Design an Email Newsletter That Delivers

by | Sep 28, 2025 | Email Marketing

Design an Email Newsletter that Delivers

Are you planning on launching an email newsletter or reviving an old one? 

Email is still one of the best ways to reach your people since they’re not getting distracted by memes or funny cat videos like I do on social media. Even if folks don’t read it each and every time they see your brand or name pop up in their inbox, it gives you brand awareness and recognition. Every time you show up, you build trust. It’s a long game. 

Email newsletters build trust over time, loyal customers, and position you as the expert in your field.

How do you get started? Here are nine design tips you’ll want to consider for your email newsletter.

1. Start with a Strategy

I know it’s tempting to start picking out colors and fonts, but before you start designing your email, figure out:

  • Who is my audience?
  • Who am I writing to?
  • What do I want them to do (aka what is my call to action or CTA?)
  • How will I measure success? Opens, clicks, replies, donations, sales?

A clear goal with your audience in mind will help you design your email with intention and inform the length, CTAs, style of writing, content, and more.

2. Make It Easy to Read

We’re all looking for that little nugget speaks truth to us. We skim our inbox subject lines for something interesting, and once we open that email, we skim it to see what we can learn, entertain, or that will help us out. Make it easy on the eyes to read and find that little nugget. 

  • Use short paragraphs and bullet points. 
  • Create a typography hierarchy with titles, subtitles, body text, and bold text.
  • Highlight sections with color to draw attention to them.

3. Design for Mobile First

More than half of your audience will open your email on their phones or tablets. Don’t neglect these people! Make your layouts and designs mobile-friendly from the get go with—

  • Single-column layouts.
  • Buttons instead of text links (with plenty of padding.)
  • Images that resize or reposition based on layout changes.
  • Make body copy fonts between 14–16px.

If it looks good on a small screen, it’ll shine on most screens.

4. Stay On Brand

When designing your email newsletter, stay on brand, so people know right away it’s you they’re letting in the door.

  • Use brand colors and logos (but don't plaster your logo everywhere.)
  • Stick to 1–2 fonts max.
  • Match your tone of voice—whether that’s professional, quirky, or down-to-earth.
  • Set up a brand kit in Canva or your email platform so every issue looks cohesive and polished. Follow along and learn how here.

Pro Tip: Create a master template like we did below for Sashco. Every month, they swap content in and out. It not only makes creating and sending out email newsletters faster, but it also helps them develop content more efficiently. Their audience also knows what to expect when they open the email.

5. Find a Balance Between Images & Text

I’m all about the images. I’m a designer at heart after all. But if you’re too heavy-handed with the graphics and don't include alt text you’re the one missing out. This because sometimes images don't load or are blocked and if you don't have alt text there's just a big ole questions mark left in it's place or worse yet you could be ending up in the SPAM folder.

Aim for a balance instead 

A strong header image, a few supporting graphics, plenty of readable (and skimmable) text, and don't forget those alt tags. 

  • Keep your header image simple so it doesn’t distract from your main message.
  • Try an animated GIF to stand out.
  • Personalize and segment your audience with images of products they’ve purchased before or based on where they live. Here are some other ideas from Klavivyo.

Pro Tip: Always include alt text for accessibility, SEO, and to avoid the dreaded spam folder.

6. Craft Clear CTAs

Every newsletter should have one primary call to action that directs your audience on what you want them to do next. Want readers to register, buy, or share? 

Don’t get too clever 

Say it clearly, concisely, and repeat it in 2–3 spots. Use action verbs (“Download the guide,” “Register now,” “See the project”). 

Besides your primary CTA,  you can also include softer asks like learn more. This allows your audience to check you out without all the pressure to commit. 

Pro Tip:  Make your button bold. It should contrast against the background and not hide or blend in.

7. Don’t Forget About Your Footer

By law, you have to include unsubscribe and preferences links, and a business address. But this is also an underutilized space to showcase your brand’s personality. You can highlight your company’s values, put your social media links, sneak in a joke, or include a map of your service area of nearest store like Brooks Running did below. 

Brooks email Footer Example

8. Test, Track, & Tweak

All marketing is an experiment. Algorithms change. People don’t always behave in the way you think. A/B test subject lines, layouts, and even send times. Then look at the data and review open rates, click-throughs, and conversions to see what’s working and what’s not. 

9. Show Respect

Finally, remember that your audience invited you into their inbox, so be a good guest. Keep your lists clean, honor unsubscribes, and don’t overwhelm with too many sends. Aim for consistency—whether that’s monthly, bi-weekly, or quarterly—so readers know when to expect you.

And there you have it…

A well designed email newsletter can help you build trust, stay top-of-mind, and position yourself as the go-to expert in your field.

If you’re ready to design an email newsletter that feels on-brand, and drives action let me know and let’s talk shop and see if we’d make a good team.

Sarah Spoelstra

I help build brands. I love partnering with folks across the building materials, nonprofit, and consumer goods industries—big or small. I aim to help you get the good word out about your products, services, and mission so you can grow.

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