How to set up a newsletter (with templates)

Don't miss out on getting started with a newsletter for your startup

Starting a newsletter can be a great way to engage with your audience and build a loyal following for your business or brand. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started with your newsletter:

1. Choose a newsletter platform: There are a variety of platforms that you can use to create and distribute your newsletter, such as Mailchimp. Choose a platform that is easy to use and has the features and integrations that you need.
2. Design your newsletter template: Use the platform's built-in templates or design tools to create a visually appealing and easy-to-read newsletter layout. Make sure to include your brand's logo, colors, and fonts to create a consistent and professional look.
3. Collect email addresses: Use sign-up forms on your website or social media accounts to collect email addresses from people who are interested in receiving your newsletter. You can also import existing email lists from other sources.
4. Create content: Plan out the content for your newsletter, including articles, images, videos, and links to relevant resources. Make sure to provide value to your readers and include a mix of educational, informative, and entertaining content.
5. Set a frequency: Decide how often you want to send your newsletter, such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Be consistent with your schedule and make sure to let your readers know when to expect the next edition.
6. Send and track: Use your newsletter platform to send your newsletter to your subscribers and track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribes. Use this data to improve and optimize your newsletter over time.

Overall, starting a newsletter can be a great way to engage with your audience and provide value to them. By following these steps, you can create a professional and effective newsletter that will help you build a loyal following for your business or brand.

Choosing a newsletter platform

When choosing a newsletter platform, it's important to consider a few key factors. First, you should look for a platform that is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. This will make it easier for you to create and manage your newsletter, and will help you avoid frustration and delays.

Second, you should look for a platform that has the features and integrations that you need. This might include templates, design tools, email automation, analytics, or integrations with other tools or platforms that you use.

Third, you should consider the cost of the platform. Some platforms are free, while others charge a monthly or annual fee. Make sure to compare the features and pricing of different platforms to find the one that best fits your needs and budget.

Overall, choosing the right newsletter platform is an important step in creating a successful and effective newsletter. By taking the time to research and compare different options, you can find a platform that is easy to use, has the features you need, and is affordable.

Do you want to go deeper into this? Check out our "Mailchimp" module in our FREE startup school and dive right in. Sign up here. 

Dealing with design

Designing a newsletter template is an important step in creating a visually appealing and professional-looking newsletter. Here are some tips to help you design a great newsletter template:

1. Use your brand's colors and fonts: Make sure to include your brand's colors and fonts in your newsletter template to create a consistent and professional look. This will help to reinforce your brand and make your newsletter immediately recognizable to your readers.
2. Keep it simple: Avoid using too many colors, fonts, or design elements in your newsletter template. Keep the design clean and simple to make it easy to read and navigate.
3. Use images and visuals: Include relevant and engaging images and visuals in your newsletter to break up the text and add interest. This can include photos, graphics, charts, or videos.
4. Test on different devices: Make sure to test your newsletter template on different devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, to ensure that it looks good and is easy to read on all devices.
5. Use a clear hierarchy: Use a clear hierarchy in your newsletter template to organize the content and make it easy to scan. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the text and make it easy to read.

Overall, designing a great newsletter template is an important step in creating a professional and effective newsletter. By following these tips, you can create a template that is visually appealing, easy to read, and aligned with your brand.

Do you want to go deeper into this? Check out our "Canva" module in our FREE startup school and dive right in. Sign up here. 

Collecting email adresses

Collecting email addresses is an important step in building your newsletter's subscriber list. Here are some tips to help you collect email addresses:

1. Use sign-up forms: Place sign-up forms on your website and social media accounts to allow people to easily subscribe to your newsletter. Make sure to include a clear call-to-action and a compelling reason for people to sign up, such as exclusive content or special offers.
2. Import existing lists: If you already have email lists from other sources, such as customers, clients, or contacts, you can import these lists into your newsletter platform. Just make sure to get permission from the people on the list before adding them to your newsletter.
3. Offer incentives: Consider offering incentives, such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive content, to encourage people to sign up for your newsletter. This can be a great way to grow your subscriber list quickly.
4. Decide on opt-in confirmation: Decide whether you want to use double opt-in confirmation to ensure that the people who sign up for your newsletter really want to receive it. This means that after they sign up, they will receive an email asking them to confirm their subscription. This helps to reduce the risk of spam complaints and improve the quality of your subscriber list. On the other hand, that's one more roadblock for the user to overcome. Quantity or quality: you choose. 

