With so many digital outlets available today, newsletters may seem out of date or ineffectual. But here’s the truth: internet newsletters remain one of the most effective tools for developing relationships, increasing brand loyalty, and driving conversions. Through my work, I’ve seen the incredible value that a well-crafted newsletter can offer to businesses of all sizes—and I’d want to share some practical advice and insights from my years of expertise to help you make the most of this digital powerhouse. In this article, I’ll go over the principles of newsletters before implementing best practices that I’ve discovered firsthand.
Key Takeaways
- Despite the rise of other digital channels, newsletters provide direct access to subscribers’ inboxes, enabling businesses to share valuable content, drive traffic, and strengthen relationships.
- A compelling subject line acts as a “gateway” to the newsletter. Personalized and curiosity-driven subject lines increase open rates and capture reader interest immediately.
- Successful newsletters clearly communicate their purpose and include strategically placed calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage reader interaction, such as clicking through to a blog post or exploring a new product.
- Regularly testing subject lines, layout, content, and CTAs provides valuable insights. Analyzing these metrics helps refine newsletters to improve open and click-through rates continually.
What Is A Newsletter?
Businesses and organizations use newsletters to deliver relevant and valuable information to their customers, prospects, and subscription base. Newsletters provide you with direct access to your audience’s inbox, allowing you to offer relevant content, encourage sales, and increase traffic to your website. Furthermore, email campaigns are straightforward to measure, allowing you to analyze your progress and make real changes that result in additional victories.
An internet newsletter is an email that you can send to consumers informing them about your company’s most recent products and services. You can also provide relevant industry news or blog pieces, as well as inform customers of your discounts and offers.
As a part of your email marketing strategy, newsletters can help you nurture your relationships with customers and bring value to them so that they return it to you.
Overall, newsletters can serve different marketing purposes. But we’ll come back to this later! Unlike social media, where algorithms decide what your audience sees, newsletters land directly in your subscriber’s inbox. This direct line of communication allows you to engage with people who want to hear from you. When done right, newsletters can be a source of real value for subscribers, making them look forward to each new email.
What Are the Qualities of a Good Newsletter?
Below are the essential qualities of an effective newsletter
#1. Crafting Compelling Subject Lines
Your newsletter’s subject line is the first thing readers notice. I prefer to think of it as the opening line of a discussion; if it is uninteresting, people will tune out immediately. Here’s a tip: Instead of saying “Exclusive Offer for You,” consider something more specific, such as “Hey [Name], Here’s Your Exclusive Offer for March!” Curiosity-based subject lines are another method I use. A subject line like “3 Tips That Doubled Our Engagement” piques intrigue without revealing too much.
#2. A clear And Interesting Content Structure
The variety of content will keep readers engaged. If you focus your entire email on one topic, readers will definitely lose interest halfway through, and your letter will go unheard. Keep in mind that at the end of the newsletter, you should tie the information back to what you’re promoting.
Divide material into headers, subheaders, and bullet points to improve readability. Consider the email a quick and easy read rather than a thorough article. Maintain a clear layout, and bear in mind that individuals frequently skim emails, particularly on mobile devices.
#3. Strong Calls-To-Action (CTA)
A well-placed CTA can be the difference between a click-through and an unopened email. For example, if your goal is to drive traffic to a new blog post, make your CTA clear and engaging—something like “Discover the Full Story” or “Start Reading Now” rather than a generic “
#4. Its Mission Is Clear
A good newsletter should convey its message clearly and efficiently. It should begin with interesting topic lines. An intriguing subject line will capture the reader’s attention and entice them to click on the email in the first place. It is critical to include what you are promoting in the subject line.
For example, if you decide to make a new product the emphasis of a newsletter, the subject line should entice the customer to learn more about it. In addition, the newsletter’s message must be properly expressed in the first paragraph.
If not, many readers will lose interest and will not continue reading the newsletter. The body paragraphs should expand on topics relevant to the brand message. Finally, there should be a CTA in the final section that allows the readers to take whatever action your company wants them to take (such as purchasing a new product).
#5. It’s Visually Appealing
Your newsletter should stand out by being visually appealing. A creative assistant program can help you build a great design. Readers will lose interest in newsletters with a plain design. You must keep readers engaged until the final paragraph, which is where you will seal the deal.
A visually appealing newsletter will be able to achieve this, whereas uninteresting newsletters will soon lose readers. Keep in mind that many businesses offer slick and appealing newsletters. Customers will demand a visually appealing design, or they will lose interest. Your organization will also need to update the appearance of the newsletter from time to time.
#6. It Should Be Mobile-Friendly
These days, most people read their email on their phones. Your newsletter must be mobile-friendly. It should be formatted to display correctly on all mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets. Most email marketing programs have mobile-friendly newsletter templates that you can use. Check your newsletter on your mobile device before sending it to ensure that it loads properly and looks good.
Examples Of Newsletters You Should Have in Your Inbox in 2024
There are a ton of great newsletters to choose from—almost too many. With the newsletters on this list, you can stay on top of all things social media and learn from amazing experts.
#1. Marketing Brew by Morning Brew
The Morning Brew offers a wide range of newsletters, but brands and creators may find the most use of the Marketing Brew, which details the latest in the industry. It’s also a great source of links for social media publishing across different topics.
