 Tip: If you've got a specific newsletter or writer in mind, switch your search to Title or Author to quickly surface that resource page.

Example — my marketing newsletter list:

Here's the top view of my initial search, with the topic B2B SaaS marketing. The full list is 200 pages long, but many of them won't be suitable for my list. So, I'll narrow down the field by applying Reletter's search filters.

Zoom in with filters:

Use Reletter's advanced filters to focus the search more.

For example, if we were searching for newsletters to sponsor, we'd use the Sponsored  filter so the list would then only show newsletters that accept sponsors or ads.

If you wanted to target a Spanish-speaking audience, you'd set the Language filter to Spanish. If you were aiming for well-established newsletters with lots of readers, you'd set a suitable range on the Subscribers and Issues filters.

If the publishing schedule matters, open the Publishes filter and set it to the cadence you want: monthly, weekly, twice-weekly or daily. Select Platform if you only want to work with newsletters on one platform (e.g., Substack.)

💡Top Tip: Active is one must-use filter in an outreach search. You don't want to waste time on sunsetted newsletters.

Example — my marketing newsletter list with filters and other keywords:

Here's my search again, using the Active, Language (English) and Engagement filters (because I want newsletters where readers regularly like and comment on issues.)

Using these filters reduced the results to 12 pages (from 200 ) so I pressed the Save button to come back to that search later and tried a few other keywords to see what came up.

Try different keyword combinations

Try different keyword combinations and search operators to refine your results. For example, in my search I could try:

• B2B AND SaaS (to force both terms.)
• "product-led growth" (to find exact mentions of PLG.)
• "SaaS marketing" AND newsletter (to focus on marketing-focused publications.)
• SaaS -crypto (to exclude topics I don’t want.)
• "go-to-market" AND SaaS (to bring up practical ‘how to grow a SaaS product’ newsletters)

Using search terms, filters and different keyword combinations has brought up many possible newsletters. Now, I'll use Reletter's newsletter data to find the strongest candidates.

Step 2 - Qualify the newsletter with data

Click on a likely-looking newsletter result to open its resource page. This is where Reletter’s data helps you move quickly from “looks relevant” to “definitely worth pitching”.

Check these key sections:

1. Basics

• Read the description to confirm topic fit
• Note whether it’s free, paid or freemium
• Scan how long it has been running and how frequently it publishes

2. Audience section

• Subscribers – Reletter’s estimate of list size based on many public signals
• Monthly visits – a proxy for how much traffic the newsletter’s site gets
• Engagement score – a 0-100 score based on recent growth in likes and comments on issues

Together, these tell you whether a newsletter is tiny but engaged, big but sleepy or somewhere in between.

3. Sponsorship section

If you’re planning paid ads, check the estimated sponsorship range to see whether it  fits your budget. Reletter provides a ballpark so you’re not going in blind.

4. Charts

See the newsletter's categories and how the it ranks in the Substack charts.

All this data helps you estimate things like:

• Does it have the reader numbers I'm looking for?
• Is the engagement level healthy enough to justify reaching out?
• Does the estimated ad range make sense for my budget?

Step 3 - Read previous issues

Data gets you most of the way there, but tone and format matter too. So open the Latest issues to skim recent issues. Read on Reletter's platform (this is your fastest option) or tap Read the original to see it on the newsletter site.

Personally, I prefer going to the actual site, so I can see the layout, images and so on. It takes a fraction longer but gives me a better idea of how that issue looks and the newsletter as a whole. You can also scroll down to see any comments.

Here's how you do it:

Scroll to Latest issues:

• Open 2–5 recent issues in new tabs
• Scan the subject lines and intros. (Of course, you can read each issue in full if you like — and I often do that — but it will put you over our 30-minute deadline.)
• Check engagement (likes, comments) as a reality check on the engagement score

You’re trying to answer questions like:

• Would my offer, product or story feel at home in this newsletter?
• Do they already run sponsorships or partner content and, if so, how is it framed?
• Are they writing for beginners, intermediates or advanced readers?

Example — my criteria

I'm aiming to write for the newsletter so as well as the above info, I'm looking for things like:

• Regular sections I might slot into
• Format & tone (I can restructure my series to match if necessary)
• Have they covered ideas or themes like my series recently?
• Have they used guest posts before?

Step 4 - Add the newsletter to a list

Once a newsletter passes your data and content checks, don’t leave it floating in a spreadsheet somewhere.

Add it to your Reletter list.

There are two fast ways to build your list:

1. From the search screen

• After you search, click Build a list
• An Add button appears beside each search result
• Click Add for every newsletter you want to include
• Name your list something clear and easy to find when you come back to look for it.

2. From the newsletter page

• On any newsletter page, click Add to list in the top-right corner
• Add it to an existing list or create a new one on the fly

You can view your list at any time by clicking Lists in the top-right corner. From there you can:

• Scan all target newsletters in one place
• Open individual newsletter pages
• Use Reletter's outreach template to pitch the newsletter
• Use the list as a pipeline manager
• Remove items as you refine
• Export your list as a CSV to bring into your CRM or outreach tool, complete with contact emails.

Example — I've started my list of possible newsletters

Step 5 - View related newsletters

When you've found a strong contender, open its Reletter page and scroll down to the related section.

Reletter shows newsletters recommended by that publication’s authors. That's your shortcut to more publications with overlapping audiences.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open your best-fit newsletters

2. Open their Related section

3. Scan through the newsletters and quickly qualify using:

• Titles and descriptions
• Audience estimates and engagement scores
• Recent issues

4. Use the three dots menu to “Create a new list from these” or add them individually to your existing list.

💡Bonus tip

Your 30-newsletter list is your starting point, not the end. Set up alerts in Reletter so you keep discovering new opportunities without manual searching every week.

On your Alerts page you can:

1. Create an alert for a keyword or phrase. You'll see a live preview of matching issues as you type.
2. Choose to get daily or weekly email summaries

Reletter monitors new issues across its entire database and sends you a digest when your keyword appears in a newsletter’s title or content.

Alerts turn Reletter into a passive lead-gen engine for future outreach lists by helping you:

• Spot writers already talking about your topic
• Add promising new newsletters to your outreach list
• Reply quickly when someone mentions your brand, product or service.

Final thoughts

Manually hunting for newsletters to pitch can easily soak up half a day or more. With Reletter, you can:

• Search across millions of Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost newsletters in seconds
• Qualify them with hard data instead of guesswork
• Scan recent issues to check tone and fit
• Build and export targeted outreach lists
• Discover lookalike newsletters and track new opportunities with alerts

Follow the workflow in this guide to build a 30-newsletter outreach list in around 30 minutes.

From there, you can move on to the fun part: crafting smart pitches and building real relationships with the writers behind those newsletters.

Build your outreach list with a 7-day free trial.

If you’ve been thinking about advertising on Substack, you’re not alone.

Brands are discovering the power of advertising in newsletters with loyal, niche audiences, and many Substack publications are now opening their inboxes to sponsors.

What does that look like in practice?

For this article, I dug into Reletter’s database—covering newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost—to bring you five Substack advertising examples in action.

How newsletter ads work on Substack

The Substack platform is all about encouraging direct relationships between creators and readers who support writers by paying for their subscriptions. That's why they don’t really encourage conventional email marketing, nor do they provide tools like dynamic ads.

That said, there’s nothing to stop you publishing sponsored content or creating your own ads and inserting them manually into your posts.

You're welcome to host sponsored content and we don't have any policies in place that prohibit publishers from doing so.

Substack FAQ advertising guidelines

That FAQ also recommends you double-check your advertising intentions by reading the Content Guidelines and your Publisher Agreement.

We already published a step-by-step guide on How to Advertise on Substack, so this article focuses on  recent examples of how more brands and creators are advertising on Substack today.

Substack advertising examples

1. The Trust Insights ad in 'Almost Timely News'

Almost Timely News is written by Trust Insights co-founder, Christopher Penn. This Substack promises unique content containing strategy, tactics, and deep dives into what’s happening in the world of artificial intelligence.

Substack audience

This weekly newsletter attracts busy founders, marketers and executives interested in understanding the latest in AI, data science, analytics, and marketing, promising them "a break from the noise" of other platforms to let them "focus on one thing."

The brand and its ad

Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting company helping other businesses understand and use their data, analytics, and AI to make better decisions, achieve measurable results and exceed their performance goals.

Their LinkedIn Algorithm guide is likely to appeal to this Substack audience of busy professionals who are likely to be present on LinkedIn and want to use it more effectively.

What made me choose this ad?

This is a good example of a newsletter writer promoting a business they're involved with. In this case, the writer is a co-founder of Trust Insights, and the LinkedIn Algorithm Guide is a Trust Insights lead magnet.

Substack creators should always let their readers know if a piece of content is an ad (it's actually a legal requirement in most countries) so you'll usually see headlines like "Brought to you by..." or "Sponsored Content."

But I love the quirky "Big Plug" heading Christopher's used here, and the simple, no-nonsense CTA below it. Both aspects speak to the target audience of busy professionals with phrases like newly updated and as of last week and give off a 'straight-to-business' vibe they're likely to appreciate.

2. The Bland ad in 'Not Boring by Packy McCormick'

Packy McCormick is an angel investor and the founder of Not Boring Capital, a venture fund that invests in early-stage startups. In his Not Boring Substack, Packy sends in-depth analyzes of the tech and startup landscape, telling "the stories of the most ambitious and complex startups as clearly as possible to give readers a glimpse into the future they’re working to build."

Substack audience

The Not Boring newsletter speaks to an audience of over 200k subscribers including founders and others interested in technology, business models and markets.

The brand and its ad

Bland.ai is a platform that builds AI-powered phone, chat and SMS agents. It targets enterprise-level companies, promising to automate their inbound and outbound calls using a conversational AI that understands speech and responds in a human-sounding voice.

What made me choose this ad?

There's a lot to like about this ad because it works well on several levels:

#1. The Bland platform is a good fit for Packy's audience because some of his subscribers will already need their agents, while others aspire to be at that level one day.

#2. It's a good example of ad copy informing the target audience by answering their questions or objections before they're even formed. Like this:

Objection: Could it handle a business as big as ours?—Reassuring phrases: Fortune 500s; Enterprises using it to handle millions of calls.

Objection: We don't want our answerphone to sound like a robot—Reassuring phrase: build agents with any voice and personality.

Objection: It might be difficult or time consuming to set up—Reassuring phrases: with a single click; from a single dashboard; while slashing costs.

Objection: Do we have time for the training and maintenance?—Reassuring phrase: self improve, and scale infinitely

#3. It gives two incentives to act: a) it offers a demo—pretty wild eh? give it a call yourself—and b) has an incentive linked to the newsletter: Not Boring subscribers get exclusive access to a more advanced version.

3. The 80,000 Hours ad in 'Fix the News'

Fix the News is an independent news Substack by Angus Hervey and Amy Rose. It focuses on reporting stories of environmental, social and scientific progress from around the world. Supported by free and paid subscriptions, Fix the News also accepts ads from like-minded brands.

Substack audience

This weekly newsletter goes out to 62,000+ people of all ages, described by the team as "smart, forward-thinking and optimistic professionals, researchers and active citizens in 195 countries."

The brand and its ad

80,000 Hours is a nonprofit funded by philanthropic donations. Named for the estimated 80,000 hours of your working life, the team provides research and support to help talented people move into careers that tackle the world’s most pressing problems.

It's a company that's likely to appeal to an audience already interested in people  and organizations who are  helping solve the world's big problems.

What made me choose this ad?

I think this ad is a great example of using a headline that aligns with the newsletter culture.

Their headline "Do you want to do work that actually makes a difference?" gets right to the heart of what Fix the News subscribers love about the newsletter (stories of people and organizations making a big difference in the world.)

4. The DynamoDB Book ad in The Cloud Handbook'

Kisan Tamang is a Cloud Engineer who shares what he's learned over his years as an AWS Solution Architect on his Substack site, The Cloud Handbook.

Substack audience

The newsletter’s target audience includes tech professionals, developers, architects and builders and curious newcomers, and offers “valuable insights to keep up to date on the cloud, DevOps, system design and technologies around it.”

The brand and its ad

Alex DeBrie, of DeBrie Advisory, describes himself as an "AWS Hero providing training and consulting with expertise in DynamoDB, serverless applications, and cloud-native technologies."

DynamoDB—in case you’re interested—is a database service run by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It stores data flexibly and is built to be super fast and to easily grow as needed.

What made me choose this ad?

This ad is the newsletter equivalent of podcasting's host-read ads. These ads work by capitalizing on the trust and familiarity the creator has built with their audience over time.

In this case, the phrase “to make this even better I’ve partnered with Alex,“ implies that the author knows the advertiser and that he recommends the book as being worthwhile for subscribers who are interested in using DynamoDB.

The CTA offers a good discount: Use code TOWARDSAWS at checkout and get 35% OFF today and I think the tone fits in with the newsletter's overall tone and style.

5. The TypeThink AI ad in Micro SaaS Idea'

Micro SaaS, as the name suggests, refers to a small-scale software-as-a-service businesses, usually built and run by one person or a very small team.

This Substack is the newsletter for MicroSaaS HQ, a company that offers both tech and non-tech founders access to more than 1000 micro SaaS business concepts and an active community where members post Q&As and build traction and support for their launches.

Substack audience

The newsletter serves "techies and marketers looking for their next profitable Micro SaaS idea" who want to identify early trends, see updates on other founders and learn which products and concepts are currently gaining traction in the market.

The brand and its ad

TypeThinkAI is an “all-in-one” AI platform that aggregates access to many different AI models under a single interface. Rather than subscribing separately to, say, GPT, Claude, or other models, TypeThinkAI lets you interact with multiple models from one place.

It's a business that might well appeal to founders interested in developing small-scale software solutions, and their marketers.

What made me choose this ad?

As I said up top, standard sponsored content alerts tend to be quite boring and, well, standardized. So I love to highlight examples where these alerts reflect the creator's own Substack style, as these guys do with ❤️❤️ Cool Product.

But I also think this ad is an example of link "overkill."  In fact, almost every line has an underlined link and they all go to exactly the same web page. (Perhaps I wouldn't have felt so annoyed if they'd linked to different pages or sections?)

Personally, I think the ad would portray a cleaner, more professional look, and be more effective with a single CTA & link.

Final thoughts

Curious to dig deeper? Read our full piece on Substack advertising to explore how sponsorships fit into the bigger picture.
Then, get started with Reletter to discover Substack newsletters that align with your brand and audience.

Find, pitch and get featured in email newsletters on Reletter for free.

Newsletters are one of today's go-to ways for writers, entrepreneurs and brands to connect with their audience.

But what if you want to flip things around and reach out to them? Perhaps you'd like to pitch a collaboration, sell them on your story ideas or explore advertising opportunities? How will you get in touch?

Problem is, every platform handles communication differently. That’s why it helps to know exactly how each platform works—and where to look when you want to start a conversation.

This article walks you through how to contact a newsletter writer on Substack, LinkedIn, and Ghost—and reveals Reletter as your hassle-free solution!

