5 newsletter formats that keep readers glued to their inbox

You need a newsletter that's easy to follow. Focused. And you need a format that's both easy to write and impossible for subscribers to ignore.

I've picked my 5 favorite newsletter formats that actually work.

1. Roundup

If you’re the type who’s always reading, bookmarking, and sharing cool stuff—you’re already halfway there.

This format turns your reading habit into a newsletter your audience will actually wait for. You become their shortcut to staying smart, without them having to doom-scroll for hours.

What makes a good roundup?

• It saves people time. They don’t need 50 links—they want 5 that matter.

• It comes with context. Add your hot take instead of just dropping links.

• It’s skimmable. Bullets, blurbs, clear categories.

If you want to go the extra mile, group your content into categories.

Why it works:

People are overwhelmed with content.

You’re helping them cut through the noise.

It also builds trust over time. The more you recommend good stuff, the more people rely on your taste—and come back for more.

This format is low-pressure, high-impact.

You don’t need to write original essays. Just need to point people to the good stuff, and add your take.

Who is doing it right?

The Rundown.

Started in 2023, The Rundown went from $0 to 7-figures in a year using the same "Morning Brew" newsletter format but for AI. No fancy design, just a simple, repeatable template with quality content.

Rowan Cheung grew this thing to 300,000 subscribers in just 3 months. (Rowan, if you're reading this, you're crushing it!)

The structure is consistent across all items, format is scannable, and content is easy to digest quickly.

Here’s a full breakdown of their newsletter template:

• Introduction: 

Divided into two parts:

• A short, personalized opening (often just 2–3 lines).

• Followed by the day’s main stories in bullet points for easy scanning.

• Headline story:

Follows a consistent micro-template:

• Subheading: short, hyperlinked, bold.

• Visual: to complement the news.

• One-liner summary: TL;DR of the story

• Bulleted takeaways: 3-4 bullets summarizing the news.

• Editor’s take: a short insight or opinion.

This format is repeated for 2nd and 3rd stories.

• Story #2.

• AI Tutorial. Includes step-by-step instructions.

• Story #3.

• Quick hits: tools, jobs, mini-news.

• Community: workshops, referrals, feedback.

Sponsored content / ads are generally placed after the main story, after tutorial, and as a short blurb in the “Quick Hits” section.

Now let’s take a quick look at the whole email to help you visualize it:

2. Personal letter

The personal letter format is basically writing to your audience like they're your close buddy. No rigid sections or structures.

Some of the most successful creators and coaches follow this style. 

Justin Welsh and other top writers have built loyal audiences by simply sharing what's on their mind.

How to do it right:

• Start with something real – a personal story, a mistake, a lesson you learned this week.

• Tie it to a bigger idea – something your audience cares about.

• End with a thought-provoking takeaway – a question, an insight, or an action step.

Go for this format if you’re a good story-teller.

Why it works:

The story-telling approach builds immediate emotional connection with readers. 

It inspires action because it’s human, relatable.

Who is doing it right?

Justin Welsh nails this format with his The Saturday Solopreneur newsletter - which, by the way, has helped him make $9M with 0 employees.

His formula is stupid simple:

• A common challenge people face

• Why most solutions fall short

• A better approach

• Actionable steps

• Key takeaways

Let’s take a look at one of his emails and see how he applied this formula:

• A common challenge: In this email, Justin talks about meeting overwhelming urgent expectations from people and why it can be a problem.
  
  He starts with a personal anecdote about returning from sabbatical and being flooded with "urgent" messages.

• Why most solutions don’t work: Justin goes on highlighting the illusion of urgency—how people mistake others' poor planning for their own emergencies, and the dopamine hit from being seen as helpful, leading to boundary issues.

• A better solution: He then explains the importance of setting boundaries and evaluating requests to align with personal goals followed by actionable steps and key takeaways.

After the main content is over, Justin uses his newsletter space to promote his courses, and invite sponsors:

3. Deep dive analysis

This format thoroughly explains one big idea and examines it from multiple angles. 

You break it down into understandable pieces, add context, and explain it in a way that makes readers think, "Wow, I finally get this" or "I learned something today."

This is a slower format to produce but it can seriously grow your reputation and income.

The approach:

• Pick one big idea and go deep

• Break it down into digestible components

• Create long-form, in-depth analysis of trends, case studies, or frameworks

Works best for industry experts, niche thinkers, researchers, and anyone who loves connecting dots others miss.

Why it works:

People are tired of shallow content. A deep dive builds trust because it shows you’ve done your homework. 

It positions you as an authority, boosts shares and backlinks. Your newsletter becomes a go-to resource that readers bookmark and return to.

Deep dive analysis works especially well for premium content. If you're planning to add paid subscriptions, this format delivers the substantial value subscribers expect.

Just look at the results: Lenny Rachitsky makes over $2 million annually from his newsletter that analyzes product management trends and strategies in depth. 

Ben Thompson of Stratechery earns upward of $5 million each year with his tech industry deep dives.

Topics that work well for deep dives:

– A trending industry concept (e.g. “Why everyone is talking about liquid super teams”)

– A process breakdown (e.g. “How [X] built [Y] in 3 months”)

– A myth-busting investigation (e.g. “The truth about newsletter open rates”) 

– A data-rich teardown (e.g. “What 100 viral LinkedIn posts tell us about algorithm bias”)

How to nail this format:

• Pick a topic that’s either trending or misunderstood

• Start with a bold insight or question that hooks attention

• Break it up with subheadings, bullet points so it's skimmable

• Add charts, quotes, screenshots, or data (if available)

• Offer your own interpretation—not just a summary

• End with a strong TL;DR or takeaway list

Who is doing it right?

If you want to master this long-form, deep dive format, you’ve got to read Lenny’s Newsletter and Stratechery.

