Most organisations use newsletters to stay top of mind among their network of clients, prospects, and other stakeholders. Ideally, a mailing also brings traffic and contributes to purchasing decisions. However, done poorly it can become counter-effective. The more reason to discover what makes (or breaks) a newsletter and how to use this to your advantage. We are here to help! In this blog, we present you with 4 tips to make your mailing more engaging and effective!
Your ultimate goal will either be to move current and potential clientele from their initial interest through to purchase (or request for quotation) or to maintain communication after a service or order has been completed. Either way, your newsletter will benefit from all 4 tips.
Tip 1: Use a consistent format with a clear call-to-action (CTA)
Tagline and logo 
Starting with a clear tagline is always a good idea. If your company logo includes a tagline, consider showing this combination at the top of your newsletter – it sets the mood and is a logical spot for company branding.
Consistency in layout, branding and frequency
Ensure your newsletter always has a recognisable face. Show logos in set places, be consistent in content, layout, use of colours and don’t forget about sending frequency. Whether you send a newsletter once a month or every other month, being consistent is key! Your readers will expect this from you – don’t keep them waiting. To find the optimal day and time for sending the newsletter, do an A/B test on various days and times in the week.
Call-to-actions to draw readers in
To encourage the reader to perform a desired action, as many interaction options as possible should be used. These call-to-actions can be included in headlines, pictures, body text and clickable buttons.
Tip 2: Design a layout and structure with a high level of usability
Sufficient spacing
When it comes to the newsletter layout, ensure you sufficiently separate content to offer a clean and calm design. Apply this not only to content blocks – creating breathing room at the top and bottom – but also to headlines and text that follows and in between each sentence,
Sufficient white space makes a newsletter more attractive and easier to read.
Font types, hyperlinks and personalisation
Stick to no more than two font types. Why? You don’t want people to get overwhelmed by all the different styles used – potentially causing them to quickly exit the email – and it adds to the consistency mentioned in tip 1. A newsletter is the perfect channel to draw people to your website or social channels. Do this by hyperlinking content, such as images and buttons, to lead them to certain landing pages such as blogs, product information, and shops: the possibilities are endless. Adding to the newsletter open rate and engagement is personalisation. With simple interference, you can ensure the subject or first sentence of the email mentions the name of the reader, for example: [name], find out how you can create an effective newsletter. Enticing, right?
Tip 3: Create great headlines and titles
Writing is an important newsletter craft. A subject should be attractive and specific, explaining the benefits that the newsletter contains for the reader – though, keep in mind that the subject line should contain no more than 50 characters including spaces. Headlines must be short, catchy, easy to read and in line with real content. The hyperlinks should lead to the right landing pages once you click through, to avoid disappointment.
Usually, the first sentences after each headline are read best. Therefore, place the most important message of the paragraph at the beginning of the text. Be quick and to the point in your communication, as readers have specific goals when exploring a text: to find out the essence. It is important to realise that newsletters are scanned, not read. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t end the text without a strong promotional message, enticing the reader to click on the call-to-action button. See in the images above how this is done!
Tip 4: Use a footer
In order to briefly state some information about the sender, a colophon or so-called footer should be implemented. The footer must be placed at a logical position, preferably at the bottom of the newsletter and include links to the website and social media. In addition, the address of the sender and the option to unsubscribe should be offered as well. All in place? Great, because it will highly improve the user experience of your newsletter.
Ready to create your own newsletter or could you still use some help? Our digital marketing team can help you create engaging and converting content. Contact us to start levelling up!