How to find contact info for Substack newsletter writers

Substack is a social publishing platform dedicated to helping writers and other communicators connect with their audience, build a community, grow their publication and make money through paid subscribers. Writers can grow an email list through Substack newsletter writing (and take it with them if they move to another platform).

There are four ways to connect privately with Substack writers:

1. Reply to their email newsletter
2. Email their Substack domain
3. Send them a DM through Substack ‘Chat’
4. Check their profile or About page for contact details.

Let's look at each option in more detail.

Reply to their email newsletter

Substack posts live on the website but are also emailed to subscribers.

Writers have the option to allow replies to their Substack emails, so try pressing reply as your first step. If enabled, your reply goes to a long, complicated-looking Substack address, like this:

Replying to an email newsletter clarifies that you’re on their email list, so it could feel more natural than a cold pitch coming out of the blue. Some writers don’t enable replies on their emails, so you’ll need to find another way to reach out.

Email their Substack domain

Substack itself has this to say about emailing newsletter writers:

You can also send them a message via email at <subdomain>@substack.com (replace subdomain with the name of their Substack publication).

DM through Substack 'Chat'

Some writers enable direct messaging on their Substack website—but may only make it available to paid subscribers. So, if you've paid to join a writer's Substack, open their newsletter profile and tap the message button to bring up a private chat.

You can also DM writers through Substack's Chat function either on the web or in the Substack App. Again, I've found some Substack newsletters only allow DMs from paid subscribers.

DMs live on the Chat tab on your app and on the website.

1. Select the chat icon.
2. Open direct messages. (If you've received any DMs from people you know or subscribed to you'll see them here.)
3. Tap the orange button to open your Substack contacts list (You may have to subscribe to the writer or newsletter you wish to contact before they appear in the list.)
4. Select their name to open a message window.
5. Your message will go into the writer's Requests folder. They can choose to accept or reject your message request. (Substack won't tell you if a writer rejects your message, but that might be what's happened if you don't get an answer.)

Check their profile or About page for contact details

Some writers make their preferred means of contact obvious. They might list a personal email, website or social media accounts on their profile or About page, which makes it easy for anyone to contact them there. So, it's worth looking around the newsletter you're trying to contact to see if that's the case.

If there are no contact details on the About page, it's worth checking other tabs, too. For example, Fix The News has a contact email address on their Advertisers page, showing that they’re happy to hear from people wanting to advertise on their Substack.

Will I be able to see the writer's email address?

Only if they've included it on the website. Substack doesn't reveal the author's email address when you reply to an email newsletter.

How to find contact details for a LinkedIn newsletter writer

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform designed to help individuals and organizations share expertise, build credibility, grow their audience, and create opportunities through connections, content, and newsletters. Writers build connections and newsletter subscribers but can't export their email list if they leave LinkedIn's platform.

LinkedIn newsletters are tied to personal or company profiles so you have a few different ways to reach the writer:

1. Comment on their newsletter posts (although everyone will see that message)
2. Send a connection request or message
3. Check their profile for contact details.

Let’s walk through them step by step.

Comment thoughtfully on their newsletter posts

Many LinkedIn writers often ignore messages from strangers, so going in cold isn't the best strategy.

Writers are far more likely to respond if they recognize you from their subscriber list and can see you putting effort into getting to know them.

Start by following the writer (you'll likely see a follow button on their profile page) and subscribing to the newsletter. Then focus on getting their attention by leaving engaging, insightful comments on their newsletter posts.

Send a connection request or a message

If the writer accepts connections or has messaging enabled, you can reach out directly through LinkedIn.

Send a connection request first, partly because people are more likely to answer DMs from their connections but also because free LinkedIn members can only message their direct connections (aka 1st-degree connections.) LinkedIn Premium members can send DMs outside their network through InMail.

If the writer has enabled messaging, you'll see a blue Message button appear on their profile box. Click it, then write your message.

Check the writer's profile for contact details

Many professionals list an email, website or other contact info on their LinkedIn Profile. If they do, use that—particularly if they mention their preferred method of contact.

Will I be able to see their email address?

No, LinkedIn doesn't reveal the author's email address. If you try replying to their email newsletter, a no-reply email address appears. Some people include contact details on their LinkedIn profile, so it's worth looking there.

How to find contact info for a newsletter hosted on Ghost

Ghost is an open-source publishing platform built for independent writers and businesses. It helps creators grow an audience, build an email marketing list, run an email newsletter and generate revenue through their own website. However, Ghost doesn't have built-in messaging or community features like LinkedIn and Substack.

How you reach a writer on Ghost depends on the options they've set up:

1. Reply to their emails (if enabled)
2. Check their website for contact information
3. Scan the email footer.

Here’s a closer look at each option.

Reply to their emails

Many Ghost newsletters let you hit Reply to send a message straight to the writer. Not all creators enable this, so you may find your email bounces back.

Check their website

Ghost newsletters usually come from a custom domain hosted on Ghost's platform. Look for an About, Contact, or Work with me tab in the navigation menu. You’ll often find a dedicated email address, a form or links to social media on those pages.

Scan the email footer

Ghost lets creators customize their email templates, so you may find the author's contact details or links in the footer.

Here's an example from The Wool Channel and its newsletter, The Wool Wire:

Will I be able to see their email address?

Possibly. It depends on which details the writers decide to make public.

Use Reletter to find contact info for newsletter writers

Reletter is a first-of-its-kind newsletter search engine and database for email newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost.

If you're looking to sponsor a newsletter in your niche, get featured in newsletters or even cross-promote your own newsletter with other writers, Reletter was made for you.

James Potter, Founder of Reletter

Each newsletter has its own Reletter page, which pulls together data from across the web into one convenient place. Here, you'll find details like the number of issues published, links to recent issues, how many subscribers they have... and—the most important thing for this article—contact details, including their email addresses.

For example, here's a sample of Science For Everyone's newsletter page on Reletter.

How to find contact details for any Substack, LinkedIn or Ghost newsletter writer

You can find email addresses and social links with one click.

1. Tap the blue Contacts button
2. That's it!

If you're pitching an idea, collaboration or potential ad spot, you can write the pitch directly on Reletter (we have templates for each of those) or tap the copy to clipboard icon (next to the address) to paste it into your own email.

Final thoughts

Contacting a newsletter writer comes down to using the channels they’ve made available—replies or DM Chats on Substack, contact pages on Ghost, or connect to leave a message on LinkedIn. Keep it polite, keep it relevant, and you’ll stand out from the noise.

Want to go further?

Reletter helps you discover newsletter writers and reach out to the right ones with confidence.

Start with your 7-day free trial.

SKM boldly proclaimed 2024 as the "Year of the Newsletter," and their reasoning is equally true today.

As a founder, starting a newsletter gives followers the chance to know you better. To see where you've come from and understand the value you offer. And newsletters are a two-way platform. You get a window into your readers' thoughts, opinions and problems whenever they reply.

That's probably why around 98% of LinkedIn's newsletters come from individuals rather than companies. And why some of the biggest names in the business take the time to post a regular newsletter on LinkedIn.

If you want to boost your thought leadership by starting your own LinkedIn newsletter, you're in the right place. I searched Reletter's LinkedIn Top 50 newsletter to find five of today's best LinkedIn newsletter examples. (See Reletter's charts here - for free).

In a media landscape that’s losing trust, the inbox reigns supreme.

The SKM report

Ask Richard

Author: Richard Branson, Founder at Virgin Group.

Description: "A place where you can ask me anything, and we can learn from one another."

Subscribers: 5,660,000+

Publishes: monthly,  500-800 words & photos

Richard treats his readers' questions with care and consideration. He delivers business insights and personal wisdom in every post, resulting in thousands of reactions, comments and reposts.

Recent queries by LinkedIn members include: "What's your dream (and how do you turn it into reality?)"; "What defines a successful entrepreneur in an uncertain, AI driven world?" and "How do you train your brain to think inventively?"

Gates Notes

Author: Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder, Chair, Gates Foundation and Founder, Breakthrough Energy.

Description: "The blog of Bill Gates."

Subscribers: 4,800,000+

Publishes: bi-weekly, 400-1500 words, photos and videos

Each post shines a light on some aspect of Bill's work around the globe. Recent 2025 articles include: "My visit to Utah to see the future of geothermal power"; "What it takes to take a breath" and "The world has a lot to learn from India."

LinkedIn 360 By GaryVee

Author: Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman – VaynerX, CEO – VaynerMedia, Creator – VeeFriends

Description: "Gary Vaynerchuk's monthly recap of the most valuable content on business, social media, future tech trends, marketing and more."

Subscribers: 1,915,800+

Publishes: monthly, approximately 1-2000 words, photos and videos

Posts keep readers up-to-date with Gary's varied business ventures and offer life and business advice (often aimed at people under-30.) Recent 2025 titles include "Wild Week if you're into collectibles"; "What to do after Graduation" and "L.O.V.E - a four-part framework for life and career success."

On My Mind

Author: Ariana Huffington, Cofounder of HuffPost.

Description: "Actionable advice on how to improve health, productivity, and resilience — plus some fun and inspiring extras."

Subscribers: 1,289,500+

Publishes: monthly articles

Each lengthy edition of On My Mind includes several sections, each loosely following a central theme on Arianna's mind. For example, the June edition—"Food's Big Tobacco Moment"—includes research and links on a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a snapshot of Ariana's recent baccalaureate address at USC, a podcast episode description and link, plus the 'Neologism (new word) of the Month', 'Book of the Month' and a 'From the Mouths of Babes' cartoon.

Reinventing Life

Author: Deepak Chopra MD, Founder at Deepak Chopra LLC.

Description: "Exploring Body Mind Spirit."

Subscribers: 1,071,000+

Publishes: a weekly newsletter article including links to products, courses and more.

Deepak Chopra uses thoughtful essays on spiritual and mental health, and writes about the biggest questions of life to connect with his audience and establish authority in his field. Each post gathers hundreds of comments and many LinkedIn shares. Recent articles include 'The Universe Is Either Perfect or a Total Mystery — Here’s Why' and "Taking the Cosmic Riddle Personally.'

The business case for founder LinkedIn newsletters

Apart from the obvious—reach new audiences and establish authority in your industry—I can think of several compelling reasons why founders should publish a LinkedIn newsletter.

1. Platform momentum

LinkedIn's reputation as the professional's platform lends itself to newsletters aiming to reach that business or professional audience. So, with over a billion users, the sheer size and scale of LinkedIn is on your side. You're creating content where potential readers are already hanging out.

The platform's auto-subscribe mechanics encourage growth, too. If you have a newsletter, LinkedIn will automatically subscribe readers when they follow you. That can make it easier to build a subscriber list compared to platforms like Substack or traditional email newsletters.

You'll also find analytics tools like subscriber demographics and a trends section showing article views and new subscribers to help you gauge when your articles are working or need tweaking.

2. Trust advantage of a human face

People trust a human voice over a corporate body. They trust authentic stories, tales of failure and success and see them as proof that they’re following an actual human. That’s why LinkedIn experts like Oscar Hoole report client success stories showing impressions 5-10x higher when publishing articles under their personal brand rather than a company page.

And it’s why founder-led growth continues to thrive. When top founders like Richard Branson or Ariana Huffington speak directly to their audience through a LinkedIn newsletter, they build familiarity, credibility and long-term loyalty.

But you don’t have to be a household name to make a major difference. You can build a following by using your LinkedIn newsletter to:

• Share your weekly thoughts on trending topics
• Include tidbits that show your personality and give your target audience the chance to get to know you
• Publish quality content showing your expertize
• Use videos and photos of real events
• Demonstrate why they can trust you and—by extension—your business
• Include relevant keywords and website or contact links
• Keep your audience engaged and encourage discussions by answering comments thoughtfully rather than just liking or saying “thanks”.

3. Revenue & pipeline upside

Every edition is an opportunity to attract, nurture and convert warm leads without hard selling.

Remember, whether you have ten, one hundred or even a million subscribers each one has asked to get your newsletter, so they’re already interested in you. Each week’s newsletter gives you the chance to show how your products and services can help them too.

Perhaps you might showcase products like Gary V and Deepak Chopra so when they include links to videos, courses and upcoming events.

Why not share a case study in your newsletter and include a demo link to encourage readers to click through and learn more? Or, generate extra sales on an older product by telling your subscribers about a significant milestone as Ariana Huffington did when her book "Thrive" reached its ten-year anniversary.

As your subscriber list increases and the comments show enthusiastic audience engagement, others in your industry might reach out with collaboration or partnership ideas. Journalists will start to notice you too and could DM you asking for comments or interviews.

4. Talent & investor magnet

Your LinkedIn newsletter isn't just reaching customers. It's also attracting potential hires, investors and strategic allies. Every post helps shape how others see your leadership, your company culture, and your vision.

Talented people want to work for companies with purpose, clarity, and momentum—and they often follow founders to gauge those things. Therefore, sharing what you're building, how you think, and what values drive your decisions can attract like-minded talent to your door.

Investors are always looking out for new opportunities.

Your smart, articulate newsletter could spark interest before you've even thought about raising capital. So, for early-stage founders, LinkedIn newsletters can serve as informal investor updates as you share insights, or upcoming plans.

5. Cost vs. other channels

LinkedIn newsletters cost nothing but the time it takes to create them. Each edition gets delivered to your subscribers' emails and feeds, organically driving visibility and traffic without the recurring cost of paid ads.

Compare that with paid social media where you pay per click to gain attention or the cost of running a newsletter on platforms such as Mailchimp, Kit or Beehiiv.

For example, Meta (Facebook/Instagram) can be complicated to work out, but could be anything between 0.30c and $3.90 or more, depending on your industry, audience, your competitors ads and even the time of day they go out.

Paid ads on LinkedIn include sponsored content, messages or texts, and dynamic ads and costs vary dramatically depending on your paid content strategy. Again, LinkedIn doesn't declare a fixed price per click but according to the Carvertise blog, there's a minimum requirement of $2.00 for CPC and CPM bids, and a minimum daily spend of $10.00.

Final thoughts

Newsletters are one of the best ways to improve visibility in your industry.

Start writing a LinkedIn newsletter, post interesting content and build your thought leadership as a highly cost-effective way to build relationships, gather more traffic and even potentially generate leads.

And why not boost visibility and expand your reach by getting featured in other newsletters, too? Do you have something you can pitch to get featured organically. Or do you want to secure ad spots in newsletters that reach your target audience?

Reletter offers information on subscriber numbers, contacts, rankings and much more for three million email newsletters on Substack, LinkedIn and Ghost.

Why isn’t my email marketing getting results?

It’s a common question bugging marketers all over the world. You’re sending marketing emails to your list but you’re getting tiny click-through rates. Why?

Are your emails ending up in a spam folder because you’re making elementary errors? Or are people ignoring your emails because they don’t like the content? Is your subject line the problem? Or is it that your emails don’t look great on mobile devices?

The answer is likely linked to one or more of these 20 common email marketing mistakes. This list will help you pinpoint whether you’re making one or more of these mistakes and how to fix the problem.

Let’s dive in and see what might be going wrong.

