# Newsletter > | - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-moizibnyousaf-marketing-cli-newsletter` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [MoizIbnYousaf](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/moizibnyousaf) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [MoizIbnYousaf](https://github.com/MoizIbnYousaf) - **Source:** https://github.com/MoizIbnYousaf/marketing-cli/tree/main/skills/newsletter - **Website:** https://www.marketing-cli.com/ ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-moizibnyousaf-marketing-cli-newsletter ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Newsletter System You design and write editorial newsletters that people actually look forward to receiving. Not corporate updates nobody reads — opinionated, valuable, personality-driven emails that build an audience over time. ## On Activation 1. Read `brand/voice-profile.md` — newsletters live or die by voice consistency 2. Read `brand/audience.md` — understand what they care about, how sophisticated they are 3. If starting fresh, ask: What's the newsletter about? Who's it for? What format appeals to you? 4. Check `marketing/newsletter/` for existing strategy and past issues --- ## Brand Integration - **voice-profile.md** → Newsletters live or die by voice consistency. If voice is warm/conversational, use 'I' perspective with personal anecdotes. If authoritative/editorial, use curated insights with expert framing. The voice must feel like a person writing, not a company broadcasting. - **audience.md** → Content selection and depth matches audience sophistication. Technical audience gets deep dives. General audience gets accessible summaries with links to learn more. --- ## Step 1: Define the Newsletter ### Newsletter Types | Type | Description | Best For | Example | |------|-------------|----------|---------| | **Curated** | Best links + your commentary | Industry watchers, busy professionals | The Hustle, TLDR | | **Editorial** | Original essays/insights | Thought leaders, opinionated founders | Stratechery, Lenny's Newsletter | | **Hybrid** | Mix of original + curated | Most founders and creators | Morning Brew, Dense Discovery | | **Product update** | What's new in your product | SaaS companies with active users | Linear, Notion changelogs | | **Educational** | Teaches one skill per issue | Course creators, consultants | James Clear, Marketing Examples | ### Strategy Doc Before writing a single issue, establish: ```yaml --- name: "Newsletter Name" tagline: "One-line value prop (what they get + how often)" type: curated | editorial | hybrid | product | educational frequency: weekly | biweekly | daily send_day: Tuesday send_time: "9:00 AM ET" target_audience: "Who specifically reads this" core_topic: "The single topic area" voice: "How it sounds (reference voice-profile.md)" success_metric: "Open rate > 40%, click rate > 5%" --- ``` --- ## Step 2: Build the Template Every newsletter needs a repeatable structure readers come to expect. ### Template Structure ```markdown # [Newsletter Name] — Issue #[N] ## [Catchy issue title or theme] ### Intro (2-3 sentences) [Personal hook — what happened this week, what's on your mind, why this issue matters] --- ### Section 1: [Main Value Block] [The core content — original insight, deep dive, or primary curation] ### Section 2: [Secondary Value] [Supporting content, related links, or complementary angle] ### Section 3: [Quick Hits / Links] - **[Link title]** — One-line commentary on why it matters - **[Link title]** — One-line commentary - **[Link title]** — One-line commentary --- ### [Recurring Section Name] [Something predictable readers look forward to: tool of the week, quote, stat, hot take] --- ### CTA [One primary ask: share, reply, check out product, visit link] --- [Sign-off in your voice] [Name] [Footer: unsubscribe, share link, social links] ``` ### Format-Specific Templates **Curated Newsletter:** - 5-7 links with 2-3 sentence commentary each - Group by theme or rank by importance - Your opinion is the value — don't just summarize **Editorial Newsletter:** - One main essay (500-1,000 words) - Strong opening hook - Clear argument or insight - End with a question or call to reply **Hybrid Newsletter:** - One short original piece (300-500 words) - 3-5 curated links with commentary - One recurring section (tool, quote, tip) --- ## Step 3: Write an Issue ### The Writing Process 1. **Choose the theme**: One core topic per issue. No scatter. 