By Tim Vaughan
— December 12th, 2022
Company newsletters are more than just updates — they’re a powerful tool for building connection, reinforcing culture, and keeping everyone aligned. When done right, they boost internal communications and drive real employee engagement. But creating a newsletter that feels fresh, valuable, and worth reading isn’t always easy.
That’s where Poppulo Employee Communications comes in. With its enterprise-grade newsletter tools, drag-and-drop templates, and deep analytics, Poppulo helps communication teams design, send, and optimize newsletters that truly resonate. In this post, we share 33 practical tips you can use — and show how Poppulo makes them easier.
Key Takeaways:
- 33 actionable tips for creating engaging and relevant company newsletters
- Focus areas: design, employee stories, recognition, fun, and more
- Best practices: regular schedule, feedback loops, and measuring engagement
- Templates help maintain consistency and speed up production
- Poppulo Employee Communications simplifies newsletter creation, targeting, and analytics
To create the best company newsletter that your employees look forward to you need to come up with creative and engaging content.
Company newsletters become more than just mundane updates on company performance. They've become a way of communicating values and promoting a healthy company culture. Employee engagement and communication is at the top of HR and IC departments priorities, and the newsletter is an excellent tool to communicate these values. (existing intro)
Consider Using Newsletter Templates
Before we jump into our 33 newsletter tips, our first recommendation would be to look into email and newsletter software and templates. They take the guess work out of creating an excellent newsletter, from the design and layout to the targeting and analytics.
Poppulo offers a wide range of internal communications solutions for email and newsletter creation. Poppulo's platform allows businesses to create and send customized emails and newsletters to customers and employees.
Employee newsletters are valuable. Our customizable templates, drag-and-drop editors, and A/B testing make it extremely easy to create professional newsletters that will take employee communications to the next level.
How to improve employee newsletter open rates and drive engagement
26 Company Newsletter Ideas
These ideas below serve as an excellent addition when writing a newsletter. You can chop and change while you gather feedback on newsletter engagement. Once you get a feel for what resonates with your employees you can stick with it and create some great engaging content for that section.
1. Housekeeping updates
A company's newsletter keeps everyone up to date with the basics such as parking info, how to reserve meeting rooms, any changes to the WiFi codes, etc.
2. Health column
Include details of any health initiatives you're running, including the annual flu jab. Also think about providing regular tips about posture and sitting properly at the desk, tips on how to reduce RSI, a list of exercises employees can do at their desks.
3. Did you know?
Get some of your product managers to explain your top-selling products or any unique or new product features and enhancements.
4. FAQ
List the top 5 questions your sales team or customer service team get asked by customers, along with the best, or recommended, answers to these questions.
5. Industry content
Take time to curate interesting or insightful industry content from blog posts and articles to podcasts and videos.
6. Local news
Add in any local news that may affect your business such as upcoming road closures, weather warnings, public holidays or events.
Business spotlight newsletter
7. CEO welcome
Make sure to include a note from your CEO in each issue of the newsletter. The note should be up to date, not a rehashed paragraph, and should highlight any notable events, launches, or achievements.
8. Executives in the spotlight
Develop a series of Q&As as a short video where management answer questions about their roles, their ideas, or plans for the business, and even a non-invasive personal question.
9. Customer success story
Include customer case studies so that employees get a glimpse of how your products or services are delivering benefits to your customers. Short videos are a great idea here.
10. In the news
Add a section that highlights how your company has made the news: customer or project wins, awards or accolades, successes during the quarter. Include links to press mentions.
11. CSR corner
Promote your CSR activities with event or campaign reviews, photos of sponsored events or team challenges undertaken by your employees.
12. Financial results
Consider displaying your financial results visually as a way to better inform employees about how the company is performing.
13. Infographics
Think about illustrating your company history or milestones in an infographic, highlighting specific timelines and stand-out points.
14. Sneak peek
Give employees a sneak peek of upcoming products or company news such as mergers, acquisitions, entering new markets.
15. Industry presentations or speeches
Include any slideshows or speeches employees or management have given at any recent events.
Employee engagement/motivation
16. A day in the life of an employee/team
Showcase various teams in your organization through interviews about their day to day activities. Make sure to include photos.
17. Photo diary
Include a photo section of employees out and about at industry or social events. Make the photos downloadable so people can share them or print them.
18. Employee milestone
Highlight important moments in your employees' lives: weddings, births, graduations, retirements, any special achievement such as finishing a marathon for example.
19. Employee articles
Get your employees involved in creating articles for your company newsletter. Allow them to submit content.
20. Behind the scenes photos
Get snapping and include a series of behind the scenes photos of employees, management, and even customers to give an exclusive look at different teams or events.
Fun and social
21. Newsletter name and design
Get your employees involved in coming up with newsletter design ideas, or ideas for your company newsletter name. Why not also get them brainstorming on content ideas or just thoughts on what to put in the company newsletter.
22. Take a break
Don't forget to come up with some fun things to put in your company newsletter. Guess the movie photo quiz, Sudoku or word puzzles. Somewhere for employees to take a break for a short while.
23. Special offers for newsletter readers
Think about adding in special coupons for employees who read the company newsletter: coupons for your products or maybe pre-sales money-off coupons for new products.
24. Competitions
Include a regular mini competition in your newsletter such as a quiz with small prizes like a meal for two at a local restaurant.
25. Promote themed days at the office
Give a shout out to upcoming themed events such as coffee mornings, dress-up days, or any other fun events happening in the office.
26. Social media spotlight
Highlight all your social media channels and encourage employees to follow and engage with your company online. Showcase popular social content.