Strategy & Planning Mistakes

#1. Not having a clear goal

Do you know what you want to achieve in your email marketing campaigns? Sending emails without knowing what you want your audience to do (e.g., click, buy, reply, etc.) automatically creates a problem because your messaging won't lead your potential customers down the right path.

Think about this scenario: a part-time jeweler running a small eCommerce store selling her own creations. Let's call her Sarah.

Sarah sends customers on her list a monthly newsletter. However, she can't decide whether she wants to encourage people to buy, follow her on Instagram, or read her blog. As a result, her emails feel scattered and confused and very few people feel motivated to follow up.

How to fix this problem - understand your email marketing strategy

• Decide what you want to achieve before you write your email
• Create content that relates to your goal and gives readers a reason to follow up
• Include a compelling CTA (see Technical Mistakes)

#2. Ignoring segmentation

Are you treating your entire list the same? They’re not all in the same frame of mind or in the same place in your funnel. So sending the same email to everyone means it’s likely to be too much info for some but too little for others.

An introduction might be just what your beginners need but irrelevant for advanced users. That in-depth dive into customer relationships might be spot on for those who’ve taken your course, but is lost on people who are still deciding whether to buy.

Ignoring segmentation leads to poor relevance and lower engagement.

Consider a B2B SaaS startup sending a technical product update to their entire list—including non-users and first-time leads...I bet you can see where this is going.

Their target audience of longtime users is pleased to hear about the update and many click the link. The rest don’t care, feel confused, get annoyed... any or all of which causes a spike in unsubscribes.

How to fix this problem - sort your subscribers

• Segment your email subscribers into relevant lists such as experience levels, customer journey stage or frequency of use.
• Create relevant content for each list. For example, you might send how-to and FAQ content, ads and discounts to beginners, but industry insights and early access to beta testing groups to your advanced segment.

#3. Sending without consent

Adding people to your list without permission is an absolute no-no!

Apart from the fact that doing so can tank your deliverability it will also violate regulations in the EU, US, UK, Australia, Canada and many other countries, including several in Asia and Africa.

For example, what if our jeweler, Sarah, imports contacts from her LinkedIn connections into Mailchimp and starts sending everyone promotional emails? It might seem like a great way to bump up her list but at least half will immediately mark her emails as spam because they know they didn't sign up for that.

Even worse, some might lay privacy complaints. If they’re upheld, Sarah could be in for massive fines. For example, in the US the Federal Trade Commission can impose civil penalties of up to $51,000+ per email that violates the law. Ouch!

How to fix this problem - use a double opt-in process

There’s a strong global trend towards information privacy and consent. Best practice: get consent via a double opt-in process.

• Send a confirmation request after someone signs up for your email list. Do this no matter whether they're signing up to get your newsletter, a lead magnet or anything else.
• Confirmation proves consent (if there's a query), reduces fake sign-ups from bots and keeps your list clean and lean (so you're only paying your email service for people who want to hear from you.)

Cleaner lists mean fewer bounces and a better sender reputation. Email providers like Gmail and Outlook watch out for this, and so should you.

#4. Not defining your audience persona

You need clarity on who you’re emailing and why, because vague targeting equals vague results.

Here’s what I mean: imagine a coaching business blasting out vague motivation quotes to a list that includes CEOs, students and HR managers. Not one of these groups feels like the message is for them. Result? No-one gives them more than a passing glance. Over time, they completely disengage and eventually the business is flooded with unsubscribe requests.

Sending generic emails to everyone probably means your emails won't resonate with anyone on your list.

How to fix this problem - know your audience!

Build a clear picture of the person you want to reach — not just their job title, but what they care about, what problems they’re trying to solve, and how your emails can help.

• Create a mini character profile for your ideal subscriber. Think about your products or services—what problem(s) do they solve? Who has those problems? Who did you design them for? That’s your ideal customer.
• Send content and marketing emails that speak directly to that person. If you get feedback saying ‘it’s like you’re reading my mind’, you’re on the right track.

Learn about your customers by talking to them.

Contact people by:

• Asking a question in your newsletter and inviting them to reply
• Conducting a survey
• Posting a quiz
• Commenting when they visit your social media platforms
• DM-ing those who seem particularly engaged and asking for a quick chat

Once you know your audience persona, go back to #1. What’s your newsletter’s goal? Are your goal and content relevant to this audience?

#5. Inconsistent sending schedule

Sending too often, too rarely or inconsistently can either annoy subscribers or make them forget you all together.

Say a local gym sent three emails in one week, then nothing for two months? After two months most people don't remember signing up and hit unsubscribe or send it to the spam folder. Either way, that gym's message isn't getting through.

How to fix this problem - send regular emails

• Decide on a regular cadence. That might be daily, weekly or even monthly—so long as it's a schedule that suits you and your audience.
• Include the schedule on your sign up forms (e.g. 'twice weekly emails' or 'we'll drop you a line each week' or 'once a month you'll get a sneak peek into our upcoming specials.' and in your welcome email.

Content Mistakes

#6. Weak subject lines

If your subject line doesn’t grab attention, the rest doesn’t matter. You might have written a masterpiece but it’ll remain unread if people don’t open the email.

Let’s pretend our local gym has fixed their scheduling problem and now sends a monthly email with inspiring stories, special offers and helpful hints on topics their customers love. It should be a winner except for one problem.

They choose a simple subject line: “March Newsletter Inside!”

Practical? Yes.

Enticing? Engaging? Thought provoking? Hinting at the content?

No! The open rate is under 10% and they’re left wondering what went wrong.

How to fix this problem - give people a reason to click

• Think of your subject line like a movie trailer sparking curiosity or hinting at what’s inside.
• Don't descend to clickbait titles. Speak to your audience and offer something valuable or intriguing.

Instead of that ho-hum subject line, our gym's marketing team could try these subject lines, each of which gives the reader a peek at what’s coming and a reason to care.

• “Meet Jane, who ran her first 5K at 63 (How she did it!)”
• “3 ways to boost energy without changing your workout”
• “Your March motivation is here 💪”
• Test different subject line styles and ask yourself: Would I open this?

#7. Overloading with information

Watch how much information you're sending at a time. Too much text can be overwhelming and many readers will bail out as soon as they see it.

Likewise, having too many calls to action can be confusing if they lead to different outcomes, or annoying if you face a ‘buy now’ button after every paragraph. (I don’t know about you, but I tend to feel yelled at.)

Let's imagine this in action:

A nonprofit has oodles to share with its audience. They've had excellent results with some programs, but see a pressing need in others. So, they cram it all into this month's newsletter.

Suddenly, they have four articles, three donation requests, two event invites, and a paragraph from the director—all in one email.

It just won't work.

How to fix this problem - create a content marketing calendar

A simple content calendar helps you plan what to say and when. Each email has one clear focus and your readers don’t feel overwhelmed.

Our nonprofit could adjust their schedule and send short weekly notes.

• Week 1: Share the success story and include a donate button
• Week 2: Highlight the upcoming event with an RSVP link
• Week 3: Send a behind-the-scenes note from the director, with another donate button
• Week 4: Offer a volunteer spotlight or helpful resource and a CTA to follow the nonprofit on social media

Each email has one job to do—and does it well. There's no need to scramble for content every month, either. Each time stories or events information comes in, file it in the best category, and publish as needed.

#8. Lack of personalization

A first name merge tag used to be enough.

Not any more. Now, you need to tailor content based on behavior, preferences, or past actions.

Let’s say an online bookstore sends out a promo email with an enticing subject line: “Books You’ll Love.” Inside, the email lists six new releases… all crime thrillers.

But Jane, who’s on their list, only ever buys cookbooks. She rolls her eyes, clicks unsubscribe and heads to another online bookstore. After all, there are plenty of them about.

That’s the problem with weak personalization. It really misses the mark and risks driving customers away.

How to fix this problem - learn to use your email provider's segmentation tools

I was out of my depth when I first started considering personalized content. It seemed like an awful lot of work—and it would be if I had to do it all myself. Fortunately, ESPs have automated the process.

For example, most ESPs allow click tracking, which means you could segment your audience based on what they click. In that setup, we'd tag Jane with "food" or "cookbooks." Then future campaigns would send Jane recipes and cook book recommendations, and only thriller fans would get the next page-turner.

#9. Being too salesy

If your marketing materials are constantly pitching for sales instead of offering value, people on your list will quickly end up with one of two reactions. They'll either tune out or unsubscribe.

So, imagine you're marketing a skincare brand. You're desperate for sales so every email screams “Buy now!” To make matters worse, you don't offer any educational content.

What happens? People who like your product sign up but after your welcome email their engagement plummets. Staying on your list but ignoring your emails costs you money (because ESPs charge by list numbers) and reputation. Remember, Google and Outlook notice these things.

How to fix this problem - include engaging content

Content marketing is all about engaging and educating the reader and giving them a reason to buy. It's a long-term game, where people come to trust you and your brand over time, as they receive more and more helpful content.

• Our skincare brand could offer exclusive content, helpful beauty tips and make-up profiles for different skin types or coloring.
• Sarah might send tips on cleaning jewelry, fascinating insights into her design process or clever ways to accessorize using some of her iconic pieces.
• That online bookstore could include book reviews, round-ups, author spotlights and interviews, book bundles and recommendations.

#10. Ignoring mobile optimization

Digital marketing might work well on computers, but don't forget to format for mobile users too. Many people check emails on their phones. Others prefer tablets. So, if you ignore these other devices, your marketing plan is in trouble. Bad formatting equals lost opportunity.

For example, each month an investment firm sends a long newsletter heavy with performance tables, rate comparisons and account summaries. These wide tables and tiny font look great on desktop but disastrous on mobile. It doesn't take long before readers get frustrated and (you guessed it) unsubscribe.

How to fix this problem - use email templates with responsive design

UX (user experience) is all about easy, enjoyable, and effective interaction. That means optimizing for all devices by using responsive design. That means:

• The email looks great on any device
• Images load quickly and adjust to mobile devices, tablets and laptops
• Font is easy to scan and read without zooming
• All links and buttons work quickly and are easy to tap

Technical Mistakes

#11. No A/B testing

If you’re not testing subject lines, content, or send times, you’re missing chances to improve.

Without A/B testing, you’re basically guessing what works. Testing lets you compare two versions of your email to see which one gets more opens, clicks, or conversions—so you can stop guessing and start improving.

What if Sarah always sends her emails at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and never tests her subject lines? But most people on her list are at work by 9am, and not thinking about jewelry. She'll never learn that a different time or a more relent subject line could double her open rate unless she tests.

How to fix this problem - test your decisions

ESPs like Mailerlite, Mailchimp and Kit include A/B testing (aka split-testing) as part of their packages.

Mailerlite defines split testing as:

"Sending 2 different versions of your email to a sample of your email list to see which version performs better. The version that receives the most engagement is then sent out to the rest of your list.

Some ESPs allow multivariate testing where you check several different versions of an email campaign at the same time.

So:

• Try two subject lines to see which gets more opens
• Test different layouts, copy, or images to see what drives more clicks
• Experiment with send times to find when your audience is most active
• Make decisions based on real data to get the best deliverability, opens and click-through rates possible.

#12. Not monitoring deliverability

Nasties like spam traps, blacklists, and low engagement can destroy your sender reputation.

Spam traps are fake email addresses used to catch senders using poor practices, e.g. buying address lists or emailing old contacts. Meanwhile, blacklists are databases of known spam senders. You don't want to end up on one because your emails may go straight to spam or, even worse, blocked altogether.

Remember how I said inbox providers (like Gmail) take notice of what happens to your email marketing or newsletters when they land in people's inboxes? Low engagement (people not opening or clicking) shows your messages aren’t valuable, which hurts your deliverability over time.

Picture Emil, a travel blogger whose weekly newsletter forms the backbone of their business. One week they check their analytics and find their open rates plummeting. A frantic investigation reveals their domain was flagged for spam thanks to poor hygiene and frequent mass sends. Ouch.

How to fix this problem - protect your sender reputation

Your sender reputation is like your email credit score and affects whether your messages reach the inbox or head to spam. A clean, engaged list keeps your emails out of trouble and in front of real people. So:

• Don't buy or scrape email lists
• Regularly remove inactive subscribers
• Only send content people actually want to open and engage with
• Use double opt-ins to avoid fake or mistyped addresses
• If you haven't checked your list before, consider using an email list verification service like Zero Bounce or Mailbox Validator to scrub it clean.

#13. Missing or weak CTA

Your call to action guides readers toward doing something—whether it’s clicking, buying, signing up, or learning more.

If readers aren’t clear on that next step, they won’t take it. It's as simple as that.

For example, what if you regularly bury "check out our website" at the bottom of a long email? Few people scroll that far so they won't have any idea what to do next. What happens?

Most readers do nothing and you lose potential customers.

How to fix this problem - use strategic calls to action

Cap off a successful email campaign with the best-possible click rates by including strong CTAs placed where readers are sure to see them.

• Use an action-oriented CTA. E.g., “Explore our latest collection” rather than “Click here to visit our website.”
• Make it stand out with buttons or bold styling
• Place it logically—after you've delivered value, but before readers drop out
• Use one primary CTA per email to avoid decision fatigue

#14. Using too many images or huge files

Filling your emails with large files and too many images can trigger spam filters not to mention slowing down loading times. We’re an impatient lot, and most of us won’t wait more than a few seconds for an email (or website) to load.

Here's a scenario: an interior design company has taken to sending image-heavy newsletters way over Gmail's 102KB limit.

On their end, the kitchen, bathroom and living area photos look amazing and highlight their unique style.

On their readers’ end newsletters take forever to load, and recipients bounce before reading. Alternatively, Outlook users see a badly loaded, disjointed email and Gmail clips it (cuts off the bottom part of the email) and half the readers don’t bother opening the “View entire message” link.

Either way, they're losing sales by not living up to customer expectations for clean, quick-loading emails.

How to fix this problem - reduce image sizes and design for speed

Optimizing images and limiting large files helps your content load faster and stay visible in all inboxes. You can:

• Compress images before uploading (try tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh)
• Save images in web-friendly formats like JPEG or WebP for photos, and PNG for graphics with transparency
• Balance images with text so your message is still readable if images don’t load
• Check that you're under Gmail’s 102KB clipping limit before you press send.

#15. Broken links or buttons

How many times have you seen a "here's the correct link" email from your favorite creator or company? More than once, I bet. You might forgive occasional outdated, incorrect or broken links now and then, but not for long. And certainly not if you've just signed up to their list.

A broken CTA means you've wasted all the effort you put into writing the email.

Imagine Sofia a fitness influencer who's spent weeks putting together a free e-book as a lead magnet for her new course. But when she starts her email marketing campaign the “Download Now” button sends her fans to a 404 page.

If she's lucky, some kind readers will alert her to the error. Others will write complain. Still more will shrug and do nothing. Whatever happens, she's likely lost potential customers with that slip-up.

How to fix this problem - test before you send.

This one's simple.

Send yourself a test email before you send it to your list. That way you can check every link before you schedule send.

Analytics & Feedback Mistakes

#16. Not tracking performance metrics

If you're not reviewing open rates, click rates, and conversions, you're flying blind. Without tracking, you won’t know what’s working, what’s falling flat, or how to improve future campaigns.

