How to create an email newsletter: an 8-step guide

A newsletter works when the right people asked for it, it arrives on a schedule they expect, and each issue gives them a reason to click. The eight steps below apply whichever email tool you use. At the end we show how Campaign Monitor, the tool this site reviews, handles each one.

Before step one, write a single sentence on what the newsletter is for and who reads it, such as “monthly project updates for our donors” or “new stock and offers for past customers.” Every later choice gets easier with that sentence in front of you.

Step 1: Get consent and build your newsletter list

Email only people who asked to hear from you. Bought or scraped lists hurt deliverability for everyone on your account, and the major email services ban them. If you are importing existing contacts, include only people who opted in or who are customers expecting your email, and note where and when each one signed up.

• In the EU and UK, consent has to be a clear opt-in. Silence, pre-ticked boxes, or inactivity don't count under GDPR.
• In the US, CAN-SPAM requires accurate sender details, your physical postal address, and a clear way to opt out, honored within 10 business days.
• Double opt-in (a confirmation email before someone is added) is optional in most places, and it keeps typos and fake addresses off your list.

Step 2: Add a newsletter signup form

Put the form where interested people already are: the site footer, the end of blog posts, your contact page, and the order confirmation page if you sell online. A pop-up can work too, if it waits until a visitor has read for a while.

• Say what subscribers will get and how often, in one line above the button.
• Ask for an email address, and a first name only if you will use it.
• Send a welcome email right away, while people still remember signing up.

Step 3: Pick a newsletter template

Most newsletters are read on phones, so start from a responsive, single-column template. Add your logo, two brand colors, and one web-safe font, then save it as your master layout. After that, each issue only means filling in the blocks.

A simple layout that repeats each issue helps readers find their way: a header, the main story, two or three shorter items, and a footer with your address and unsubscribe link.

Step 4: Write the newsletter content

Lead with the thing your reader most wants: the news, the tip, the offer, the event date. Keep paragraphs short, and give each section one link or button with a specific label (“See the spring schedule” rather than “Click here”).

• Mix helpful content with promotion so the email earns its place in the inbox.
• Keep important words in live text. Many inboxes block images until the reader allows them.
• Add alt text to every image so the email still makes sense with images off.
• Write in the voice you use with customers in person.

Step 5: Write the subject line and preview text

The subject line decides whether the email gets opened. Say what is inside, put the important words first because phones cut long lines short, and avoid anything misleading: CAN-SPAM bans deceptive subject lines. Use the preview text (the line shown after the subject in most inboxes) to add a second detail instead of repeating the subject.

If your list is large enough, A/B test two subject lines on a slice of the list and send the winner to the rest.

Step 6: Send test emails before the newsletter goes out

Send the finished issue to yourself and a colleague, and open it on a phone and a desktop, in at least Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail if you can. Check that every link works, images load, personalization falls back cleanly when a first name is missing, and the unsubscribe link works.

Also confirm your sending domain is authenticated. Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, offer one-click unsubscribe, and keep reported spam below 0.3%. Your email service will walk you through the DNS records.

Step 7: Set a newsletter sending schedule

Pick a cadence you can keep for a year, whether weekly, every two weeks, or monthly, and send on the same day each time. Readers come to expect it, and steady volume is easier on deliverability than long silences followed by bursts. If your readers span time zones, schedule by each recipient's local time when your tool supports it.

Plan two or three issues ahead in a simple calendar so a busy week doesn't mean a missed send.

Step 8: Measure your newsletter results

Open rates are less reliable than they used to be. Apple Mail Privacy Protection, introduced in 2021, preloads images and counts many emails as opened whether or not anyone read them. Lean on the numbers that need a person:

• Clicks and click-to-open rate, per link, to see which content earns attention
• Unsubscribes and spam complaints after each issue, as an early warning
• Replies and conversions on your site, tracked with UTM tags on your links
• Bounces, so you can remove bad addresses before they hurt deliverability

Compare each issue with your own average rather than a generic benchmark, and change one thing at a time: subject style, send day, or content mix.

The shortcut: build your newsletter in Campaign Monitor

Any good email service covers these steps. Campaign Monitor is the one this site reviews, and reviewers most often praise it for how fast new users get a polished newsletter out. Here is how it maps to the steps above:

• Signup forms: embedded forms, pop-ups, and hosted signup pages, plus a preference center so subscribers can change what they get instead of leaving.
• Templates: a library of 100+ responsive designs, and branded templates built from your website address.
• Content: a drag-and-drop builder, the AI Writer, and Email Workspace, which drafts a complete branded email from your website and a goal you choose. An RSS trigger can turn new blog posts into emails.
• Subject lines: subject line recommendations and A/B testing on every plan.
• Testing: a link checker on every plan, and design and spam testing (previews across major email clients plus spam filter checks) from Essentials up.
• Scheduling: time zone sending from Essentials, and send time optimization on Premier.
• Measuring: per-campaign reports, Campaign Score, and Marketing Monitor, which compares your results with industry benchmarks and suggests tactics.

“It simplifies professional email marketing without needing a designer or technical team.”Becky F., G2, Sep 2025

You can try it with the 30-day free trial (500 contacts, 500 emails, no card on signup). Some tools, such as automated emails and the AI Writer, start on the paid plans; our free trial guide lists what the trial covers, and the pricing page compares the plans. If you're weighing other tools, see the best email marketing services.