Your newsletter’s opening message sets the tone for the entire email, which is why having a roster of tried-and-tested newsletter introduction examples will set you up for subscriber success.
You want a newsletter introduction to be concise and clear but engaging enough to pique a reader’s interest and encourage them to keep reading.
The newsletter introduction examples we analyze below all use these proven techniques — read on to learn the ideal structure and best practice.
An enticing and entertaining newsletter introduction can make all the difference when it comes to capturing your subscribers’ interest. But what are the best practices for a newsletter opening message? There’s no hard and fast rule, but you need to immediately hook your audience with a clear, concise, and captivating introduction.
Below, we outline the ideal structure for how to introduce a newsletter:
Subject line: One short sentence
Preheader text: One short sentence
Greetings: One short sentence — this can personalize the introduction with your subscriber’s name or be a general greeting
Opening statement: This can be anything from an attention-grabbing or problem statement to a question or timely reference
Value statement: One short sentence — this is where you outline the value and purpose of your newsletter
Visual(s): This can be an image or video
Transition element: One short sentence — consider this the bridge to your newsletter’s main content
Not every newsletter introduction needs to include each of these elements — you can use them as a rough guide and adapt according to your business’s remit.
With a newsletter introduction, you’re aiming to grab the attention of a busy subscriber, so your newsletter opening message needs to be readable and clear.
Writing style really matters — it’s about piquing your reader’s interests with engaging but concise content. By immediately demonstrating the newsletter’s value to your subscribers, you’re encouraging them to invest more time in reading on. This can help with everything from fostering greater brand trust to increasing sales.
Whether you incorporate images, GIFs, or videos, the visual elements of your newsletter introduction also matter. These should reflect your brand’s wider identity and be mobile-responsive. Lastly, structure is key. Remain consistent and clean across your newsletters, and avoid filler or fluff content.
Category
Key elements
Writing style
— Clear, scannable sentences — Single focused message — Active voice
— Short paragraphs (2-3 lines) — Primary CTA (call to action) above the fold (in your newsletter’s opening sections) — Clear sections/content blocks
Expert comment:
“Make sure you also cover all the technical must-dos so your newsletter introduction can shine: alt text for images, image compression, and mobile optimization. Alt text is just a backup description of your images that shows up if they don’t load. “Mobile-first” means designing for phones first since that’s where most people read emails these days. A good email software optimizes for mobile automatically, but make sure to preview your newsletter in your app’s email editor before sending. And for loading speed, just keep your image files small and compressed.”
Evaldas Mockus, VP of Growth at Omnisend
Newsletter introduction examples
Amundsen Sports — Combine brand storytelling with a compelling image
Taylor Stitch — Be sophisticated and emphasize brand identity
iRobot — Illustrate product value with some quick storytelling
Beardbrand — Use social proof to reinforce your claims
Amundsen Sports — Combine brand storytelling with a compelling image
Welcome emails have the second-highest conversion rate of 2.74% and convert almost one in every two people who click on the email. This means they offer an ideal opportunity for you to use the welcome message of your newsletter introduction to connect with your new subscribers.
The best welcome emails should introduce a company to its readers, outlining who the business is and what it does. In other words, a welcome newsletter introduction needs to showcase a brand, demonstrating its value to a subscriber through a first impression that sets the stage for a longstanding relationship.
The subject line of this welcome email from Amundsen Sports is streamlined and sleek, immediately introducing the brand’s aesthetic. The company distinguishes itself from other brands, demonstrating its value and unique selling point.
The striking and captivating image reinforces the company’s story with a compelling visual. It’s one of the best newsletter introduction examples for a welcome message, setting the stage for a strong welcome email series.
Best features
A prominent image that immediately introduces the brand’s aesthetic
“Above the fold” call to action that invites readers to explore Amundsen Sport’s products
Opening paragraph differentiates the brand from others and outlines its mission and USP
Newsletter strategy case study
Promotional newsletter emails made by Amundsen Sports generate 70.6% of annual sales made with email marketing.
The best newsletter introduction examples make use of entertaining resources like recognizable GIFs or memes to immediately engage and humor their audience. It’s the visual equivalent of a one-liner, making a connection and establishing a rapport with subscribers.
Humor is a powerful marketing tool, activating the brain’s fulfillment and enjoyment centers. As a pleasurable experience, it helps to associate your brand with a positive overall experience in the minds of readers. That said, humor is best used sparingly. That way, when you incorporate comedy into your newsletter opening message, your readers will appreciate it all the more.