For example, Liam sends weekly emails curating the news on cutting-edge technology. But because he never looks at open or click-through rates, Liam has no idea which topics people care about the most and which ones many of his readers ignore.

How to fix this problem - check email analytics

Don’t guess. Track the right data and use it to fine-tune your marketing emails.

• Use your ESP's built-in analytics to track key metrics—open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribe rates—to measure real engagement
• Set clear goals for your marketing campaigns (e.g., more webinar signups, more purchases.) Refer back to those goals when analyzing your key metrics to help judge a successful email campaign.
• Compare email performance over time to learn what topics, styles, and send times work best.

#17. Ignoring unsubscribe requests and spam complaints

These are signals something’s wrong, so what's the underlying issue? Why are people leaving? Why are your emails ending up in their spam folder?

Perhaps you're making several of the marketing mistakes on our list? Brushing off these warnings can hurt your sender reputation and make it harder for your emails to reach the inbox at all.

Let's say a fashion brand is sending fortnightly product emails to their list. Over the past three months they've seen 20 unsubscribes per email. But instead of investigating, their marketers shrug it off as normal.

How can they know for sure unless they investigate?

How to fix this problem - listen, learn, and adjust

• Survey unsubscribes to find out why they left. Many email platforms let you add a simple "Why are you unsubscribing?" question to the unsubscribe process.
• Examine your email content and format. Did you change something that might have prompted this rash of unsubscribe requests?
• Are you segmenting your list properly? (#2)
• Do your links work properly? (#15)
• Check your list health (#12)
• Analyze key metrics to see past and present click-through rates (#16)

#18. Failing to clean your list regularly

Old, inactive email addresses hurt deliverability and skew your metrics.

Internet service providers (like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo) will notice when a large portion of your emails aren’t being opened, clicked, or even delivered. That lowers your sender reputation, making it more likely that even your active subscribers will stop seeing your emails in their inbox and start finding them in spam instead.

It also messes with your metrics, making it harder to tell what’s actually working because your open and click rates will look way lower than they really are.

Picture this: more than half of Maria’s list hasn’t opened an email this year. Maria takes great pride in having such a big list, so she ignores the open rate and keeps sending emails to everyone. As a result, her deliverability score takes a hit, and her emails land in spam folders. Genuine readers don't see Maria's emails and over time they forget about her and her business.

How to fix this problem - give your list a six-monthly scrub

• Look for people who haven’t opened or clicked an email in the last 3–6 months
• Send them a re-engagement email reminding them why they signed up and asking if they still want to hear from you. Some people offer a special deal in these emails.
• If they don’t respond to the re-engagement, delete them
• Consider using an email verification service to find invalid or risky addresses that could harm your sender reputation (#12)

#19. Not welcoming new subscribers properly

A strong welcome sequence sets the tone for new subscribers. It sets them up to remember you, gives them an idea of what to expect from your emails and boosts long-term engagement.

Conversely, not sending a welcome email (or email series) can leave your readers feeling unwanted or disinterested.

Let’s imagine you subscribed to a boutique travel agency’s mailing list expecting to get tips for your upcoming vacation. They don’t have a welcome sequence in place, so even though you confirmed your address, you hear nothing for weeks.

By the time you finally get a promo, you’ve forgotten who they are and why you signed up. Anyway, your vacation's been and gone, and they've given you no reason to stick around, so you hit unsubscribe.

How to fix this problem - set up automated email sequences

• Plan a brief series of emails to introduce your brand, highlight useful content, set delivery expectations and so on.
• Automate the flow, so your first email arrives as soon as people confirm their subscription, with the others spaced a few days apart.
• Make your emails feel like a natural conversation. Welcome emails often include questions like "What's your biggest challenge?" The reply gives you more information to help with segmentation and sending relevant emails after the sequence has finished.
• Consider offering new subscriber discounts or bonuses to encourage more engagement and bring the subscriber further into your brand's world.

#20. Neglecting to test across email clients

What looks great in Gmail might break in Outlook so do some essential cross-client testing before you press send.

Let’s pretend that Sarah sorted all her other email issues and now has a beautifully designed monthly template. Her newsletter looks perfect in Gmail but breaks in Outlook and half Sarah’s list gets an unreadable mess.

With luck, a reader will let Sarah know what's happening. If not, her Outlook users will probably unsubscribe.

How to fix this problem - use a checklist before you send

Preview your email in desktop and mobile views and send test emails to different accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Apple Mail, etc.) to:

• Check images and logos load properly
• Test all links and buttons
• Are font styles and sizes readable on all devices?
• Look for layout or spacing issues (because some email clients may shift your design slightly)
• Review dark mode appearance (some platforms invert colors)
• Confirm your subject line and preview text are displaying correctly (no weird cut-offs).

If that sounds overwhelming, consider a tool like Litmus or Email on Acid (both offer a free trial) to check your emails across many devices and clients.

Final thoughts

Having a few aha moments as you read through our list?

That’s a good thing. It means you're already on your way to stronger email marketing. The best campaigns come from keeping your list clean, your content on point, and your reputation shining.

Want another smart way to grow? Try reaching new audiences by sponsoring newsletters they already trust. Use Reletter to find the perfect newsletters in your niche.

Ever signed up for an amazing newsletter, only to lose track of it in the depths of your inbox? Yep, we’ve all been there.

That’s where newsletter aggregators come in. Often called newsletter readers, they keep all your must-read newsletters in one place, so you never miss an issue.

But, what if you 're hooked on news and want to find even more? Or, more correctly, you want to stay informed on current events, or topics of special interest. But who's got time to visit multiple websites individually? It sounds like a recipe for information overload.

That's where news aggregators hit the mark. They sort out your news feeds based on your interests. Or, if you want to learn more about the world, you can customize them to send you more diverse perspectives.

What is a newsletter or news aggregator?

Newsletter and news aggregators are platforms or services that curate and collect news and/or newsletters from various sources into a single feed or platform.

They help users discover and subscribe to newsletters, magazines, news outlets and websites covering specific topics of interest. It's a convenient way to stay updated on category articles (e.g., science, lifestyle, food, sports) and news stories, and to read your favorite newsletters away from your email inbox.

In this article, I've explored two different kinds of aggregators:

1. Newsletter Readers which help you organize and read newsletters that you've already subscribed to, but want to keep separate from your main inbox. These provide a dedicated, often more organized space for reading newsletters.
2. Discovery and Content Aggregators which search for and suggest news stories and other content based on your interests or chosen topics. These apps curate content from across the web, including news sites, blogs, and sometimes newsletters, and present them to you in one place.

How they work:

Many newsletter readers work by generating a unique email address in the app. You then use that email address for your newsletter subscription and receive the newsletter in the app, instead of your email inbox.

Other aggregators pull in newsletters using RSS feeds, allowing you to follow newsletters that provide a public feed. Some crawl the web or use AI to surface relevant content based on your interests, even if you haven't subscribed to specific newsletters. A few platforms also partner directly with publishers or use APIs to fetch newsletter content and display it within the app.

We're spoilt for choice when it comes to aggregators, whether you want to access them online or via mobile apps. Here are ten of the best.

Apps & aggregators to organize your newsletters

#1. Feedly

Feedly allows users to subscribe to blogs, news websites, YouTube channels, newsletters, and other content sources.

The site has a free plan for web or mobile users that lets you follow up to 100 feeds, organized into three folders. Premium users pay between $7 and $10/mo. (paid annually) for more features. These include more feeds, power search, AI and more. You'll need to subscribe at the Pro+ level to follow newsletters.

Feedly is RSS-based but uses AI and content discovery features to help you find new features and sites. This video gives a good basic demo on how to use it.

My thoughts

Feedly is good at keeping things organized without being overly complicated.

I imagine the Leo AI assistant could be a game-changer for research because it lets you create AI-powered feeds that collect intelligence about specific topics, companies, or trends. In other words, it helps you find the good stuff while cutting out the junk.

#2. Meco

Meco is an app and online platform that declutters your inbox by consolidating newsletters into a dedicated platform, making it a nicer reading experience.

The app offers personalized recommendations based on your interests, which helps you find newsletters beyond the ones you’ve already subscribed to. It includes daily, AI-made audio round ups, and lets you filter and group newsletters to make it easier to see what's there.

Join the free version or sign up for the premium plan's 7-day free trial, then pay $34.99 USD per year to continue.

My thoughts:

I love Meco's clean lines and simple interface; the format is super-easy to read. I also like how they give you two email options:

1. Connect your Gmail or Outlook account and switch all newsletters into Meco. This option declutters your inbox and gives you a nicer reading environment.
2. Create a dedicated Meco address and find newsletters through the discovery option if you want to start from scratch. I tried finding my current newsletters in the discovery option and none of them came up, so I think the first option's best for me.

#3. Slick Inbox

Slick is a simple, streamlined newsletter reader app on Android and IOS. Use it to bypass your email inbox and send all your subscriptions to your Slick Inbox.

Founded by Edison Yap in 2019, the app is in a new development phase as I write this (March, 2025), aiming to add features like Discovery, Favorites, Stats  and Sharing options. Downloading it now gives you the chance to join as a tester.

My thoughts:

I love the app's 'slick look' on a phone screen.  If you're into such things, it could be cool to get in on the ground floor and give your opinion on the new features currently in development.

#4. Substack Reader

This online space and app's a dedicated space to read all the Substacks you support. Substack describes it as a "clean, simple, and fast web reader that stays in sync with your app."

Substack Reader is free to all Substack subscribers and writers. As well as your newsletter subscriptions, it also links to Notes (Substack's Threads equivalent) and Chats and helps you find new content through a discovery feature.

My thoughts:

I use Substack Reader to read all the Substacks I follow. You just tap the inbox icon and scroll through to find the one you want to read. I find it easy to read on a white screen, but it doesn't have a dark mode, which some people prefer.

Using Substack Reader doesn't declutter my email inbox, though. Substack's email newsletters still automatically appear there, too.

#5. Newsletterss

Newsletterss is another dedicated newsletter reader designed to streamline your reading experience by separating newsletters from your primary email inbox.

This mobile app offers AI newsletter summaries to help you grasp the main points without reading the whole thing, so it might suit you if you'd prefer to only see the basics.

However, you can read the whole newsletter in your preferred RSS reader. This feature is limited in the free version, so you'd need to pay $1.99/mo. for the premium version to access it properly.

My thoughts:

It's so easy to over-subscribe to newsletters and end up with too many to read. So, I'm tempted to use Newsletterss to summarize the ones I'm less interested in, and spend my precious reading time on my absolute favorites.

#6. LaterOn

LaterOn is a relatively new AI-powered newsletter aggregator and scheduler. Like the others, it's designed to declutter your inbox and offer a dedicated reading space for all your newsletters. Unlike its competitors, it also offers a newsletter publishing option.

LaterOn has a limited free plan plus three pricing tiers, from $8 to $22/mo. These plans offers AI summaries, an AI assistant, scheduling and Zen mode.

However, they recently launched Publisher, a separate newsletter creation feature. You can use Publisher to write a newsletter (with AI assistance), schedule posts and gather an unlimited number of subscribers.

My thoughts:

I like that LaterOn is built by a young solopreneur and founder —M Gilang Januar. I like his innovative approach, especially the idea of including a newsletter creation tool.

It's reasonably priced and could be a really good option for creators and solopreneurs who are just getting started with newsletters and are happy with a simple setup.

#7. Mailbrew

Mailbrew is another content aggregation platform that lets you curate and receive personalized email digests. It brings together your newsletters, RSS feeds, social media updates and more into a single, customizable daily email. Choose what you want to read, then follow the links to the news sources.

As well as using AI to curate top stories based on your selected topics, it lets you create personalized email digests and share them with others.  The pro version has tools to help you manage and organize newsletters, including tagging and filtering options.

Check this article on managing newsletter subscriptions through Mailbrew.

My thoughts:

I like the way Mailbrew lets you categorize your newsletters into unique "brews" (as they call them.) For example, I subscribe to several different newsletters about writing, another couple I'd categorize as self-help and others about gardening, health and two that often make me laugh out loud.

In Mailbrew, I can sort them each to a different brew, and get them delivered on a certain day. So, I could have a laugh on Mondays (when I most need it) but read my gardening newsletters in the weekend, when I've got time to act on those tips.

News aggregators—apps and platforms

#8. Inoreader

Inoreader is also a web-based content and RSS feed reader that aggregates news feeds from multiple websites. You can customize and share content via your web browser or on an IOS or Android app.

You can start with a free plan, which lets you follow RSS feeds, search in your articles, get Google News alerts, and customize your view. There's also a pro plan for $7.50/mo. (paid annually) which lets you create monitoring feeds, apply filters and rules, and subscribe to newsletters.

In early 2025, Inoreader introduced a Pocket integration, which lets you read information from both aggregators in one place. (Pocket is an app that lets you save and organize articles and newsletters you find on the web for later reading.)

My thoughts:

Inoreader's content curation differs from other aggregators because there are so many ways to connect it, including syncing your YouTube subscriptions, getting Google News alerts and monitoring for brand mentions right across the internet.

#9. Flipboard

Flipboard is a social magazine that connects publishers, creators and brands with their audiences and lets those enthusiasts share stories with others. It's not exactly a newsletter aggregator, but you might find people whose newsletters you follow, especially if you use Surf.

Flipboard is accessible on multiple platforms. It's free to use, but includes advertising.  Select topics that interest you and Flipboard will aggregate relevant articles, videos and images into your personal magazine. (See the possibilities here.)

In December 2024, Flipboard introduced a new application called Surf, designed to navigate the decentralized social web, also known as 'the fediverse - a "unified social network made up of services like Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and Flipboard, that let you follow people and interact with them, regardless of the platform they use."

My thoughts:

I love the community aspects of Flipboard, and the way you can customize your own magazines then share them with others. The video link above shows a science teacher and his students sharing articles with each other and, as an ex-teacher, I got really excited about all the possibilities that raised.

#10. Fark

Fark is another application that's more of a news aggregator and an edited social networking news site, rather than a newsletter reader. It's known for providing access to often quirky articles chosen by The Fark editors from thousands of submissions by Fark members.

You can join for free, or pay a $10/mo. subscription fee to access "Total Fark" (premium) and "Bare Fark (ad-free content.) If Fark's premise appeals to you, check out this article on How to Submit Content to Fark.

My thoughts:

I like the irreverent nature of Fark; it permeates the whole site. I think the above image illustrates that perfectly.

Then there's the way they gather and display their news content. These stories might surface in other news aggregators but they certainly wouldn't have the same prefaces because members must write quirky custom headlines and summaries when they submit the article to Fark's editors.

The news stories seem to be mainly US-based, but other categories are broader. I loved this STEM story with the headline "Ray, when someone asks if you're a god, you say... Listen, do you smell something?"

Final thoughts

With so many newsletter and news aggregators out there, the real question is: which one fits your style?

Whether you want a clutter-free space to read newsletters, a smart tool to discover new content, or a mix of both, there's an option that’ll work for you.

The best part?

Once you find the right one, there'll be no more lost emails or endless website hopping. Staying informed becomes effortless.