Overall, collecting email addresses is an important step in building your newsletter's subscriber list. By following these tips, you can grow your list quickly and ensure that it consists of engaged and interested subscribers.

Do you want to go deeper into this? Check out our "Tilda" module in our FREE startup school and dive right in. Sign up here. 

Getting started with content creation

Creating content for your newsletter is an important step in engaging and providing value to your readers. Here are some tips to help you create great content for your newsletter:

1. Plan ahead: Plan out the content for your newsletter in advance, including articles, images, videos, and links to relevant resources. This will help to ensure that you have a mix of content that is educational, informative, and entertaining.
2. Use a variety of formats: Mix up the formats of your content to keep things interesting for your readers. This can include long-form articles, shorter blog posts, videos, infographics, or other visual content.
3. Provide value: Make sure to provide value to your readers in every edition of your newsletter. This can be in the form of useful information, tips, insights, or entertainment.
4. Be consistent: Be consistent with the topics and themes of your newsletter. This will help to establish a clear identity and focus for your newsletter, and will make it easier for your readers to know what to expect.

Overall, creating great content for your newsletter is an important step in engaging and providing value to your readers. By following these tips, you can create a newsletter that is interesting, informative, and valuable to your audience.

Do you want to go deeper into this? Check out our FREE startup school and dive right in. Sign up here. 

Measuring success

Measuring the success of your newsletter is important to understand how well it is performing and to identify areas for improvement. Here are some metrics that you can use to measure the success of your newsletter:

1. Open rate: The open rate is the percentage of people who opened your newsletter out of the total number of people who received it. A high open rate indicates that your subject line and sender name are effective at grabbing people's attention and getting them to open your newsletter.
2. Click-through rate: The click-through rate is the percentage of people who clicked on a link in your newsletter out of the total number of people who received it. A high click-through rate indicates that your content is engaging and relevant to your audience.
3. Conversion rate: The conversion rate is the percentage of people who took a desired action, such as signing up for a webinar or making a purchase, out of the total number of people who received your newsletter. A high conversion rate indicates that your newsletter is effective at driving action from your audience.
4. Bounce rate: The bounce rate is the percentage of people who did not receive your newsletter because of an issue with their email address or because their email provider blocked it. A low bounce rate indicates that your email addresses are accurate and that your newsletter is not being flagged as spam.

Overall, measuring the success of your newsletter is an important step in understanding how well it is performing and identifying areas for improvement. By tracking these metrics, you can learn what is working well and what you can do to improve your newsletter.

Growing your numbers

Growing your newsletter's subscriber list is an important step in increasing the reach and impact of your newsletter. Here are some tips to help you grow your subscriber list:

1. Promote your newsletter: Promote your newsletter on your website, social media accounts, and other channels to let people know about it and encourage them to sign up. This can include sharing links to your newsletter sign-up forms or promoting specific editions of your newsletter on social media.
2. Encourage sharing: Make it easy for your subscribers to share your newsletter with their friends and colleagues. You can include social media sharing buttons in your newsletter, or encourage your subscribers to forward the newsletter to anyone they think might be interested.
3. Offer incentives: Consider offering incentives, such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive content, to encourage people to sign up for your newsletter. This can be a great way to grow your subscriber list quickly.
4. Use referral programs: Consider implementing a referral program to reward your subscribers for referring their friends and colleagues to your newsletter. This can be a great way to grow your subscriber list organically, and can also help to build loyalty among your existing subscribers.

Overall, growing your newsletter's subscriber list is an important step in increasing the reach and impact of your newsletter. By following these tips, you can grow your list quickly and effectively, and reach more people with your content.

What are the biggest mistakes startups make when setting up newsletters?

