How To Create a Newsletter: 11-Step Guide (2026)

Creating an email newsletter is one of the most cost-effective ways to stay top of mind with your customers. Say you sell seasonal press-on nails. An email showcasing your latest designs can lead to spontaneous purchases, with readers filling their carts before they even realize it.

That’s the power of a well-timed newsletter. It turns casual browsers into loyal customers.

Here, learn how to start an email newsletter from scratch, how to write your first email, how to measure performance over time, and which free tools can help you launch quickly.

What is an email newsletter?

An email newsletter is a recurring email you send to subscribers to keep them connected to your brand. It can include product updates, helpful tips, promotions, behind-the-scenes stories, or curated content.

Strong newsletters are clear and focused. They start with a compelling email subject line, deliver useful or interesting content, and end with a clear call to action (CTA). Readers should know exactly what to do next, whether that’s shopping a new collection or reading a blog post.

Unlike one-off promotional or transactional emails (like order confirmations), newsletters are meant to build long-term relationships. They help you stay top of mind and build trust over time.

Benefits of starting an email newsletter

Email newsletters are an effective way to connect with your audience, build loyalty, and drive sales. In fact, B2C marketers say email delivers the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel.

According to Litmus’ State of Email 2025 report, for every $1 marketing leaders spend on email marketing, 35% receive between $10 and $36 in return, while 30% receive between $36 and $50.

Here are a few key benefits that make email newsletters a smart investment for your business:

Personalized, direct connection

One Emarketer survey of 10,041 consumers found that 69% prefer email as their primary channel for brand communication, ahead of SMS/MMS (53%). 

When you send emails straight to someone’s inbox, you forge a direct connection. Social media marketing, content, and paid marketing can feel broad, but emails can be customized for individual subscribers. 

Sending emails to customers that provide value—either monetary value through discounts or informational value through compelling stories or information—builds trust that can eventually lead to purchases. 

Ability to recapture interest

If a customer lands on your digital storefront but decides not to buy, there’s a good chance they’ll never return. 

However, if you capture their email before they leave your website, you can continue communicating with them through newsletters delivered to their inbox. 

Email newsletter marketing is a way to keep the conversation going after a prospective customer has left your site, building consideration for a future purchase.

More control

Posts on social media can get buried in an endless stream of content. Some of them also have strict character limits.

Once you have an email list of people who have opted in to receive your updates, you own that list. Email gives you a direct line of communication with prospective customers and a high degree of control over the frequency and complexity of the messages they receive. 

How to create a newsletter in 11 steps

1. Define the goal of your newsletter
2. Determine your email newsletter strategy
3. Pick your newsletter platform
4. Customize a design template
5. Collect emails
6. Customize your automated email flow
7. Comply with privacy regulations and email best practices
8. Draft your content
9. Deliver your first newsletter
10. Assess your analytics
11. Handle unsubscribes and feedback

1. Define the goal of your newsletter

Before choosing your email platform and diving into writing your first mailout, consider the goal of your email newsletter. You can use email newsletters to build relationships with customers, educate subscribers, drive sales, generate referrals, and gather customer feedback. Select then prioritize a few goals and think about how you can use your newsletter content to reach them. 

2. Determine your email newsletter strategy

Once you’ve defined your high-level goals, get specific. The clearer your email marketing strategy, the easier it is to create newsletters that drive results.

Here are some things to consider:

• Target audience. Define whom you’re speaking to, and get specific so your content will be relevant. An ideal customer persona might be “tech-savvy millennial parents in North America with young children and a household income of $100,000+.”
• Email capture methods. Use multiple capture points across your business to grow your list: sign-up forms on your homepage, blog, and footer, pop-ups and embedded forms, links to your newsletter in your social media bios, and prompts to subscribe at checkout, when engagement is already high.
• Niche focus. Choose a clear angle that aligns with your brand and helps subscribers understand the value of staying on your list. That could be educational content, product deep dives, styling tips, founder stories, or industry insights.
• Send cadence. Decide how often you’ll send your newsletter and stick to it because consistency matters more than frequency. For most brands, a weekly or biweekly cadence is sustainable and effective, while sending on the same day each week builds familiarity and trust. Avoid committing to a schedule you can’t maintain, since consistency matters more than frequency.

