Community · Weekly
Members-Only Community Newsletter Newsletter Template
A weekly internal newsletter for a paid community or cohort. An internal newsletter for the members of a paid community or program. Mix of community highlights, member-driven Q&A, behind-the-scenes, and exclusive content not available to the public.
Who this template is for
Course creators, paid communities, and cohort-based learning programs.
Issue structure
- This week in the community. Highlights of member discussions, projects, and wins
- Member spotlight. One member's work or story, in depth
- Exclusive content. An essay, recording, or playbook only available to members
- What's coming. Events, calls, programming for the week ahead
- Office hours. Reminder of upcoming live sessions or AMAs
When to use this template
- ✓ You run a paid community, cohort program, or membership site
- ✓ You want to deepen the value of membership beyond the platform itself
- ✓ You're optimising for retention rather than top-of-funnel growth
Examples that work
Newsletters using a version of this template successfully:
- On Deck cohort newsletters
- Reforge cohort updates
- Lenny's Slack community digests
Use this template in Aldus
Aldus's AI editor uses this template as a starting prompt — paste your sources and the editor produces the first draft in your voice. Suggested prompt:
Topic: Weekly internal newsletter for [community / cohort]. Voice: Insider, warm, slightly more candid than public content. Sources: [Slack/Discord/forum activity, member submissions, upcoming events]. Cover this week in the community, one member spotlight, exclusive content piece, what's coming, office hours reminder.
Frequently asked questions
Should the members-only newsletter be different from the public one?
Yes — different format, more candor, more behind-the-scenes. If the members' newsletter looks like the public one, members feel they're not getting their money's worth.
How do I avoid the newsletter feeling like just another email in members' inboxes?
Send from a personal address, keep it visually distinct from your public sends, and reference specific community moments by name. The closer it feels to a private letter, the better.