Start With an Interesting Topic
Creating a newsletter seems like an easy task, but when you start looking at statistics, the startling truth is that most newsletters never even get read. Some end up in the spam folder, some get deleted without being opened, and some get skimmed and dumped. The good news is that it is possible to create a newsletter people will read, and it starts with an interesting topic.
Email is a little more intimate than social media. People have to sign up for your email list. At some point they visit your home care website, enter a name and email address, and ask for you to send them information. If you don’t treat their trust carefully, they will get fed up and either unsubscribe or mark your messages as spam. The first way to earn that trust is to write about things that pique the interest of your target audience. Evaluate your readers and determine what kinds of things might be of interest to them. You might focus on news stories, new technology in the field, a how-to article, or a top ten list. Try to vary the content so that each newsletter offers something exciting for the reader.
Craft a Compelling Subject Line
No matter how great your topic is, it won’t deliver the results you want if people never open the email to start with. Most email inboxes display about 60 characters, and mobile phones display even fewer than that. With such limited space, you need to make the most of the subject line. Try the following tips for short subject lines that beg to be clicked:
- Avoid boring your audience. Tell them why your content will make their lives better.
- Include relevant keywords.
- Highlight value to the reader.
- Avoid spam trigger words like “free,” “act now,” “instant,” “guaranteed,” “get it now,” and other spammy sounding phrases.
- Draw the reader in with a special offer, interesting story, or question.
Make It Visually Appealing
Once your readers have opened your newsletter, you have won half the battle. Now you need to keep their attention long enough to achieve your goal. One way to do that is to make your content visually appealing. Use colors and graphics that mesh with your subject matter and with the content on your website. If your readers will have to scroll, use visual cues that pull the eye downward, letting them know there is more important information further down. Perhaps most importantly, include a compelling call to action. After all, one goal of a newsletter is to drive traffic to your website. If your newsletter doesn’t include a call to action, people will simply delete it when they have finished without taking any further steps.
Optimize for Mobile
More than half of emails are read on a mobile device like a phone or iPad. In order to prevent frustration among your mobile users, consider optimizing your newsletters with responsive email design. Responsive design will ensure that your newsletter will be readable on any device, from a tiny iPhone to a large desktop monitor.
Newsletters offer a great way to support your online content. You can include links to your latest blog posts, send special offers, include highlights from your business, or talk about special initiatives. Whatever you choose to discuss, make sure your content is easily readable by creating concise paragraphs, using bullet points when possible, and including relevant graphics. By taking the time to plan each newsletter in advance, you can create an email campaign that effectively reaches your audience and motivates them to explore your website and your company further.
Photo by Skley