Newsletter content ideas

The best newsletters balance value and promotion. If every email is a sales pitch, subscribers will eventually tune out or unsubscribe. Think of your newsletter as a way to build trust first and sell second.

Here are proven newsletter ideas that keep subscribers engaged:

• Product launches and restocks. Keep your audience in the loop with new arrivals, limited editions, or back-in-stock favorites.
• Educational tips. Share how-tos, care instructions, or styling advice that helps customers get more value from your products.
• User-generated content. Feature photos, reviews, or quotes from happy customers to build community and social proof.
• Seasonal trends and inspiration. Curate ideas tied to holidays, events, or seasonal shifts to stay relevant.
• Behind the scenes. Show your process, tell your story, or highlight what makes your brand different.

If you sell dinnerware, you might share tips for hosting a stress-free dinner party, advice on preventing cutlery scratches, or a roundup of your most giftable sets. Choose content that supports your business goals such as driving traffic, increasing conversions, or building long-term loyalty.

3. Pick your newsletter platform

Popular email marketing platforms include Shopify Messaging, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Omnisend. Each works as a newsletter maker, but the best choice for you will depend on your goals, budget, and how closely you want your email marketing to be tied to your store.

As you compare tools, think about what you want to achieve:

• Branded emails, fast. Built-in templates and drag-and-drop editors help you launch polished newsletters without hiring a designer. A good newsletter creator should make it easy to match your brand’s fonts, colors, and imagery in minutes.
• Higher engagement and conversions. Personalization tools let you include subscriber details, recommend relevant products, and tailor messaging, so emails feel more relevant and drive more clicks.
• More targeted campaigns. Segmentation helps you send the right message to the right audience. For example, you can target first-time buyers differently than VIP customers, increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases.
• Automated revenue. Email automation lets you send pre-built sequences—like welcome emails or abandoned cart reminders—without manual work. That means consistent communication and recovered sales on autopilot.
• Smarter sending. Scheduling and A/B testing help you improve performance over time. Test subject lines, preview emails before sending, and learn what resonates with your audience.
• Clear performance insights. Built-in analytics show open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribes so you can refine your strategy based on real data.

Shopify Messaging is a newsletter platform built specifically for Shopify store owners. You can create branded emails quickly using templates that automatically pull in your logo, store colors, and live product data. Choose an automation, select a customer segment, and send—all from your Shopify admin.

With Shopify Magic, Shopify’s built-in generative AI tool, you can generate subject lines, refine your copy, and get recommendations on send times based on performance data. After you hit Send, review clicks, opens, and sales directly in your dashboard to see what’s working and improve your next campaign.

4. Customize a design template

Most newsletter platforms offer customizable templates and themes so you can match your layout, colors, and fonts to your brand identity. 

For example, Shopify provides ready-made templates for product launches, promotions, announcements, and more, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Follow these newsletter design best practices to make your emails look polished and perform well:

• Optimal width. Keep your email body between 600 and 640 pixels wide so it renders properly across desktop and mobile devices.
• Image-to-text ratio. Aim for a roughly 60/40 text-to-image ratio, since too many large images can trigger spam filters and slow load times. Balanced emails are more deliverable and easier to read.
• Mobile optimization. More than half of emails are opened on mobile devices, so readability matters. Use a single-column layout, font sizes of at least 14 to 16 pixels, and tap-friendly buttons (minimum 44 by 44 pixels). 
• Color contrast. Make sure there’s strong contrast between text and background colors. Clear contrast improves readability and ensures your call-to-action buttons stand out.
• Accessibility. Add descriptive alt text to every image so screen readers can interpret your content. Avoid relying on images alone to convey key information, and use clear headings and simple layouts to make your newsletter accessible to all readers.
• Load speed. Compress images before uploading them to improve load times. Faster-loading emails reduce bounce rates and create a smoother experience.

Our Place makes stylish cookware, including its famous and photogenic Always Pan that comes in unique colors like spice and sage. Its email newsletter uses a modern and color-rich theme reminiscent of ita website, so it instantly stands out in a sea of emails.

5. Collect emails

Building your email list early matters because, in a Shopify Merchant Survey* from November 2025, 37% of established merchants cited marketing as their biggest early challenge, and 36% said finding customers is a top hurdle. 

Growing your email list also helps you own your audience instead of relying entirely on paid ads or social media algorithms.

