How it works in practice
- You set it up once with a name, a short description, a logo and a planned rhythm, such as weekly or monthly.
- Each issue is a LinkedIn article published under that newsletter.
- Members who subscribe are notified when a new issue comes out. Depending on their settings, that can be a notification on LinkedIn and an email.
- You can publish one from a personal profile or from a company page.
- LinkedIn sets the eligibility rules for who can start one. They have changed over time, so check LinkedIn Help if you do not see the option.
The difference from a regular post is the direct line. A post depends on the feed to find readers. A newsletter’s subscribers asked to hear from you, and they are told each time you publish.
Who it suits, and who it doesn’t
A newsletter suits you if you have a topic you can return to again and again, and the discipline to publish on a schedule. Consultants, specialists, recruiters who cover one market and founders who write about their industry often fit.
It probably does not suit you yet if you are still figuring out what you want to write about. Posts are a cheaper way to test topics. Once you notice that one subject keeps getting the best replies, that is your newsletter.
Exercise: write the promise in one sentence
Before you set anything up, write one sentence that says who it is for, what they get and how often. If you cannot, the newsletter is not ready.
Some examples, to show the shape:
- “One hiring lesson every other week, for managers at companies under 50 people.”
- “A monthly breakdown of pricing decisions, for freelance designers.”
- “Every Friday: what changed in warehouse automation this week, and what it means for operations leads.”
And one that does not work: “Thoughts on business, leadership and life.” It names no reader, no specific payoff and no rhythm, so nobody has a reason to subscribe.
A named series with a clear promise is easier to recommend and easier to say yes to than a loose collection of posts. Over time, the archive becomes a body of work that shows how you think.
Plan before you launch
- Pick a rhythm you can keep. A monthly issue that comes out on time beats a weekly one that stalls in the second month.
- Draft the first three issues before you publish the first one.
- Give each issue one main idea and a headline that says what it is.
- Promote each issue with a regular post that shares a key point and invites people to subscribe. The free Best Time to Post tool helps you pick a time for your audience, and the Post Generator can draft the post.
- Ask readers what they want next, and watch which issues get replies.
Newsletter vs a one-off article
Every newsletter issue is an article, but not every article belongs to a newsletter. A one-off article stands alone. A newsletter is a commitment to a series, with subscribers who expect the next issue. For where a newsletter fits in a wider plan, see the LinkedIn personal branding guide, and for growing the audience that subscribes, how to get more followers on LinkedIn. More writing help is in our content guides and tools.