5 Types of Newsletters Explained – Which One is Worth Writing?

On August 31, 2023
8min read
Stacey Wonder Content Marketer @essaytigers.com

An email newsletter is the kind of digital marketing that is very popular in various fields. Its main task may be to build trust with its audience, create special offers, work on brand awareness, etc. 

But in order for it to bring maximum benefit, you need to choose the right type of newsletter that you are going to create. 

In this article, we will talk about the types of newsletters and when you should use each of them. We will show examples and best practices. If you are ready, we will start.

Reporting

This type of email newsletter is one of the most popular today. The format itself does not provide for the author’s style since it consists only of a selection of facts. It can be either a daily weekly, or monthly newsletter.

Each author or editorial board independently chooses how such event newsletters will be unique and attract readers. 

The platform annually celebrates June 19th, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This newsletter interviews black artists and creators. Here people share real stories and their attitudes to the holiday. This is helpful information and an exciting format that can unite people with the same values.

Anyone who is going to release this type of email newsletter needs to take care of its unique concept. This will enable the publication to be competitive.

A bulletin in the form of a reportage can be relevant for a variety of enterprises. This variety is universal. Among the advantages of such a publication:

  • the ability to provide exclusive content;
  • information content;
  • brevity of presentation of relevant content;
  • news character, due to which you can always pick up relevant information occasions.

Another important advantage is that different people can work on such a newsletter since there is a link to the facts covered rather than to the author’s submission format. There are no cons as such. It’s just that in many cases, this format will not be the most appropriate if the task goes beyond simply acquainting the audience with the news.

Artistic

This kind of newsletter is fundamentally different from the previous one. If, in the first case, we are talking about a concise messaging and style with a presentation of events, then a completely different emphasis is placed here. It lies in the author’s vision of certain upcoming events. That is, in such a bulletin, the comment of its author is important. One example of this type of ballot can be seen below.

Most often, this is a good newsletter, which is filled with a clear idea and high-quality expert narration. This option is suitable for companies that work in the field of art. For example, we can talk about art galleries. If you do a short review with an artist’s commentary before each exhibition, this approach will attract more attention to the event and gather a larger audience around it.

Also, the art newsletter is relevant for those who are building their personal brand and want to share relevant information with the audience, maintaining interest in themselves.

The key advantage of such a newsletter is the unlimited opportunities for self-expression of its authors. Among the relative disadvantages is that this option is only suitable for some areas. For example, an art newsletter would be inappropriate for a business that specializes in the sale of technical goods or the provision of simple household services to the public. This option is better for companies whose field of activity is creative.

Analytical Bulletin

Analytical bulletins are chosen by political parties that want to acquaint readers with the opinions of their experts or case studies. This is a good opportunity to communicate with potential voters, conveying your point of view on various events in political life. But they’re also common with some enteprize-level SaaS products. 

Outside politics, this type of mailing allows you to create an image of an expert, educate the audience, improve loyalty and even indirectly increase sales. Asana’s analytical bulletin perfectly demonstrates thus. The brand shows how, with the help of its product, a business can improve its performance.

The variant of the analytical bulletin is also suitable for specialized publications. For example, there can be several opinions of the top experts of the publication about economic news and the consequences of such an event for different market participants. When the reader sees a high level of experts and understands that their opinions resonate with him, he will be more willing to purchase a subscription to paid versions of the publication. 

This opinion is not a hypothesis, it is information confirmed in practice by the New York Times. According to the statistics of this publication, those who first subscribed to the newsletter are twice as likely to subscribe to its paid version.

These statistics are not surprising at all. They are natural, given that the newsletter allows the publication to establish regular interaction with the audience of the publication. This is an opportunity to convey the news and the position of the authors. And we return to what advantages the analytical bulletin has. They are:

  • the opportunity to share not only news but their expert assessment;
  • the ability to convey the author’s vision regarding various informational occasions.

The second point is especially valuable. It is in this way that the analytical bulletin differs from the bulletin in the reporting format. Among the relative disadvantages of this format is that it fits less information than in the usual superficial news review without expert opinion. If you do detailed analytics on several informational occasions at once, you will go beyond the bulletin, which is characterized by a laconic format.

Instruction

This is one of the best newsletter options for an enterprise that manufactures a product. Because it gives consumers useful content. This improves loyalty and increases sales. Also, this format is suitable for companies and private entrepreneurs who provide services. 

An example of such a newsletter could be a checklist with recommendations on how to extend the life of a product with proper care. When the company’s customers get acquainted with the tips for proper care of their purchase, they will feel the care of the company. 

With such interaction, a person understands that he is not used for the sake of situational earnings, but that adequate long-term relationships are built with him. This is how customers become repeat customers and then become brand advocates—people who recommend your company to others.

When a bulletin in the form of instructions is offered to customers who order a service, this can also be very useful. For example, a clinic may issue such advice bulletins for its patients. There is a limitless field for imagination here. You can offer recommendations before different types of examinations. It can also be general advice aimed at maintaining health.

