A LinkedIn newsletter allows you to regularly share content with your LinkedIn connections. It’s a great way to consistently engage your network by delivering valuable insights, resources, tips etc. right into their LinkedIn inbox.
Newsletters are an effective method for building relationships, growing your audience and establishing yourself as an industry thought leader on LinkedIn. They help you strengthen connections with both existing connections and new ones.
But how exactly does a LinkedIn newsletter work? What are the key steps involved in creating, sending and optimizing a LinkedIn newsletter campaign? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover all that and more.
What is a LinkedIn newsletter?
A LinkedIn newsletter is an email that you can regularly send to your LinkedIn connections containing curated content. It allows you to share long-form articles, thought leadership pieces, company/product updates, event invites, special announcements etc. directly with your network.
You can choose to send your newsletter monthly, weekly or at any desired frequency. Each edition of your newsletter can have a mix of original content written by you, curated content from other sources and community updates.
The goal is to deliver value to your subscribers on a consistent basis, nurture relationships and ultimately drive engagement on LinkedIn.
Benefits of sending a LinkedIn newsletter
Here are some of the key advantages of sending a regular newsletter to your LinkedIn connections:
Increased engagement
A newsletter gives you a channel to consistently engage your network by sharing valuable insights with them. This builds awareness and keeps you top of mind.
Thought leadership
Newsletters allow you to provide industry commentary, share best practices, and publish original analyses and reports. This establishes you as a trusted leader in your field.
Deeper relationships
Delivering personalized, relevant content directly into your connections’ inbox helps nurture relationships and turn connections into loyal advocates over time.
Grow your audience
Quality newsletters attract new followers both organically and through shares. This allows you to expand your audience beyond your 1st-degree network.
Promote content
Newsletters provide a platform to highlight your best LinkedIn posts and link to external content you’ve published such as blog posts, videos, podcasts etc.
Analytics
You get access to detailed analytics on open rate, click-through rate, top performing content etc. to optimize your newsletter strategy.
Direct access and segmentation
Newsletters provide targeted reach as you can directly message your network vs. competing for attention in their feed. You can also segment and personalize content.
How to create a LinkedIn newsletter
Here is a step-by-step process for creating your first LinkedIn newsletter:
1. Set up your newsletter
Go to the PublishingHub tab in your LinkedIn dashboard. Click Create Newsletter and choose to create one from scratch or use a template.
Add the key newsletter details – name, subject line template, send day/time, frequency etc. You can also choose between a plain text or an HTML template. HTML allows greater formatting like images.
2. Build your subscriber list
Your newsletter will by default go to all your 1st-degree connections. But you can further segment your list by criteria like industry, job title, company etc.
You can also opt to make your newsletter public allowing any LinkedIn member to subscribe directly from your profile.
3. Create compelling content
Your newsletter content will make or break your open and click rates. Focus on delivering truly valuable content to your target audience – share insights, provide resources, highlight events etc.
Mix newsletters original writing with excerpts/links to your best LinkedIn posts, external blog content, videos, reports etc. Visuals like images, GIFs and graphics make content more engaging.
4. Choose an attention grabbing template
LinkedIn provides professionally designed templates to choose from. Pick an elegant, visually appealing one in line with your brand identity.
Customize it further – add your logo, adjust font sizes and colors, swap images etc. to make it your own.
5. Set up analytics
LinkedIn gives you access to analytics like opens, clicks and unsubscribes. Review these metrics regularly to understand engagement levels and optimize content.
You can also add UTM parameters when linking out to external sites. This allows you to track site visits driven by your newsletter in your Google Analytics.
6. Send a test and finalize content
Send a test email to yourself first to preview how your newsletter will look across desktop and mobile. Check for formatting errors, broken links, images not loading correctly etc.
Make any final edits to content and scheduling before hitting the send button. Your newsletter will now go out to your subscribers at the predefined time.
How to increase opens and engagement
Here are some proven strategies to boost open rates and drive clicks with your LinkedIn newsletter:
Catchy subject lines
Make subject lines descriptive yet intriguing. Use power words like Secret, Proven, How To, Announcing etc. Personalize subject lines dynamically with the recipients first name whenever possible.
Relevant, valuable content
Only send content that’s highly relevant to your audience’s interests and needs. Curate top resources on important industry topics and trends.
Personalize content
Use merge tags to dynamically insert the recipients first name in your newsletter content. Personalized emails see higher engagement.
Send consistently
By sending regularly on a fixed schedule, readers will come to expect and open your newsletters. Consistency builds engagement over time.
Segment your list
Send different content tailored to different audience segments like job roles, regions, use cases etc. Granular targeting improves relevance.
Optimized calls-to-action
Include eye-catching CTAs that encourage readers to click for more information like free downloads, accessing exclusive content etc.
Mobile optimization
Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile. So optimize content layout and CTAs for smaller screens.
A/B testing
Try variations in subject line, content, design etc. and A/B test different versions to determine what resonates best with your audience.
LinkedIn newsletter best practices
Here are some key best practices to follow with your LinkedIn newsletters:
Define your audience and goals
Be very clear about who your newsletter is for and what objectives you want to achieve with it – lead generation, traffic to your profile, event registrations etc.
Pick the right frequency
Assess how often you can consistently produce quality content. Starting with monthly is usually ideal, then potentially increasing frequency.
Focus on value, not sales
Readers will tune out if your newsletter is overly promotional. Offer at least 80% value – tips, insights, resources – and only 20% company/product announcements.
