Tips and Tricks for Effective E-Newsletters

Sending regular newsletters to your customers is a great way to keep touch – provided that they open your email and take the time to read the content. If you’re putting together drab newsletters that no one looks at, you’re really just wasting your time. Ensure that your writing efforts don’t go to waste by using smart tactics for writing effective e-newsletters. Creating a great mailing doesn’t need to be difficult. In fact, you can streamline the process for every newsletter by setting up a template. This gives you a recognizable design so customers know what to expect in each issue.

Content is the most important feature of your newsletter. Packing in lots of valuable links and large images won’t result in an effective piece. Your e-newsletter should have a lot of actual content, but the information needs to be optimized for this media. Keep your stories short and concise. Let your readers head to your web page for the full story. Short leads and snippets with a powerful lead in and a few lines of useful information should be enough to draw your readers in. Mix informational content with special promotions, and offers for your products. Too much of any one thing is too much.

As you’re putting together your content, make sure that it’s personal and targeted to your audience. Consider creating several newsletters with minor changes that will optimize each piece for the recipient. You can also include features in your newsletter that will fill in the recipient’s name at the top. This turns a mass mailing into a personal message. No matter how friendly your content is, however, you must remember to include an unsubscribe option. This may ruin the ambience of a mailing that’s written like a personal letter, but it’s both annoying and downright illegal to neglect the opt-out option.

When you’re sending e-newsletters, timing is very important. You need to send them on a regular schedule so your readers know what to expect and when they’ll see it. If they’re looking for a weekly newsletter and expect it to show up Monday mornings, they’ll be disappointed and confused it is occasionally shows up in the middle of the week. Don’t fall into the trap of sending your newsletter too often. A daily newsletter is probably too much, especially if you don’t have a lot of unique content to offer. Finally, include a call to action in each issue that will convert interested consumers into real buying customers.

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