‘What’s the value of our newsletter?’ That was the question National Geographic Traveller (UK)’s digital content team asked before overhauling its newsletter strategy. 

Led by senior content strategist Berkok Yüksel, the team treat newsletters as editorial products in their own right. Far from being a simple article roundup with eye-catching imagery, each newsletter has its own audience strategy, success metrics and even bespoke commissioning. It’s an approach that’s earned the team recognition at both the PPA and BSME Awards. 

In his article for media industry magazine InPublishing, Berkok reveals how the team rethought their newsletter strategy, moving beyond simple link roundups to develop distinct editorial products with their own audiences, formats and commissioning strategies. He also explores why delivering genuine reader value is key to driving engagement and retention. 

Berkok said: “At National Geographic Traveller (UK), we’ve moved away from using newsletters as simple distribution tools and instead focused on how they can deliver the greatest value to readers. This has meant experimenting with formats, identifying niche audiences and treating newsletters as editorial products in their own right, resulting in stronger retention and engagement, as well as multiple industry awards.” 

Read Berkok’s article here: InPublishing: What’s the value of our newsletter? 

Sign up to the main National Geographic Traveller (UK) newsletter here: https://ngtr.uk/47RHm5C 

The food newsletter: https://ngtr.uk/4hHNTWA  

And the photography newsletter: https://ngtr.uk/3WkChjM  

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About APL Media      
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It’s published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.       

APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It’s also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also created for national newspapers. aplmedia.co.uk