Capture subscribers where people already interact with your business through your website, checkout flow, and social channels. Adding an email sign-up form on Shopify and most website platforms doesn’t require specialized coding skills.

Here’s how to do it effectively:

Embed your sign-up form on your website

Add a pop-up that triggers when someone lands on your page, and place a permanent form in your header or footer. Use clear, benefit-driven copy so visitors know exactly what they’ll receive. Consider offering an incentive, such as exclusive content, discounts, or contest entries. For example, Our Place enters new subscribers into a daily giveaway for their Always Pan.

Create high-converting sign-up forms

Keep forms short and ask only for essential information like first name and email. Highlight the value: “Get 10% off your first order” or “Be the first to know about new drops.” Use a strong call to action, like “Join the list” or “Get early access,” and test placement, copy, and incentives to improve conversion rates.

Embed your sign-up form during checkout

After a customer completes a purchase, prompt them to subscribe using the information they’ve already provided. Then you can follow up with product education, reorder reminders, and future promotions.

Share sign-up links on social media

Add your newsletter link to your Instagram bio, Facebook About section, or link-in-bio tools like Linkpop. Promote your newsletter in posts and Stories to drive traffic.

Leverage LinkedIn as a discovery channel 

If you sell to professionals or other businesses, LinkedIn can be a powerful platform for growing your list. Share insights, behind-the-scenes content, or industry expertise in posts and invite readers to subscribe for deeper content. For newsletter creators building a personal or founder-led brand, LinkedIn can drive high-quality, intent-driven subscribers.

The earlier you start collecting emails, the faster you build a direct line to your customers—one that you control.

6. Customize your automated email flow

Some of your emails, like your welcome email and unsubscribe email, will remain the same and go out automatically when subscribers take a specific action. 

For example, a welcome email thanks new subscribers for signing up, sets the stage for what readers can expect, and shares any relevant links. 

De La Calle, a Mexican soda brand, welcomes new subscribers with a bold, flavor-packed email that introduces its twist on traditional tepache. The message highlights a 10% discount and invites readers to explore flavors or find a store near them.

Ensure that each touchpoint with readers feels authentic and connected to your brand. Aside from welcome emails, you might ask new subscribers for their birthdays and send an automated birthday discount to each subscriber on the date they provided. 

Other automated emails to set up include:

• Abandoned cart email series
• New customer email series 
• Repeat customer email series
• Ecommerce email receipts 
• Re-engagement email series
• Product inventory updates
• Survey or feedback emails

Learn: 10 Newsletter Examples + How to Make One Just as Great

7. Comply with privacy regulations and email best practices

Email addresses are personal data. Laws exist to protect how they’re collected and used. Regulations vary by country, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, CAN-SPAM in the US, and CASL in Canada. If you sell internationally, you may need to comply with more than one framework.

At a minimum, follow these email best practices:

• Require explicit opt-in. Only send newsletters to people who’ve clearly agreed to receive them. Even if someone enters their email at checkout, they must actively opt in to marketing emails that go beyond order updates.
• Consider double opt-in. With double opt-in, subscribers confirm their email address through a follow-up message before being added to your list. This step reduces fake sign-ups, improves deliverability, and gives you stronger proof of consent.
• Keep records of consent. Choose an email platform that automatically logs documentation of when and how each subscriber opted in. Keeping clear records helps protect your business if questions arise.
• Do not purchase email lists. Bought lists are not compliant with opt-in standards and often lead to spam complaints, low engagement, and damaged sender reputation.
• Include a clear unsubscribe link. Every newsletter must allow subscribers to opt out easily. Make the link visible and functional. Hiding it increases the risk of spam reports.
• Add your business contact information. Include your company name, physical mailing address, and contact details in your footer to comply with anti-spam laws.
• Account for international subscribers. If you collect emails from customers in different countries, review the applicable laws for each region. When in doubt, follow the strictest standard to stay compliant.
• Practice regular list hygiene. To improve deliverability and campaign performance, periodically remove inactive subscribers to maintain a healthy sender reputation. Suppress hard bounces, monitor spam complaints, and consider re-engagement campaigns before removing dormant contacts.

Failing to comply with privacy and anti-spam laws can result in fines and penalties. Beyond legal risk, spam complaints can cause your emails to land in junk folders—or lead to account suspension on your newsletter platform. 

Strong compliance practices protect both your customers and your brand.

