How to Create a Newsletter That Drives Sales
Newsletters vs. Automated Flows
Your automated flows handle behavioral, always-on revenue generation through triggers like abandoned carts, welcome sequences, and post-purchase follow-ups. Newsletters serve a different purpose: they keep your brand top of mind with subscribers between automated touchpoints and give you a channel for timely content like new product announcements, seasonal promotions, and brand stories that do not fit into an automation trigger.
Most stores should aim for automated flows to generate 60% to 70% of total email revenue and newsletters to generate 30% to 40%. If your newsletter revenue percentage is significantly lower, your campaign content likely needs improvement. If it is significantly higher, you probably have automation gaps that are leaving revenue on the table.
The biggest mistake stores make with newsletters is treating them as pure promotional blasts. Sending "20% off everything!" three times a week trains subscribers to only buy on sale, erodes your margins, and drives unsubscribes. The stores that build the most valuable email channels use newsletters to build a relationship that makes subscribers want to buy, not just wait for discounts.
The 80/20 Content Mix
The 80/20 rule means that roughly 4 out of every 5 newsletter sections should provide value without asking for a sale, and the remaining section can promote products directly. Value content for ecommerce includes how-to guides related to your products, behind-the-scenes looks at your business, customer stories and testimonials, industry tips and trends, seasonal guides and inspiration, and educational content that positions you as an expert in your niche.
A pet supply store might send a newsletter with a section on "5 Signs Your Dog Needs More Exercise," a customer photo feature, and then a product spotlight on their new dog harness line. A skincare brand might include a seasonal skin care routine, an ingredient explainer, and a link to their new sunscreen collection. The value content is what earns the open and builds trust. The product section converts that trust into revenue.
This does not mean every single email must follow 80/20 rigidly. Pure promotional emails for major sales events, product launches, and seasonal campaigns are fine 2 to 3 times per month. The 80/20 ratio applies to your overall newsletter strategy across a month, not to each individual email.
Building Your Newsletter Template
Consistency in design builds recognition. Subscribers should instantly recognize your newsletter in their inbox from the layout, colors, and structure. Create a reusable template with these sections: a branded header with your logo, a hero section for the primary content piece or product feature, 2 to 3 supporting content blocks, a product recommendation section, and a footer with social links, unsubscribe, and contact information.
Keep the design simple. Single-column layouts perform better on mobile, which is where 60% or more of your subscribers will read the email. Use your brand colors and fonts consistently. Limit the number of images to avoid slow loading on mobile connections. Every image should have alt text in case images are blocked by the email client, which happens more often than most marketers realize.
Include one primary call to action per email. If your newsletter features a new product, the primary CTA links to that product page. If it features a blog post, the CTA links to the post. Having one clear action significantly outperforms emails with 5 different links competing for attention, because the reader does not have to decide where to click. Secondary links to other content are fine below the primary CTA, but the hierarchy should be obvious.
Frequency and Scheduling
The right newsletter frequency depends on how much quality content you can produce consistently. Sending once per week is the most common cadence for ecommerce newsletters and balances staying top of mind without overwhelming subscribers. Twice per week works for stores with large product catalogs and engaged audiences. Once every two weeks is fine for stores with smaller catalogs or lower volume, but less frequent than that risks being forgotten between sends.
Consistency matters more than frequency. A weekly newsletter that ships every Tuesday at 10 AM becomes a habit for subscribers who look forward to it. A newsletter that arrives randomly, sometimes twice in a week and then not for three weeks, trains subscribers to ignore you because they cannot predict when or why you will appear in their inbox.
Use your email platform's send time optimization if available. Klaviyo offers Smart Send Time that delivers each subscriber's email at the time they are most likely to open based on their historical behavior. This means the same campaign might arrive at 8 AM for one subscriber and 6 PM for another. Without send time optimization, test different days and times over several weeks to find your audience's sweet spot. Tuesday through Thursday mornings tend to perform best for ecommerce newsletters, but your audience may differ.
Newsletter Content Ideas by Category
Product-Related Content
- New arrivals and restocked favorites
- Product comparisons and buying guides
- How-to and usage tutorials for your products
- Customer reviews and photos featuring your products
- Behind-the-scenes of product development or sourcing
Lifestyle and Seasonal Content
- Seasonal gift guides and curated collections
- Holiday preparation checklists related to your niche
- Trend roundups and what is popular this season
- Seasonal tips connected to your product category
Brand and Community Content
- Founder stories and business updates
- Team introductions and company culture
- Customer spotlight stories
- Social responsibility initiatives and community involvement
- Milestone celebrations like anniversaries or sales records
Measuring Newsletter Performance
Track these metrics for every newsletter send: open rate (benchmark 18% to 25%), click-through rate (benchmark 2% to 4%), revenue per email sent (varies widely by niche and list size), unsubscribe rate (should stay under 0.3% per send), and spam complaint rate (should stay under 0.1%). Compare your metrics week over week to identify trends and outliers.
Beyond aggregate metrics, analyze which content types drive the most engagement and revenue. If your product spotlight sections consistently get more clicks than your educational content, consider adjusting the balance. If your customer story features drive higher revenue than product comparison guides, lean into customer stories. Your email platform's click map report shows exactly which links in each email got the most clicks, giving you direct insight into what your audience cares about.
A/B test your newsletters regularly. Test subject lines on every send. Test email length monthly (short and focused vs. longer and comprehensive). Test different hero section types (product image vs. lifestyle image vs. text-focused). Over time, these tests build a detailed understanding of what your specific audience responds to, which makes every future newsletter more effective.