It's Tuesday afternoon. Your newsletter is supposed to go out tomorrow, and you're staring at a blank page thinking, “What am I supposed to write about this week?”

Sound familiar?

If you've ever found yourself scrambling for newsletter content at the last minute, you're definitely not alone. Successful newsletters aren't written on a wing and a prayer. They're planned, batched, and created with intention.

After a year of publishing the Showit newsletter consistently, we've learned that the secret to great email content isn't inspiration striking at the perfect moment—it's having a system that works even when inspiration doesn't show up.

Why Panning Your Newsletter Content Changes Everything

When you plan your newsletter content in advance, something magical happens: you stop dreading email day and start looking forward to it.

Here's what content planning gives you:

• No more last-minute panic about what to write
• Consistent value for your subscribers
• Time to actually craft thoughtful content
• The ability to tie your newsletters to business goals
• Freedom to batch content creation
• Strategic connection between your newsletter and website content

Plus, when you have a content plan, you can create newsletters that work together to guide your subscribers on a journey, rather than random emails that don't connect to anything.

The Foundation: Setting your Newsletter Rhythm

Before you can plan content, you need to decide on your sending frequency. Here's what we recommend for different business goals:

Weekly newsletters work if you:

• Have lots of valuable content to share
• Know your audience expects frequent communication
• You're building a community or movement
• You have the bandwidth to maintain consistency

Bi-weekly newsletters work if you:

• Want regular touchpoints without overwhelming subscribers
• Are just starting out and need time to find your rhythm
• Have other content marketing priorities

Monthly newsletters don’t really work, because people will forget about you. 

You can send them, but they’re not as effective as weekly or biweekly newsletters, because you only have 12 months in a year, which translates to only 12 emails in a year… and when people get an average of over 100 emails per DAY, those 12 emails might not make much of a dent. 

Especially if people are new to you or your list, and aren’t yet familiar with you enough to expect you in their inbox.

The golden rule: Whatever frequency you choose, stick to it. Consistency builds trust and expectation with your subscribers.

(We—and all of our email marketing expert friends—recommend weekly, though! It doesn’t have to be super long-winded or hard to send every week.)

Seasonal Content Batching: Work Smarter, Not Harder

One of the biggest game-changers for our newsletter has been seasonal batching. Instead of writing one email at a time, we plan and create content in focused seasons.

Here's how seasonal batching works:

Here's how seasonal batching works:

• Goal-setting and planning content
• Behind-the-scenes of annual planning
• New year strategies and tips
• Winter project spotlights

Spring planning (April-June):

• Fresh starts and rebranding
• Client onboarding improvements
• Website refresh tips
• Spring cleaning your business systems

Summer planning (July-September):

• Vacation planning for business owners
• Summer project highlights
• Seasonal marketing strategies
• Behind-the-scenes of slower seasons

Fall planning (October-December):

• Year-end reflection and planning
• Holiday marketing strategies
• Preparing for the new year
• Annual review content

Benefits of seasonal batching:

• You can create multiple pieces of content in one focused session
• Content feels cohesive and intentional
• You can plan seasonal promotions and launches in advance
• You're never scrambling for timely, relevant content

Your Newsletter Content Pillars: Never Run Out of Ideas Again

Content pillars are the 3-5 main topics you'll consistently cover in your newsletter. They keep you focused and ensure you're always providing value your audience expects.

Example content pillars for a web designer:

1. Website strategy and tips
2. Example content pillars for a web designer:
3. Industry trends and updates
4. Personal stories and lessons learned
5. Resources and tool recommendations

Example content pillars for a photographer:

1. Photography tips and techniques
2. Client spotlights and session highlights
3. Business advice for creatives
4. Personal projects and creative exploration
5. Industry resources and education

How to use content pillars:

• Rotate through your pillars so every newsletter covers a different angle
• Use pillars to brainstorm specific content ideas
• Ensure you're providing variety without losing focus
• Connect pillar content to relevant pages on your website

Building a newsletter drip campaign that works

A drip campaign is a series of pre-written emails that new subscribers receive automatically. Think of it as a greatest hits album that introduces people to your best content.

Ingrid Urena's seasonal approach:

Ingrid, one of our talented Showit Design Partners, creates seasonal drip campaigns that she updates quarterly. “Instead of sending new subscribers my most recent newsletter, I send them my best content from the past season,” she explains. “It's like giving them a curated introduction to who I am and what I offer.”

