Newsletters are a great tool for branding and marketing. They give you the opportunity to communicate directly with your customers and improve their loyalty.
It's no longer just a question of content! Modern newsletters should have an eye-catching subject line, a targeted call to action, provide value and be aesthetically pleasing.
Here are 7 best practices that will improve your newsletters, add real value to your inboxes, and help you create effective email marketing campaigns.
1- Keep it simple (use the KISS principle)
A successful newsletter should have short and direct text. In fact, if your email is longer than it should be, your subscribers won't read it . You have a short attention span, so the majority of readers are unlikely to read a newsletter that takes more than a few minutes.
So be sure to follow the KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) concept , where templates and/or systems should be as simple as possible, when writing documents of any kind. Keep in mind that your newsletter should serve as a starting point to capture your readers' attention and inspire them to take action .
For example, include a brief grip of your most recent blog so that they read the full article . Finally, a concise language will allow readers to more easily browse your newsletter and make them want to know more.
2- Don’t overuse calls to action
There may be several call-to-actions (CTA) in your email, but that does not mean that they must all have the same priority in your newsletter. So how to do it? Determine exactly what your most important CTA is . This is the main thing you want your subscribers to do.
You need to be clear about what you want your subscribers to do, whether it's a simple click through to a blog post or a sales . Then outline your other CTAs, all of which should be "just in case" possibilities .
3- Write a catchy subject
The title of your newsletter is essential. opens the email or not will depend on the subject of your newsletter . Even if your subscribers sign up to receive your emails, there's no guarantee they'll read them once they appear in their inbox.
Try changing your style and being inventive . At first, it will be difficult to come up with a catchy title for an email, and you may have to toss around a lot of ideas until something sticks.
To find out what resonates with your audience, experiment with different subject lines (funny subject lines vs. serious subject lines). You can run A/B tests with multiple subject lines using email marketing software like Magileads to find out which ones your audience responds to best. When in doubt, stick to the KISS concept by telling them “exactly what you need to tell them” in the subject line .
4- Don’t try to oversell
How many times have you received an email newsletter in your inbox only to discover that it was simply a sales pitch from a company? Many brands start a newsletter hoping to offer deals, discounts, and other special campaigns to attract customers.
But if you send your customers too many sales-oriented emails, they'll get bored . Your potential customers may start to ignore your emails, unsubscribe and, worse, the offers may no longer be interesting . (If you're always shopping for sales, what's special about them?)
Instead, strive to balance the content of your newsletters and bring added value to the daily life of your subscribers . Send emails to informative content , competitions and other educational content, and book sales emails for offers that are really excellent . A good basic rule to find out what type of emails you should send, and how 90 % should be educational and only 10 % should be promotional !
5- Give your subscribers the choice!
By giving your subscribers the possibility of personalizing their preferences, you will considerably increase your opening rate . Customers are more likely to open emails when they can choose the frequency they receive them.
Also, don't forget to add an unsubscribe option . Trying to find a way to unsubscribe is the most annoying thing a customer can experience. Ultimately, you want your users to have a positive experience .
When it comes to your preferences, be as specific as possible. Tell your readers how often they can expect to receive your news and what each newsletter will contain.
When you create your newsletter, do not neglect the design . The layout must be well organized and easy to read, while remaining attractive for the eye and consistent with the aesthetics of your brand. Remember to use call for action to encourage readers to interact with your content.
Make sure the email is relevant and readers can easily navigate through the different sections. The appearance of your email affects how readers perceive your information and how much time they spend reading.
SEE ALSO: How to improve B2B customer loyalty through newsletters?
Did you know that you could create an interactive version of your online newsletter and integrate it into your email? With tools like Paperturn , you can add pop-ups, additional information on a product, additional photos, links that allow your readers to directly access purchasing sites and much more! There are so many ways to use these features to add an additional layer of interactive content to your newsletters, which will make them even more attractive to you and your customers.
Bonuses:
- Use catchy titles and subject lines to arouse the curiosity of recipients right from their inbox.
- Don’t forget about CTAs to encourage readers to click and take action.
- Bold important passages to highlight keywords and make the content more readable.
- Integrate unique graphics and branding elements to reinforce your company's visual identity.
- Keep active white space in the design to avoid visual overload and make reading more enjoyable.
Advice: although you want to improve design, avoid cluttering your Wireframe! The balance between visual elements and text content is essential to guarantee a pleasant user experience
Let's recap!
Newsletters are a profitable method to reach your current and potential customers. An excellent newsletter can also speed up the sales process and help you establish stronger relationships with your customers , making it an extremely precious element of your global marketing strategy!
By following these tips and tricks, you will be able to create captivating and effective newsletters . By paying particular attention to the object, the call to action, the added value and the visual aspect of your emails, you will considerably improve their opening and reading . Keep in mind the importance of giving your subscribers the choice and to offer balanced content between educational information and commercial promotions.
