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The Neuron

The Neuron

Beehiiv Newsletter Breakdown

Ricky
July 04, 2024

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. HEADS UP .

Happy 4th of July. Welcome to Pixels’ Break It Down edition.

.FYI:. Today is my birthday! 🥳 You can book Pixels’ newsletter design services at 50% off until tonight (whenever I go to 😴). I’ve also added a mentorship option here, if you’d like to get a personalized newsletter brand audit with an action plan.

Let’s dive into this week’s break down. 🍉

. BREAKDOWN .

. The Neuron .

Newsletter by Pete Huang & Noah Edelman
Check it out at The Neuron
Built with Beehiiv

With over 450,000 newsletter subscribers, there is a good chance you’ve heard from this daily AI newsletter with an adorable little cat as the mascot.

Here is their usual newsletter structure:

• Top banner image
• Sponsor’s logo
• Introduction
• AI topic of the day (wild card)
• Sponsor section
• Around the Horn
• Treats to Try
• Intelligent Insights (wild card)
• A cat's commentary
• Where do you #Neuron?!
• Custom sign off
• Poll
• Footer

Let’s break it down for you.👇

. Top Header Image .

Keep it fresh with header variations:

Background color changes with every edition.
The mascot illustration changes in every edition (examples below).
Main topic always on the bottom left (changes in every edition).
Small font bordering the image: “The Neuron Daily: The AI Trends and Tools You Need To Know.” We know, we know. 😼

Some variation examples they’ve published:

. What I love about it: .

They stay true to their brand's style while keeping things lively and exciting by switching up the background colors and playing around with different mascot designs.

. Introduction .

Keep it relevant, short, and fun:

Relevant intro with opinionated commentary (human touch).
First point of exposure for sponsor (clickable image).
Let them know what to expect (tldr for busy cats).
Same content divider, multiple colors. 👇

. What I love about it: .

They keep the dividers super simple while adding a pop of color variations, which totally fits with the brand's fun and playful style.

. Topic of the Day .

Combine trending topic with a question and insight:

Tap into industry competitors’ rivalry to spark engagement.
Edited screenshot with onbrand border and corner radius.
Clean hyperlink (same color as body text) with onbrand underline.

Pro Tip: Use the CSS code I shared in my previous edition (tips section) and watch this video tutorial to customize the look of your hyperlinks.

End of this section:

. Bring it home: .

Edited screenshot with the same width and border radius as previous image.
Close it up with an honest piece of advice and perspective.

Pete and Noah are wizards when it comes to simplifying complex topics.

They can take a thousand-word essay and turn it into a bite-sized snack that's fun and easy for anyone to understand.

. Sponsor Ad .

Camouflage the sponsor ad:

They make the sponsor ad blend in with the rest of the content, so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
A little bit of fomo-driven copy makes AE Studio the heroes.
Create consistency with the same image style previously used.

. Around The Horn .

Don’t call it news, call it something else:

Give the section a name that fits the vibe of your brand.
Edited screenshot of tweet to match brand style (links to tweet).
Give me the most important 3-4 pieces. Keep it short and relevant.

Transform those dull, drawn-out paragraphs into something snappy and engaging. Your readers will thank you for it.

. Treats To Try .

Don’t call it tools, call it something else:

Give the section a name that fits the vibe of your brand.
Edited screenshot of tweet to match brand style (links to tweet).
Give me the coolest 4 tools to try. Keep it short and relevant.
Did you catch tool #1 was a sponsored ad? (blend in, cash in! 🤑)

The Neuron is all about keeping it simple and steady with their structure. They want to make sure their brand style stays on point.

. Wild Card .

Switch it up to keep it interesting and playful:

Name section based on day of the week (more on that below).
Leverage smart insights from other sources.
Give me the most important and relevant 3-4 pieces.

Example of how they switch it up:

Depending on the day of the week, they may call it…

• Monday Meme
• Tuesday Ticker
• Thursday Trivia
• Intelligent Insights

. A Cat’s Commentary .

Position readers’ feedback with your theme in mind:

Don’t call it “testimonials.” Get creative with it. 😼
No words needed. Let the cat’s face do the talking.
Build credibility and trust by sharing one positive feedback from a current subscriber.

The neuron has a few different mascot face variations that it uses as a fun way to say "thanks" to readers who share positive feedback:

. Where Do You Neuron? .

Make them part of the creation process:

Make it easy for them to submit their cat-friendly pics. 😼
Let them add a caption for the image they submit.
Just a grumpy cat taking a selfie, if you ask me.
Proof of reading the Neuron newsletter.

*This cat needs some serious cable management.

. Sign Off .

Customize your sign off section:

On brand images of the cool cats behind the neuron. 😺😼
As many of us, they still call X... Twitter.

. Poll + Footer .

Let them give you a piece of their mind:

Paws 🐾 instead of stars. Use on brand emojis.
I’d be tired yet happy after this breakdown, too.
The footer can’t get any simpler than that.

If you liked this breakdown and think it could be helpful for someone you know, share it with them and tell them to subscribe: readpixels.beehiiv.com/p/the-neuron-newsletter-breakdown

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That’s all for now.

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See you on the next edition.

Get creative,
Ricky 🍉

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