6 Easy, Creator-Friendly Tools for Building Engaging Newsletters

We’re big fans of newsletters. Not only are they smart ways to diversify your content strategy, but they’re also owned and operated channels that Creators maintain total control over. 

Newsletters are a direct, algorithm-free line of communication to your audience, delivering your photos, videos, and written content right into their inboxes.

There are countless email service providers (ESPs) that enable you to build and send your newsletters, along with maintaining your subscriber list. Sorting through the many options, weighing their offerings, and experimenting to find the right one for you can take some trial and error. 

Which is why we’ve curated a list of six easy, Creator-friendly tools to help you start building your first newsletter—no prior experience needed!

1. Flodesk

Flodesk is an aesthetically-driven ESP with some of the most beautiful newsletter templates you can find anywhere. Focused on the needs of small businesses, they make email marketing easy with clear, simple editing tools that allow you to customize all parts of your newsletter. They also offer automation, selling tools, segmentation, and analytics to help you make the most of your newsletters.

2. Substack

Substack has taken off in recent years as an all-in-one blog and newsletter platform attracting writers, Creators, and professionals looking to have deeper conversations and connections with a loyal audience. Whether you have a passion for writing or a unique niche to share with a like-minded community, Substack is a great place to start creating longer-form content to share in a newsletter.

Not only can you attract subscribers who sign up to receive exclusive content, but you can even charge for these subscriptions, with many Creators earning significant incomes from Substack subscriptions.

3. Beehiv

If growth is top of mind, look no further than Beehiv, a platform “built for growth.” Though their aesthetic choices are more limited, Beehiv is passionate about helping Creators earn more without pesky algorithms getting in the way. They offer AI tools to help you write and generate images, and offer referral programs and ads to help you scale your audience.

Similarly to Substack, Beehiv can also serve as a blog or website that syndicates content through a newsletter. And, the platform currently hosts content for Creators like DeuxMoi, Rhett & Link, and Colin & Samir. 

4. AWeber

AWeber is all about ease, allowing Creators to build simple, beautiful emails with intuitive editing tools. But while they’re all about effortless creation, they still offer a suite of tools to get the most from your newsletter, like automation, personalization, tagging, and segmentation.

With their Canva integration, drag-and-drop builder, and AI assistant, AWeber gives you everything you need for all parts of your content creation in one convenient place.

5. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the OG email marketing platforms, and it’s still incredibly popular amongst Creators and Marketers alike. Its drag-and-drop email builder makes it easy to create polished, professional newsletters with ease.

Additionally, Mailchimp’s segmentation and automation tools enable Creators to target specific audience segments and automate repetitive tasks, ensuring efficient and effective email campaigns. They now offer AI features to help you grow your audience, write copy, generate designs, and provide personalized recommendations for how to make your newsletters more engaging and clickable.

6. Ghost

Ghost is a rising star in the realm of email marketing platforms, catering specifically to Creators by offering a user-friendly interface and robust features. Ghost allows Creators to build their own blogs and websites with a built-in newsletter that automatically sends new content to subscribers. With built-in media like images, gifs, and videos, Ghost has everything Creators need to publish powerful stories and visually-driven content.

Additionally, Ghost’s in-depth analytics and seamless integration with other tools and platforms makes it easy for Creators to manage their entire content strategy from a single dashboard, saving time and effort.

7. Bonus Content Creation Tools

Finding the right ESP is just the first step in creating a newsletter. Successful email blasts have clickable subject lines, well-written copy, and compelling visuals that keep your audience engaged. 

Use any of these bonus tools to help with all parts of your newsletter content creation:

1. Canva: One of the best, easy-to-use tools to create beautiful graphics and visuals to include in your newsletter. 
2. ChatGPT: Need help coming up with newsletter ideas, subject lines, and copy? ChatGPT, and similar AI chatbots, are a great way to create first drafts that you can tweak and rewrite in your own voice. 
3. Pexels and Unsplash: Use any of these stock image sites to source free images when your newsletters need a visual boost. 
4. Looks, Collections, and Widgets: Make money from your newsletters with these affiliate marketing tools that will help you earn commission from the products you sell to your subscribers

Feeling confident about your newsletter journey and ready for the next level? Check out our seven best tips for growing your subscriber list!