DTC’s newsletter combines humor with a well-known meme to encourage reader engagement. By using a topical meme, DTC emphasizes its identity as a fun, approachable brand.
Meme marketing in newsletters inspires subscribers to share the newsletter with friends, colleagues, and even family. This improves brand awareness and helps to foster connections with subscribers.
Best features
Meme marketing deploys relatability and humor to capture and retain DTC’s audience’s attention
Use of humor supports DTC’s brand identity, fostering trust and building reader connections
Allows DTC to comment on timely cultural discussions
Willow & Blake — Ask a question to create curiosity
The best newsletter introduction examples tend to incorporate one golden rule: ask your subscribers a question.
Asking your readers a question in your newsletter opening message piques their interest and inspires curiosity to read on. Plus, you’re inspiring readers to reflect on the answer even when they’re no longer reading your newsletter, keeping your company top of mind.
By opening with a question, Willow & Blake immediately captures a reader’s attention. The newsletter then incorporates strong, clean visuals that reinforce the company’s value and use to both the newsletter’s readers and a wider audience, encouraging existing subscribers to introduce the company to their network.
The question allows Willow & Blake to demonstrate its brand value and emphasize the opportunities the company can offer to readers.
Best features
Use of a question inspires immediate interest in a reader, creating anticipation for an answer
The email subject line works hand-in-hand with the question in the newsletter introduction
Invites newsletter subscribers to circulate the email to a wider audience
Natalie MacLean’s newsletter uses this strategy by posing a humorous question that evokes anticipation and intrigue in subscribers. It also concisely communicates the content of the newsletter, indicating its value to readers and getting them thinking.
By succinctly signaling the newsletter’s benefit, this question encourages its audience to click through and read on. This improves click-through rates and can increase conversions.
Plus, the newsletter also makes use of integrated video, reflecting on how the email contributes to wider media discussions.
Best features
Use of both humor and a question to elicit reader interest and engagement
Clearly indicates the newsletter’s benefit by making use of a question-and-answer format
Integrated video situates the newsletter in a wider media context
If your newsletter contains too much surplus content, you risk an unsubscription or your email being sent to the junk folder. The best newsletter introduction examples are succinct, concise, and to the point. They avoid the fluff and filler by immediately demonstrating the tangible values and benefits of the content to readers. This encourages subscribers to continue reading, as well as enforcing your brand’s identity as candid and straightforward.
Subject line: NEW! Garlic & Herb Breaded Delicata Squash
This newsletter gets straight to the point without sacrificing a conversational tone — clarity and concision don’t mean you have to be brash or forthright.
We also like how this newsletter’s opening message uses capitalization as well as bold and italic fonts to draw a reader’s attention to the important points. By using a question and a few emojis, the newsletter introduces the brand’s friendly tone while immediately demonstrating the value of clicking through to the recipe.
Best features
Succinct and clear without compromising the content’s readability
Immediately demonstrates the value of clicking through
Use of high-quality, enticing imagery
Syos — Be friendly and helpful
As we’ve already discussed, a newsletter introduction can be strengthened by asking a question. Newsletter opening messages can also benefit from including a relevant, memorable quote that relates back to the business while introducing a new, interesting topic into discussion.
Subject line: Beginner? 3 things to know before changing your mouthpiece
This newsletter introduction works by answering the question posed in the email subject line and extending it with a quote from a relevant celebrity (in this case, Miles Davis).
The tone of the email is friendly and conversational without being overly informal. The newsletter formatting is clear, and white space is effectively used to avoid reader overwhelm.
It’s also clear how it will expand from its introduction to provide expert knowledge and advice for beginners in the industry. In other words, the newsletter’s opening message immediately demonstrates clear value and purpose to its readers.
Best features
Clear, clean formatting
Use of both a question and quotation to hook subscribers to continue reading
Immediate demonstration of value to a specific audience
Asphalte — Leverage recognizable names to build credibility
You can hook your newsletter readers in by using meme marketing and humor. However, you can also pique their interest by mentioning recognizable names that will catch their attention and entice them to keep reading.
This newsletter’s opening message combines humor and clever puns alongside celebrity names and an opening question. In other words, it’s one of our newsletter introduction examples that combines a number of best practices to snag a subscriber’s attention.
By directly addressing the newsletter reader, the email works to build a rapport between the brand and its audience. Bold text is effectively used to draw the reader’s attention to important points, which include details on the seasonal value of a particular product.
Plus, by using recognizable celebrity and pop culture names, the brand is explicitly aligning its identity and that of the subscriber with its image.
