💌 5 Types of Newsletters for Solopreneurs
5 emails newsletter formats (with real examples) — so you can figure out which type is right for you and your business.
🤖 Robert
February 07, 2023
Read time: 3 minutes
Writing this newsletter has been extremely rewarding for me.
Over the past few months, it has:
Added a weekly disciplined practice
Developed my creative thinking
Made my writing clearer and more concise
Improved my storytelling (a bit)
And from a marketing standpoint…
A newsletter lets me speak to an interested audience.
Each person on this email list gave me permission to send to their inbox (thanks again to you, btw).
What’s more, I own this list — unlike my social media profiles, which could disappear tomorrow.
If you don’t have a newsletter yet…
You could literally get one started in an hour.
No need for a domain, a website, or SEO.
Assuming you know what you’ll be writing about, you just need to figure out which newsletter format is right for you.
So…
Today, I’ve outlined 5 types of newsletters for you to consider.
But before we do that, I’d like to take a moment and give a shoutout to Ciler Demiralp — and her newsletter about newsletters…
Shoutout to “Newsletter Circle”
If you write a newsletter or if you’re just starting one, Newsletter Circle is an excellent resource for learning how to grow and monetize your publication.
Ciler Demiralp interviews successful newsletter creators and shares their unique journeys — including their processes, challenges, and growth strategies.
Each issue is jam-packed full of insights to help your newsletter succeed. Check it out here:
Alright, Dynamite… you ready to rock?
5 Types of Newsletters for Solopreneurs
Note: Most of the examples below link directly to a newsletter issue, so you can quickly see the email format.
Note note: These are just broad categories, and there tends to be a lot of crossover. Feel free to create your own format!
1. Curated Newsletter
This is a collection of links to topic-focused content, usually with a short summary of each. This saves readers the hassle of searching through endless amounts of content to uncover the gems.
Suitable for people who:
Aren’t great writers
Have limited time or resources
Consume a lot of content
Example:
Ben’s Bites by Ben Tossell – A daily round-up of AI tools, resources, and research
2. Practical Newsletter
A practical newsletter gives readers immediate value by teaching them “how to achieve x” or “how to build y”. Its focus is on utility, rather than detailed explanations or theory.
(This is the format that I use.)
Suitable for people who:
Aren’t great storytellers
Love sharing strategies, tactics, workflows, examples, etc.
Example:
The Steal Club by Alex Llull – How the best creators use content to grow their audience and businesses
3. Personality-driven Newsletter
This type is centered around the author’s unique journey and worldview. It’s a flexible type of newsletter that may have varying topics and value offers.
Suitable for people who:
Are great at storytelling
Have lots of life experience or a unique perspective
Example:
A Life Worth Living by Harry Duran – Insights and lessons from Harry’s entrepreneurial and personal journey
4. Analytical Newsletter
This is often a long-form newsletter written by an industry expert. It requires more research and usually includes charts and graphs, plus the author’s opinions on the subject.
Suitable for people who:
Are industry experts or excellent researchers
Love digging deep into how things work
Examples:
Practical AI by Thomas Sorheim – AI applications and implications on business and work
Force of Infection by Caitlin Rivers, PhD – Writing about outbreaks and public health
5. Blog Newsletter
This newsletter is an extension of your blog and is meant to drive traffic to your site. It may have a bunch of links to your articles with a summary for each, or it could just have a single summary and link to your latest article.
Suitable for people:
Who write regular blog articles
Who want to drive more traffic to their site
Example:
For The Interested by Josh Spector — Proven strategies to grow your audience and business
Let me know if you write a newsletter — I’d love to check it out.
If you haven’t started one yet, feel free to run your ideas by me, and I’ll give you some feedback.
🤖 Robert
TODAY’S RIDDLE
I can be cracked, made, told, and played.
What am I?
——
If you think you know the answer, hit reply and let me know… or find out in next Tuesday’s newsletter.
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🐦️ Catch me on Twitter @RobertHacala for branding tips and bad puns.