Newsletter

This skill creates newsletters people actually want to read - not just promotional blasts that get ignored or unsubscribed from.

Objective

Build recurring engagement through newsletters that deliver consistent value, strengthen audience relationships, and naturally drive business goals.

Intake Questions

Before creating newsletter content, gather context:

1. Audience: Who are subscribers? What do they care about?
2. Frequency: How often do you send? (Daily, weekly, monthly)
3. Brand voice: What tone should the newsletter have? (From brand-voice skill)
4. Primary goal: Education, entertainment, conversion, or community?
5. Existing content: What blog posts, insights, or resources can be repurposed?
6. Unique angle: What can you offer that no other newsletter does?
7. Past performance: What formats/topics have worked well or poorly?

The 9 Newsletter Formats

1. Curated Links

Collect the best resources, articles, and tools on a topic so readers don't have to.

Structure:

• Brief intro (2-3 sentences)
• 5-10 curated items with commentary
• Each item: Title, source, your take (why it matters)
• Optional: categorize by theme

Best for: Busy professionals, niche industries, staying current on trends

Example: "The best marketing reads from this week, so you don't have to scroll Twitter."

2. Original Essay

Long-form thinking on a single topic - your perspective, insights, or argument.

Structure:

• Hook: Surprising opening
• Thesis: Main argument/insight
• Body: Supporting points with examples
• Conclusion: Takeaway and implications

Best for: Thought leadership, building authority, deep audience connection

Example: "Why I think content marketing is dead (and what's replacing it)"

3. Story-Driven

Narrative format with a lesson embedded - personal stories, customer stories, or observations.

Structure:

• Set the scene
• Build tension/conflict
• Resolution or realization
• Explicit lesson/takeaway

Best for: Personal brands, coaches, anyone with interesting experiences

Example: "The sales call that made me rethink everything about pricing"

4. How-To Tutorial

Step-by-step instructions for accomplishing something specific.

Structure:

• What you'll learn/achieve
• Prerequisites (if any)
• Numbered steps with details
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Expected outcome

Best for: Skill-building audiences, technical topics, actionable content

Example: "How to set up your first automated email sequence (in 30 minutes)"

5. News Roundup + Commentary

Industry news with your unique perspective and analysis.

Structure:

• 3-5 news items
• Each item: What happened, why it matters, your take
• Optional: predictions or implications

Best for: Industry-specific newsletters, keeping audiences informed

Example: "This week in AI: 3 announcements that change everything (and 2 that don't)"

6. Q&A / AMA

Answer reader questions or common questions in your space.

Structure:

• Question (from reader or common)
• Your answer with depth
• Additional context or resources
• Invitation for more questions

Best for: Building community, demonstrating expertise, engagement

Example: "You asked: How do I get my first 1,000 email subscribers?"

7. Case Study Deep-Dive

Detailed breakdown of a success story, failure, or interesting example.

Structure:

• Background: Who, what, when
• Challenge: What they were trying to solve
• Approach: What they did
• Results: What happened (with numbers)
• Lessons: What we can learn

Best for: B2B, proof-driven audiences, demonstrating what's possible

Example: "How [Company] increased conversions by 340% with one landing page change"

8. Behind-the-Scenes

Transparency about your process, decisions, numbers, or journey.

Structure:

• What you're sharing
• The context/why
• The details (be specific)
• What you learned
• What's next

Best for: Building trust, creator economy, indie businesses

Example: "My November revenue breakdown: $47K (here's what worked and what didn't)"

9. Hybrid/Mixed Format

Combine multiple formats in recurring sections.

Structure example:

• Opening thought (essay-style)
• 3 curated links
• One tactical tip (how-to)
• Closing question (engagement)

Best for: Maintaining variety, longer newsletters, diverse audiences

Example: "One big idea, three links, and a question to ponder"

Format Selection Guide

Your Situation	Best Format
Limited time to write	Curated Links, News Roundup
Strong opinions/expertise	Original Essay, Commentary
Personal brand	Story-Driven, Behind-the-Scenes
Teaching/educating	How-To Tutorial, Case Study
Building community	Q&A/AMA, Story-Driven
Consistent schedule	Hybrid (predictable structure)

Subject Line Formulas

High-open-rate patterns:

Curiosity

• "The [topic] mistake I keep making"
• "What [surprising thing] taught me about [topic]"
• "I changed my mind about [thing]"

Utility

• "How to [achieve result] in [timeframe]"
• "[Number] ways to [solve problem]"
• "The [tool/method] that changed my [outcome]"

Specificity

• "[Specific result] in [specific timeframe]"
• "Why [specific person/company] does [specific thing]"
• "The exact [template/script] I use for [task]"

Personal

• "A confession about [topic]"
• "What I wish I knew about [topic]"
• "The real reason I [action]"

Pattern Interrupt

• Single word or emoji
• Question only
• "[Category]:" format

Engagement Hooks

First 1-3 lines that prevent immediate delete:

• Say something disagreeable: Challenge a common assumption in the first line.
• Specific examples: Use a real-world scenario or name a specific tool/event.
• Human touch: Include a "un-AI" statement (humor or a bold opinion).
• Relatable frustration: Show you understand exactly what the reader is going through.
• No Em-Dashes: Never use em-dashes (-) or en-dashes (-) in the content.

Avoid opening with:

• "Hope you're doing well!"
• "Happy [day of week]!"
• "In this issue..."
• Self-focused statements

Format Rotation Strategy

Prevent subscriber fatigue by rotating formats:

Weekly newsletter example:

• Week 1: Original Essay
• Week 2: Curated Links + Commentary
• Week 3: Case Study or Tutorial
• Week 4: Behind-the-Scenes or Q&A

Twice-weekly example:

• Tuesday: Educational (Tutorial, Essay)
• Friday: Lighter (Links, Behind-the-Scenes)

Output Format

When creating newsletter content, deliver:

1. Format Selection: Which of the 9 formats and why
2. Subject Line Options: 5-7 variations to test
3. Preview Text: First line optimized for email previews
4. Full Newsletter Content: Following the chosen format structure
5. CTA Recommendation: What action to drive (if any)
6. Send Time Suggestion: Based on audience behavior patterns

Cross-References

• Apply brand-voice for consistent tone across all newsletters
• Use keyword-research insights for topic ideation
• Repurpose seo-content into newsletter formats
• lead-magnet can be promoted in newsletters
• content-atomizer turns newsletters into social content
• email-sequences handles automated flows vs. broadcast newsletters