Keep content scannable
Leverage bullet points, numbered lists, headings, bold text etc. to create easily consumable content since people skim newsletters.
Watch your tone
Maintain an approachable, conversational tone. Avoid formal, overly salesy language. Write like you’re directly speaking with a connection.
Make a clear CTA
Tell your readers exactly what you want them to do – click a link, register for a webinar, follow your company page etc. Remove any ambiguity.
Include useful images
Relevant photos, illustrations, graphics etc. add visual interest and make your newsletter more engaging on the whole.
Check analytics regularly
Continuously assess open rates, click through rates on links, completion rates and optimize accordingly. A/B test emails and analyze the impact.
Be mobile responsive
Preview how your newsletter appears on mobile and ensure content is legible and CTAs are prominent without having to zoom in.
Proofread before sending
Typos and formatting issues leave a poor impression. Always thoroughly proofread your final newsletter and double check links before hitting send.
LinkedIn newsletter examples
Here are a few real examples of effective LinkedIn newsletters to illustrate what’s possible and inspire your own newsletter:
Product newsletter example – Pendo
Pendo sends a very visual monthly product update newsletter highlighting their latest product features, integrations and updates. The content is scannable with ample visuals and clear calls-to-action to learn more.
Thought leadership example – Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vee shares his latest business insights, life lessons, key takeaways from events etc. in an engaging newsletter sent 4-5 times a week. The first person writing and authentic tone resonate well.
Community newsletter – Women in Product
Women in Product engage their community by featuring upcoming events, member spotlights, job listings and more in this newsletter full of visual flair.
Video newsletter example – Drift
Drift includes embedded YouTube videos right inside their newsletter along with funny GIFs and memes to deliver an engaging video newsletter experience.
Curated resources newsletter – HubSpot
HubSpot rounds up the latest inbound marketing tips, resources, templates etc. into a curated newsletter sent 2-3 times a month. The content provides lots of value.
Case studies
Here are some real-world examples and results from companies successfully using LinkedIn newsletters:
Moz increased traffic by 28%
SEO software company Moz included their latest blog posts and resources in a monthly newsletter. This drove a 28% increase in overall site traffic as well as 12,700 new newsletter subscribers over 6 months.
CloudApp generated 137% more leads
CloudApp sent targeted newsletters to specific customer personas segmented by industry, role, use case etc. As a result, they increased leads by 137% and engagement rates rose by 50%.
Curata grew their audience by 180k
Curata built a following of over 180,000 subscribers across three newsletters targeted to content marketers, social media managers and B2B marketers respectively. Their newsletters became a key driver of blog traffic.
Act-On increased customer retention
Marketing automation company Act-On used newsletters to nurture new customer signups. These personalized onboarding emails increased customer retention rates by over 30%.
Sprout Social generated a 766% ROI
Sprout Social created a viral Buzz newsletter highlighting quirky social media content. Their initial $2,000 investment generated a $17,320 return driven by 2,000 new newsletter subscribers.
Key takeaways
Here are the key points to take away on how to create an impactful LinkedIn newsletter:
– Newsletters build engagement with your network by delivering insights directly into their inbox.
– Focus on delivering truly valuable, relevant content vs. self-promotion. Mix original content with curated links and resources.
– Make subject lines dynamic and compelling. Personalize content using merge tags whenever possible.
– Analyze open and click through rates to continuously optimize your newsletters. A/B test different variations.
– Maintain a consistent newsletter publishing cadence, starting with monthly and increasing frequency if possible.
– Follow best practices like optimizing for mobile, using scannable content formats, segmenting your list and making clear calls-to-action.
– Well executed LinkedIn newsletters increase website traffic, inbound leads and audience growth for brands using them effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get subscribers for my LinkedIn newsletter?
Your newsletter will by default go to all your 1st degree connections. You can also choose to make your newsletter public allowing any LinkedIn member to subscribe from your profile. Promote your newsletter through LinkedIn posts and on other channels to grow subscribers.
What’s a good LinkedIn newsletter open rate?
The average open rate for LinkedIn newsletters is around 25%. Anything above 30% is considered good. Strive for at least a 20-25% open rate when starting out. Test different subject lines, content formats, calls-to-action etc. to optimize your open rate.
How do you write a good LinkedIn newsletter?
Focus on delivering value through insights, resources and tips vs. self-promotion. Maintain an authentic, conversational tone. Include varied content formats like bullets, numbered lists, headers, images etc. Make it easily scannable. End with a clear CTA.
How often should you send a LinkedIn newsletter?
When starting out, a monthly cadence is recommended. As you build an audience and archive of content assets, you can gradually increase frequency to bi-weekly or weekly. Take care not to overdo it and send so often that engagement drops.
What’s the best day and time to send a LinkedIn newsletter?
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday tend to see higher open rates. Late morning or mid-day on these days like 10 AM – 12 PM is a good time when people are typically checking email. Test different days/times and see what resonates best with your subscribers.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn newsletter is a highly effective tool for boosting engagement within your professional network. By delivering value consistently right in your connections’ inbox, you can become a trusted leader and nurture deeper relationships over time.
Focus on quality over quantity. Even a monthly or bi-weekly cadence is impactful if your content is genuinely useful to your target subscribers. Combine original writing and curated links in a visually engaging format.
Keep iterating and optimizing your newsletter based on opens, clicks and subscriber feedback. Use this guide to start building your audience and driving results with an excellent LinkedIn newsletter.