Newsletter Design Tips
27. Newsletter layout
Make sure to create a newsletter that has a clear hierarchy and uses consistent formatting to make it easy to read. White space can be your friend here. Using sufficient white space can make your newsletter content deliver more of an impact.
28. Images and graphics
Use high-quality images, creative logos and graphics that are relevant to your content, but them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your readers. Similar to the above tip, white space and an uncluttered newsletter can be more appealing to employees.
29. Color scheme
Use a color scheme that aligns with your brand and use it consistently throughout your newsletter. This can help make your newsletter more visually appealing and easier to recognize.
30. Create a great header or banner
A header or banner can make your newsletter stand out and grab your readers' attention. Include your company logo or tagline to reinforce your brand and add visual interest.
31. Experiment with typography
Use different font sizes, styles, and colors to make your content more interesting and easier to read. Be careful not to overdo it, and stick to two or three fonts at most.
32. Use responsive design
Make sure your newsletter is designed to be responsive to different devices, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This can help ensure that your content is accessible and easy to read on all devices.
33. Add interactive elements
Consider adding interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, or surveys to your newsletter. This can help increase engagement and encourage readers to interact with your content.
Best Practices for Engaging Newsletters
Creating great newsletters goes beyond design and content. Here's how to maximize impact and continuously improve.
Plan and schedule content consistently
Set a regular cadence—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—and stick to it. Consistency builds trust and habit. Create an editorial calendar to plan themes and content ahead of time, ensuring you never scramble for ideas at the last minute.
Leverage employee feedback
Ask readers what they want to see more (or less) of. Use quick pulse surveys or feedback forms to understand what resonates. Track which sections get the most engagement and adjust your content mix accordingly.
Measure engagement
Don’t just send newsletters and hope for the best. Track open rates, clicks, and reading time to see what really grabs attention. Notice which subject lines work and what content employees actually engage with.
Poppulo Employee Communications makes this easy with clear, actionable analytics. You can see what’s working, understand employee preferences, and keep improving your communication strategy over time—while proving its impact.
Use automation & personalization
Automate routine newsletters or triggered messages (like onboarding sequences) to save time while maintaining personalization. Poppulo offers email workflow automation that can power multitouch campaigns and guide employees through personalized journeys, freeing your team to focus on strategic content.
Want to hear how Poppulo made a ‘Night-to-Day’ transformation of WPP’s newsletter, transforming it from a difficult-to-creat but essential staff messaging channel, to one that dramatically increased employee engagement? Check it out here.
How Poppulo Employee Communications Can Help
Creating great newsletters takes time and consistency. Poppulo makes the whole process easier with tools that help you design, personalize, and measure your communications—all in one place.
Streamline newsletter creation
Poppulo’s drag-and-drop editor and ready-to-use templates let you build polished newsletters quickly. Everything stays on-brand without needing design skills.
Centralized content management
Plan, create, and manage all your internal communications from a single platform. No more switching between tools or tracking content in spreadsheets.
Advanced targeting and personalization
Send the right message to the right people. Target by team, location, language, or preferences so employees only receive content that matters to them.
Measure engagement and impact
See what’s working with clear analytics. Track opens, clicks, and reading patterns to improve each issue and understand employee behavior over time.
Reach employees everywhere
Whether your teams use email, mobile apps, Microsoft Teams, or digital signage, Poppulo helps you reach everyone—desk workers and frontline staff alike.
AI-powered insights
Poppulo’s Analyze Agent quickly turns your data into practical insights, even if you don’t have time for deep analysis.
Conclusion
Company newsletters remain one of the most effective ways to build culture, drive engagement, and keep employees connected to your organization's mission. But effectiveness requires more than just sending emails—it demands thoughtful planning, engaging content, smart design, and continuous measurement. The 33 ideas in this guide give you a strong foundation to create newsletters employees actually look forward to reading. By combining these ideas with consistent planning, employee feedback, and data-driven optimization, you can transform your internal communications from forgettable to impactful. Technology plays a crucial role in this transformation. Trusted by over 4,500 global organizations, including over 40 of the Fortune 100, Poppulo aims to maximize communication effectiveness to help businesses achieve their strategic goals.
Ready to elevate your employee communications? Discover how Poppulo Employee Communications can help you create newsletters that inform, engage, and inspire your workforce.
FAQ
How do I create a company newsletter that employees read?
Start with relevant, varied content. Use a consistent schedule, invite contributions, and make your format easy to scan. With Poppulo, you can use pre-built templates and data-driven targeting to ensure each issue is meaningful.
What content works best for newsletters?
The best newsletters mix useful updates with engaging content. Employee milestones, leadership messages, customer stories, and behind-the-scenes highlights always work well. Adding local news, health tips, or quick polls keeps things fresh. The goal is to balance “need-to-know” information with “want-to-read” content so your newsletter feels valuable, not routine.
How can newsletters improve employee engagement?
They build trust and transparency, give employees a voice, celebrate achievements, and keep everyone aligned. Feedback loops and personalization help make employees feel heard and connected.
How often should I send newsletters?
It depends on how big your organization is and how often you have updates. Weekly works for fast-moving teams. Biweekly fits most companies. Monthly is fine for smaller teams with fewer updates. Whatever you choose, consistency matters most—stick to a schedule you can maintain.
How can Poppulo Employee Communications help with newsletters?
Poppulo provides tools to design, send, target, personalize, and measure newsletters. It enables centralized content management, automation, governance, and deep analytics — making internal comms more strategic and scalable.