An e-mail newsletter is still one of the strongest marketing tools you can deploy. Always remember that this type of marketing campaign should be subtle and not intrusive. Over the years, e-mail spam has quite rightly developed a very bad name, but using this medium can still be effective so long as you approach it correctly.
Design an e-mail newsletter to provide real value. Nothing will raise your unsubscribe rate more than sending out pure sales letters or newsletters that are primarily filler and do not reward the recipient with valuable information in return for the amount of time spent reading it. E-mail marketing must be a very precise and carefully handled objective.
When you design your newsletter, outline your goals first. Consider what you want to achieve and then develop the components of the letter. While the item should always be visually appealing, always try and create a good mix of text elements alongside your graphic elements. Graphic only mails may fall foul of spam filters.
Use a newsletter to focus on a particular product or service, but don’t tout the benefits of buying from you, rather elaborate on tips or tricks that could be used by the subscriber in relation to the problem that your product resolves. This is the kind of subtle approach that you must always employ.
Readers love “how-to,” “top 10” and other factually based content. Consider some top ten tips as a regular part of your newsletter presentation and this will help to create anticipation.
Make your newsletter as personal as possible. Incorporate the customer profile of a key client, or solicit feedback through a reader survey within. Remember that anything that relates to an existing client or a testimonial will create a subtle “social proof,” adding credibility to your program.
Most of the top e-mail management and marketing software companies have comprehensive options available to help you compose, send and manage your programs. They will automatically handle your subscriptions and “double opt in” to ensure that your mails are really wanted and deal with any opt outs and unsubscribers. You should expect a full raft of analytics, to show you how many e-mails have been opened and whether people click on any links within.
Remember to design your newsletter so that it matches your corporate “look.” The color scheme should be identical, the logos the same size and aim to try and mirror the layout of your website as best you can.
Do some research to make sure that you are not including spam trigger words within your content, especially the words free, credit, guaranteed and so on. Remember that you are being subtle and creating a bond here, not trying to hard sell anything. Do consider implementing some kind of special promotion or gift, only for newsletter subscribers. Over a period of time you want your subscribers to look forward to receiving these e-mails from you, especially if there is something enticing within. This kind of overall approach WILL result in a good sales return over time.
What tips have you got to design a winning email newsletter?
Matthew Toren
I do freelance email marketing and enewsletters through Constant Contact for a couple of clients, but I want to start a real business and be able to offer my clients unique email templates that are consistent with my client’s established brand.
Can anyone advise an online course and software that could get me started?
Thanks, Alice
A good example of a great newsletter is the content provided by EarlytoRise.com, via Michael Masterson and team. I always look forward to their newsletters because of the solid content and practical tips. Purchasing is an after thought, but I am always pleased to purchase, because of the bond and trust that have been built over time through the consistently great newsletters.
My tip is to include enough visual rest space (known as white space) so that the newsletter is easy to read. I have skipped through quite a few newsletters simply because they were more work to read due to a crowded look.