So, whether you're managing existing subscriptions or hunting for fresh perspectives, these tools put you in control of your content. Which one will you try first?

Want to know how a newsletter is really performing? Reletter gives you the inside scoop—subscriber numbers, monthly visits, engagement rates and more. Take a look.

Substack is a publishing platform where writers, journalists, and creators can publish and monetize their content through subscriptions. It burst onto the scene in 2017 with a simple but radical idea: to provide a place where writers can focus on and communicate with their readers and be paid for the value they give.

At first, Substack was all about the written word. Now, you can watch videos, listen to podcasts, comment on Notes (Substack's social media platform) and find new Substack newsletters through their Recommendations feature.

Starting a Substack is free, and it’s easy to write and publish on the platform’s basic interface. Content can be free or behind a paywall—it’s your choice. Substack can automatically collect recurring payments and handle subscriber management. It charges 10% of any revenue made through paid subscriptions.

Today, there are millions of writers and readers on Substack. It almost seems too good to be true.

So, why might you look for Substack alternatives?

Platforms cater to different use cases

It all depends why you want a newsletter and what you hope to gain from it.

Platforms have different strengths (and weaknesses), so if Substack doesn't quite fit the bill for you, choose an alternative to Substack based on what YOU need from your newsletter platform.

Reasons for having a newsletter:

• Personal: (hobby, free, to connect with your audience, put your work out into the world)
• Gathering an audience and promoting your work (authors, creators, etc.)
• Create and sustain a community
• Offer a paid newsletter with exclusive content (news organizations, journalists, educators, etc.)
• Content marketing (e.g., digital products)
• Part of an income stream (paid subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, product sales, partner program, merch, etc.)
• It's part of your company's email marketing strategy

Testing Substack alternatives

There are quite a few platforms that qualify as alternatives to Substack on the internet, so how did I choose which ones to feature here?

When I went exploring, I found that many of these platforms fell into distinct categories.  I chose a few from each, checked their reviews, combed through their offerings and tried their newsletter interfaces (if they offered a free plan.)

Email marketing platforms

Designed for businesses who want to craft sleek email campaigns and need more advanced newsletter features than Substack offers. They include MailerLite, MailChimp, AWeber, Moosend, Klaviyo and many more. I chose three examples to test in this category—Kit, Brevo and EcoSend.

Marketing platforms tent to have more advanced features than Substack can offer. Things like automation workflows, A-B testing, automated email sequences, segmentation and the ability to track email marketing campaigns.

If you run your newsletter as a business, or it's a content marketing newsletter, you might need an email marketing platform. It will offer more marketing features and design choices, but might be more complicated and cost more to run and than a Substack newsletter.

Community building platforms

Substack certainly offers community building aspects. In fact, its premise is all about giving writers and readers a place to connect in the comments section, through Notes and by offering education and training materials when they publish members only content.

However, some platforms are specialized tools for building communities while still letting you send newsletters and blog posts to your audience. I tested Mighty Networks and Patreon in this category.

Basic newsletter/websites

Some Substack alternatives have key features very similar to Substacks. They're easy to use, offer free plans, let you offer paid content and put newsletters above marketing. These are the platforms you might consider if you're looking for a straight swap.

In this category, I investigated Ghost, Beehiiv and Buttondown.

Other alternatives

Finally, I explored two platforms that don't fit neatly into any of the above categories. Medium and LinkedIn Newsletters both offer you access to large, ready-made audiences and a free place to publish your writing. Both services send emails to subscribers when you publish a new piece.

You may make money through your writing via these platforms, but not by directly charging subscribers or advertising. I'd classify them as thought leadership writing and publishing tools rather than marketing or newsletter platforms.

So, if you're shopping around for something a little different, let's look at some of the best Substack alternatives I found.

1. Ghost

Category: Basic newsletter/website

Ghost is an open-source blogging and writing platform, designed for professional publishers to create their own content and grow a business around it. It's the platform we use here, and is ideal for creators, publishers, business blogs and newsletters.

Pros

• Easy to use interface
• All templates are completely customizable
• Offers tools and resources to appeal to developers
• Designed to be speedy and SEO friendly.
• Supports memberships and monetization
• Includes integrations such as social media apps, plugs-ins and tools such as Stripe, Shopify, Discord, Kit, Spotify, Unsplash and many more.
• Basic newsletter analytics (opens and clicks)
• Has resources and manuals available on the website.

Cons

• If you want complete control, you’ll need to pay slightly more and choose the Self-Hosted option. That means organizing your own hosting arrangements, which also requires some technical know-how and organizational skills. Alternatively, choose "Ghost Pro" hosting and have it all taken care of for you.
• Customization options require more advanced skills than click, drag and drop.
• Doesn't include community building features
• I've never noticed a preview feature

2. LinkedIn Newsletters

Category: Other

This free newsletter tool within LinkedIn lets members create up to five newsletters for their followers. After you publish each edition LinkedIn sends in-app and email notifications all your subscribers. It's also offered to anyone who subsequently follows you.

Professionals and creators will love its built-in professional audience and discoverability within LinkedIn.

Pros

• Free
• Includes real-time feedback and comments from your readers
• Can optimize for SEO
• Very easy to use

Cons

• Limited customization options
• No monetization, although you can accept sponsorship.

3. Beehiiv

Category: Basic newsletter/website

Beehiiv is a newsletter and website platform designed for creators and businesses. It's very similar in looks to Substack, and is ideal for audience building, content marketing and professional newsletter publishers.

The platform features a free plan for up to 2500 subscribers and paid tiers from $39 USD (monthly) up to a custom pricing Enterprise level.

Pros

• Growth-focused tools include referral program, boosts and recommendations
• Monetization strategies include ads and subscription tiers
• Fully integrated website and newsletter

Cons

• You can't choose your own ad campaigns—you have to use Beehiiv's advertizer network.

4. Mighty Networks

Category: Community building platform

Mighty Networks is a community-building platform that integrates newsletters, courses and membership management software. It's ideal for fostering community interaction and building income streams.

Pricing plans run from $41 to $360/month. The website offers a quiz to help decide which plan to use and offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required.)

Pros

• Lets you set up your own branded app
• Easy migration from other platforms
• Integrates with Zoom for meetings
• Offers higher monthly revenue opportunities than newsletter subscription tiers

Cons

• Not ideal for hobby or standalone newsletters
• You'll need a Kit (aka ConvertKit) account to send email newsletters

5. Brevo

Category: Email marketing

Formerly called Sendinblue, Brevo is a versatile email marketing platform that supports newsletters and automation. It's ideal for businesses seeking newsletter content marketing and audience segmentation.

Brevo 'Launch' is a free plan for up to 2500 subscribers and includes all the basics, including a custom website, newsletter campaign analytics, a recommendation network and more. Paid plans run from $34-$86 USD/month, paid annually, with a custom pricing option at Enterprise level.

Pros

• Robust automation
• Email marketing campaigns
• Visually appealing templates
• Advanced marketing tools
• AI tools
• Personalization features
• Free plan has everything you need to get started

Cons

• Not so suitable for creator or personal newsletters
• Advanced features need some technical knowledge

6. Medium

Category: Other

Medium is a free blogging platform that allows users to build audiences and monetize through memberships. It's free for writers to publish content on Medium, but readers pay to use the platform.

Pros

• Instant exposure to a large audience (if you can get yourself noticed.)
• Very easy to set up and publish articles and newsletters
• User-friendly interface (no tech knowledge required to get started)
• Can write and publish elsewhere, then syndicate to Medium

Cons

• There is so much written content on Medium it can be hard to stand out from the crowd
• Hard to build a sustainable writing business, as most writers will only earn a few dollars each month
• You must be designated the publication editor to create a newsletter

7. Buttondown

Category: Basic newsletter/website

Buttondown is an indie email newsletter tool, designed for writers. It has a minimalist interface, but still includes features like automation tools, integrations and a widget for paid subscriptions.

Newsletters can start on a free plan up to 100 subscribers. Paid plan costs gradually increase (starting at $9/month for up to 999 subscribers) depending on your subscriber numbers.

Pros

• Easy to get started, with simple editing tools
• Set subscriptions to a fixed amount or use a 'pay what you want' option
• No extra fees to include paying subscribers
• Users report great customer service
• Includes a public archive so anyone can find your newsletter backlist
• Works for businesses and creators

Cons

• Basic formatting
• Email newsletter only, no website feature

8. Patreon

Category: Community building

Patreon is a membership platform where fans (called patrons) support creators by paying a recurring fee—usually monthly— or pay for individual products. Creators can set up a community on Patreon and post features like videos, audio files, images and newsletters for their subscribers.

Starting a Patreon is free, but the platform takes a percentage of your earnings (between 5-12%) depending on what you sell and the plan you choose.

Pros

• Easy to join and get started
• You don't pay until your subscribers do
• Helps you connect directly with your community
• Decide your own pricing tiers
• Set the price in your currency and Patreon automatically converts to your customer's local currency

Cons

• Hosts your community but doesn't include community-building features. Therefore, Patreon works best with an already-engaged audience (e.g., podcast listeners, newsletter email list, YouTube or TikTok channel etc.)
• Doesn't allow for advertising

9. EcoSend

Category: Email marketing

EcoSend is a climate-conscious email platform with an aim to become carbon negative. It appeals to businesses with sustainable or eco-friendly branding.

The platform features a 7-day free trial, then costs £15/month ($29 USD) for up to 500 subscribers. Prices increase as your email list grows.

Pros

• Runs on renewable energy
• Plants trees & reinvests some profits into climate causes
• Has full email marketing services on every plan
• Free email template lets you explore before you sign up

Cons

• Your security system may block the template export (mine did)
• No free plan, 7-day trial is not long to decide if you like the platform features

10. Kit

Category: Email marketing

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email-first operating system for creators. It's ideal for newsletter creators who want to build and sustain a business.

A basic newsletter plan is free for up to 10,000 subscribers, while the Creator plan starts at $25/month for up to 1000 subscribers.

Pros

• Simple and intuitive
• Landing pages
• Recommendations
• Choose email builder or use templates
• Integrations and automations
• Programmatic ads and sponsorships
• Can include products and set up a paid newsletter

Cons

• Limited reporting data compared to some of its rival email marketing platforms

Final thoughts

If all you need is a website and a way to connect with your community, Substack may well give you all you need in an online platform.

However, if you want something more, or different you can find a lot of Substack alternatives out there.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Why do I have/want a newsletter?
2. What is its purpose or goal?
3. What tools do I need to grow my newsletter?
4. Do I need advanced features like audience segmentation and analytics?
5. Does the cost fit within my budget?

Choose platforms you think might fit your needs based on your answers to those questions. Then, explore each one thoroughly before you decide which will suit you best.

Happy writing!

PS - Once your newsletter's up and running, consider using cross promotion as part of your growth strategy. Use Reletter to find the right cross-promotion partners. Not on Reletter yet? Start with our free trial.

If you’ve considered advertising your product or brand on Substack, read this first.

Substack has begun piloting an invite-only “native sponsorships” feature with a small group of writers and brands, but if you’re not part of the pilot, don’t worry. This article breaks down a practical alternative way to advertise on Substack.

What is Substack?

Substack is best known for newsletters, but really, it's far more than that.

Since launching in 2017, Substack has gradually included audio voiceovers, videos and podcasts into their email newsletter platform.  

Some writers publish entire books by serializing them as posts on their Substacks. And now, there's even a Substack App to give readers the best-possible experience on the platform.

Then there are Substack 'Notes,' where writers can share short-form content, links, images and comments and 'Recommendations', where newsletter owners tell their followers about other interesting Substacks.

The Substack business model encourages direct relationships between writers and readers on the platform and works on the premise that people are prepared to pay for great writing. Writers can provide a free newsletter or make money by charging subscription fees.

CEO Chris Best says the reason Substack exists is to build a new economic engine for culture, and it seems the platform is well on the way to succeeding in that.

Can you advertise on Substack?

The platform doesn't have built-in advertising revenue models because Substack encourages creators to make money through paid subscriptions.

However, the website guidelines clarify that some tasteful advertising or sponsorship is acceptable on individual Substacks.

At Substack, we believe that direct relationships between readers and writers make for a healthier information ecosystem... That said, you're welcome to host sponsored content and we don't have any policies in place that prohibit publishers from doing so.

Substack FAQ advertising guidelines

Substack advertising examples

Many creators are happy to diversify their revenue streams by accepting sponsorship packages from brands that resonate with their readers. And because there are so many niches on Substack, your business could well find creators interested in partnering with you.

Here are some examples.

Virtual Author & Writer Events

Each week Sarah Nicolas lists sets of virtual events for writers and readers. In keeping with her no-frills format, her sponsorships are mentioned in a single sentence with links to their websites.

Yet Another Value Blog

Andrew has been experimenting with sponsored deep dives on the Yet Another Value Blog. He describes this form of sponsorship as a win for him, the sponsoring business and his readers.

For me, it lets me ramp up on an industry or company while highlighting a product I use extensively. For Tegus, it’ll let users and potential users see exactly how powerful a few expert calls can be. And, for you, the reader, it’ll mean free industry or company deep dives backed by expert calls.

Lenny's Newsletter

Podcasters often accept sponsorships and Substack podcasts are no exception. Lenny Rachitsky includes his sponsor's message in his newsletter post and on the audio and video versions of the podcast.

Why Is This Interesting?

Classified ads aren't new to newsletters, but you don't see them all that often on Substack. However Why Is This Interesting? is experimenting with the advertising format. The cost of a couple of lines + link starts at $200 and each ad runs for a week.

'Today in Books' and 'In Reading Color'

Some Substack creators use images to enhance their ads. It works well when the ad is relevant to the audience. For example each issue of Today in Books and In Reading Color has an image and link to a featured book.

How to advertise on Substack

Because most Substack writers don't have sponsors, it can be tricky to find publishers who do.

You could try searching on Google (or another search engine). For example, entering a search term like site:substack.com 'sponsored by' or site:substack.com 'brought to you by' will undoubtedly bring up some Substack publications.

However, using these search terms is a bit hit-and-miss when finding newsletters in your niche. And you'll still have to research their subscriber numbers and other data to see if reaching out to them makes sound business sense.

So we recommend you save yourself time and effort by heading straight to Reletter.

1. Find newsletters with Reletter

Reletter is a newsletter database listing valuable information on over one million Substack newsletters.

Start by entering your niche or topic into the search bar. Then, use filters to show newsletters that already do Substack advertising.

Whilst you might have more luck pitching newsletters that already accept sponsors, it's definitely worth considering those in your niche that have never worked with a brand before.

2. Check their subscriber numbers

Select a newsletter to bring up all the data, including subscriber numbers and our unique engagement score (calculated from the growth in readers' comments and likes over the past 180 days.)

3. Compare other data

Reletter also includes links to the newsletter website, the latest issues and associated social media accounts, making it easy to research the topics it covers. Reading a few issues can show you the newsletter's overall tone so you can determine if that would gel with your brand.

You can read their content on Reletter or view the original post on Substack.

4. Get their contact info

Choose the blue contact button on the top of a Reletter information page to see the writer's website and email information.

