How to Create a Newsletter for free

Hey there! I’m super excited that you’re here because that means you’re about to learn how to create a newsletter for free step by step! Even if it’s a company’s newsletter, you’ll be able to handle it yourself, and I’ll show you how to do it right ♡

You’ll easily connect this type of newsletter to your WordPress, and your audience will receive it in their inbox, just like other professional company newsletters you probably get in your mailbox. Let’s get started!

IS IT WORTH HAVING A FREE NEWSLETTER?

I’ve been running mine since 2015, and it’s the most effective and intimate form of communication with my subscribers and clients. My business newsletter has over 45,000 active subscribers. I know it’s worth it, especially if you’re running a business. Let me tell you why!

No algorithms here to cut down your reach 👌
No need to talk to the camera, dance to popular music, or make reels.
Resistant to all the constantly changing trends.
No one will delete your account here, even if you speak truths that are inconvenient for the authorities. ;)
You get directly to the inbox, bypassing the competition 💸💸
You build great relationships, establish yourself as an expert, raise brand awareness—or all three at once.
Newsletters sell very well—email marketing is incredibly effective. I know what I’m talking about – sending mine since 2015!

I could go on listing the advantages of a free newsletter, but let’s focus on the step-by-step guide.

HOW TO CREATE A NEWSLETTER FOR FREE – 6 STEPS

Choose a platform where you want to create your company or private newsletter — I recommend MailerLite, which I use myself, and this step-by-step guide is based on it. I’ll explain why MailerLite is a good choice below.
Fill in your company’s basic information — an important step, don’t skip it! I’ll explain why later.
Create a subscriber group — what will you name your list? :)
Create a signup form — this is the newsletter popup where users can leave their details to subscribe to your list.
Add the signup form to your company website, blog, share the link on Instagram or other social media channels—wherever your audience is. You can also use the form in paid ads.
Write and send your first newsletter!!! Ta-daaa!

WHY A FREE NEWSLETTER IN MAILERLITE*

You can have it for free up to 1,000 subscribers, and you can send 12,000 emails per month. Yay! 🤩
It has an autoresponder, even in the free package (other services charge for this feature huuuuge amount of money) 😡
It has great, highly competitive pricing after 1000 subs.
In the free version, you can create up to 10 landing pages, so if you don’t have a website, this is a great option!
A vast library of templates—for emails, landing pages, autoresponders—it saves a lot of time.
Ability to create both classic signup forms and pop-ups.
Pay for a year upfront and save an extra 15%.
The interface is simple, and the editor is drag & drop, meaning you just drag and drop elements—super easy!
Customer support is available 24/7 and genuinely dedicated to helping their customers.
I’ve been using this program for several years and am very satisfied; I’ve sent hundreds of emails with it and gathered a solid group of subscribers, currently over 45,000.

Click on the banner below to register (this is an affiliate link) and start your newsletter journey!
👇👇👇

Now you’re ready, so let me show you exactly how to create a free newsletter in Mailer Lite.

HOW TO CREATE A NEWSLETTER FOR FREE

PART I – REGISTRATION AND DETAILS OF FREE NEWSLETTER

👉 Step 1 – Register for a newsletter service

A) Register for a free newsletter service, the button is in the top right corner. Enter your details or log in with Google or Microsoft.

B) After registration, a window will appear where you can name your account, e.g., after your company or your name.

👉 Step 2 – Filling in basic information

A) You’ll see the DASHBOARD, your control panel. This is where you’ll have access to general data. Click on COMPLETE.

B) MIGRATION – On this page, you’re asked if you already have a subscriber base. If yes, select YES and go through the migration process (the system will let you upload subscribers). But assuming you’re just learning how to create a newsletter, choose NO.

C) PROFILE – Enter your real details, and importantly, if you already have a website, paste its URL in the appropriate field.

Attention! If you don’t have a website, click the highlighted link—you’ll be asked for additional information. Be truthful and precise, because MailerLite can reject your account if they suspect you’re a spammer. You’ll need to prove you’re a legitimate business/online creator and will acquire emails ethically.

If you entered a website URL in the previous step, now enter an email address based on the same domain, just as I did. Then, check your email for the MailerLite verification link.

If you don’t have a website, choose OTHER and describe how you conduct business without one. Provide your social media links, or Google business card if you have a physical location.

If you don’t receive the verification email, click RESEND in the panel.

D) ORGANIZATION – Enter your company’s official details, ensuring they match your business registration info.

This is very important as it influences your email open rate—these details will appear in the footer of your emails, helping them pass spam filters.

E) INTEREST – Choose which tools you’d like to use.

F) SUBSCRIBERS – Just like in point B), select NO and describe what kind of content you plan to send in your newsletter, for example: “featured articles, new products, interesting services, videos, links to new posts, photos.” Be truthful! You don’t have to be exact, but explain your intentions clearly.

G) TOOLS – Answer the following questions:

Have you used other newsletter programs? – NO
Do you sell products/services online? – Answer truthfully and specify where, if applicable.
Have you used other website building tools? – Answer truthfully and specify where, if applicable.

H) FINISH – Read the anti-spam policy, tick the box, and confirm with the green button. We’re done with the boring part :P

The first part of the step-by-step newsletter for free guide is complete! Let’s move on.

PART II – CREATING A SIGNUP FORM

Before diving in, let’s clarify some basic email marketing terminology:

Campaign – The email or newsletter itself.
Subscribers – People who have signed up for your newsletter.
Form – The signup form where subscribers leave their information.
Site – A landing page you can use in your marketing campaigns.
Automation – Automating email sequences sent to subscribers, like a welcome gift for new subscribers or moving a customer to a specific group after they make a purchase. Automation saves time, but today we’re focusing on newsletters step by step.

