So, you need to create your very first newsletter and need to make it something that’s going to be read and not just left in someone’s inbox. Let’s go through some basic tips and tricks to bear in mind for your first quarterly newsletter to make it not only stand out, but be an enjoyable and informative read.
Have Objectives
You need to begin by asking yourself what you hope to achieve from your newsletter. Is your newsletter a way of informing customers and clients of your new products or service? Is it a way of advertising offers and discounts? Or, is it to keep readers aware of what’s new with you and the company? Whatever your objectives are, they outline what should be in your newsletter.
The Content
It may sound simple but the content that you produce needs to make an impact when read. The trick is not to just have a load of adverts as no one is really interested in adverts and will often skip past them quickly. You need to make sure that your content is both interesting as well as useful to the reader. Aim to provide helpful information or news related to your industry that your readers will be interested in knowing.
Consider the Design
As much as the content and information in your newsletter is important, the design and presentation are equally as important. The design that you choose is unique to you and is what helps your newsletter to stand out from the rest. Try and use a design that can be used on all kinds of devices and a design that allows your reader to recognise that it is your newsletter and brand. Remember to use digital printing so that your readers have a quality product to read.
The Publication
Ensure your document binding, labels and binder screws are of good quality as this will give your newsletter that professional feel. In some cases, it may even encourage people to read the content as it has been presented professionally.
Subject and Headline
Inboxes are full of newsletters and for this reason your newsletter needs to have a headline that grabs the attention of the recipient. If you don’t manage to do this, there’s a good chance your newsletter will not get read. If your newsletter comes across as something that could be left and read later on then there’s a high chance it won’t get read. You need to ensure that you make it stand out so that the recipient wants to open it and reads it straightway.
Don’t Forget The Footer
The footer is as important as the header, as it’s the aspect that sums up what you are saying. The footer is the ideal place for leaving “what’s next” information like your contact details for your readers so that they can get in touch or perhaps provide feedback to you. Additionally, the footer can be used for readers to share information with each other via social networks or email.
Develop Trust
You need to build trust and a rapport with your readers, so be consistent in your newsletters. That said, you don’t want to avoid being creative and adding variety, you just need to make sure that whatever you state your newsletter is about, it is about that. If you can build trust with your readers, you will gain authority in what you say.
Images Are Also Important
We love images and they are a perfect way to get the attention of a reader. The images you choose are as important as the content that you write. On occasions, the content may be more important than the images, but sometimes it could be the other way. Ultimately, it’s best to try and find a balance between the two.
Write to Suit Your Readers
You know what you are talking about but your readers are probably not experts. For this reason, you need to write to suit your audience and explain things in simple terms. This is especially when discussing industry related terms. It may be worth using your reader’s name to personalise your mailings.
Keep Things Sweet and Simple
Lives are hectic and readers need to be able to quickly grasp what you are talking about. Be concise and don’t add fluff to your newsletter. This also means your newsletters won’t be overloaded with too much information. For your first newsletter, you don’t want to fill it with numerous articles and create a newsletter that made up of thousands of words. If you have lots of articles for your first newsletter, save some of them, you don’t need to add them all into your first newsletter. The ones you keep back could be used on your next newsletter.
Additionally, you could have a small summary section on your newsletter and if relevant, this could include a link which sends the reader to the full article on your website. Finally, information can be presented in other ways and not just in sentences. Consider using lists or charts to break information up and make it more reader friendly.
Be Regular and Consistent
If you send out your first newsletter then fail to send another for a long time, your readers will not remember you and therefore your newsletter will probably end up at the bottom of their list of things to read. You need to be able to strike a good balance with not creating too many newsletters that readers get bored of hearing from you, to not having enough newsletters that you are forgotten about. A newsletter either each week or each month is usually ideal. What suits you depends on what you feel you readers prefer. Maybe set a calendar so that you have a reminder.
Review Your Results
In order to move forward and succeed, you need to be able to see what your readers feel about the newsletter and analyse any statistics and results. Consider aspects such as which topics were liked or successful. Which content received the most amount of likes or clicks? For your newsletter to continue to be effective, you need to analyse this kind of information and feedback.
By following these tips, you are bound to create the perfect newsletter for your readers.