When you find newsletters that fit, make a list so you can contact them later. You can add to an existing list or create a new one by selecting the "Add to List" button (top left.)

Send a pitch

Once you've decided to focus on a particular newsletter, select it from your list and use our handy pitch templates to take away the hassle of deciding what to write.

Choose from our two sponsorship templates or create a new private template if you want to pitch a different idea.

Final thoughts

Reletter was designed specifically to help brands and businesses like yours advertise in Substack newsletters. And if you want to branch out into another up-and-coming newsletter platform, we also have 70,000+ LinkedIn newsletters on our database.

What are you waiting for?

Start finding newsletters on Reletter today.

Get started with a 7-day free trial.

How many email newsletters flood your inbox each week?

For me, that number is 22.

Do I open them all? Mostly, yes. Do I READ them all? Absolutely not.

Like most of us, there are some standouts. I look forward to their arrival, read them from beginning to end, buy their products or pay to subscribe. You've probably got similar newsletters in your inbox too. Others you'd be lucky to glance at once a month.

So, how can you ensure your newsletter stands out to your subscribers and keeps them eagerly reading every email?

I've got 25 helpful tips (and examples) to help you craft an email newsletter your target audience can't wait to read.

#1. Define your audience

Successful newsletter authors know who they're writing for. Instead of putting out a generic email aimed at "everyone" they understand their target audience and plan a content strategy that perfectly suits those readers.

Jeremy Enns "Scrappy Podcasting" newsletter is a perfect example.

His daily podcast marketing micro-lessons arrow straight towards podcast creators who want to improve their marketing and grow their audience. Jeremy believes in creating content based on connection, empathy and generosity, so he attracts readers who agree with that philosophy.

Those are the subscribers who also listen to his podcast and perhaps join his academy. If that's not you, to be honest, he'd probably rather you didn't sign up.

#2. Set clear goals

Understand why you're writing a newsletter, and what you hope to achieve. Once you understand your newsletter's purpose, you can set goals to help you get there.

Perhaps you want to build rapport and grow your audience. To do that, you might set a goal of increasing your engagement rates using a personalized content strategy.

Are you establishing (and maintaining) your credentials as a thought leader? Your goal could be to write and publish two substantial insights in your newsletter each month.

Drive traffic to your business, increase engagement or generate leads. One goal could be to repurpose segments in 10 ways to share on social media, with links back to your newsletter or website.

Is your newsletter the business? Do you plan on monetizing it? Are you looking for pin money or a substantial income stream? You might set a goal to achieve a sponsorship deal within 3 months. Or a more ambitious one of converting 15% of your readers into paid subscribers.

#3. Have a point of difference

How can you create one of those amazing newsletters that subscribers can't wait to open? You need a point of difference. Something that makes you stand out from all the rest.

Perhaps it's what you say - or how you say it. Maybe it's your visuals, your humor, or the way you express your insights and opinions. Perhaps it's the way you present it? If everyone else in your niche has jumped on the content curation bandwagon, perhaps you write an essay each week? Or vice versa.

Here's an example.

Most authors have websites and newsletters where they tell you about their latest books. But 1920s Cozy Mystery author Anna Sayburn Lane does things a little differently. She invites her readers deeper into her world by writing about the research that underpins her books in "The Stories Behind The Story."

#4. Craft an irresistible subject line (and preheader text)

Do you know just how vital your subject lines are? Often they're the deciding factor in opening your email or consigning it to the bin.

Gone are the days when you can write "Weekly round up" or "Special Offer inside" or even "Hi [name] and hope to have great open rates. Instead, try asking a question or teasing their curiosity. Use an astounding number, use an action word (e.g., discover) or preview the value of your content.

Keep your subject lines short enough to show in an email preview (40-60 characters.) Make them too long and half the words will disappear into oblivion.

Preheader text (aka preview text) is the sentence under your subject line. It relates to and enhances the subject line and is another chance to grab attention and persuade people to open your email.

#5. Keep the tone consistent

Your newsletter's tone and topics are guided by your promise and its value proposition.

If you’ve promised subscribers an informative article and three short tips each week, that’s what you should deliver. You’d certainly annoy your audience if they signed up for business tips and you sent recipes one week and garden gnome photos two days later. (That’s an extreme example, for sure, but you get the point.)

Look through the back issues of the newsletter examples in this article and you'll see how consistent their branding, tone and topics are.

#6. Keep it skimmable

It's hard to read in depth on a screen. That's one reason why people tend to skim read newsletters and emails. Another is the frantic pace at which many of us live our lives.

That's why it pays to make your newsletter easy to skim. How?

• Use headlines to signal what each section is about.
• Incorporate whitespace between lines and sections
• Break the text with images, colors or lines
• Consider leading with a summary.

#7. Focus on quality over quantity

Invest time in writing or curating the most interesting content possible. Your readers are more likely to stay on your list and eventually become paid subscribers or purchase your product if you're consistently sending quality emails.

Quality means different things to people. For some it could be a longform essay. For others, a funny story, an analysis or solution to a problem. Some people love getting links to useful content from others in that niche.

One of my favorite weekly newsletters is Saturday Solopreneur, by Justin Welsh. Coincidentally, just as I was writing this article, one of his posts arrived with a heap of useful thoughts about writing quality newsletters in 2025. Like this:

Your content needs to solve real problems. Create comprehensive content hubs instead of quick posts and crappy freebies. You want to build a resource-heavy content library for your audience.

#8. Consider personalization

Not that long ago, personalization meant greeting the reader by name (and perhaps including that name in the body copy, too. However, in 2024 and beyond, personalization has become far more sophisticated.

Nowadays, it means things like:

• Sending information based on readers' interests and behavior
• Using dynamic content blocks to send curated links and posts
• Changing subject lines and headers (aka using conditional subject lines) to appeal to different groups in your audience
• Giving people control over how often they want to receive your newsletter

Comprehensive email service providers (ESP) like ConvertKit and MailerLite have personalization tools built in. You could choose to use a Marketing Automation platform, like Klaviyo or analytics tools like Google Analytics to help you learn about your readers. Or you might make it even more personal and ask about their preferences in your welcome email sequence or through surveys and feedback tools.

People are understandably wary about the amount of information businesses have about them, so be very transparent about what data you collect and why. Let them know that personalization will enhance their experience, not invade their privacy.

#9. Include a clear CTA

What do you want subscribers to do after they've read your newsletter? That's where you focus your call to action buttons - on the number one step you want people to take.

Some people link to their products towards the end of each email using phrases like "when you're ready, here's how I can help."

Many marketers include several CTAs in their newsletters, others prefer to concentrate on just one.

For example, Sounds Profitable has one simple message:

#10. Experiment

Once your newsletter's underway, test some of the key elements to see what works and what needs to change.

For example, can you improve your open rates by adjusting the subject line? You might experiment using funny subject lines or questions to see which gets better results. You could do that over time, or A/B test by sending the same email with a different subject line to see which gets more opens.

Try testing your send time, too. Divide your audience in half and send the same edition to each segment but at different times. You might even experiment sending them on different days.

Consider your audience demographics, too. Are you all in the similar time zones or are a significant segment on the other side of the world? Are they business professionals and more likely to read your industry-related newsletter at work? Or is your content more suited to leisure time reading, and might be better arriving during the weekend?

Sending emails when inbox competition is lower can make your newsletter more visible, so which day is that for your readers? Your personalization might extend to letting them choose which day suits them best. Very few emails arrive in my inbox on Sunday morning, for example. Yet, that's the day I have more time to read them. So, I'd welcome the chance to say "send it on a Sunday in my time zone, please."

#11. Include exclusive content

Consider creating content that readers will only find in your email newsletters.

You might share exclusive tips or write original essays. Draw cartoons, share your opinions on industry controversies or answer reader questions.

For example, a few years ago, I kept a blog about living on our family farm.

I wanted to build rapport with my readers, so I sent out a biweekly newsletter with links to the latest blog post and always included content that didn't appear anywhere else. It gave people an extra incentive to sign up, and some replied regularly with accounts of their own rural experiences.

#12. Use a clean, consistent layout

Your readers get familiar with your newsletters style and layout, and like to see the same thing in each issue. Use the same brand colors, font, header and layout every time. It keeps things simple for the reader, but it also makes producing each issue a lot easier for you, too.

E newsletters can be plain text emails like you'd send to a friend or you can use a template from your ESP. I can make a case for both options.

• A plain text email looks and feels more personal, so it might work best if you're looking to make connections and build trust with your readers. Plain text emails load quickly and display well on all devices.
• Using a template lets you create strong visual branding and makes it easy to organize the newsletter's structure, adding headings, body text, images, etc. Most templates also let you insert interactive elements like call to action buttons, quizzes, videos and so on.

If you're not sure which works best for your newsletter, why not involve your audience and ask their opinion?

#13. Optimize for mobile devices

Have you ever opened a newsletter on your mobile and found the text didn't fit the screen? The images seemed squashed and the CTA button was so small you could hardly see it?

That newsletter wasn't optimized for mobile viewing.

Good on you if you struggled through to the end—many readers would have given up in disgust.

Don't risk having your email newsletters thrown out. Instead:

1. Use a responsive template that adjusts to any sized screen.
2. Write short sentences and break the text up with bullet points and headers to make your newsletter content easy to scan.
3. Ensure your CTA buttons are as easy to find and tap on mobile as they are on a tablet or computer screen.
4. Preview your newsletter in every format to be sure there are no annoying surprises.

I found that last tip out the hard way. I write a weekly newsletter for one of my clients and soon learned that in their template a long title looks fine on my screen but splits into two widely spaced lines when viewed in other formats. It looks awful, so now, I always keep the title short and use our previewer to double check the look.

#14. Should you include visuals?

Images, charts, doodles, cartoons... visuals can be very effective in email newsletters, but they come with pros and cons.

PROS: Visuals break up the text. They provide a different way to present information and, used consistently, they contribute to the overall look and feel of your brand.

CONS: Using too many can slow your load time, especially if you haven't formatted them correctly. Images can present accessibility challenges for readers using screen readers and some email clients will automatically block images (unless a subscriber marks you as a trusted sender.)

If you include visuals in your email newsletters, you can deal with the cons like this:

• Compress all images with online compressors like TinyPNG, CompressNow or JPEG Optimizer
• Choose the right formats (JPEG for photos, PNG for images with transparency or text)
• Encourage subscribers to add your emails to an approved list.

#15 Incorporate user-generated content UGC)

Get your subscribers involved by inviting them to contribute. I can think of all sorts of creative ways you might feature UGC in your newsletter.

• Publish testimonials: Encourage comments by publishing people's positive feedback in your newsletter. Gather them from your blog, social media, podcast feed, emails and surveys.
• Include photos: Ask readers to send images around a theme. For example, a photography newsletter might run a series on landscapes and invite subscribers to share photos in a Facebook or Instagram post. A fashion newsletter might promote a dress range and ask subscribers for photos of themselves wearing the dress in unusual venues. A cat-focused newsletter might do the same for cats. Choose the best/most unusual images and publish those in your newsletter.
• Create a contest: Offer prizes and publish the best entries in your newsletter.
• Publish reader tips: If you create a brand newsletter, invite subscribers to send in their best tips for using your product or service.
• Showcase letters to the editor: Newspapers and magazines get lots of engagement by publishing a section where people can air their opinions. Why not invite your readers to reply or to answer a particular question, then publish the most interesting responses in the next edition?

#16 Encourage potential subscribers with a newsletter landing page

You can slip a sign up form onto your website home page, and many people do just that.

However, it's worth creating a dedicated landing page, too. A landing page gives you a link to send people whenever you make a call to action during podcast interviews, in guest articles or on social media posts.

Landing pages have one job—to get people onto your email list. Use them to showcase your branding and convince people of the benefits of signing up.

Check out these ten high-converting landing pages for ideas about how to create yours.

#17 Keep to a schedule

Are you consistent with your newsletter?

Most email recipients prefer to know when their favorite newsletters will arrive in their inboxes. If you promise to send a newsletter every Wednesday, that's what should happen. If your landing page says you'll send three daily newsletter tips, that's what you should deliver. Your subscribers won't be thrilled if they get one essay on Friday instead.

Not every successful newsletter sticks to a schedule. Indeed, one company I write for is deliberately inconsistent and varies the time and the gaps between newsletter issues. It works for them, but most marketers advise you keep to a regular timetable.

#18 Add social proof

Get people excited to subscribe by showing them what others think of your newsletter.

Examples of social proof might include:

• Testimonials on your newsletter sign up page
• Mentioning (and linking to) what's happening on your social media channels
• Sharing examples of activities associated with your newsletter or products.

Here's a cool example. The Podcast Brunch Club brings podcast listeners together in groups called "Chapters" for themed discussions. Like a bookclub, but for podcasts. They encourage their newsletter subscribers to join by sharing photos of their get togethers in various locations.

#19 Highlight benefits over features

Ultimately, people subscribe because they believe they'll benefit from reading your newsletter.

You might give relevant information that makes their job easier. Perhaps you list the latest trends, or you make them laugh, or your perspective makes them see their problems in a new light.

Craft a value proposition (that's the newsletter equivalent of an elevator pitch) and use versions of it on your sign up page, in podcast interviews, articles... in fact, wherever you might get the chance to mention your newsletter. It doesn't need to be long. Just a few lines with essential elements like what subscribers get, how it helps them and how often you send it is usually enough.

#20 Segment your list

Segmenting means dividing your audience into smaller, targeted groups based on shared characteristics, behaviors, or preferences. It's an email marketing strategy where you send more relevant, personalized content to each group.

Segmenting can lead to increased engagement, open rates, click-throughs and more reader satisfaction, so it's worth considering.

Marketing ESP specialists like Kit (aka ConvertKit), Mailchimp and Klaviyo have built-in segmenting tools. Newsletter platforms like Substack and Beehiv also allow some segmenting, while other platforms, e.g., Ghost, integrate with tools like Zapier.

#21 Add interactive elements

Can you involve your audience by making your newsletter more interactive?

Many newsletters include a reaction poll at the end where people can rate the issue. It's quick and easy for the reader and helps them feel involved. It also lets the author see what sort of content resonates with their subscribers.

You could include a poll letting people choose what blog post content they'd like to see next. Here's an example from Nicholas Cole.

Modern newsletter templates offer many chances for interactive elements. Consider adding quizzes and surveys, videos or clickable carousels showcasing product collections, event highlights, or photo stories. Carousels are an easy way to include lots of images and let people control what they dive into or bypass.

#22 Make unsubscribing easy

I don't know about you, but I loathe the way some newsletters make you jump through hoops to unsubscribe. Click here...go there...are you sure you want to leave...sorry to see you go...have you made a mistake? Then there's the miniscule font, or the pop-up you can't get rid of because the X is exactly the same color as the background. Grrr!

It's in your interest to let subscribers go if they want to opt out. Email service providers usually charge by subscriber numbers, so your list should only include people who really want to be there. Anyone else is costing you money. That's why experienced newsletter operators regularly review their email list and cull anyone who's not opening their emails.

#23 Include a personal note

In these days of AI this and AI that, it's so easy to generate perfect email marketing campaigns and weekly newsletters. But how can you differentiate your newsletter from millions of others?

