Do you have an arsenal of email newsletter templates ready to go for your email marketing strategy?
You should.
According to email marketing statistics, marketers get an average return of $42 for every $1 they spend on email marketing.
In addition to other email marketing techniques like promoting a sale or issuing loyalty program rewards, you can use your newsletter to build a better relationship with prospects and customers.
Unlike typical email marketing campaigns that focus on immediate conversions, newsletters help you share valuable information, express your unique perspective, and foster deeper connections with your audience.
This article gives you the 11 best templates out there. Just plug in elements like your company logo, images, and text, and you're ready to go.
1. 99designs
99designs offers a collection of free email newsletter templates that you can customize to meet your marketing needs.
Each one is a responsive newsletter template, meaning that it's friendly for any device your recipients are using, from desktop to tablet to mobile. The collection also includes templates for other types of marketing emails, like personal notifications and promotional emails for sales, events, and other targeted messages.
Just visit the site and enter your email to download the email newsletter templates.
Here's an example:
2. Stripo
Stripo offers more than 300 editable newsletter templates that can be exported into more than 30 email tools, including GetResponse, MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, and Gmail â just to name a few.
What's even cooler is that you can sort through their robust collection based on several filters, like:
- Most popular templates from other Stripo users
- Type, like events, holidays, email digest, and new collection announcements
- Industry, like Beauty & Personal Care, Fashion, Gadgets, and Pet Care
- Seasons, like back to school, summer, Black Friday, Christmas, and birthdays
- Feature of the template, like an accordion menu, photo carousel, CSS animation, or video
3. Cakemail
Cakemail offers tons of free editable newsletter templates that you can download for use in your email client.
In addition to downloading them to use separately, you can also try them out inside the Cakemail platform itself, which is an email marketing tool made specifically for small businesses. This would let you send them directly, as well as see how they're performing.
Here are just a few of the options you can choose from:
4. Dyspatch by Sendwithus
Dyspatch by Sendwithus offers open-source, free newsletter templates with more than a dozen themes. When you click on a theme, you'll find several types of emails that fit the same general layout and design.
This is a great way to ensure that your branding and visuals stay consistent across the entire lifespan of your email marketing campaigns. Maintaining uniformity in your visual identity can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
5. EmailOctopus on GitHub
In case you've never heard of it, GitHub is one of the world's most popular software development platforms. If you're a budding developer, you'll find that it offers loads of useful resources, information, and discussions to help you along the way.
Through GitHub, email marketing tools and individual developers offer loads of free newsletter templates that are open-source and responsive. In fact, if you type "responsive email template" into the search bar, you'll see nearly 500 results. We're going to discuss a few of the top-rated ones, but by all means, browse GitHub for yourself to see all the options! You can check them out here.
The first option comes from email marketing company, EmailOctopus, which provides a great collection of template packs, including its Karakol, Abacus, and Wayfair packs.
6. Campaign Monitor
This is another example of a huge email marketing software company offering editable newsletter template freebies.
Campaign Monitor offers several free templates. Once you choose one, you're able to edit it directly in your browser, including adding your company's logo, swapping out images, changing colors and text, and adding new modules like videos, buttons, spacers, and dividers.
When you're done, you can test it out inside the Campaign Monitor tool (which is free to play around with until you start sending emails), or you can download it as HTML and CSS to upload to your email client separately.
8. Themezy
Themezy offers a collection of more than a dozen business newsletter templates that can be used across multiple industries and niches, as well as for accomplishing multiple goals. You can use them to announce a sale, shine a spotlight on specific items, or just keep recipients in the loop regarding what's going on at your company.
Like most of the others on this list, you can download the HTML version of these email newsletter templates and use them with your email software.
Here's a sample newsletter template that might be particularly handy for a dropshipping store that's announcing a new product launch or otherwise bringing some focus to particular items in their store:
9. TemplateMonster
TemplateMonster offers some of the best newsletter templates you'll find for under $20. There are hundreds to choose from.
