The complete guide to creating your first email newsletter

An email newsletter is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, build trust, and drive consistent engagement—whether you’re a small business, freelancer, content creator, or brand.

But if you’re just getting started, it can feel overwhelming. What should you include? How do you design it? And how do you get people to actually read it?

This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create your first email newsletter—from strategy to send.

Step 1: Know Your Purpose

Before you dive into writing or designing anything, be clear on why you’re sending a newsletter. What’s the goal?

Common newsletter goals include:

Sharing company or product updates
Providing useful content (tips, how-tos, articles)
Driving traffic to your website or blog
Promoting offers or events
Staying top-of-mind with your audience

Once you know your goal, you can craft a newsletter that supports it—and stay focused as you create.

Step 2: Choose the Right Email Platform

You’ll need an email marketing platform to design, send, and track your newsletters. These tools handle list management, design templates, and compliance.

Beginner-friendly platforms include:

Email Blaster UK (UK-based, GDPR-compliant)
MailerLite
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
ConvertKit

Look for features like drag-and-drop design, automation options, mobile-responsive templates, and analytics.

Step 3: Build Your Subscriber List

You can’t send newsletters without subscribers—and you must have permission to email people (especially under GDPR).

Ways to grow your list:

Add a signup form to your website or blog
Offer a lead magnet (e.g. free guide, discount, checklist)
Promote your newsletter on social media
Include an opt-in at checkout (if you run an online store)

Always be transparent about what subscribers can expect—such as frequency and types of content.

Step 4: Decide on Your Content Strategy

Your content should always offer value. Even if you’re promoting a product or service, the content must feel helpful or interesting to the reader.

Newsletter content ideas:

Curated industry news or blog posts
Company or team updates
Behind-the-scenes stories
Product tips or tutorials
Customer stories or testimonials
Upcoming events or promotions
Polls or surveys

Stick to a clear structure—ideally one main topic or story per issue, especially when you’re starting out.

Step 5: Craft a Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line is the gatekeeper. If it doesn’t grab attention, your email won’t be opened.

Tips for strong subject lines:

Keep it under 50 characters
Be clear, not vague
Use curiosity or urgency sparingly
Avoid ALL CAPS or spammy words like “FREE!!!”
Align the subject with the email’s actual content

Example:
Poor – “Newsletter #1 – Please Read”
Better – “5 Productivity Hacks for a Stress-Free Week”

Step 6: Design Your Newsletter

Design matters—but keep it simple and mobile-friendly.

Design best practices:

Use one column for mobile responsiveness
Stick to your brand colours and fonts
Include your logo at the top
Use headers to break up text
Include white space for readability
Make buttons clear and clickable

Many platforms offer templates—start with one and customise it to your brand.

Step 7: Write Clear, Engaging Copy

Your copy should be friendly, concise, and focused on the reader. Use plain language and keep paragraphs short.

Structure:

A strong opening or hook
Informative or engaging body content
A clear call-to-action (CTA)
Contact or social media links in the footer

CTAs might include:

“Read the full blog post”
“Shop the new collection”
“Register for the event”
“Share your feedback”

Step 8: Include Legal Essentials

To comply with data privacy laws (like GDPR and CAN-SPAM), your newsletter must include:

An unsubscribe link
Your business name and contact information
A link to your privacy policy (optional but recommended)

Most email platforms automatically include these elements in their templates.

Step 9: Test and Preview

Always preview your email on desktop and mobile before sending. Most platforms offer built-in preview tools and test sends.

Check for:

Typos or broken links
Mobile formatting issues
CTA button visibility
Proper image loading

This step can help you catch simple mistakes before they go out to your entire list.

Step 10: Send It—and Monitor Performance

Choose a time and day based on when your audience is most active. Once you’ve sent your newsletter, monitor the results.

Key metrics to track:

Open rate – Are people opening your emails?
Click-through rate (CTR) – Are they engaging with your links?
Unsubscribe rate – Are people opting out?
Bounce rate – Are emails reaching valid inboxes?

Use these insights to improve your next send.

Bonus: Keep Improving

Your first email newsletter is just the beginning. The more you send, the more you’ll learn about what your audience likes (and what they don’t).

Tips to improve over time:

Test different subject lines
Try different content formats
Segment your list by interest or behaviour
Ask for feedback through a quick poll or survey

Consistency and relevance are key to long-term success.

Final Thoughts

Creating your first email newsletter might feel daunting, but once you’ve sent that first one, it becomes much easier to build momentum. Focus on delivering value, being consistent, and respecting your audience’s time.

Start simple, learn as you go, and most importantly—keep showing up in their inbox with something worth reading.