How about by making them personal—as in obviously from a real person?

You might:

• Share a short story or anecdote from your life or work experience that ties into the newsletter’s theme
• Provide a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process or business operations
• Offer a heartfelt thank you to your readers or a specific community member for their support.

Keep it real and be sincere, like this example from sci-fi and thriller author Gareth L. Powell.

#24 Optimize for accessibility

Keep your newsletter inclusive by making it easy for people who are neurodiverse or have disabilities to consume your content.

• Use a font that's easy to read and consider the size and colors - dark on a light background (or the reverse) works well
• Include ALT text so screen readers can interpret your visuals
• Consider making transcripts available or including captions on videos
• Make it possible to view the email online, which can often be easier to navigate.

#25 Review analytics

Keep a close watch on your newsletter stats. How many opens and click throughs are you getting? How many new subscribers and unsubscribes?

Check the results of your A/B tests and other experiments.

Analyze your surveys and polls - check the numbers and act on the comments.

Note how many people reply when you ask questions, or how many write to say how much this week's story resonated with them. (Remember to answer people who take the trouble to write in. It's another way of adding that personal touch, and subscribers are even more likely to buy your products or services if they feel seen.)

Final thoughts

Growing a newsletter can be hard, especially when you're starting from scratch. Following our tips can help, especially when you're completely clear about who your newsletter's for and its purpose, mission and goals.

I wouldn't advise actioning every tip at once. Choose one or two that stand out for your newsletter situation, implement them and analyze the results over the month. Then once you've embedded those tips, work on adding more improvements.

You can see millions of newsletter examples on Reletter.

Learn how Reletter's database helps writers, marketers and sponsors.

Do you want more newsletter subscribers?

Silly question! Of course you do. But you don't want just any new subscribers. You want new subscriptions from your target audience. So, what's the best way to attract and convert visitors into your ideal subscribers?

Create a newsletter landing page.

Think about it. How do people learn about your newsletter?

They might hear your podcast interviews. Or maybe read your guest blog post or those magazine articles you wrote. Maybe they heard you interviewed on the radio? Or they bought your book. Each of these is a golden opportunity to mention your newsletter.

A dedicated landing page gives you somewhere to send those potential subscribers whenever you make a call to action (CTA).

What is a newsletter landing page?

Landing pages are single web pages with one dedicated purpose; in this case, to gather more newsletter readers. They demonstrate the value people will get (aka your value proposition) from your newsletter and make it super easy to sign up on the spot.

You can use your landing page to attract your target audience and, through your language, branding and value proposition, let others know your newsletter's not for them.

What do high converting landing pages need?

Great landing pages have several key elements. Put together, these create a winning formula to encourage website visitors to sign up.

1) Open with a compelling headline

GET SMARTER ABOUT CRYPTO! (Milk Road).

THERE'S A REASON 4M+ PROFESSIONALS READ OUR FREE NEWSLETTER. (Morning Brew)

An attention grabbing headline is a must-have on any well-designed landing page. It has just one job: to hook the reader and make them want to read on.

2) Follow up with a value proposition

Having grabbed their ideal reader's attention, the best newsletter landing pages immediately follow the headline with a couple of sentences that explain what the reader gets and why it's valuable.

Many value proposition sections also include information on when and how often newsletter subscribers can expect to get an email.

3) Prioritize clear, engaging design

An effective newsletter landing page is visually appealing and guides the viewer's eyes through the page. That means placing the text, images and buttons where readers expect them to be.

A logical order of landing page elements might be:

• Header - Logo, Menu, Headline and sub headline)
• Hero - above the fold; main image, value proposition, CTA
• Body - supporting text, archive links
• Social proof
• Second CTA

Visual elements matter

Use size, color and spacing to emphasize important information so viewers focus on it first. Make sure you leave empty space (aka whitespace or negative space) around the page elements so your landing page doesn't look cluttered.

Less is more when you're choosing colors, too. A general design rule is no more than 4 colors with one main color, a secondary color and one or two accent colors for emphasis.

Finally, choose a font that viewers can read at a glance and that match your brand's style. Use different font sizes, weights and spacing to show the hierarchy and make elements stand out. For example, your headline will be bigger and bolder than other words on the page.

Consider accessibility, too

Make your landing page user friendly, super-clear and easy to navigate and understand. Think about these factors:

• High-contrast colors (dark text on a light background or vice versa) and easy-to-read fonts.
• Links and buttons that are several words long and describe what happens next: e.g. “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” or “Learn About Our Content.”
• Images have alt text so that screen readers can describe them.
• Avoid auto-playing media or pop-ups (can be disorienting and make navigation difficult) or provide a way to easily stop or close them.

4) Make a clear call-to-action (CTA)

Every successful landing page needs a call to action. On a newsletter landing page that's your sign up section. The text is up to you, but keep it consistent with your brand and the overall page experience.

5) Include mobile responsiveness

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) 2023 report says that more people than ever are connecting to the internet through their mobile phones. But at the same time, there are still many people who prefer to use computers.

Your newsletter landing page really needs to cater to both groups. That means the design needs to work perfectly on both long narrow mobile screens and wider computer or laptop screens. Not to mention tablets, which fall somewhere in the middle.

When you choose a template, check that it is optimized for mobile responsiveness before you start building it.

6) Demonstrate social proof

A compelling newsletter landing page usually includes testimonials or comments as social proof that real people with your target audience's interests find your emails useful and engaging.

You might use a single quote, or several comments, and if you know you've got "big name" subscribers it's worthwhile popping them in, too.

Some landing pages make their social proof quotes static, while others use interactive elements called carrousels or testimonial sliders.

7) Use a simple sign-up form

The best newsletter sign ups don't make new subscribers jump through hoops. They keep information to a minimum on the landing page, just asking for a name and/or email address.

You might decide to add a CAPTCHA ((Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), to keep spam bots out of your email list. A simple “I’m not a robot” box is easy to click and strikes a good balance between security and user experience.

10 newsletter landing page examples to inspire you

Let's examine some great landing page examples and see why they work.

Fix the News

Fix the News is an Australian newsletter dedicated to reporting good news stories of progress towards saving people and the planet.

At first sight this landing page captures attention with a dramatic image. The bold headline (white on a dark background - very easy to read) and value proposition explain the newsletter's premise.

Scrolling down, you find links to many past issues and the landing page provides five clear links where viewers could act, including two sign up forms and three subscription links which bring up the choice of free and premium versions.

See the full landing page

Jason Feifer

Each week Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, shares one way his readers can use to feel more successful and satisfied in their work and personal lives in One Thing Better.

Jason's kept his newsletter page clean and uncluttered, with a black and white image, and plenty of white space framed in yellow. Notice how this landing page example combines the newsletter's headline and value proposition in one sentence, followed by a simple CTA.

Below the fold, the landing page continues with social proof (testimonials in a carousel, subscriber numbers) and links to previously published newsletters. Finally, I like how he highlights the final subscription form with a yellow background which flows from the frame and stands out from the white segments above.

See the full landing page

Podcast Marketing Academy

Jeremy Enns sends out daily stories and tips about creating and marketing podcasts in his Scrappy Podcasting newsletter. This landing page demonstrates good use of a easy-to-read dark font on a light, bright background, and shows all the 'what is it, who is it for and how often will I get it' information.

The image to the right demonstrates that the newsletter is mobile friendly and shows the newsletter's name. This landing page uses a pop-up feature, too, that sends interested podcasters to a podcast marketing assessment quiz.

See the full landing page

Jay Acunzo

Most newsletter landing pages are quite short and to the point. This long form landing page, however, showcases the newsletter up top and Jay's other offerings further down the page.

Scroll through the full page and you'll find testimonials, videos, sketches and frameworks and CTAs. I've included it, even though it's not solely a newsletter landing page, because it's a terrific example of cohesive branding and demonstrating the individualistic style that makes Jay's work stand out to his target audience.

See the full landing page

Fiction Writing with AI

Newsletter websites like Substack automatically include a simple landing page. Substack calls it a Welcome Page, and it's where new visitors land from wherever they clicked your Substack link.

Here's a good example from Nicholas Cole's Fiction Writing With AI newsletter.  A Substack landing page shows an image or GIF, title, author, description, reader numbers and a subscription form. It might also show up to three endorsements

See the landing page

Big Think

Big Think has a different approach to its newsletter sign up landing page.

This page presents you with two options: sign up to various publications for free or pay monthly to become a Big Think member. Notice how they've used contrast- black font/white background and white font/black background - on the two options, and how the membership option stands out with bold capitals and a color pop on the "Join Now" button.

See the full landing page

Nate Kadlac

Nate Kadlac makes a living from design, so you'd expect him to have a beautifully designed, effective newsletter landing page.

Indeed, here's how he uses a few key elements make this page pop.

• The big bold headline stands out and includes a clear value proposition; his ideal reader wants to create their own visually appealing, personality-driven images and pages that don't look like they've come from a template.
• The image gives viewers a glimpse into Nate's personality and values. The simple, image on a white circle balances the text-heavy column on the other side.
• Names his ideal audience (solopreneurs and professionals) and details what you can expect to get and how often.
• Unambiguous sign up form

And that's just above the fold (i.e., what viewers see before scrolling.)

See the full landing page

Sounds Profitable

The Sounds Profitable presents a very different, but still effective newsletter landing page from the example above. It's also another example of a landing page that showcases several offerings.

This landing page includes a dark background and light font. Rather than showing the author, the podcaster image represents the Sounds Profitable target audience, i.e., podcasters. All the usual information's there, and they've made clever use of color pops to emphasize the CTAs because orange and blue are complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel.)

Interestingly, below the fold the background is white, which makes the newsletter subscription form stand out even more.

See the full landing page

PodNews

Podnews is a daily round up of news, events, announcements and movements in the podcasting world.

It's landing page cleverly reflects the layout, and branding of the actual newsletter by using the same font and that very distinctive red. Scroll down and you'll find social proof in the form of the logos of gold and silver subscribers plus links to past issues and podcasts.

See the full landing page

Copy Revival

Finally, I couldn't leave out the Content Writing Chronicles newsletter landing page because the design is light, bright and fresh from top to toe.

Interestingly, this landing page includes all the necessary info (who, what, where and when) in the headline and testimonial. Scroll down, and you find a brief description of Lizzie Davey's expertise and the value she offers in this newsletter.

The only thing I'd change on this newsletter landing page is the font size because I have to work hard to read such small text.

See the full landing page

How to create a newsletter landing page

Compelling landing pages don't just happen. It doesn't matter whether you're starting from scratch or using a landing page builder, you'll have to make lots of decisions around color choices, images, font and, of course, what you actually say.

Draft your copy

Take time to clarify your ideas. The goal of your landing page is to attract your ideal readers, who will benefit from your expertise. Ideally, they go on to buy your products and become enthusiastic advocates for your brand.

First, consider:

• What is your newsletter's purpose?
• Who is your audience?
• What value does the newsletter offer them?
• How often do you send it?
• What writing style do you use?
• What elements of your brand should transfer to the landing page?
• What's your tone or voice: Clever? Witty? Straightforward? Cute?

Once you've answered these questions, you have three ways to produce your draft.

Write the words yourself

That first draft won't be pretty; no matter the idea is to get your ideas down on paper (or screen.) Then distil your sentences down till they convey those key messages: who, why, what and when.

Writing a draft isn't easy, but Ann Handley (Marketing Profs, Everybody Writes) says

The first draft is the thinking draft. That's where you need to be fully present. On board. Just you and your glorious ideas.

Once you've nailed the message, start playing with the words to produce crystal clear value sentences, headline and opt-in form.

I guarantee that most of the beautifully crafted landing page examples above took hours - maybe even days to write. Headlines alone can take enormous effort. Sometimes your first headline is great, but more often than not you might write 30 or more versions before you nail it.

Hire an expert

Consider consulting a specialist copywriter.

Give them your answers to the above questions and let them produce the text for your landing page. This option may cost you more money upfront, but will likely save you time and effort and produce the quality words you need.

Use AI

You could also put those answers into a prompt and let an AI service produce the copy for you. There are loads to choose from. Read our Newsletter Generator article for five AI options to get you started.

Nail your design

Again, you have three options: do it yourself, hire an expert designer or use a landing page builder.

You can find free landing page templates on design platforms like Canva. And if your email service provider (ESP) includes a landing page builder, they'll have templates available, too.

Design is where you decide on all the four essential elements that we discussed above: color, images, font and placement.

Choose a platform

Your newsletter landing page can live on your business website. Many of our newsletter landing page examples are part of larger websites.

However, if you don't have your own website, ESPs like MailerLite, Mailchimp and ConvertKit let you design your page using their landing page templates and host it right on their platform.

Optimize for all devices

If you want to encourage visitors, you'll ensure that they have a great experience with your landing page no matter what sort of device they're using to read it.

That means making sure your landing page is user friendly on mobiles, tablets, laptops and computer screens.

A/B test

A/B testing (or split testing) lets you compare two versions of your newsletter landing page to see which one performs better. You show Version A to one half of your landing page visitors and Version B to the rest. Then you analyze the results to see which variation is more effective.

It's best to test one element at a time, and run the test for long enough to get statistically significant results.

For example, you might love two of the headlines you came up with, but which one will attract and convert visitors the best?

In this case, create a split test where Version A uses one headline and the other headline goes into Version B. Track user behavior to see which version performs best over a designated time period. Then, choose the version that generates the most newsletter signups.

Monitor performance

Of course, the work doesn't end when your landing page goes live.

You'll need to monitor how it performs to understand how well it's working and what you might need to tweak or split test. Key metrics include conversion rates, bounce rates, and time on page.

Final thoughts

Landing pages are essential elements in your marketing strategy.

The entire page has one job: to encourage readers to sign up. Remember, it needs a compelling headline, to offer clear value to your ideal customers and have a straightforward subscription process.

When your newsletter landing page is up and running, you'll want to entice visitors to it whenever possible. One way to grow your newsletter is by advertising in other newsletters in your niche.

That's where Reletter comes in. Search our database to find your best opportunities.

Newsletter writing is both an art and a science.

Newsletters provide ways to connect with your audience, introduce new thoughts, educate them with relevant content, keep them up to date with company news, and, of course, generate sales for your business.

But writing a regular newsletter takes a lot of time and effort—possibly more than you have to give.

Could AI create a newsletter and take some of the load off your plate?

Consider using an AI newsletter generator when you're:

• Spending hours curating content and need to get content out quicker and easier
• Hoping to mix things up and try different writing styles
• Looking to ramp up your newsletter output without burning out
• Stuck with writer's block and need some fresh inspiration
• Trying to keep your voice consistent

Of course, you'll get better results if you give your chosen AI tool plenty of relevant information and instructions—aka a detailed prompt.

But having decided to try creating an AI newsletter, how do you go about it? There's a growing supply of newsletter generators on the web, so I took five top brands through their paces to give you a head start.

Visme

Visme is a content authoring and design site that helps you generate content for newsletters, reports, business proposals, e-books, social media and much more. Write each newsletter edition alone or invite others to collaborate on design and content.