Many of these templates have multiple modules (or sections) to choose from for each email. This can be helpful in streamlining your newsletter-writing process, as it allows you to keep your primary branding elements while swapping out modules as you need them.
For example, this template below has 17 modules, including:
- Header and footer (which we recommend keeping the same for every email)
- A large photo module with a call to action (CTA) button underneath
- Two-column layouts to display two items in the same area, or to display a photo on one side and text and CTA button on the other
- A module that showcases thumbnails of several collections with a CTA linking to each collection's page on your website
- Smaller modules that can be used to tease delivery, customer service, and other details
10. Flashissue
Flashissue offers more than a dozen HTML newsletter template options specifically for Gmail. This is a great option if your business is still small, and you're not quite ready to invest in a full-service email marketing platform or a developer to help with coding.
This tool works as a Chrome app that connects directly to your Gmail account.
Since you're customizing each company newsletter template through Gmail, the designs are generally more simple than some of the others on this list. But, sometimes, simplicity is supreme.
Here's an example from the Flashissue selection:
11. MJML
MJML is an open-source framework that was made for responsive emails. The framework is designed to make life easier for developers who code emails themselves, but you don't need to be a code whiz to use it.
That's because the website lets you choose your favorite responsive newsletter template. It even has a live in-browser editor that you can use to tinker with the design.
When you're done, you can convert the MJML code into HTML on the site and paste it into your email tool. MJML offers some beautiful and modern newsletter templates, like this one:
How to Create a Newsletter Template
As you can see, there are loads of free options that allow you to download an editable newsletter template and customize to your heart's content.
But if you have some of your own design skills or resources, you might prefer to take the manual route.
So, here's a quick rundown on how to create a newsletter template in Photoshop. From there, you can use an online tool like Yotako or PSD to Web to turn your PSD file into an HTML and CSS combination that's ready for your email client.
Here are a few rules to follow for creating a newsletter template:
- Make sure your content width is 600 pixels or less (the file itself can be bigger, just include margins around the text)
- Create a consistent header with your company's art and branding
- Keep it simple, clean, and digestible
- Use eye-catching graphics to get readers' attention
- Include clear CTA buttons that direct users to relevant pages
To explore how to make a newsletter template, let's dissect a free PSD template called Mooza. It's available for download here on Behance.
Here's what you see for the top part of the template:
And for the lower part:
In the "Layers" palette, this template is color-coded for easier reference:
- Red layers inside the "Header" folder make up the header with logo and social icons
- Orange layers inside the "Billboard 1" and "Billboard 2" folders are the two "billboard" or "hero" options, and one has a blank background while the other has a photo background
- Yellow layers inside the "Services" folder show the three icons in the email body (this template was meant for software, but you can use this for other items)
- Green layers inside the "Analytics" folder show a chart that's meant to show results for the software's users
- Blue layers inside the "Call to Action" folder show the "Get 1-month trial for free" CTA section at the bottom
- Purple layers inside the "Footer" folder show the Mooza logo and link to a few pages on the Mooza website
You can edit this PSD file directly or use it as a blueprint for learning how to create a newsletter template of your own.
Benefits of Newsletters for Your Business
Newsletters serve as powerful tools for developing an engaged community around your brand. They offer unique advantages that can transform how you connect with your audience.
Display Your Company Values
Your newsletter provides an ideal space to highlight what your business stands for. Share stories about your partnerships, provide glimpses into your operations, or update readers on your community involvement efforts. This type of content reinforces your company's principles and deepens relationships with customers.
For instance, if you operate an eco-conscious fashion brand, your regular newsletter might feature stories about your environmentally responsible manufacturing process, offer advice for extending clothing lifespan, or include photos from volunteer activities your team participates in.
Nurture Customer Connections
Not every visitor to your website will make a purchase immediately. Capturing email addresses gives you the opportunity to stay connected with potential buyers who weren't ready to commit during their first visit.
