One-Line Summary: Pick a newsletter topic that you can sustain, define who you are writing for, and choose the email platform that fits your needs.
Prerequisites: Completed Step 1, a general idea of topics you find interesting
Why Niche Matters
The most successful newsletters are specific. "Tech news" is too broad — "AI tools for small business owners" is a niche. Specificity helps you in three ways:
- Easier to curate — you know exactly which sources to follow
- Easier to write — your audience has a clear problem you are solving
- Easier to grow — people share newsletters that feel made for them
Pick Your Topic
Use this framework to narrow down your niche. Answer all three questions:
| Question | Your Answer |
|---|---|
| What do I already read about? | Look at your browser history, bookmarks, and saved articles |
| What do people ask me about? | Topics where friends or colleagues come to you for advice |
| What could I write about for 50 issues? | If you would run out of material in a month, the niche is too narrow |
Here are examples of niches that work well for AI-curated newsletters:
- AI tools and workflows for marketers
- Weekly cybersecurity news for non-technical managers
- Startup fundraising insights and deal analysis
- Remote work productivity tips and tool reviews
- Data science career advice and job market trends
- No-code and automation tools for freelancers
Define Your Audience
Write a one-sentence audience definition. This will guide every decision you make:
"I write for [specific person] who wants to [specific outcome] but struggles with [specific problem]."
Example: "I write for marketing managers at mid-size companies who want to use AI tools effectively but struggle with knowing which tools are worth their time."
Post this sentence somewhere you will see it every time you sit down to write.
Choose Your Email Platform
All three major platforms have generous free tiers. Here is how they compare:
| Feature | Substack | Beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever (they take 10% if you add paid subscriptions) | Free up to 2,500 subscribers | Free up to 500 contacts |
| Ease of use | Simplest — built for writers | Moderate — more features to learn | Most complex — built for marketers |
| Built-in discovery | Yes — Substack network helps new readers find you | Limited — has a recommendation network | No — you drive all your own traffic |
| Custom design | Minimal — clean but limited templates | Moderate — more layout flexibility | Extensive — full email template builder |
| Analytics | Basic opens and clicks | Detailed with UTM tracking | Detailed with segmentation |
| Best for | Writers who want simplicity and built-in audience | Creators who want growth tools and flexibility | People with existing marketing workflows |
Our recommendation for beginners: Substack. It is the fastest to set up, has built-in discovery, and lets you focus on writing instead of configuring templates.
Set Up Your Platform
If You Chose Substack
- Go to substack.com and click "Start writing"
- Enter your newsletter name, a one-line description, and your email
- Choose a URL (pick something short and memorable — you cannot change this later)
- Upload a logo or profile image (a simple headshot works fine to start)
- Write a short "About" page explaining what readers will get and how often
If You Chose Beehiiv
- Go to beehiiv.com and sign up for the free plan
- Name your publication and set your sending domain
- Customize your welcome email — this is the first thing new subscribers see
- Set up your subscribe page with a clear value proposition
If You Chose Mailchimp
- Go to mailchimp.com and create a free account
- Create an "Audience" (this is your subscriber list)
- Build a signup form or landing page
- Create an email template you will reuse for each issue
Name Your Newsletter
Good newsletter names are short, memorable, and hint at the value. Use this formula:
[Clever word or phrase] + [Topic hint]
Examples:
- "The AI Briefing" (AI news summary)
- "Startup Espresso" (quick startup insights)
- "Security Weekly" (cybersecurity roundup)
- "The No-Code Report" (no-code tool reviews)
Avoid names that are too generic ("My Newsletter") or too clever to understand ("Quantum Entanglement" for a marketing newsletter).
Set Your Schedule
Pick a sending frequency and stick to it. Consistency matters more than frequency:
| Frequency | Best for | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | News roundups, curated links | 60-90 minutes per issue |
| Biweekly | Deeper analysis, longer essays | 90-120 minutes per issue |
| Monthly | Comprehensive reports, data-heavy content | 2-3 hours per issue |
Our recommendation: Start weekly. It builds the habit for both you and your readers. You can always adjust later.
Pick a specific day and time — for example, "Every Tuesday at 8 AM." Write it down. This is your publishing commitment.
Your Checklist Before Moving On
Before you proceed to Step 3, confirm you have:
- A specific niche topic defined
- A one-sentence audience definition written down
- An account set up on your chosen email platform
- A newsletter name and URL configured
- A sending schedule decided (day and frequency)
You now have a foundation. In the next step, we will set up the content sources that will feed your newsletter every week.
← Previous: Step 1 - What We're Building | Next: Step 3 - Set Up Content Curation →