An example of a newsletter in this format is Moment. It contains many ideas for an independent publisher.

Among the main advantages of the bulletin-instruction are:

  • the ability to build relationships of a trusting nature with your target audience, giving it useful practical advice;
  • ease of creation, since any professional or team of professionals regularly gives recommendations to their clients (it’s just that these recommendations take on a written form);
  • the versatility of the format.

Let’s dwell on the third point in more detail. It means that such a bulletin is relevant for various industries. At first, it may seem like it is better suited for various technical and medical topics. But the possible scope of its use is much wider. Even for companies working in the field of art, such a newsletter will be useful if you choose the right issue theme. For example, it can be seven topical ideas for landscape paintings or a guide on how to take a friend from another city on a tour. There are many options.

Though, there’s a bit of a caveat instructional newsletters. It can get boring if written in a too-dry and formal style. To avoid this, use a friendly manner that will please the reader.

Hybrid newsletter

The name already says it’s all about combining different types of newsletters to create something new and exciting. This happens when the editors are faced with the task of revealing one topic from different angles and in different ways. An example is a bulletin about China called Sinocism. It combines elements of different types of newsletters. There are comments, analyses, reports, and links to Chinese publications.

The hybrid newsletter format is suitable for those who find it difficult to decide and are used to experimenting with different ideas. This is its main advantage. And also – adaptability to different industries due to the flexibility of the form. With such a newsletter, you can experiment a lot, trying new creative ideas in each issue.

As for the cons, they are relative and are a matter of preference. For those accustomed to a more strict, clear, and consistent form of the ballot, there may be a better option.

Expand types of newsletters in email marketing

Yes, if we are talking about email marketing tools, four additional content writing styles can be added to the types of newsletters in email marketing discussed. This:

  1. Letter from the editor – most often, this is a long bulletin of 200-1000+ words. You can give the reader useful industry news, complementing your company’s advantages in them, draw attention to some problems, etc. Newsletter content can be varied, the main thing is that it is interesting to the reader and inspires confidence.
  1. Featured article or useful curated content –  you can give the maximum benefit to the client, which can only indirectly relate to your brand. But it is necessary to explain why this particular content can be useful to the user. A company newsletter can be good advertising. For example, you can paint a client’s problem – “How to choose shoes for the winter?” And in the final pieces of content, influence your relatability with the audience, showing that you have winter shoes for every taste in your store.
  2. Promotional newsletters are also short texts about anything related to your product and why your offer should be of interest to the user. Everything can be used here: special discounts, important information about the product launch, information about the new pricing, and of course, limited time to buy something. The main thing is to find a good copywriter who will write the text correctly and only favorably affect nurture relationships.

Never buy an email list for mailing

Create it yourself, build lists and track testimonials. Purchased accounts can quickly unsubscribe since these are most likely not your potential customers. And this is at best. At worst, you will be sent to spam. And this can greatly affect your reputation. And even a cool curated newsletter will not save your situation.

Create email templates and newsletter templates

It will be much easier for you to create promotional emails if you prepare early. When you have ready-made email templates with curated content and audience, it will be easier for you. All this will lead to workflow automation.

There are really many types of email newsletters. Each is suitable for its target audience and the company as a whole. Try different ones to find the best option.

What to do next

You have already become familiar with the key varieties of email newsletters. Now it remains to choose the one that best suits your needs in this regard. The choice may be different for companies that produce goods and offer services. People who develop their personal brands also adapt the email newsletter themselves. And for those who have yet to decide on the format and want to do something unique, a hybrid email newsletter format may be suitable.

Below are examples of different newsletters in the same industry. Let it be the production of shoes. So:

  • The bulletin in reportage format (reporting) will be dedicated to the latest news, trends, or novelties of the product range of a particular company.
  • The art format will focus on the author’s creative solutions used in the design of shoes from the brand, which is promoted through the newsletter.
  • The analytical bulletin will be devoted to the review of technologies and their use. The editors will acquaint readers with the opinions of various experts.
  • Bulletin in the form of instructions will acquaint readers with how to care for shoes made of different materials. Or – how to dry wet shoes after rain, so as not to damage them.
  • Hybrid newsletter. As many have already guessed, it will combine all of the elements above.

Whatever you choose, it is worth taking advantage of professional recommendations that will facilitate the process of creating and popularizing the newsletter. You can also use ready-made templates to complete this task faster and more efficiently. But by contacting an essay helper, you can get qualified assistance in this matter. Professional journalists often come here to get an outside opinion and a hint.

It happens that to understand the concept of the future email newsletter, it is better to use an unbiased view from the outside. It can be found by consulting. This will allow you to choose from all types of newsletters, precisely the ones that will correspond to your tasks.

Article by Stacey Wonder Content Marketer @essaytigers.com

Stacey Wonder is a content marketer who enjoys sharing best practices for self-development and careers with others. In her free time, Stacey is fond of contemporary dance and classic French movies.