How to write a monthly email newsletter people actually read
Lead with one genuinely useful or interesting story, add two or three short items your customers care about, include at most one offer, and sign it from a real person. Send it on the same day each month, keep it scannable on a phone, and make unsubscribing easy.
Why it matters
A newsletter keeps you in touch between purchases. When someone is ready to buy again, the business that turned up in their inbox last month with something useful is the one they think of.
Unlike social posts, your email list is yours. It doesn't depend on an algorithm, and a short, regular email can bring back repeat customers at very low cost.
The challenge is making it worth opening. Newsletters that are only promotions get ignored and then unsubscribed. Useful content earns the right to sell occasionally.
How to do it by hand
Pick a regular slot
Choose a day and time and stick to it, for example the first Tuesday of the month at 10am. Consistency builds the habit of opening.
Choose one main story
A how-to, a behind-the-scenes look, a customer story, or news that affects them. Make it useful even to someone who won't buy this month.
Add short extra items
Two or three quick bits: a new product, an upcoming event, a tip, a staff pick. One or two sentences each with a link.
Include one offer at most
If there's a promotion, make it one clear offer with an end date, placed after the main story. Not every issue needs one.
Write the subject line last
Make it specific to this issue's main story, under about 50 characters, and add a preview line that adds to it. Avoid all caps and misleading 'Re:' tricks.
Follow the sending rules
Send only to people who subscribed, include your business address and a working unsubscribe link (one-click if you send in bulk), and remove people who bounce or haven't opened in a long time.
How to do it in Wirk
- Automate → Workflows → Newsletter: fill in the topics, deals or links, the audience and the language.
- Review and edit the email. It's saved as a draft.
- On the email, click Send as email campaign… (or Campaigns → New campaign → Email and pick it).
- Under Who gets it, leave segments and tags empty to send to everyone subscribed.
- Under When, tick 'At each person's best time (within 24h)'. An admin clicks Schedule; others ask an admin to approve.
Example output
Example for a sample business
March newsletter
Green Thumb Garden Centre, a family garden centre near Leeds
The monthly email to subscribers at the start of spring planting.
Subject: What to sow in March (and what to wait for) Preview: Plus: our potato day on the 22nd and a spring compost tip
Hi Claire, March is when it's tempting to plant everything at once. Here's what's safe to sow now in Yorkshire, and what to hold back until the frosts are over. Sow now: broad beans, peas and onion sets outdoors; tomatoes and chillies indoors on a warm windowsill. Wait until late April or May: courgettes, beans and anything frost-tender outside. Potato day, Saturday 22 March More than 30 seed potato varieties sold loose, so you can buy three of each and try them. Our head grower Dave will be there from 10am to answer questions. Compost tip Mix a bag of well-rotted manure into your beds now, two weeks before planting, so it's settled by the time you sow. This month only: 20% off all seed trays and propagators until 31 March. Happy sowing, Jane and the Green Thumb team Green Thumb Garden Centre, [address] · Unsubscribe
Written by our team for a sample business, not generated by Wirk
Template to copy
Newsletter outline
Subject (under 50 characters): [specific to the main story] Preview line: [adds a second reason to open] Hi [first name], [Main story: 100–200 words, useful even if they don't buy] [Short item 1: headline + 1–2 sentences + link] [Short item 2: headline + 1–2 sentences + link] [Optional: one offer with an end date] [Sign-off from a real person] [Business address] · Unsubscribe
Common mistakes
Only promotions
A newsletter that's a catalogue every month trains people to ignore it. Give before you ask.
Too long and too many links
Ten sections and twenty links overwhelm readers. One main story and a few short items is enough.
Irregular sending
Sending three in one month and none for the next two confuses people and hurts deliverability. Pick a rhythm you can keep.
Never cleaning the list
Sending to addresses that bounce or never open harms your sender reputation, so more of your emails land in spam. Clean it every few months.
Questions and answers
What should a small business put in a newsletter?
One useful main story (a tip, guide, behind-the-scenes or customer story), a few short updates like new products or events, and sometimes one offer. Write it as if to a regular customer.
How long should a newsletter be?
Short enough to read on a phone in two or three minutes: roughly 200 to 500 words. Link out to your site for anything longer.
What's the best day to send a newsletter?
It depends on your audience, so test it. Mid-week mornings are a common starting point. Once you pick a slot, keep it consistent.
Do I need an unsubscribe link?
Yes. Email marketing laws in most countries require a clear way to unsubscribe, and large mailbox providers expect bulk senders to support one-click unsubscribe.