Newsletter subscribers represent valuable prospects for future sales. By maintaining regular contact through newsletters, you keep your business fresh in their minds, increasing the likelihood they'll return when they're ready to buy.
For existing customers, newsletters help transform one-time purchasers into loyal, repeat buyers.
Add a Personal Touch to Your Brand
Telling stories about your company and the individuals who make it run creates emotional bonds with your audience. Consider featuring newsletters written in the founder's voice, or invite team members, outside specialists, and partners to contribute their perspectives.
Many effective newsletters preview content within the email itself, then include links directing interested readers to your blog or website for the complete story. Depending on what resonates with your audience, you might share your company philosophy through detailed articles, visual stories, or video content.
Effective Types of Newsletters
The ideal newsletter format for your business depends on your objectives and what your audience finds valuable. Here are several approaches to explore:
Interest-Focused Newsletters
If your business serves a specialized community, such as crafters, food enthusiasts, or hobbyists, your subscribers likely care about your subject area beyond just your products.
Appeal to these interests by publishing newsletters featuring industry developments, how-to content, or specialized information relevant to your niche.
Lifestyle-Oriented Newsletters
Strong visual presentation can transform your newsletter into a premium experience that reflects your brand's aesthetic identity. Lifestyle newsletters emphasize compelling photography, illustrations, or graphic design, so you'll need access to talented designers.
These newsletters work particularly well for brands with distinctive visual identities and can help reinforce your connection to specific places, communities, or lifestyles.
Curated Product Collections
Product collection newsletters, such as wish lists, gift recommendations, or staff favorites, give subscribers a window into aspirational lifestyles. Collections chosen by employees work especially well for brands known for their taste and style.
You can also feature selections from influencers or brand ambassadors. To maintain authenticity, avoid including too many of your own products in these roundups.
Consider extending your curated collections beyond physical products to include recommendations for books, entertainment, activities, and experiences.
How-To Guides
Newsletter guides provide excellent opportunities to demonstrate your expertise while encouraging readers to think about your brand in related contexts.
For example, a kitchenware company might share restaurant recommendations for specific cities, which makes sense given the connection between dining out and cooking at home.
Guides can effectively motivate potential customers to subscribe, since they promise helpful, actionable information.
Blog Content Compilations
You can assemble articles from your company blog into newsletters that function as mini digital magazines. To encourage website visits, preview blog posts rather than publishing them completely in your email.
This approach lets you repurpose existing content, saving time in newsletter creation. Consider your newsletter when developing blog content, and vice versa. You might create blog posts with striking images that will capture attention in email format, or select blog posts that have proven especially popular with readers.
Theme-Based Newsletters
Themed newsletters work best for companies with dedicated followings, since readers need to be interested in what you have to say even when it's not directly related to your products.
If you're a founder with public visibility, you can also format these as personal messages or notes from leadership.
Themed newsletters help translate the personality of physical retail locations into digital experiences for online shoppers.
Newsletter Best Practices
Creating newsletters that truly engage your audience requires attention to several key elements. Here are essential practices to follow:
Select Your Platform Carefully
Multiple platforms can help you build and distribute newsletters. For ecommerce businesses, tools that integrate with your store offer significant advantages, allowing you to send targeted newsletters to specific customer groups.
For instance, a business selling both finished products and DIY kits likely has two distinct audiences interested in different content. Customers who purchased DIY kits might appreciate detailed tutorials, while those who bought ready-made items might not.
Alternative platforms designed for editorial content can help readers view your newsletter as valuable content rather than marketing material. Some platforms even feature comment sections, enabling readers to interact with each other and your brand.
Choose a Design That Reflects Your Brand
To maintain consistency across all touchpoints, your newsletter design should align with your brand identity. Think about your visual elements, like typography, logo, color scheme, and incorporate them into your newsletter layout.
