Your E-mail Newsletter: The Basics

When designing your newsletter always keep inMaking Your Articles Easier to Digest
mind the amount of time you can expect yourThink of how we read newspapers; the same
reader to spend viewing your newsletter.holds true for how we read material on the web.
Everyone today is information hungry, but alwaysWe skim headlines looking for something that
in a hurry. How you display your content withininterests us and only then will we begin reading an
your newsletter can capitalize on this assumption.article. We also stop to view photographs and any
What Information Should I Include in Myvisual cues offering greater insight as to the
Newsletter?information held within an article. I see far too
Obviously this will depend on your business andmany articles within newsletters that are very
the audience in which you are marketing, but herelong (greater than 900 words). When writing your
are three recommendations:o Announcements:article try to keep it at 800 words or less and
Include recent information about your companybreak each section into smaller, easy to read
and/or products that impacts your readers. Forblocks with bolded headlines over each section.
instance, you can include a link to an upcomingThis will encourage your reader to skim your
tradeshow where your company will be exhibitingarticle and stop at each section they find
or perhaps a seminar that your company will beinteresting. If you are finding it impossible to trim
sponsoring.o Article: Include an article that relatesyour article simply find a good point within 800 or
to your products or services and helps yourfewer words and provide a link to a webpage
readers. It is also a great idea to develop athat contains the article in its entirety.
resource library that contains additional articles andSharing Your Newsletter with Others
provide a link for your readers so they can findAlways give your readers a reason and a means
more information on similar topics.o Case Study:by which to share your newsletter with others.
Provide an example of a client who has achievedBy providing valuable and relevant content to your
great results while using your products orsubscribers they will be inclined to share this
services. This will help build credibility with yourinformation with others by forwarding your
readers. Again, provide a link where your readersnewsletter. Email marketing software, like
can view additional case studies.IntelliContact, provide a "Forward-to-a-Friend"
Those are three key items to include in yourfeature that inserts a link within the footer of
newsletter. If you include these you are keepingyour message allowing your readers to easily
your readers up to date on recent informationforward your newsletter. The goal is to obviously
about your products or services, including anreach out to as many as possible by providing
article providing value on topics affecting themvaluable, relevant, timely content, and an easy
and by providing a case study you are proving toway for your readers to share this information
your readers that others are achieving successwith others.
by using your products or services.