8. Draft your content

With your business goals and audience in mind, use these tips to draft your first newsletter:

• Lead with what matters most. Put your most important message at the top of the email—whether it’s a product launch, limited-time offer, or key announcement. Many subscribers won’t read every word, so structure your content in order of priority.
• Start with a strong opener. Capture attention in the first few lines. A clear benefit, timely hook, or bold statement encourages readers to keep scrolling.
• Keep sentences clear and concise. Use simple language and short paragraphs. Avoid long, complex sentences that slow readers down.
• Drive traffic with a clear call to action (CTA). Include a focused CTA button that directs subscribers to your website. Make it obvious what happens next: “Shop the collection,” “Read the guide,” or “Get early access.”
• Use skimmable formatting. Break up text with headings, bullet points, and buttons. Most people scan emails before deciding whether to engage.
• Add personalization where possible. Small personal touches make emails feel more intentional.
  Use merge tags to address subscribers by first name and segment your list to tailor messaging when relevant. 
• Proofread before sending. Ask someone to review your newsletter for clarity, tone, and accuracy. A second set of eyes can catch errors you may have missed.

A well-structured newsletter makes it easy for readers to understand your message, and take action quickly.

9. Deliver your first newsletter

When you’re ready to send your first email, follow these steps:

• Set your sender name and email address. Avoid “no-reply” addresses when possible, since they discourage engagement and can hurt trust. Send from your company name if your newsletter is primarily promotional or informational, or from a real person’s name if you’re sharing founder stories or behind-the-scenes content.
• Select your recipients. If you’ve segmented your list, double-check you’re sending to the right audience. Targeting first-time buyers, VIP customers, or new subscribers differently can improve engagement and conversions.
• Craft your subject line and preheader text. Your short subject line should clearly communicate why the email is worth opening. Use the preheader to expand on that value.
• Test your email. Send a test version to yourself before hitting Send. Review these features:
  • All links (make sure they direct to the correct pages and include proper tracking)
  • Images (check they load properly and include alt text)
  • Formatting on desktop and mobile
  • Button functionality
  • Personalization fields (ensure merge tags populate correctly)
  • Spelling and grammar
  • Preview text and subject line display
  • Footer details, including your unsubscribe link and business contact information

Protect your deliverability

Sending your email is only half the battle. Getting it into your customers’ inboxes matters just as much. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Use a reputable email service provider. Established platforms help maintain strong sender reputations and compliance standards.
• Warm up new sending domains. If you’re using a new domain, start by sending to a smaller segment of engaged subscribers before scaling up. Gradually increasing volume helps build trust with inbox providers.
• Avoid spam trigger words. Overuse of all caps, excessive punctuation, or phrases like “BUY NOW!!!” can hurt deliverability. Keep your copy clear and natural.
• Monitor bounce rates and complaints. High bounce rates or spam reports can damage your sender reputation. Regularly review your analytics and clean inactive or invalid addresses from your list.
  

Taking time to test and protect deliverability ensures your first newsletter doesn’t just get sent—it gets seen.

10. Assess your analytics

About 24 hours after sending your newsletter, review your results. Most email platforms provide key email marketing metrics like open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribes, and conversions in a central dashboard. If you use Shopify Messaging, you can see performance directly inside your Shopify admin.

Here are core metrics to track over time:

• Open rate. The percentage of subscribers who opened your email. Smaller, highly engaged lists often see higher open rates than large, less-segmented ones.
• Click-through rate (CTR). The percentage of subscribers who clicked a link after opening. This number shows how compelling your content and calls to action are.
• Unsubscribes. The percentage of subscribers who opted out. A sudden spike may signal misaligned content, too-frequent sends, or overly promotional messaging.
• Traffic and sales. How much website traffic your newsletter generated and how many sales it influenced. Revenue data gives context that open rates alone can’t provide.

While it’s helpful to know industry benchmarks—like ecommerce’s average open rate of 29.81%—focus more on improving your own performance over time. Your audience, list size, and niche all influence results. Instead of chasing benchmarks, aim for steady improvement campaign by campaign.

The most successful merchants connect email performance to broader business metrics. According to the Shopify Merchant Survey* from November 2025, high-revenue merchants (more than $1 million) are more likely to track advanced metrics: 57% track profit margin, 52% track average order value, and 44% track return on ad spend (ROAS). For newsletters specifically, tying email metrics to downstream sales data helps you measure true impact instead of only opens and clicks.

