Last month, Wired’s Clive Thompson wrote on the
“blissfully slow” world of email newsletters. Thompson points out that newsletters, which are now back in vogue, have made our inboxes a “new site of readerly seriousness: How weird is that?” Not that weird, really. In 2016, the newsletter is a pleasant counterpoint to the never-ending feeds we find everywhere else. Infinite scroll is overrated; it’s nice to feel “done” reading once in a while.
The creative limitations of newsletters are what make them so inviting: their finite real estate, limited frequency, and lack of shareability. Every day,
92,000 articles are posted on the web, creating a social media shit show in their wake. Newsletters act as individual curators, branded aggregators and self-contained pieces of content; we find peace of mind knowing only the best stuff shines through. Playing up this premium notion, email blasts have become the core product of a new batch of trendy editorial products like
Lenny Letter,
The Skimm,
Lead Sports and, during its launch phase,
The Ringer.
So, which are the best email newsletters? We put together a list of our favorites, hand-clicked by the team at BlueWing and a few of our peers. Thank you
Will,
Steve,
Alicia,
Rob,
Ingrid,
George and
Khalila for the recommendations.
Media, Marketing, and Business Newsletters
1) CB Insights
Run by the venture capital database of the same name, this newsletter is the gold standard for data related to VC, private equity, and technology markets.
2) Launch Ticker
Published twice a day, this newsletter keeps subscribers updated about the newest technology developments in easily digestible, 300-word snippets.
3) The Ready
This weekly email, maintained by its eponymous organizational consulting firm, focuses on organizational design and serves up philosophical pieces on the future of work.
4) CoinDesk
Wondering about the value and validity of BitCoin and other digital currency? This newsletter, offering both daily and weekly options, will go in-depth on the topic.
5) Think With Google
“Data, insights, [and] inspiration” straight from the search engine giant. Customize with topics relevant to your industry and media platform.
6) Skift
If you want to keep up to date with travel news and information, this is the newsletter for you. Choose whether you want to stay current with industry news, information on your own business travels, or insights on the future of corporate travel.
7) Product Hunt
ProductHunt is a dynamic collection of new and emerging digital products, and its newsletter keeps with the same model. Receive a curated list of popular products each day in your mailbox.
8) Smashing Magazine
Almost 200,000 web design and development professionals receive this biweekly newsletter, designed to keep them up to date about CSS, responsive design, and related topics.
9) Poynter
The website curates media news for business professionals, with options for morning, afternoon, and more in-depth weekly emails.
10) REDEF
REDEF considers itself in the ‘Media Mixing’ industry, delivering fresh angles on popular topics in its daily newsletter. See the REDEF newsletters targeting fashion, sports, music and technology as well.
11) TVRev
Stay up on where television and advertising meet.
12) #SportsDaily
Media, technology, and business through the lens of sports.
13) Programing for Marketers
As marketing and coding knowledge become increasingly intertwined, this resource only becomes more valuable. Rather than a regular newsletter, it’s a 14-day email course designed to teach you programming skills that improve your marketing abilities.
14) Jon Loomer
One of the biggest Facebook marketing expert in the U.S., Jon Loomer sends out weekly emails that cover anything from advanced targeting options on the platform to tutorials on new ad types as they are released.
15) The Hustle
Designed by and for young professionals, this daily email keeps subscribers updated about the business industry and culture with an engaging, fresh voice.
16) Gary’s Guide
If you live in the New York City area, this weekly email will keep you updated about all relevant tech events before and after they happen.
17) Marketing Day
Every day, Marketing Land’s newsletter keeps professionals informed about development, news, and analysis within the digital marketing realm.
18) Wall Street Journal – CMO Today
Our favorite among WSJ’s bundle of newsletters, targeted to media and marketing professionals.
19) BlueWing
Shameless plug. Stay up to speed on our thinking, plus the best in digital marketing, social media and more. We’ll even put the signup form right here:
Art, Culture and Sports Newsletters
20
) Lucky Peach
The newsletter of the popular food and lifestyle magazine, co-founded by David Chang, offers a free vegetable cookbook for any new subscribers.
21
) Basketball (And Other Things)
Curated by the authors of the NYT bestseller
The Rap Yearbook, this newsletter consists entirely of original content and features fresh, humorous perspectives on the sport through both art and writing.
22) Ann Friedman
The popular journalist offers both free and paid newsletters to her subscribers, who read weekly about gender, media, tech, and culture.
23) TypeWolf
Typography is a religion for many designers and professionals. Published monthly, this newsletter offers guides, resources, and news on the subject to its subscribers.
24) NYT Cooking
This email promises regular updates on food news, recipe suggestions, cooking tips, and even shopping advice for the foodies among us.
25) Highsnobiety
Daily news about sneakers, footwear, fashion, and street culture.
26) The FADER
Keep an eye on what’s next in music, fashion, and culture with every-day updates.
27) NOWNESS
A creative hub, this site delights its audiences with a video for every day of the year. Topics range from art and design to food and travel, and many other culture-centric topics.
28) Nuzzel
The wild card. This website is not so much a newsletter as it is a newsletter hub: you can find any topics of interest to you and subscribe using this service.
29) The Marshall Project
Dedicating itself to criminal justice, this nonprofit website and email series offers unique perspectives on law-related news.
30
) NYT Watching
Want to go beyond
Game of Thrones, but overwhelmed with what’s on TV and playing in the movies? This newsletter helps you narrow it down, with watching recommendations and commentary from New York Times critics.
31) Lenny Letter
Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner are behind this twice-weekly project, which covers style, feminism, health, politics, and beyond.
32) JOGA
Your soccer fix. Long reads, GIFs, fire tweets and more.
News Roundup Newsletters
33) The Skimm
With 1.5 million subscribers and growing, these guys are pushing newsletters mainstream with quippy, clever coverage of news “you need to know” to get through each day.
34) The Sunday Long Read
It’s just about the opposite of The Skimm, but just as valuable. Each week, Don Van Natta and Jacob Feldman compile their favorite long-form feature articles of the week. The resulting digest comes complete with estimated read times, letting you to pick out the articles you are most likely to finish.
35) The BroadSheet
Run by Fortune Magazine, The Broadsheet covers actions and news surrounding the world’s most powerful women on a daily basis.
36) Hacker News
The best articles on startups, technology, and programming, curated by the community at
Hacker News.
37) The Lead Sports
One sports news roundup to rule them all.
38) Business Insider
BI offers eight straightforward newsletters that cover topics from financial analysis to technology news.
39) Morning Reader
Aiming to replace your newspaper, the Daily Newsletter by MorningReader sends breaking tech news to your inbox every morning.
Ready to improve the email strategy for your company or brand? Email us at [email protected].