Best features
Uses humor, a snappy question, and recognizable names to capture a subscriber’s interest
Demonstrates the product’s timely value
Includes the reader in the brand’s identity
Death Wish Coffee — Offer an immediate benefit
Inboxes are fuller than ever, and attention spans are strained. If you can immediately demonstrate your newsletter’s value to subscribers by emphasizing the benefit of your products or services, you’re more likely to capture their attention.
This newsletter opening message from Death Wish Coffee uses humor to appeal to its readers.
By using the subject line to pun on the meaning of “those who grind” and referencing the stress of holiday encounters with in-laws in the main body of text, the newsletter works to establish a humorous camaraderie with its subscribers.
The image is clear and colorful and is also chosen to reflect the season. It works to support the main body of text in the newsletter, which stresses the business’s use and function for readers (providing gifts for the holiday season).
Best features
Use of humor and wordplay to establish a playful rapport with newsletter readers
Immediately demonstrates the value and benefit to subscribers
Clear, colorful imagery supports the email marketing
Taylor Stitch — Be sophisticated and emphasize brand identity
It’s important to know the audience of your brand. There’s no point in spending time on a marketing campaign that won’t appeal to their sensibilities or needs.
Use your newsletter introduction to emphasize your brand’s identity and capture the attention of already-invested subscribers.
Your visuals, fonts, and overall newsletter design should be cohesive with your business’s aesthetic and work to implicitly reinforce why a subscriber wants to be aligned with your brand.
We like the earthy color and tones of this newsletter. It provides a coherent visual story that reflects the brand’s identity. The font is both sleek and classic, and the value of the product is immediately distinguished.
The call to action is understated and consistent with the brand’s tone of voice, so the newsletter’s structure and style all work to cultivate a sophisticated image designed to appeal to a subscriber.
Best features
The newsletter’s structure and style are aligned with the brand’s identity and tell a coherent story
iRobot — Illustrate product value with some quick storytelling
With time-poor subscribers, you want to use your newsletter introduction to quickly outline the value and purpose of your product or service to subscribers. Although you can do so explicitly, using storytelling to pull on the reader’s emotions is a more dynamic strategy.
The storytelling by brand Taylor Stitch in our previous newsletter introduction example was more subtle, involving an aesthetic that combined font, visuals, color, and copy to produce a coherent brand image and identity.
But there’s nothing wrong with using your newsletter’s opening message to more explicitly conjure a scene that’s familiar to audiences before immediately positioning your product or service as an ideal addition or solution.
iRobot uses exactly this strategy in its newsletter introduction. The company textually paints a family picture that complements the email’s main image, using this story to leverage its unique product as an ideal addition to the scene. The newsletter’s tone is conversational and familiar and directly engages the reader to establish a direct relationship.
Best features
Demonstrates a product’s value through emotive storytelling
Builds a relationship and rapport with readers through direct address
The image and text work to conjure one coherent narrative
Beardbrand — Use social proof to reinforce your claims
Why spend valuable time crafting an entertaining and engaging newsletter introduction when you can use customer feedback?
Social proof can include everything from online customer reviews to media coverage and more. It’s an effective social and psychological phenomenon where people are likely to copy others’ actions in their own behavior.
By including social proof in the form of customer reviews in your newsletter introduction, you’re letting your product do the talking and showing subscribers why and how they’d benefit from your business.
Beardbrand uses urgency and immediacy to emphasize the timely relevance of its newsletter. The brand also directly uses social proof in the form of a recent customer review to emphasize the value of its product to other customers.
In doing so, the business demonstrates social listening. In other words, the company shows that it pays attention to what its customers are saying, illustrating its commitment to product development and adapting to meet its audience’s wants and needs.
Best features
Use of social proof and user-generated content to emphasize the value of its product to other subscribers
The rewards of crafting a well-written and intriguing newsletter introduction are immeasurable. From nurturing relationships with customers to increasing conversions, a newsletter is a vital tool in your email marketing arsenal.
But if a newsletter introduction isn’t engaging, entertaining, and clear, it won’t capture subscribers’ interests. Our selection of newsletter introduction examples combines clear structure with best writing practices to construct eye-catching emails that capture readers’ attention.
From using social proof and evocative storytelling to humor and provocations, you can take the lessons of these newsletter opening message examples and incorporate them into your own email marketing.
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Aiste is a Content Marketing Manager at Omnisend. When she's not searching for the perfect synonym or refining her latest copy, you can find her curled up with her cat, binge-watching yet another TV series.
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