Speaking as a completely objective third-party observer with no personal interest in the matter, you don’t NEED to write a 1K+ word email.

And you sure as shit don’t need to create a fancy newsletter on Canva and then reupload it into Flodesk every week.

(lol are you kidding? who has the TIME?)

Okay, I lied. I have a little personal interest in the matter because this blog is sponsored by Flodesk and there are affiliate links (0 cost to you, btw).

BUT! I already had this idea on my blog content calendar because I went through the crisis of figuring out which newsletter format to use ALLLLL last year.

Which is how I came up with the ONLY 5 newsletter content ideas you need to start a weekly newsletter that’s so freakin’ fun, you’ll have no choice but to be CONSISTENT.

How To Pick Your Newsletter Format

Okay, first of all:

I need to point out that all of these newsletter content ideas are more about the format of your emails— not what to write in them.

If you want to know what to write in your weekly newsletter, read this.

Speaking of, every single one of these ideas can (and should) be made directly in Flodesk.

(please don’t make your newsletter harder than it has to be, i’m begging you)

Here’s how to choose your newsletter format based on your business type:

Service-based business owners who don’t have a moment to spare: SIMPLE
Service-based business owners & creatives who want a creative outlet: STORY
Multipassionates who can’t decide WTF to write about every week: STORYBOARD
E-commerce brands that want to show off their products: SWAG
Service-based business owners & creatives who want to document their journey: SERIES

Okay, now’s the part where I show you WTF those actually look like:

5 FUN Newsletter Content Ideas for Your Weekly Email

As someone who SUCKS at consistency, imagine my surprise when I finally sent out 10 email newsletters for 10 weeks straight.

(please clap for me)

Okay, yes, I did fall off the wagon for a minute.

But like I said in this newsletter, if billion-dollar TV studios are allowed to take a break from creating content— so👏🏻are👏🏻we👏🏻

(*cough* SNL *cough* Netflix leaving us with nothing during the summer)

What made it at least easier to be consistent with my newsletter was finding a format that was FUN for me to write.

All you need to do is create the format once and then duplicate it and tweak as needed.

Newsletter Option 1: SIMPLE

AKA: The No BS, Minimalist Email

BEST FOR: Biz owners who don’t have time to write a long-ass newsletter, want higher click-through rates, and/or more engagement on a social media post.

In my experience, this is the type of email that gets the MOST click-through rates.

It’s also easy AF to create.

It looks like this.

The idea is to make your newsletter content as SIMPLE as possible

(whoa– who woulda thought?!)

All I do is literally write 1-3 sentences with an embedded link to a long-form piece of content I created, like a:

Blog
YouTube video
TikTok
Instagram post

The shorter it is, the more clicks you’ll get because they HAVE to click to get the whole tip/story.

(kinda like I did above, where I said “it looks like this”).

🩵 Flodesk Design Tip:

If you want to create a faux email signature with your picture and signature, use the “On the blog” layout + a script font!

Newsletter Option 2: STORYTIME

AKA: The Diary Entry Email

BEST FOR: Creative writers & storytellers who have a LOT to say

Starting Plot Twists & Tips was the game-changer for me when it comes to creating newsletter content.

I had read a few storytelling emails from others (like Jen from TONIC’s long-and-weird newsletters) that I LOVED reading.

But I kept thinking things like:

I don’t want to be that vulnerable online (I was a proud, self-proclaimed “closed book”)
How is this going to get me sales?
Will people even read it?
Are people going to unsubscribe because it reads like a creative writing exercise?

Then I decided… you know what?

I DON’T CARE.

I had been CRAVING a creative outlet, and Instagram carousel posts and TikToks just weren’t doin’ it for me.

So on December 31, 2024, I sent out my first-ever storytime email for my new newsletter, Plot Twists & Tips, with the subject line, Crying on Christmas.

It had a 50.4% Open Rate.

This PT&T email literally turned into a diary entry about “The most stressful Sunday ever,” and it had a 49.1% open rate.

And this one about “How I got into SEO” had 47.3% opens.

The newsletter stories like this one about the One-Armed Man and The Walmart Vigilante are also the emails that get me the most amount of replies:

‼️ SIDE NOTE: if you hate writing newsletter content, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU.

🩵 Flodesk Design Tip:

I looooove including GIFs in my stories (what can i say, i’m a millennial).

You can easily do this inside Flodesk. Just click the + button > Add image > GIFY > and search for your fav GIF (i search by my favorite shows)

Newsletter Option 3: STORYBOARD

AKA: The Round-Up Email

BEST FOR: Multipassionates who can’t decide on a format

Last year (2024), I told myself I’d start emailing more consistently.