Here’s how Lenny’s writes deep dive newsletters:

This particular post from Lenny’s "How to kickstart and scale a consumer business" newsletter series discusses one key idea - Come up with an idea.

Here’s the format he follows—and how you can borrow it 👇

a. Start with why it matters

Lenny opens with a quick intro that explains:

• What this newsletter is about
  

• Why you should care
  

• Who it’s for

He talks directly to founders who want to grow their startups and shares why this topic is worth digging into.

b. Give people a peek at what’s inside

Before jumping into the deep stuff, he gives readers a quick preview—main takeaways, surprising insights, and what they’ll walk away with.

c. Break it down step by step

Lenny breaks the topic into small, clear parts.

In this one, he shares a 6-step playbook. 

Each step has a clear header, followed by examples, tips, and deeper explanation. Easy to follow. Easy to scan.

Let’s take a look 👇

d. Use real examples

Lenny pulls in examples from companies you’ve heard of—Uber, Airbnb, Reddit, TikTok.

These stories help prove his points and make it feel less abstract.

Instead of just saying “talk to customers,” he shows how real teams actually did it.

e. Give readers something they can use

This part is key. Lenny not only explains what works, he also explains how to do it.

f. Add simple visuals

If there’s a framework or model, Lenny often includes a diagram or image.

It helps explain tough ideas fast—no fluff.

g. Detailed breakdown of each example

Lenny goes the extra mile by breaking down each strategy in depth and sharing the founding stories from each of these companies he mentioned.

(Click here to view them all.)

After he gave out the details about each company, Lenny went on describing what makes a good idea, and what to do next:

 h. Wrap it up nicely

At the end, Lenny does two things:

• Teases what’s coming next (if it’s part of a series).

• Includes a list of further readings and resources for anyone who wants to go deeper.

He also adds quotes, featured jobs and an invite to join his Talent Collective.  

Together, these extras turn a good newsletter into a high-value experience.

4. Curation newsletter

A curation newsletter is like a personal highlight reel of the best stuff on the internet. 

Instead of writing everything from scratch, you collect and organize high-value content — articles, tools, quotes, ideas, job posts, and more — and deliver it in a clear, skimmable format.

Best for thought leaders, or brands who’ve already built trust with their audience.

Why it works:

A good curation saves time, cuts through the noise, and becomes something readers look forward to. That’s why these newsletters often get high open and click rates if the content is genuinely useful.

It's also easier to sustain long-term.

A word of caution: This style is not ideal for a beginner creator. Choose this format once you’ve gained your readers' trust and they love your curation.

How to nail this format:

• Pick a repeatable structure (like 3-2-1 or Top 5)

• Make it skimmable—use bullets, bolding, whitespace

• Don’t just link—add context or commentary where needed

• Keep the signal high and the word count tight

• Stick to a consistent delivery cadence (weekly works best)

Who does it right?

James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter.

James Clear has one of the most popular curation newsletters out there. Every Thursday, he sends out:

• 3 short ideas from James.

• 2 quotes from others.

• 1 question for reflection.

It’s brilliantly simple and wildly effective.

The predictable structure keeps readers coming back. And the consistency of tone builds trust and familiarity over time.

After the main content, James cross-promotes his multiple revenue streams - 

• His best-selling book

• Masterclass

• Publishing ventures

5. Trends report

People are busy. 

They don’t have time to scroll through 10 news sites or read every new update. 

But they still want to know what’s going on — especially if it affects their work or business.

That’s where this format comes in.

A great trends report says, “Here’s what happened — and here’s why it matters.”

This format works perfect for fast-moving industries, timely insights, media companies that cover weekly/monthly updates on news, trends, and shifts in the industry.

How to do it right:

• Pick 2–3 important things. Don’t try to include everything that happened. Pick the big stuff. The shifts people should care about.
  

• Add your thoughts. What do you think this means? Where do you see things going next? Make a prediction, share a hunch, give an opinion. That’s what makes your newsletter interesting.
  

• Keep it short and simple. Write like you talk. Break it up with short lines. People skim, keep your copy skimmable.
  

• Link to good sources or best if you’re publishing separate articles on your website and linking to them. If someone wants to dig deeper, give them links to original articles or data.

Who’s doing it right?

Blake Wisz at the Chasing Creative absolutely nails this format.

Their newsletter is super simple, skimmable, and consistent. Just useful info, broken into clean, easy-to-read sections.

Repeatable newsletter format inspired by Thursday Hustle newsletter from Chasing Creative:

1. Quick intro from the editor

→ 2-3 lines, casual tone, often ends with a link or a hook.

Swipe this:

“We’re closing the week strong with 3 useful reads. One will help your content land better, one will help you get smarter, and one will probably make you say ‘wtf’.”

2. Chunked sections with bold subheadings

Each section follows the same flow:

• Image

• News headline – short, interesting, curiosity-driven

• ~150-160 words explaining the story/trend/idea

• CTA (link to read more, explore, or act)

You’ll notice:

→ Their tone is cheeky but clear.

→ They don’t try too hard to be clever — they’re just being real.

Swipe this section format:

[Headline]

• Quick context (1–2 lines)

• Why it matters (1–2 lines)

• Optional: Link to learn more or tool/resource

4. Helpful Resource or Download

Usually toward the bottom, they plug a tool or checklist. 

They don’t push it too hard, they nicely convey that here’s something helpful, grab it if it’s useful.

Swipe this idea:

Add a bonus download, checklist, or tool at the end to boost engagement + grow leads.

Concluding thoughts…

There’s no single “right” format.

Only the one you’ll actually enjoy writing—and your readers will enjoy reading.

Pick one. Stick with it for a few weeks.

Then adjust based on what people open, click, and reply to.