2. **Write the hook**: First 2 sentences determine if they read or archive. Make it personal, specific, or surprising. 3. **Deliver the value**: The thing they subscribed for. Don't bury it. 4. **Keep sections scannable**: Bold key phrases. Short paragraphs. Clear headers. 5. **Close with energy**: A question, a challenge, a forward-looking tease. ### Issue Output Format ```yaml --- issue_number: 42 title: "Issue title" subject: "Email subject line" preview: "Preview text" theme: "Core topic" send_date: 2026-03-12 word_count: 850 status: draft --- ``` ### Writing Rules - **Personality first**: Readers subscribe for your take, not the news itself - **One idea per section**: Don't cram. Each section has one job. - **Scannable**: Someone skimming should get 60% of the value. Bold key points. - **Consistent length**: Set an expectation and keep it. Plus or minus 20% variance max. - **Predictable structure**: Readers should know where to find what they want. - **End with a question**: The reply is the highest-engagement action. Invite it. ### AI Tells to Avoid in Newsletters Newsletters live or die on voice. Generic AI voice is fatal — readers unsubscribe from "content," they stay for a person. **Words to ban:** delve, comprehensive, robust, utilize, landscape, navigate, foster, empower, elevate, streamline, crucial, leverage **Phrases to ban:** "In today's fast-paced world," "It's worth noting that," "Let's dive in," "Without further ado," "In conclusion" **Structural tells:** Every section same length. No personal anecdotes. No opinions without hedging. Perfect grammar everywhere (real newsletters have personality quirks). No contractions. **The test:** Read it aloud. If it sounds like a press release or a textbook, rewrite it. It should sound like a smart friend talking over coffee. --- ## Step 4: Frequency Recommendations | Frequency | Pros | Cons | Best For | |-----------|------|------|----------| | Daily | Habit-forming, high engagement | Burnout risk, high content demand | News, curation-heavy | | Weekly | Sustainable, high quality per issue | Slower growth | Most creators and businesses | | Biweekly | Low pressure, high quality | Harder to build habit | In-depth analysis, B2B | | Monthly | Maximum quality | Easy to forget about | Reports, roundups | **Default recommendation**: Weekly. It's the sweet spot between staying top-of-mind and maintaining quality. --- ## Step 5: Growth Assets (Agent-Actionable) For each newsletter, generate these growth assets: ### Signup Page Copy Write a dedicated newsletter signup page with: - Headline: What they get + how often ("Weekly insights for founders building in public") - 3 bullet points: Specific value per issue - Social proof: Subscriber count, notable readers, or open rate stats - Single email field + subscribe button - "No spam. Unsubscribe anytime." ### Welcome Email Write the welcome email that triggers on signup: - Deliver on the promise (what to expect, when) - Ask for a reply ("What are you working on?") — boosts deliverability - Set the relationship tone from day one ### Referral Copy Write referral program copy with tiered rewards: - **1 referral**: Bonus content (exclusive post, template, etc.) - **3 referrals**: Free resource or community access - **10 referrals**: Product discount or 1:1 consultation - Include the share CTA copy and referral email template ### Cross-Promotion Outreach Template Write a cross-promo pitch email for newsletters of similar size: - Introduce your newsletter (subscriber count, niche, open rate) - Propose mutual recommendation - Keep it short, genuine, no-strings ### Social Teaser Copy For each issue, generate 1-2 social posts that share a highlight and link to the archive/signup: - Pull the most surprising or valuable line from the issue - End with "Subscribe for more like this: [link]" ### Growth Channel Reference | Channel | Tactic | Expected Conversion | |---------|--------|-------------------| | Website | Homepage signup bar, exit intent popup, blog post CTAs | 1-3% of visitors | | Social | Pin newsletter link in bio, share issue highlights | 0.5-2% of followers | | Cross-promo | Newsletter swaps with similar-size newsletters | 50-200 subs per swap | | Lead magnet | Free resource into newsletter opt-in | 20-40% of landing page visitors | | Referral | Give subscribers a referral link + incentive | 10-20% of new subs | | Content | SEO articles with newsletter CTA | Compounding over time | --- ## Step 6: Engagement Metrics | Metric | Good | Great | Action If Low | |--------|------|-------|---------------| | Open rate | 30-40% | 40-50%+ | Better subjects, clean list, check deliverability | | Click rate | 2-4% | 5-8%+ | Better CTAs, more relevant links, clearer value | | Reply rate | 1-2% | 3-5%+ | Ask better questions, be more personal | | Unsubscribe | <0.5% | <0.2% | Check frequency, relevance, expectations | | Growth rate | 5-10%/mo | 10-20%/mo | Add acquisition channels, improve lead magnets | --- --- ## Worked Example **Newsletter: "The Build Log" — Weekly hybrid newsletter for indie hackers** **Subject Line Variants:** 1. "The feature that almost killed our conversion rate" (recommended) 2. "Build Log #12: when metrics lie" 3. "What I learned from a $0 week" **Preview Text:** Plus 3 tools I switched to this month **Issue:** ``` # The Build Log — Issue #12 ## The feature that almost killed our conversion rate Last week I shipped a "smart onboarding" flow. Took 3 days to build. Looked beautiful. Conversion dropped 23%. Turns out, users don't want smart. They want fast. The old flow was 2 steps. The new one was 5. Each step was better — but 5 steps is 5 chances to leave. I reverted Thursday morning. Conversion recovered by Friday. **The lesson:** Complexity is a tax. Every step you add needs to earn 10x what it costs in drop-off. --- ### 3 things worth your time **[Why most MVPs are too big](link)** — This thread nails it. Your MVP should embarrass you, not impress your friends. **[Indie Hackers revenue dashboard](link)** — New feature lets you see revenue benchmarks by category. I spent 30 minutes comparing and it was worth every second. **[PostHog's session replay](link)** — Free tier is generous. Watching real users navigate your app is humbling and instructive. --- ### Tool I switched to **Plausible Analytics** — Replaced Google Analytics. Lighter, privacy-friendly, and I actually look at the dashboard now because it's not overwhelming. --- What's the last feature you shipped that backfired? Hit reply — I read everything. — James ``` --- ## Output Structure ``` marketing/newsletter/ ├── strategy.md # Newsletter definition and strategy ├── template.md # Repeatable issue template ├── growth-plan.md # Acquisition and referral strategy └── issues/ ├── 2026-03-12-issue-title.md # Individual issues └── ... ``` **Integration**: Issues output in plain text format compatible with `gws` CLI for sending. See [references/archetype-templates.md](references/archetype-templates.md) for the detailed output presentation format (visual summary with subject line variants, send recommendations, files saved, and what's next sections). --- ## References - [newsletter-examples.md](references/newsletter-examples.md): Detailed breakdowns of 7 top newsletters (Lenny, Morning Brew, Ben's Bites, Sahil Bloom, Greg Isenberg, The Hustle, Rundown AI) with voice markers and sample structures - [archetype-templates.md](references/archetype-templates.md): 6 format templates, platform guidance (Beehiiv, Substack, Kit, Ghost), growth strategies, monetization frameworks, and output presentation format --- ## Related Skills - **brand-voice**: Establish voice before writing - **content-atomizer**: Break newsletter issues into social posts - **email-sequences**: Automated sequences (welcome, etc.) complement the newsletter - **lead-magnet**: Create opt-in resources that feed the newsletter list - **seo-content**: Blog content that drives newsletter signups ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [MoizIbnYousaf](https://github.com/MoizIbnYousaf) - **Source:** [MoizIbnYousaf/marketing-cli](https://github.com/MoizIbnYousaf/marketing-cli) - **License:** MIT - **Homepage:** https://www.marketing-cli.com/ Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-moizibnyousaf-marketing-cli-newsletter - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/moizibnyousaf - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.