5 Ways to Create an Email Newsletter That People Will Love to Read

There’s no shortage of spam in this world, and frankly, people don’t have the patience for it! So it’s up to you, Email Marketer, to find a way to make sure that your email newsletter doesn’t get chucked into the Trash along with all the other nameless newsletters that users everywhere receive.

Are you up to the task??

Of course you are!

After all, if you’re sending out an email newsletter, you’ve got something to say, and chances are, it will benefit the people you are sending it to. The trick is getting them to see that reading your newsletter is worthwhile.

How can you do that?

Here are 5 tips to create a stellar newsletter that your subscribers will love to read.

1. It’s all about the Subject Line

Writing intriguing, clickable subject lines is definitely more of an art than a science. Still, there are some basic formulas you can follow, and certain formulas you should NOT follow, in order to create an enticing hook.

Generic, boring, and all-around blah sentences won’t get you too far. Nor will caps (WHO WANTS TO BE SCREAMED AT?), overly-punctuated excitement!!!!, or spelling misteaks – we mean, mistakes.

Humor, on the other hand, is a great gateway to clicks, but the pitfall to be aware of here is using jokes that are not funny. Subject line: My sneakers are red, haha!” – not funny! On the other hand, a running joke or cultural reference may pique your readers’ interest.

Other ideas that work are the promise of information (Subject line: Want to get more people to read your emails?), personalization, timely offers, and more. Here are some great examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Important to note here that when you use a marketing automation platform, such as MailChimp, there is an option for you to actually test out your subject lines. This is a great tool in order to help you find your sweet spot.

2. Make it personal

Impersonal is for journalism, not newsletters. Newsletters are kind of like blogs, only they get sent directly to your subscribers’ inboxes. Using informal, friendly, and fun language will make your readers get to know you, and what you stand for. Think of newsletters as the opportunity to have a casual, one-on-one conversation with your customers/readers/clients – and they, in turn, will respond to the warmth of your tone. Which brings us to our next point:

3. Engage

Most people enjoy sharing their opinions. It’s why social media is so popular and it’s why comments flood popular blog posts. In your newsletter, elicit responses from your readers. Ask questions, respond to questions, ask for opinions, ideas, and advice. People generally love sharing these things, and engaging your readers through your newsletter is a great way to entice them to read it.

4. Offer value

When your subscribers feel that they have something to gain by reading your email newsletter, they’ll actually look forward to receiving it. What can you offer your readers? Exclusive content, a curated list of X Tips of the Week, advice, discounts, and the like. Get creative! If you’re sending a newsletter, you obviously have something of value to share, so share it! And don’t worry that offering free tips or advice will somehow detract from your profits- if anything, it will only make your readers recognize you as the expert in your field and turn to you when they need your products/services.

5. Write without constraints, and limit self-promotion

Your newsletter is quite possibly the only space in the world in which you don’t have to worry about SEO, keywords, fitting text into 140 characters, or similar constraints. Your newsletter it the opportunity to communicate with your readers on a pure level, which is so much more enjoyable and palatable to everyone involved.

As for self-promotion, it goes like this. Yes, the goal of your newsletter is ultimately self-promotion. But that doesn’t mean you need to shove products or services in your readers’ faces – they know what you offer. Rather, if you offer value (see above), subscribers will be more likely to click, and they will know that your products/services are available for when they need them.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

What is your goal of sending out an email newsletter? Is it to convert readers into customers? To spread knowledge? To establish yourself as an expert in a certain field? Whatever your goal is, you can fine-tune the above tips in order to make them work toward it.

And remember, formulating an appealing email newsletter is more of an art than a science, so take this as an opportunity to try and test new things, learn from your mistakes, and try try again.

Happy Writing!

 Submitted by Elana