There are several common mistakes that startups make when setting up newsletters, including:

1. Not having a clear purpose or target audience: It's important to have a clear idea of what your newsletter will be about and who it is for. Without a clear purpose or target audience, your newsletter may lack focus and relevance, and may not engage your readers effectively.
2. Not collecting email addresses effectively: Collecting email addresses is an important step in building your newsletter's subscriber list. If you don't collect email addresses effectively, you may struggle to grow your list and reach your target audience.
3. Not creating engaging content: Creating engaging content is an important step in ensuring that your newsletter is valuable and interesting to your readers. If your content is not engaging, your readers may lose interest and unsubscribe from your newsletter.
4. Not measuring the success of your newsletter: Measuring the success of your newsletter is important to understand how well it is performing and to identify areas for improvement. If you don't measure the success of your newsletter, you may not know what is working well and what you can do to improve.

Overall, avoiding these common mistakes can help to ensure that your newsletter is successful and effective at engaging your audience.

What types of newsletters are there?

There are several types of newsletters that startups can use, including:

1. Regular newsletters: These are newsletters that are sent on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly. These newsletters can be used to provide updates on your startup, share news and articles, and engage with your audience.
2. Special edition newsletters: These are newsletters that are sent on a one-off basis to announce a special event, offer, or promotion. These newsletters can be used to generate interest and excitement around your startup.
3. Automated newsletters: These are newsletters that are triggered by a specific action, such as a sign-up or a purchase. These newsletters can be used to provide personalized content and offers to your audience.

The best strategy for a startup when it comes to a series of newsletters will depend on the specific goals and needs of the startup. However, a good general strategy is to start with regular newsletters and then add special edition newsletters as needed to promote specific events or offers. Automated newsletters can also be a useful tool for providing personalized content to your audience.

How can a newsletter be integrated into the building in public approach?

A newsletter can be integrated into the building in public approach by using it as a tool to share updates and engage with your audience throughout the development process. Here are some steps you can take to integrate a newsletter into your building in public approach:

1. Set up a newsletter and collect email addresses: First, set up a newsletter and start collecting email addresses from your audience. This can be done through a sign-up form on your website or through other channels, such as social media or in-person events.
2. Share updates on your progress: Use your newsletter to regularly share updates on your progress, such as new features or products that you are working on, challenges you are facing, or insights you have gained. This can help to keep your audience engaged and informed about what you are doing.
3. Ask for feedback and input: Use your newsletter to ask for feedback and input from your audience. This can include asking for feedback on specific features or products, soliciting ideas for new products or services, or asking for help with specific challenges you are facing.
4. Share success stories and case studies: Use your newsletter to share success stories and case studies from your customers or users. This can help to showcase the value of your product or service and can also help to build trust and credibility with your audience.

Overall, integrating a newsletter into your building in public approach can help to keep your audience engaged and informed about your progress, and can also provide valuable feedback and insights that can help you to improve and grow your startup.

Bonus: templates

Here is a template of a welcome email

Hi there,

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter! We are excited to have you on board and we look forward to sharing updates, news, and valuable information with you.

Our newsletter is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at our startup and to get exclusive offers and discounts. We will be sending regular newsletters, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our website and social media accounts to learn more about us. If you have any questions or feedback, we would love to hear from you.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Your startup]

Here is a template of an engaging email with progress update and call to action

Hi there,

We hope this email finds you well. We wanted to share some exciting news with you about our startup and to offer you a special discount on our paid plans.

First, we wanted to let you know that we have been making great progress on our product and we have recently launched some new features that we think you will love. These features include [insert details about new features], and we believe they will greatly enhance the value of our product.

Additionally, we are excited to announce that we are now offering paid plans with even more advanced features and benefits. These paid plans offer [insert details about paid plans], and we think they will be a great fit for anyone looking to take their [product/service] to the next level.

As a valued member of our newsletter community, we are offering you a special discount on our paid plans. For a limited time, you can upgrade to a paid plan and get [insert discount details].

This is a great opportunity to get access to advanced features and benefits at a great price.
Don't miss out on this special offer! Upgrade to a paid plan today and take advantage of this exclusive discount.

Best regards,

[Your name]

[Your startup]

Key stats that show how your newsletter is doing

1. Open rate: The open rate is the percentage of people who open your newsletter. A high open rate indicates that your subject line and sender name are effective at capturing your audience's attention and encouraging them to open your newsletter.
2. Click-through rate: The click-through rate is the percentage of people who click on a link in your newsletter. A high click-through rate indicates that your content is engaging and interesting, and that your audience is interested in learning more about what you have to offer.
3. Conversion rate: The conversion rate is the percentage of people who take a specific action, such as signing up for a free trial or making a purchase, after receiving your newsletter. A high conversion rate indicates that your newsletter is effectively driving action and achieving your desired goals.
4. Unsubscribe rate: The unsubscribe rate is the percentage of people who unsubscribe from your newsletter. A low unsubscribe rate indicates that your newsletter is valuable and engaging, and that your audience is interested in continuing to receive your content.