(I didn’t lol).

The problem? I had SO many newsletter content ideas, I couldn’t decide on a format.

So, I opened my Notes app (then rewrote it in a Google Doc... and three different notebooks 🙃) and made this plan:

Week 1: Simple email
Week 2: Storytime email
Week 3: Storyboard email
Week 4: Sales emails (yes, plural)

The “Storyboard” idea was inspired by Later’s email format—a roundup of their best blogs on social media marketing (see above).

I also planned a “Copy Swap” tip section, something I loved from Ashlyn Carter’s newsletter.

(you can scroll to the bottom of her homepage and subscribe to see hers IRL)

But trying to do ALL THESE NEWSLETTERS on TOP of blogging, client work, etc?

LOL @ Past Tiffani.

If you want to make your weekly newsletter easier, pick one format. Or do what I did:

I ended up blending the Storyboard format with a storytime email, so my newsletter now includes:

A long-ass story that lets me flex my creative muscles and to put myself out there without wanting to die.
Tiff’s Tip: A tangible copy or SEO trick (like citing your damn sources).
A “side quest”: One special thing I’m promoting or a roundup of things I’m working on behind the scenes.
A personal note: so my audience gets to know me without the possibility of going viral, so I can’t be cancelled for things like temporarily being a Fake News journalist.

🩵 Flodesk Design Tip:

If you want the “handwriting” script element, you don’t want to use a regular Text layout. You’ll need to choose the layout below, select a script font, and make the font size 80 or more.

Newsletter Option 4: SWAG

AKA: The Shopping Cart

BEST FOR: Merch & e-commerce brands

I have a hobby blog I haven’t touched in 2 years.

But thanks to freebies and blog content I wrote in 2020 (or earlier), I still get hundreds of new email subscribers.

I occasionally sell custom merch on that site (mostly from product SEO, not emails), but I figured I could sell more if I sent at least one newsletter per month to my 400+ subscribers.

I haven’t created it yet, but I will be designing my blog’s SWAG newsletter inspired by Selfie Leslie’s STUNNING emails.

(seriously go subscribe for a discount and to see what i mean ‘cause you can’t really tell in my screenshot above)

Most e-commerce newsletters look like mini websites with animated images showing off their best work.

It’s how I ended up designing the emails for my luxury jewlery client, Caye Joaillier!

(get 10% & see what they look like!)

I will say, there’s a lot more customization for this one and I diiiid end up going to Canva to create a couple of custom images (like an animated coffee stain and polaroids featuring my merch).

🩵 Flodesk Design Tip:

Go to + New Email > Make Money & choose one of these templates to start creating your unique SWAG newsletter content:

Bold sale announcement, Multi-service sale, Multi-product sale, E-commerce showcase, Gift guide roundup, Multi-offer sale, A gift of thanks, Beauty brand’s roundup, Promote a beauty product, Home staging roundup, Storyteller's newsletter (ironically, this is the one i went with for my merch lol)

Newsletter Option 5: SERIES

AKA: The Journey

BEST FOR: Scheduling a YEARS’ worth of emails

Your SERIES-style newsletter can be something as long-winded as Plot Twists & Tips…

Or short and punchy like Duo Collective’s Sips & Tips (one tip + one cocktail recipe = chef’s kiss).

I wanted to launch a second newsletter soooo bad—but I’m a sleepy gal with one human brain.

So I tried something different:

SEO Espresso is my 52-week email series for anyone who doesn’t know a thing about SEO but will literally be able stop what they're doing and apply what I give them immediately.

It’s free. It’s short. It’s designed to make you feel like an SEO genius in under 2 minutes.

And did I mention that I batched all 52 emails in one go so they're already scheduled for a whole year?

They run on autopilot while I sip actual espresso and do literally anything else.

And yes, SEO Espresso leads into my paid offers throughout the year (one per quarter).

Whether it becomes my secret funnel weapon or just a fun lil freebie—time will tell.

🩵 Flodesk Workflow Tip:

I loooove the way Duo formats their emails. They’re so cute and colorful and fun!

If you want to easily add your brand colors to your newsletters, go to Flodesk > your Brand Icon (top right on desktop) > Branding > Add Hex # (which you can find on Canva!)

Wondering if you should start a weekly newsletter or a Substack? Read this!

Not sure what to write in your weekly storytime newsletter? Read this!

Not sure where to even START? Read this!