Create your own project using Visme designs and add your own images and words. Or design a prompt listing the relevant content and let the AI tool write the newsletter for you.

Pricing

How it works

Select Project -> Documents -> Newsletters and scroll down to choose the AI newsletter generator option. Insert your prompt into the pop-up box and select your template. In less than a minute, you'll get a first draft, which you can then edit and customize to make the newsletter your own.

How good the first draft is depends on your initial prompt. Artificial intelligence can generate content from a brief description, but you'll get much better results if you include all the information upfront. It will also include images from the Visme free library. You can use these images or replace them with your own.

Once you've finalized the copy, images and design, you can download the final result and email it.

Features

• Customize to suit your brand: Change everything about the generated newsletter's theme, including graphics, font, colors, images, animations and more
• Add 3D illustrations, charts, graphs and data widgets for data-rich newsletters
• Can also create presentations, infographics, documents, social media graphics, forms and surveys
• Includes a comprehensive Learn Section with how-to videos and articles.

Hoppy Copy

Hoppy Copy is an AI copywriting tool designed to make email newsletters and sequences easy for everyone, from novices to experts. It starts by helping you create the writing first, then adds the design once you're happy with the words.

Pricing

Hoppy Copy has three price brackets for businesses of different sizes. Each tier includes a seven-day free trial.

How it works

Select Writing Tools and Newsletter Creator. A window opens and asks you for details like who the newsletter is from, your target audience, and the topics you'd like to cover.

Then select a tone such as Friendly, Luxury, Professional, etc. (You can also teach Hoppy Copy about your brand voice by feeding it examples before you start writing.) Check the box if you want to include images.

Press CREATE and get an outline that you can customize and regenerate as many times as you like. Once you're happy, ask Hoppy Copy to write the newsletter, which you can also edit.

Then, choose a theme and send a test email to check.

You can then download the email, send it from your email provider or mail to your audience directly from the platform.

Features

• Supports 35+ languages
• AI copywriter and newsletter generator
• Email sequence creator and automations
• Brand library
• Template designs for different uses (e.g., Newsletter, Welcome, Sales)
• Competitor monitoring

Venngage

Venngage is an online tool used for creating infographics and visual content such as charts, graphs, and posters. It offers a user-friendly interface with templates and design tools that make it easy for non-designers to create professional-looking visuals.

Among its many offerings is a free AI newsletter generator.

Pricing

You'll find pricing packages for individuals and businesses, together with special deals for non-profits and educators.

How it works

Type a prompt into the newsletter generator and tap the Generate With AI button. It takes a few seconds to get an editable first draft of your AI newsletter.

Or select a template to customize.

When requested, insert your website URL, and the AI will analyze your site, find your logo and branding colors and automatically add them to the template. You can then add your own text, graphics and interactive elements like videos, gifs, quizzes and forms.

Although many elements can only be added under a paid plan, you can start a decent AI-generated newsletter under the free plan, too.

Features

• Customizable Templates for infographics, presentations, reports, brochures etc.
• Drag-and-Drop Editor to help non-designers easily add and arrange elements.
• A wealth of Data Visualization elements, including charts, graphs, maps, timelines, family trees, decision-makers and more.
• Enables team collaboration so multiple users can work on the same project, provide feedback, and make edits in real-time.
• Easily upload your branding to create your own newsletter templates.

Toolsaday

Toolsaday's AI technology is designed to help you create high-quality work. Its offers include Paraphrasing, Story Generator, Text Genie, Email Writer and an AI Newsletter Generator.

Pricing

How it works

Select the Newsletter Generator tool and fill in the information blocks. These ask for your primary topic, the main headlines and a brief description for each section. Set the newsletter's length, decide whether to include emojis and choose a tone and a language. Press the generate button.

Toolsaday let me do that much free of charge without signing in. You can do much more by creating an account. If you sign up, you can ask the AI to edit and adjust the newsletter, upload files to give the AI more context, find or add images, and publish the finished copy to your readers.

Features

This platform's writing tools include:

• Text Genie
• Summarizer
• Grammar, tone and plagiarism checkers
• Sentence and paragraph generators
• Continue writing
• Song lyrics and poem generators
• Cover letter writer

Hypotenuse

Hypotenuse is an AI tool for e-commerce that generates content for newsletters, images, product descriptions, blog articles and more.

Pricing

Although the company offers a free trial, it asked me to choose a plan and give credit card details before I could unlock features like the newsletter generator.

How it works

Describe your topic or paste content requirements into the topic area. The more detailed the prompt, the better the AI output will be.

You can also add keywords and choose the tone e.g., Conversational, Authoritative, Enthusiastic etc.

Click the Generate button

The AI will give you a choice of headlines. Choose one and ask it to continue with the content.

It'll then generate a newsletter article draft, including links if appropriate. You can change things as needed. You can also use the Content Detective to check the information and links or find more.

Features

• Hypotenuse AI e-commerce integrates with Shopify, API, WordPress and Webflow
• Research factual content with Content Detective
• Create images with HypoArt
• Write, rewrite and summarize blog articles and headline

Bonus AI newsletter platform: Mailchimp

US Mailchimp users can access Intuit Assist through Mailchimp with a Standard or Premium plan if their primary business address is in the United States. At the time of writing, this feature isn't available internationally.

Billed as a generative AI financial assistant, it can also generate email marketing content designed to save time and help your business grow.

Here's a video demonstration.

Pricing

Final thoughts

I used the same prompt for each of the AI newsletter tools. It said:

"I'm a travel writer sending tips for backpacker travel to destinations all round the world. This time: Queenstown. Thrill seeker adventures: ride the Shotover Jet or throw yourself over the edge at Nevis Bungy. Get into nature: mountain hikes or cycle the trails, Kiwi Bird Park. Winter wonder: 4 ski fields on your doorstep."

I found the tools easy to use. They all produced reasonable first drafts from that prompt, with room to edit and change the copy to make more personalized newsletters. At the same time, each newsletter generator had its own style, so no two AI newsletter drafts were the same.

If you want to get your message out to readers regularly but don't have the time or headspace to start from scratch, using an AI newsletter generator to produce copy in seconds rather than hours could be a sensible option for you and your business.

You’ve crafted the perfect email newsletter. It's packed with the valuable content your potential customers need to know. In fact, it seems to be striking exactly the right message because your open rates are through the roof. You're over the moon!

But wait! Something doesn't add up in your email list. In fact, when you look closer, your metrics seem totally skewed. What’s going on?

It's time to engage your inner Sherlock Holmes and solve your newsletter mystery.

If you look hard enough, you might find that email bots are the culprits. These automated workers can unintentionally lead you astray, sending mixed messages and distorting your data.

But what is an email bot? Is it your friend or your foe? Why are email bots affecting your newsletter, and how can you fix the problem?

Let's find out.

What are bots?

When I think of email bots, I always imagine tiny robots surfing the internet and diving into my inbox to see what's going on. In reality, bots aren't physical constructions. They are software applications made of code with algorithms and data structures that send them off to do specific jobs throughout the internet.

Are all bots the same?

A bot is designed to be a little digital helper, performing mundane or automated tasks faster than humans can. Most bots are legitimately helpful and work in things like customer service or data collection. Others are designed with malicious intent, like those used for hacking, spamming and phishing attacks.

Basic bots take on straightforward, pre-programmed tasks like sending an automatic email reply based on a template. More sophisticated bots may use artificial intelligence to answer complex queries. These bots learn as they go and take on multi-layered tasks. An AI bot uses machine learning, natural language processing and neural networks to understand context, so you can set it to generate relevant, personalized responses to emails while you get on with work that needs a human touch.

What is bot activity?

Bot activity is the action a bot uses to perform its assigned task as it interacts with online systems.

In the case of email newsletters, automated bot tasks might include opening emails, clicking on links and perhaps even unsubscribing.

How do security bots protect your email?

A few years ago, your inbox was probably littered with spam. Nowadays, you likely have a pristine inbox and a hidden folder of unwanted junk. That's because many email service providers (ESPs) now use bot filtering to scan incoming emails and identify spam, phishing attacks and other malicious emails.

What are email click bots and how do they work?

Email providers may also use security bots to click on links within emails to make sure they go to valid addresses. Businesses may also have them set up as part of their email security to avoid malware getting into company servers.

Bots provide an additional layer of security designed to protect you from phishing (which tries to trick people into releasing passwords and other sensitive information) and other cyber threats (e.g., nasty viruses or ransomware, which can encrypt your files and lock you out of them until you pay a ransom).

Click bots operate by automatically interacting with links in emails as if they were real users.

They can be programmed to click on all links or just specific ones within an email and may even interact with the webpage that the link directs to. Advanced click bots can mimic human behavior to avoid detection by security systems that look for suspicious or repetitive clicking patterns.

How do they affect link tracking?

Bulk email service providers like ConvertKit, Breva and Mailerlite typically change all of your newsletter links so that they point to their servers for tracking purposes. This is called link tracking or click tracking, and it allows the ESP to monitor which links are clicked, by whom, and when.

Because the security bot can't automatically tell where the link ultimately ends up, it clicks the link to confirm its validity.

All that makes it very difficult for you, as a newsletter operator, to tell whether you're getting genuine, personal interaction with your newsletter or automated security clicks.

How do click bots disrupt email marketing stats?

It's tricky to accurately measure campaign performance when you can't tell the difference between clicks from an email bot and those of a person. Bot activity can significantly inflate your email click metrics, making your campaign seem more effective than it really was.

That might mean you continue to use ineffective marketing strategies, inflate your ad spend and lose money over time.

How do email bots impact your newsletter?

Email security may have several unintentional effects on your newsletter's results. Bot clicks can:

Distort your engagement metrics

• Clicks from automated bots distort crucial engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates (CTR). It seems as if a large percentage of your audience is opening your newsletters but really, some of that activity is due to bot clicks.
• You might end up making the wrong decisions about future newsletter content based on inflated open rates.

Twist your performance insights

Click bots can also skew performance insights, making it hard to understand what content truly resonates with readers. You may:

• Misjudge content popularity, thinking certain topics or formats are popular based on false engagement, leading to repeated use of less effective content.
• Get compromised A/B testing results if bots click on one or both versions of an email, giving inaccurate data about which version humans respond to best.

Trigger automatic sequences

You may jump to false conclusions about subscriber numbers if a bot clicks on a subscribe link. That can trigger your automatic welcome sequence, if you don't have a double opt-in set up for new subscribers, making it appear as if you have a new subscriber.

Conversely, it might hit an unsubscribe link and unintentionally lose you a subscriber.

How do email bots affect your newsletter ad campaigns?

As I mentioned before, email bots can artificially inflate your subscriber numbers, open rates and A/B testing results.

That false data can lead you to make the wrong decisions when advertising your newsletters. You might think your ads are performing better than they really are. What's more, if you're using pay-per-click ads, those bot clicks could cost you real money without bringing in potential customers.

Or, if you sell newsletter advertising space to other businesses, you might be boasting CTR numbers that don't match up with the metrics your advertisers see during their campaigns. That could impact your reputation and future ad revenue.

Who is most likely to be affected by email bots?

Businesses in certain industries like finance and health may have stringent security measures that act like email bots, checking all links and filtering out anything that looks like spam.

As far as your newsletter goes, emails you send to business addresses (especially in heavily regulated industries) are likely to be affected by click bots. Government employees are likely to have heavy security on their emails, as are educational institutions like universities.

Emails to servers like Gmail and Outlook have less protection and may be less affected.

How to stop email click bots

You can't stop security bots from doing their job but there are several things you can do to mitigate their effects on your newsletter.

You can't stop security bots from doing their job, but there are several things you can do to mitigate their effects on your newsletter.

Let's dive into some practical strategies. You could:

1. Use real-time bot detection software that identifies and filters out bot activity from your email metrics.
2. Enable double opt-in to ensure new subscribers are human. Email service providers usually have this option as part of their newsletter builder templates. You might also implement something like reCAPTCHA on your website to stop spam bots from signing up.
3. Go through your metrics with a fine-toothed comb, checking for sudden spikes in open rates or unusually high click-through rates. Look for a high number of clicks on top links like "view in browser" because some bots are programmed to click top links but not those further down the email. If your email metrics seem too good to be true, they might indicate bots at work.
4. Use unique tracking URLs for links in your newsletter, especially when they're ads. That way, you can cross-check the clicks you're seeing in your metrics with the actual traffic going to that website or landing page.
5. Ensure you've set up proper authentication for your newsletter emails and monitor for "trigger words" so they don't get identified as spam.
6. Implement "click delays" if you can. Some email services let you set a custom delay before counting opens or clicks. This delay can filter out the bot activity that happens immediately after the email is received.

How can you tell the difference between bot clicks and human clicks?

Stay vigilant. If you're up for a spot of analysis, you may be able to spot bots at work in your email campaign.

• Try analyzing the click patterns in your email metrics. Bots work much faster than humans so see if you can spot unusually quick click sequences from the same source.
• You may also be able to identify the bots' user-agent strings. These are small pieces of code that act like a little note to a website, letting it know what kind of browser you're using and what type of device you're on.

Here's an example from a Windows computer: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36

(Translation: I'm using Windows 10 on a 64bit machine. I use AppleWebKit version 537.36 to display web pages. I'm coming from Google Chrome, version 91 and I can also handle pages like Safari does.)

And here's one from Apple; can you spot the key difference? Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36.

• Bots spend very little time on landing pages after they click, so look for clicks with super-low time-on-page or bounce rates.
• Cross-reference your email analytics with website data visit tools like Google Analytics. Bot clicks often don't show up there, so you may see where the discrepancy is happening.
• Try analyzing the geographical data, too, to see if clicks are coming from the countries you'd expect them to. If your audience is mainly US-based and you see a bunch of clicks coming from unexpected locations, that could be an indication of email bots at work.
• Check for patterns, especially if you publish a round-up newsletter that includes a lot of links. Most people click on the links that seem immediately interesting or important to them, so their clicks will be random and won't form a pattern.
• For example, I might scan the whole newsletter and click your second-to-last link first. I'll read that piece and then move up to the first link (which is the next most interesting to me). There'll probably be several links I won't click at all, and I'll only examine an ad if it's directly relevant to me and my business. A bot, on the other hand, might click only the first two links, or it might dip rapidly into every hyperlink on the page. So, if you're seeing patterns like that emerge, it could be coming from email bots.

None of these ideas are foolproof by themselves; you need to put several together and look for trends.

Remember, some level of bot activity is normal. Without security bots, our inboxes would be flooded with unwanted junk (or worse.) You're looking for abnormally high activity over time to see if bot clicks are affecting your metrics (and your subsequent decisions.)

Final thoughts

So, are your readers' email providers affecting your newsletter stats with their diligent little bots?

Yes, it's likely they are to some degree. If most of your customers get their emails sent to their personal addresses on email servers like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo, you may see less distortion because they have less security, so bots won't be trawling through every hyperlink.

But if your newsletter mostly goes to work emails, it may be a very different story and bot filtering might play a major part in distorting your stats.

You can't stop them, but you can stay vigilant. With a spot of good bot detection, you'll get more realistic metrics and make the right decisions about your newsletter's future content and direction.