👉 Step 3 – Newsletter for free – Creating a Subscriber Group

MailerLite allows you to create unlimited groups and segments of subscribers at any time. For this guide, we’ll create just one.

From the left-hand menu, select Subscribers.
Choose Groups from the submenu, then click Create Group.
Name your group appropriately.

👉 Step 4 – Creating a Signup Form for your free newsletter

A signup form is the window where users enter their details to subscribe to your newsletter. A good signup form should be:

Clear and legible – Keep it simple and understandable.
Visually aligned with your brand – Match it with your website or blog’s look and feel.
Concise yet informative – Avoid lengthy texts but make it clear why users should subscribe.

Steps to Create a Signup Form For your Free Newsletter:

A) Access the Forms Section
From the left-hand menu, select Forms, then Embedded Forms, and click Create.

Embedded forms are the ones you integrate directly into your site or blog.
You can later create pop-ups if desired, but for now, let’s keep it user-friendly.

B) Name Your Form

Use clear and descriptive names, especially if you plan to create multiple forms for different purposes.

C) Assign a Group

Specify which subscriber group this form will feed into

D) Design the Form

Navigate to the Subscribe Form tab under Design and customize the look to match your brand. Adjust fonts, sizes, colors, and form width.

E) Edit Form Content

Hover over the element you want to edit and click the pencil icon. Use the right-hand panel to adjust text.

F) Add Fields

Click the „Email” area to add more fields like name, date of birth, or location. Mark fields as required if necessary.

G) Legal Requirements

Under Settings, add checkboxes, GDPR compliance statements, or other required legal clauses. Stay updated on marketing laws in your area to ensure compliance.

H) Success Message

In the top menu, choose Success Message to customize what subscribers see after signing up. Thank them, suggest an article, or ask them to confirm their email to receive a gift.

Once everything is ready, click green button: Done Editing.

👉 Step 5 – Sharing or Embedding the Signup Form

Now that your form is ready, it’s time to share it with your audience and gain first subscribers!

A) Sharing the Direct Link

MailerLite generates a Share URL for the signup form. Copy and share it across your channels, such as your Instagram bio, posts, or stories.

B) Embedding the Form on Your Website

If you have a website, you can embed the signup form directly on your site or in blog posts.

How to Embed the Form:

option a)
Find the embed code at the bottom of the form’s page:
Forms > Embedded Forms > Your Form Name.

Add the code to your website in the desired location on your own.

The method for embedding depends on your site’s template or plugins.
If unsure, contact your web developer or the team that built your site.

Once everything is ready, click Done Editing.

option b)
For WordPress Users

Use the dedicated MailerLite – Signup Forms (Official) plugin.
For other platforms, MailerLite offers integrations that you can find here: MailerLite Integrations.

You’re making great progress—your newsletter setup is coming together! Next, we’ll cover how to write and send your first email campaign.

PART III – YOUR FIRST NEWSLETTER FOR FREE
STEP BY STEP GUIDE

In just a moment, your first free newsletter will land in your subscribers’ inboxes—how exciting is that? 😊

👉 Step 6 – How to Create Your Own Newsletter for free

Lets send the first email together…

A) Access the Campaigns Section
From the main menu on the left, select Campaigns, then click Create.

B) Name Your Campaign
Give your first email a name and select Regular Campaign, which is the standard campaign type.

C) Set the Email Title and Sender Details
On the next page:

Enter the Email Title (different from the campaign name). This is the most critical element, as it will appear in your subscribers’ inboxes.
If you collect first names during signup, consider using personalization here.
Set the Sender Name and Sender Email—these will also appear in subscribers’ inboxes.

D) Choose a Template

You can design your newsletter from scratch by selecting Start from Scratch, but it’s often faster to use Template Gallery. Browse the available templates and choose the one you like by clicking Choose.

E) Design and Customize Your Newsletter

You’ll see the newsletter design and a drag-and-drop editor. The workspace is divided into three areas:

Area L: Pre-made content blocks that you can drag and drop into the design area.
Area I: The live preview of your newsletter.
Area S: General settings for the newsletter’s appearance. Customize it visually, just as you did for your signup forms—the mechanism is the same!

Steps to Edit Your Newsletter:

Hover over any element to edit it and click the pencil icon.
In the Content tab on the right, customize the text for each block.
In the Settings tab, adjust the general settings for the block (e.g., alignment, spacing).
Move, copy, or delete blocks using the gray buttons that appear when you hover over them.

F) Save Your Template
When everything looks good, go to Actions > Save as Template. This will save you a lot of time when creating future newsletters.

G) Send a Test Email
Always send a test email to yourself to check the design, links, and overall appearance:

Click Preview and Test > Send a Test Email.
Review the email in your inbox to ensure everything works as expected.

Once satisfied, click Done Editing to proceed.

H) Select Recipients
You’ll be directed to the Recipients tab. Choose the group of subscribers you want to send the email to.

Note: The group must have at least one subscriber to proceed.

I) Final Check
Double-check everything (including the test email you sent). Edit anything that doesn’t look right.

J) Send or Schedule the Email
Choose whether to:

Send Now – Send the newsletter immediately.
Send Later – Schedule it for another date.

🎉 YOU DID IT! 🎉

You’ve learned how to create a newsletter for free, design signup forms, and send your first campaign. Bravo! I’m proud of you.
Now it’s time to take action and grow your audience. Go for it! Here is some links which may help you to continue:

How to Add an Ebook to Your Newsletter (or Other Free Product)
Effective Methods for Building a Subscriber List
How I Gained 2,500 Newsletter Subscribers in 1 Month – Case Study