How to Start a Newsletter in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
Starting a newsletter is one of the highest-leverage things you can do in 2026. You build a direct relationship with an audience you own. No algorithm changes, no platform risk, no middleman. A newsletter with 5,000 engaged subscribers is more valuable than 50,000 social media followers.
This guide walks you through every step, from picking a niche to getting your first 1,000 subscribers.
Step 1: Pick Your Niche
The single biggest mistake new newsletter creators make is going too broad. "Marketing tips" is not a niche. "SEO tactics for B2B SaaS companies with under 50 employees" is a niche.
A focused niche works because:
- It is easier to become the go-to source for a narrow topic
- Subscribers are more engaged when content is specifically relevant to them
- Sponsors and advertisers pay more for a targeted audience
- Word-of-mouth spreads faster in tight communities
Ask yourself: what topic can I write about consistently for 2+ years? What do people already ask me about? Where does my knowledge or experience exceed most people's?
Step 2: Choose Your Platform
Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this decision. You can always migrate later. Every major platform lets you export your subscriber list. Pick based on your primary goal:
Built-in referral program, ad network, boost system, SEO-optimized hosting. Free up to 2,500 subs. Best if your newsletter IS the product.
Sign up and write. No configuration needed. Built-in reader network. Free (10% cut if you add paid subs). Best if you just want to write.
Visual automations, native digital product sales. Free up to 10K subs. Best if your newsletter supports a product business.
Open-source, self-hostable, native memberships. Free (self-hosted) or $9/mo managed. Best for developers and indie publishers.
For a detailed comparison of all platforms, see our full comparison page.
Step 3: Set Up Your Publication
This takes under an hour on any platform. What to do:
- Create your account on your chosen platform
- Connect a custom domain (strongly recommended for brand trust and deliverability)
- Write a clear newsletter description that answers: what is this about, who is it for, and what will subscribers get
- Add your name and photo to build personal trust
- Configure your sender name and reply-to address so emails come from a recognizable name
- Set your publishing schedule and commit to it (weekly is the most common starting cadence)
Step 4: Write Your First 3-5 Issues Before Launching
Do not announce your newsletter until you have at least 3 issues written. Reasons:
- It proves to yourself that you can sustain the pace
- New subscribers get immediate value instead of waiting a week for the first issue
- You can use early issues as a welcome sequence to onboard new readers
- Your writing will improve with each draft, so your launch issue will be better than your first attempt
Your first issues will not be great. That is fine. Done is better than perfect. The newsletter creators who succeed are the ones who publish consistently, not the ones who write the best first issue.
Step 5: Build Your Landing Page
Your landing page is your primary conversion tool. It needs exactly three things:
- What the newsletter covers (be specific, not vague)
- Who it is for (help visitors self-select)
- A signup form (prominent, above the fold)
As you grow, add social proof: subscriber count, testimonials, logos of companies whose employees subscribe, quotes from notable readers. Social proof dramatically increases conversion rates.
Most platforms (Beehiiv, Kit, Substack) include a built-in landing page builder. Use it. Do not over-design. A clear, simple page converts better than a flashy one.
Step 6: Launch and Get Your First 100 Subscribers
Your first 100 subscribers come from your existing network and manual effort. There are no shortcuts here.
- Personal outreach. Email or message 50 people you know personally. Ask them to subscribe and share.
- Social media. Post about your newsletter on every platform where you have a presence. Pin the link to your bio.
- Email signature. Add a newsletter link to your email signature. You send dozens of emails daily. Each one is a distribution opportunity.
- Communities. Share in relevant Slack groups, Discord servers, Reddit communities, and forums. Provide value first, then mention your newsletter.
- Content. Write a Twitter thread, LinkedIn post, or blog post on the same topic as your newsletter. Use it to demonstrate your expertise and link to the signup page.
100 subscribers is the hardest milestone. Everything after that compounds.
Step 7: Scale to 1,000 Subscribers
After your first 100, these strategies drive compounding growth:
- Cross-promotions. Partner with newsletters in adjacent niches to recommend each other. This is the fastest organic growth channel for newsletters. Beehiiv's Boost network automates this.
- SEO. If your platform has a web archive (Beehiiv and Ghost do), your past issues get indexed by Google. Each issue becomes a potential search entry point.
- Referral program. Beehiiv's built-in referral program lets existing subscribers earn rewards for bringing in new readers. This creates a viral loop.
- Guest content. Write guest posts for larger publications and link back to your newsletter. Be a guest on podcasts in your niche.
- Consistency. Publish on schedule, every single time. Consistency builds trust, and trust drives word-of-mouth.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Going too broad. A focused niche grows faster than a general one.
- Agonizing over the platform choice. Pick one and start. You can migrate later.
- Waiting for perfection. Ship your first issue. Improve as you go.
- Ignoring the landing page. Your landing page is doing the selling 24/7. Invest time in making it clear and compelling.
- Neglecting the welcome email. The first email a subscriber receives sets the tone. Make it good.
- Inconsistent publishing. Skipping issues kills momentum and subscriber trust. Pick a schedule you can sustain and stick to it.