Many platforms offer customizable templates that make this process straightforward, even if you're not a design expert.
Establish a Consistent Schedule
When deciding how frequently to send newsletters, balance staying present in subscribers' minds with avoiding content overload. This becomes especially important if you're also sending other marketing emails.
To optimize engagement, consider sending approximately one newsletter weekly. Weekly newsletters tend to achieve higher open and click-through rates compared to other frequencies.
Consistency matters significantly, so choose a pace you can maintain. Readers will anticipate your newsletter arriving on specific days, and meeting this expectation helps build trust.
Promote Your Newsletter
Ensure potential customers know about your newsletter and can easily subscribe. Create a dedicated sign-up page and link to it regularly.
Social media profiles provide excellent places to link to your newsletter subscription form, offering an easy next step for people discovering your brand.
Always provide incentives for email sign-ups, whether through welcome discounts or exclusive benefits like early product access or premium content.
Deliver Quality, Relevant Content
To distinguish your newsletters from standard marketing emails, include engaging content alongside product promotions. This content should offer value to readers regardless of whether they've purchased from you.
Make your content easy to consume by keeping copy clear and concise, and breaking up text with images. You might include anything from detailed brand origin stories to video employee interviews to product usage tutorials.
Write Compelling Subject Lines
Craft subject lines that are brief, engaging, and authentic to your brand voice. To maximize opens, keep them under 70 characters.
Avoid using all-caps or urgent phrases that might trigger spam filters and harm deliverability. Focus on subject lines that are both interesting and accurate.
Don't forget the preview text appearing beside your subject line. Including preheaders can boost open rates.
Include Clear Calls to Action
Provide clear direction for what readers should do next. Your call to action will vary based on your newsletter's purpose and content.
For example, if you're sharing information about your sustainable sourcing practices while promoting a new product line, you might include two calls to action: one directing readers to learn more about your partnerships, and another directing them to purchase your new products.
Optimize for Mobile Viewing
Most readers will open your newsletters on mobile devices. Mobile devices now account for the majority of web traffic.
Ensure your newsletter displays well on different devices and with various settings, like dark mode, which has grown popular for reducing eye strain.
For mobile optimization, use responsive templates that adapt to multiple screen sizes. Consider breaking up text with images and using appropriately sized images that smartphone users can view completely. Always preview how your newsletter appears on both mobile and desktop before sending.
Don't Get Lost in the Noise
Email is a massive opportunity for marketing, and it isn't going anywhere. As I'm sure you've experienced yourself, your inbox can swiftly turn into a battlefield of competing messages.
That's why simply sending out emails isn't enough.
You also need to make sure they're truly good emails, which is the only way to ensure that your efforts aren't getting lost in the noise of everyone else's messages.
Use every email to offer unique value to each of your recipients, whether it's telling them about the latest product or service you're offering or building relationships by giving them a peek behind the curtain of your company.
And, of course, some beautiful and modern newsletter templates can go a long way in helping you achieve all this quickly and easily.
Email Newsletters FAQ
Why Does Your Business Need a Newsletter?
Email inboxes are a far more direct way to reach people than social media. That being the case, newsletters are essential for engaging and building trust with your potential buyers. Newsletters may not convince people to purchase from you on the spot, but they’re excellent for slowly scaffolding your reputation and strengthening relationships with customers.
How Do You Make Newsletters More Effective?
Every effective newsletter requires a simple, clear, and actionable subject line, fascinating preheader, easy to read and navigate body text (subject headings help a ton), helpful and high-quality content, and a single purpose. The best newsletters have one powerful CTA rather than a bunch of confusing actions you’d want your customers to take.
How Do You Get Customers To Sign up for Your Newsletter?
The first goal of any newsletter is building its audience. You can do this by featuring a sign up link on your site and social media pages, and offering exclusive insights and deals only available to subscribers. Your newsletter should have helpful and valuable content that people can only get through the newsletter, or get faster and easier than non-subscribers.