Newsletter designed by Screen Caffeen for Aging Mentor Services
A portion of my business is in creating newsletters for my clients. I try to tie the newsletters in closely with the blogs that are on the clients’ websites. I have been able to design some of the newsletters from scratch, others are legacy from another designer/emarketer. After a client sent me very long articles for his newsletter, I thought I would post my own tips on creating an effective newsletter.
Design
A newsletter needs to have eye appeal:Use images to brighten up the newsletter and give it visual interest.Serif fonts are easier to read if there are blocks of text.Give the eye something to settle on, to make it more appealing.Choose colors that are easy on the eyes.
Content
How much content do you want to include in your newsletter? The key is scannability. Studies have found that newsletters won’t be read if they appear to be too difficult or lengthy to get a gist of the content at a glance.
Many users are looking at the article headings as a source of information. Make the headings catchy and informative. Consider putting an abridged version of your article in the newsletter with a link that allows the viewer to read the whole article on your website or blog.If you have a lot of content and don’t want to abridge, then consider sending individual articles rather than a newsletter.
Subject Line
Just like the headline for the article, the subject line has to be catchy and informative, but succinct. You have approximately 50 characters to get your point across. Don’t put your organization’s name into the subject line, the reader can see who is sending the email.
Organization
If you have a lot of content, then consider having a listing at the top that links further down, so that readers can easily jump to a different section.Blocks are easier to digest and more visually interesting.
Relevance
Make sure your newsletter is relevant to what is happening with your business or organization. Tell people about upcoming events, specials they won’t want to miss, and perhaps a follow up to a previous article. Plan ahead so that you can create content that is helpful to your readers.
Frequency
Don’t overwhelm your readers by sending too many emails. When members of your mailing list will unsubscribe if you send with such frequency that people feel spammed. A good way to avoid overwhelming readers is to give them a choice about what they would like to receive. If you offer a daily tip, then users can sign up to receive this.
Allow Opt-in and Opt-out
When a client opts-in, they are giving consent to receive your mailings and most likely will stick with you rather than unsubscribing right away. You have to have a method that allows clients to opt-out, per the CAN-SPAM ACT.
If you have questions about your newsletter, please contact Screen Caffeen. We’ll be happy to help you put together a successful newsletter.