Use your early results to experiment with subject lines, layouts, offers, and segmentation. Small, consistent optimizations compound over time.

11. Handle unsubscribes and feedback

A smooth unsubscribe process respects your subscribers’ choices while gathering insights to improve your email marketing efforts. If you make it hard to unsubscribe, subscribers will get frustrated, and you may get spam complaints.

Here are some tips for handling unsubscribes:

• Make unsubscribing easy and accessible. The unsubscribe link should be clear and easy to see in every email, usually in the footer. It should only take a click or two for readers to unsubscribe.
• Analyze reasons for unsubscribing. Offer a quick survey to understand the reasons behind an unsubscribe. Common reasons might be that they received too many emails, the content is not relevant or valuable, they’ve changed their interests or circumstances, or they’re experiencing email fatigue.
• Use feedback to improve content and delivery. Every unsubscribe is an opportunity to learn and improve. By accepting feedback, you can create a more engaging newsletter that attracts and retains subscribers. 

Myles Apparel, a Shopify fitness and lifestyle brand, uses humor and personality in its re-engagement email to win back inactive subscribers. The playful message nudges readers to stay in the loop on product drops and deals.

Email newsletter examples

These real-world email marketing examples from Shopify merchants show how to combine strong visuals, clear messaging, and brand personality to drive engagement and sales. Here’s how top brands make email marketing work for them.

1. GIR

GIR specializes in thoughtfully designed kitchen tools. It uses its welcome email to introduce the brand’s mission through a compelling founder story, and gives a 17% discount to drive that all-important first order.

The email opens with a bold, friendly headline: “Where It All Started.” From there, it shares how founder Samantha Rose created GIR in response to a drawer full of disappointing spatulas. This origin story builds an emotional connection while reinforcing the brand’s focus on quality, design, and joy in the kitchen.

What makes it effective:

• Founder story builds credibility and makes the brand relatable
• Clear incentive (17% off) encourages first purchase without feeling pushy
• Branded product imagery reinforces value and design ethos
• Multiple CTAs (“Shop Now,” “About GIR”) guide readers based on intent

By combining storytelling with a practical offer, GIR’s welcome email delivers personality, trust, and a clear path to conversion.

2. Verb Bars

Verb Bars uses email to educate subscribers about health and ingredients in a way that builds trust and interest.

In this campaign, Verb leads with a bold message: “The Science of Feeling Good.” The email uses digestible facts, like “40% of Americans struggle with poor gut health,” to create relevance and urgency. 

Then, it connects the dots between the problem and the product, explaining how Verb Bars support digestion and reduce inflammation using ingredients like green tea caffeine, almond butter, and cocoa.

What makes it effective:

• Clear problem-solution structure that teaches while selling
• Ingredient callouts with health benefits next to product imagery
• Bright visuals and bold headers that make key info easy to scan

3. Revival

Revival uses a standout example of a well-designed abandoned cart email that feels personal, supportive, and perfectly on-brand.

The message leads with a friendly nudge—“Still thinking about it?”—paired with a photo of the exact product the customer viewed (in this case, the Gambit rug). This visual reminder helps rekindle interest and reduce decision fatigue.

What makes it effective:

• Direct product callout with abandoned item front and center
• Warm, conversational tone creates a sense of validation, not pressure
• Supportive CTA goes beyond the sale with an offer for free design support, helping buyers feel confident about their purchase

Paid and free newsletter templates and platforms

No matter what stage you’re at on your journey, there’s a newsletter platform to match your business needs. Many tools offer free tiers, while paid plans unlock automation, advanced analytics, and more design flexibility.

Here’s a quick comparison of popular platforms:

Note: Canva isn’t an email sending platform (ESP). It’s a design tool that offers customizable newsletter templates you can export and upload into your email service provider. Canva pairs well with platforms like Shopify Messaging, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo for merchants who prioritize strong visuals. 

Build your email newsletter with Shopify

Email newsletters let you deliver a message directly to a subscriber’s inbox, opening up a continuous channel of communication to share useful information, build awareness of your products and services, and forge a connection that can lead to buying. 

*Based on a 2025 survey of 500 Shopify merchants conducted in English across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. Respondents were established merchants with two or more years on the platform. Results reflect the experiences of this specific sample and may not be representative of all merchants.