Product category:
Email marketing
News Release from: Shortburst | Subject: E-newsletters
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 05 March 2007
How to write your first email newsletter
Nick Pauley, managing director of Shortburst, gives guidance on writing an e-newsletter.
You have signed up for your email newsletter package and now you're ready to start writing; but what should you write and how should you relate to your readers? Electronic communication is very different from printed material Email recipients make snap decisions about what they 'bin', what they read and when they read it
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 5 Mar 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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The "From" label and the "Subject" line are probably the most important elements there are to producing a successful e-newsletter.
If no one opens your email, no one will read it.
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You are limited to how many characters you use in both these fields, so you need to make each one count.
Try to put yourself into the mind of a recipient.
Forget who you are, what your wishes are for a moment.
Imagine instead someone opening their email on a busy morning and finding your newsletter among 50 other emails, all demanding attention.
Will they know instantly who it is from, and if they don't already know you well enough to recognise the sender, will they at least recognise that it's not spam? The "From" label carries with it the message of authenticity, so make it sensible and make it straightforward.
Use capital letters for proper nouns, use whole names, such as "Marion Jones" - not just "Marion" or "J Bloggs and Co" not "Bloggs" and DON'T SHOUT.
Capital letters used in this way are regarded in the electronic media as shouting.
Next consider the subject line.
Remember every character in every word has to count because most recipients' computers will only display a few of them in the 'inbox'.
For instance, it makes no sense to repeat the information in the "From" label.
Instead the Subject line should announce the e-newsletter in a way that conveys useful information to the reader.
Think too about how a reader may wish to file the e-newsletter for future reference, and try to approach your task from their point of view.
But there's something else to remember too.
We've all become attuned nowadays to deleting email which contains certain words or phrases because they have become the prerogative of the spammers.
So avoid using any phrases that might brand your e-newsletter as spam.
Instead use language that describes the contents in as concise and accurate way as is possible.
Be honest above all else.
Your readers will appreciate your candour.
Be especially careful not to overuse punctuation because again this could put your e-newsletter in the spam category.
As you set out your first e-newsletter consider that you will probably wish to continue the same style for future editions.
What you are doing now is setting a pattern for a recognisable format, so it pays to take a great deal of time and to test it thoroughly first before committing your e-newsletter to a large readership.
Once a style is established it will form the basis of the level of trust between your readers and you.
The same "From" content and a similar style of "Subject" lines will establish your newsletter as something to be expected, something to be recognised and trusted.
This trust will build over a period of time so consistency of appearance for your subsequent e-newsletters is of great importance.
Apply the same or similar rules in the body of your email.
Keep always in the front of your mind your readers' likely reactions.
Keep it short, sharp and to the point.
Place really important information at the top, use bullet points and keep words to the bare minimum.
Give readers the opportunity to see at the top, at a glance, what is included in the newsletter and invite them to scroll down further to read specific content.
Make it as easy as possible for them to find that content.
Again, put yourself in the place of the recipient.
What interesting facts or news do you have that they might like to know? You may have specific special offers or discounts, or perhaps industry news that would interest your readers.
Whatever content you use, think very carefully about what order you put it in.
Many of your readers will only scroll down as far as the content that interests them, so if your discounted offer is right at the bottom they might miss it altogether.
That's why a table of contents at the top is important.
If your reader only opens your email in a preview pane, make sure that the essential messages will be visible.
Keep paragraphs very short - no longer than seven lines.
White space can be just as important in e-newsletter content.
A very long block of dense text can be intimidating.
Readers are much more likely to catch a word or a phrase that interests them if you break the content into smaller chunks.
Bullet points, sub-headings all help that 'readability'.
Use short words.
The internet is quick and immediate.
It is no place for convoluted and grandiose language.
Write not from your perspective, but from the readers', considering all the time how they would want to be spoken to.
Keep content clear, concise and simple.
Your e-newsletter will be one in a series, so keep some content back for next time.
Do not volunteer everything at once.
You can lure your readers with anticipation for the next edition by saying you will tell them more "next month".
The use of images may be advantageous but always use ones that have some benefit for the viewer.
Just placing lots of images in a newsletter because it looks good won't make you any friends.
Images that illustrate content are preferable, for instance pictures of new products, special offers, events, and so on.
Colour, images and different sized or coloured fonts can all help to improve readability as long as they are used sensitively and in moderation.
Contrary to what happens when we see printed information, when using a computer screen our eyes go first to words, not pictures.
In case readers cannot view the newsletter for any technical reasons, start the content with a link inviting them to open a copy on your website instead.
Put this right at the top, before anything else appears.
Follow this with the name of the newsletter and the organisation sending it.
You may like to remind your readers here to add you to their anti-spam 'white lists' to ensure that subsequent newsletters will always arrive.
Put below that your headline.
You do not have to use one but as you have merely seconds of your readers' time in which they will make that 'read', 'save' or 'bin' decision, anything you can do to assist them will be wise.
Remember to include your website address as a hyperlink.
It is advisable to put this both at the top and at the bottom, and maybe within the body of the text too, so that it is easily accessible.
Invite your readers to forward the e-newsletter to others who might be interested.
You can do this by providing a link which automates the purpose.
You should include somewhere - probably at the foot of the e-newsletter - contact details, unsubscribe details, any copyright or permission information, a statement explaining why the recipient is receiving the newsletter (because they have signed up to do so) and information about the organisation that is sending it.
There are legal requirements to include certain facts and it is very important that you comply, to keep your communication within the law and to establish and maintain your organisation's reputation.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or local business advisory services will be able to provide you with details of current legislation.
And finally, invite your readers to anticipate your next e-newsletter.
Give them just a taste of what will be arriving next time and when.
Build their expectations.
That way you will be assured that they will be expecting it to arrive, they will open it and will be much more likely to continue to read your communications in future.
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