Overall, high open and click-through rates, a low unsubscribe rate, and a high conversion rate can all be indicators that your newsletter is doing well and engaging your audience effectively.

What can you do to improve your stats?

There are several things you can do to increase your newsletter's open rate click-through and conversions rates, while decreasing the unsubscribe rate including:

1. Write an engaging subject line: The subject line is the first thing your audience will see when they receive your newsletter, so it's important to make it as engaging and interesting as possible. Use actionable language, personalized details, and a sense of urgency to grab your audience's attention and encourage them to open your newsletter.
2. Use a recognizable sender name: People are more likely to open emails from people and organizations they know and trust. Use a sender name that is recognizable and familiar to your audience to increase the chances that they will open your newsletter.
3. Test different subject lines and sender names: Different subject lines and sender names will work better for different audiences, so it's important to experiment and test different options to find out what works best for your specific audience. Use A/B testing to compare the performance of different subject lines and sender names, and use the results to improve your newsletter's open rate.
4. Segment your audience: Different people in your audience will have different interests and preferences, so it's important to segment your audience and tailor your newsletters to their specific needs and interests. This will help to make your newsletters more relevant and engaging, and will increase the chances that they will open your newsletter.
5. Include relevant, engaging content: The content of your newsletter should be relevant, valuable, and interesting to your audience. Include information, resources, and updates that will be useful and interesting to your audience, and use formatting and design elements to make your newsletter easy to read and navigate.
6. Use clear, actionable calls to action: Calls to action are buttons, links, or other elements in your newsletter that encourage your audience to take a specific action, such as visiting your website, signing up for a free trial, or making a purchase. Use clear, actionable language and design elements to make your calls to action stand out and encourage your audience to click on them.
7. Test different content and calls to action: Different content and calls to action will work better for different audiences, so it's important to experiment and test different options to find out what works best for your specific audience. Use A/B testing to compare the performance of different content and calls to action, and use the results to improve your newsletter's click-through rate.
8. Segment your audience: As mentioned above, different people in your audience will have different interests and preferences, so it's important to segment your audience and tailor your newsletters to their specific needs and interests. This will help to make your newsletters more relevant and engaging, and will increase the chances that they will click on your calls to action.
9. Provide a clear value proposition: Your newsletters should clearly communicate the value and benefits of your product or service, and should explain why your audience should take the desired action. Use specific, relevant examples and case studies to demonstrate the value of your product or service, and make it easy for your audience to understand the benefits they will receive by taking the desired action. This will help to keep your audience engaged and interested, and will reduce the likelihood that they will unsubscribe from your newsletter.

Top advice when it comes to getting started with newsletters

1. Start with a clear goal: Before you get started with newsletters, it's important to have a clear goal in mind. What do you want to achieve with your newsletter, and how will it help you to achieve your overall business goals? Having a clear goal will help to guide your content and design choices, and will make it easier to measure the success of your newsletter.
2. Create valuable, relevant content: The content of your newsletter should be valuable and relevant to your audience, and should provide them with information and resources that will help them achieve their goals and solve their problems. This will help to keep your audience engaged and interested, and will increase the chances that they will take the desired action.
3. Use clear, actionable calls to action: Calls to action are buttons, links, or other elements in your newsletter that encourage your audience to take a specific action. Use clear, actionable language and design elements to make your calls to action stand out and encourage your audience to take the desired action.
4. Test and segment your audience: Different content and calls to action will work better for different audiences, so it's important to experiment and test different options to find out what works best for your specific audience. Use A/B testing to compare the performance of different content and calls to action, and use the results to improve your newsletter's performance. In addition, segment your audience and tailor your newsletters to their specific needs and interests to make them more relevant and engaging.
5. Monitor and analyze your performance: Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of your newsletter, and track metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and to optimize your newsletter for better performance. Regularly review your performance and adjust your strategy as needed to ensure that your newsletter is achieving your goals.

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