Her seasonal drip sequence:

• Email 1: Welcome and introduction to her design philosophy
• Email 2: Her most popular design tip from the season
• Email 3: Behind-the-scenes of a recent client project
• Email 4: Resource roundup of her favorite tools
• Email 5: Personal story about her design journey
• Email 6: Invitation to book a discovery call or explore services

Why seasonal drip campaigns work:

• New subscribers get your best content, not whatever you happened to send that week
• You can update the sequence quarterly with fresh examples
• It positions you as an expert from day one
• You can tie the sequence to seasonal promotions or launches

Content Planning Templates That Save Time

The monthly planning template:

Week 1: Educational content (tips, tutorials, how-tos) Week 2: Behind-the-scenes or personal story

Week 3: Client spotlight or case study Week 4: Resources, tools, or recommendations

The seasonal planning template:

January: New year planning and goal-setting 

February: Love your business month (processes, systems) 

March: Spring cleaning (website audits, client management) 

April: Fresh starts (rebranding, new services) 

May: Client appreciation and testimonials 

June: Summer prep (vacation planning, slow season strategies) 

July: Mid-year check-ins and adjustments 

August: Back-to-school energy (learning and growth) 

September: Fall launches and new beginnings 

October: Seasonal marketing and holiday prep 

November: Gratitude and reflection 

December: Year-end wrap-up and planning ahead

Connecting Newsletter Content to Your Website

Your newsletter shouldn't exist in isolation—it should drive traffic to your website and support your business goals.

Strategic content connections:

Newsletter topic: “5 website mistakes I see every week” Website connection: Link to your website audit service or related blog post

Newsletter topic: “Behind-the-scenes of Sarah's wedding website project” Website connection: Link to your portfolio or wedding photography services

Newsletter topic: “My favorite design tools this month” Website connection: Link to your resources page or affiliate recommendations

Newsletter topic: “Why I finally hired a copywriter” Website connection: Link to testimonials page or copywriting partner

Making the connection seamless:

• Include 1-2 relevant links in every newsletter
• Use calls-to-action that feel natural, not forced
• Create blog posts that expand on newsletter topics
• Use your newsletter to drive traffic to new website content

Batching your newsletter creation process

Instead of writing one newsletter at a time, batch your creation process for maximum efficiency.

The monthly batching session:

Hour 1: Planning

• Review content calendar and pillars
• Choose topics for the month
• Gather resources, links, and examples

Hour 2: Outlining

• Create detailed outlines for each newsletter
• Write subject lines and main points
• Plan calls-to-action and website connections

Hour 3-4: Writing

• Write all newsletters for the month
• Focus on getting content down, not perfecting

Hour 5: Editing and scheduling

• Edit and polish content
• Add links and format emails
• Schedule in your email platform

Pro tips for successful batching:

• Block out uninterrupted time for content creation
• Turn off notifications and distractions
• Have your content pillars and calendar easily accessible
• Don't try to perfect—focus on getting content created

Measuring What Matters: Newsletter Content Analytics

Track these metrics to understand what content resonates with your audience:

Open rates by topic: Which subject lines and topics get the most opens? Click-through rates by content type: Do tutorials perform better than personal stories? Reply rates: What content gets people talking back to you? Unsubscribe patterns: Are people leaving after certain types of content? Website traffic: Which newsletters drive the most traffic to your site?

Use this data to refine your content strategy and double down on what works.

Your 30-Day Newsletter Content Planning Challenge

Ready to implement these strategies? Here's your month-long challenge:

Week 1: Foundation

• Define your content pillars
• Choose your sending frequency
• Set up a content calendar template

Week 2: Planning

• Plan your next 3 months of newsletter topics
• Create a seasonal content strategy
• Write subject lines for your planned content

Week 3: Creation

• Batch write your next month of newsletters
• Create a simple drip sequence (3-5 emails)
• Set up tracking for your key metrics

Week 4: Optimization

• Review your analytics from recent newsletters
• Survey subscribers about content preferences
• Refine your strategy based on feedback

What's Next? Making It all Work Together

Planning your newsletter content is just one piece of the puzzle. The real magic happens when your email marketing works seamlessly with your website, social media, and business goals.

Remember: your newsletter isn't just another task on your to-do list—it's one of the most powerful tools you have for building relationships with your audience and growing your business.

Start with one strategy from this post. Get that working smoothly, then add another piece. Before you know it, you'll have a newsletter system that works for you instead of against you.

And hey, if you're loving these newsletter tips, make sure you're subscribed to ours! 

We're always sharing behind-the-scenes insights and strategies that help creative businesses grow. (See what we did there?)