Course description

Want to start an email newsletter, or keep one going that people actually look forward to? This course shows you, step by step, how to plan, write, design and grow a newsletter, with no marketing background needed.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow a walking guide as she plans her fortnightly newsletter, sets it up within the UK rules, writes her first issues, finds a structure that saves her time, and reviews the results of her first 17 issues, including the mistakes along the way. Every section has a worksheet, answers, a cheat sheet and ready-made templates and workbooks.

What you'll learn

• Planning: what your newsletter is for, who it's for, your angle and promise, and how often to send.
• The UK rules: consent, the soft opt-in, privacy information, unsubscribing and keeping records, in plain English.
• Setting up: choosing an email platform, sender details, a sign-up form, double opt-in and a welcome email.
• Writing: honest subject lines, openings that earn the next line, your own voice, and calls to action.
• Structure and design: a repeatable issue structure, sensible length, phone-friendly layout, images, alt text and accessibility.
• Keeping going: an ideas bank, a content calendar, a writing routine and planned breaks.
• Growing and measuring: where readers come from, sign-ups in person, newsletter swaps, the numbers that matter, reader surveys and earning from a newsletter in outline.

The final projects

You'll write your own newsletter plan, sign-up description and welcome email, then write, design and check your first two issues. A project brief, a review workbook and a yearly routine planner are included.

Who this course is for

• Small business owners, freelancers and makers who want a newsletter that keeps customers in touch.
• Clubs, charities and community groups who want to keep members informed.
• Anyone who wants to write about something they love and build a readership.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the practical task for your own newsletter using the templates in the practice pack. The steps work in any email platform. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, and it points you to the Information Commission (still known as the ICO), the ASA and GOV.UK where you need them. Go at your own pace and keep lifetime access.

What will I learn?

• Decide what your newsletter is for, who it is for and how often to send it
• Follow the UK rules on consent, the soft opt-in, privacy information and unsubscribing
• Set up a sign-up form, a confirmation email and a welcome email
• Write honest, clear subject lines, openings and calls to action
• Plan a repeatable issue structure and edit each issue to a sensible length
• Design issues that read well on phones and work for people using screen readers
• Keep a sustainable writing routine with an ideas bank and a content calendar
• Grow your readership honestly and judge each issue by clicks, replies and unsubscribes

Frequently asked questions