#2. Geekout by Matt Navarra
Matt Navarra is a social media personality with his fingers on the pulse of everything happening in social media. His newsletter is a great way to keep up with the constant changes in the space. He also has a WhatsApp Group where members can get updates as they happen without having to wait for the newsletter to be published.
#3. Recode by Vox
Recode by Vox explores everything happening in the digital space and is great for getting detailed reporting on the evolutions in the companies and industries we rely on for the Internet to be a safe space.
#4. Link in Bio by Rachel Karten
Rachel Karten is a social media consultant with an extensive portfolio and years of experience. She brings that experience and the connections she’s built to Link in Bio, making it the ultimate resource for social media managers and a great source of content inspiration.
#5. Creator Science by Jay Clouse
This newsletter by Jay Clouse is full of great advice for creators, as Jay focuses on sharing the results of his experiments, expert interviews, and actionable advice every week.
How to Create a Newsletter Subscribers Want to Read
You’re sitting in a conference room, trying to figure out how to effectively engage your leads and customers, sell more products, or just “stay top-of-mind” with your target audience, when someone suggests an email newsletter as a solution to all of those problems at once.
Suddenly, you are “volunteered” to do it, and you are thrust into the realm of newsletter marketing. You must maintain consistent open and clickthrough rates. Oh, and the first one has to go out tomorrow.
I had been in that scenario before, and I was afraid. Although e-newsletters are one of the most typical sorts of emails to send, they are actually among of the most difficult to execute. right. In this post, I’ll teach you how to create an email newsletter your customers will enjoy reading.
#1: Decide if the Newsletter Makes Sense For Your Brand
Newsletters aren’t for everyone, despite their benefits. Begin by researching your industry. Is there any interest in email newsletters? What type of information do subscribers like to read? Is it realistic to expect your team to produce this type of content?
Then, consider your business objectives. Are they in line with what a newsletter can help you accomplish? For example, if your goal is to increase sales close rates, a newsletter may not be as effective as a lead-nurturing email campaign.
Finally, consider your team. Do you have the internal skills and resources to manage a regular newsletter? If not, do you have the resources to outsource this?
#2: Give Your Newsletter A Purpose
We recently put this into reality at Approach by redesigning the agency’s monthly newsletter. Each edition, titled “The Marketing Minute,” compiles key marketing industry news into a concise style that can be read in 60 seconds or less.
Regardless of your sector or audience, determine what value you can provide readers. At Approach, we understand that our subscribers—primarily marketing professionals and business leaders—are flooded with industry news. To help people save time and stay informed, we condense the news into the top headlines of the month, add our “so what” perspective, put it in an easy-to-digest email, and send it.
#3: Create A Content Strategy
This video below will be of great help
The goal is to create compelling content that drives readers to open, read and click through your newsletter. Here are some best practices to follow:
- Earn that “open” with a strong subject line. Check out our favorite tried-and-true tips for winning subject lines here.
- Follow the 90/10 rule. Ninety percent of newsletter content should be informative, educational or entertaining, while only 10 percent is promotional.
- Keep it short. Twenty lines of copy or 200 words is the sweet spot for keeping reader interest.
- Make it personal. Include the subscriber’s first name in the newsletter subject line or greeting. Or, create unique newsletters for specific audience segments.
- Use thoughtful calls to action. “Read More” or “Schedule Now” buttons get the job done, but consider CTAs that reflect your brand voice.
#4: Prepare Your Newsletter Toolkit
The vision for your newsletter is coming together. Now it’s time to think about the backend tools that will bring it to life—and deliver it to inboxes. You’ll need to:
- Choose an email marketing platform (if you don’t already have one). You’ll want to select one that integrates with the platform your website is built on (e.g., WooCommerce, Squarespace, WordPress) and offers relevant workflows and forms that meet your business’s needs.
- Connect your website to your email marketing platform. Depending on your website, this integration may require some coding work.
- Add a subscriber form to your website. Most email marketing platforms offer customizable signup forms that you can embed anywhere on your website. Once live, new signups will automatically be added to your email subscriber list.
- Make it easy to unsubscribe. While you hope that readers will love you forever, don’t make them jump through hoops if they decide to part ways. You can even personalize the unsubscribe confirmation to leave the door open for future reconnects.
#5: Build Your Subscriber List
If you have an existing database of subscribers who have opted in to receive emails from you that’s great. If you’re starting from scratch, consider:
- Asking existing customers, peers, and partners to subscribe. You can include this ask—along with a link to the signup form on your website—in an email or social post.
- If you’re an e-commerce business, asking new customers to opt-in to your newsletter during the checkout process.
- Running lead generation ads on social media targeting the audiences you want to reach.
- Hosting a giveaway on social media that requires an email address to participate.
- Making it easy to forward and share your newsletter. Asking current subscribers to post on social media or forward to a friend is an effective way to grow your list organically.
A few years ago, I consulted with a wellness brand that struggled with a stagnant subscriber list. We decided to implement a “gated content” strategy where visitors could access premium content by signing up for the newsletter. It worked wonders. By offering something valuable in exchange for sign-ups—whether it’s a discount, a free e-book, or exclusive content—you can quickly grow your list.
#6. Make It Easy For People To Unsubscribe
This seems strange, yet it’s essential if you want to keep an active, engaged subscriber base. Do not use unusual terminology, such as “alter your communication with us.”
Do not hide an unsubscribe button behind an image that lacks alt text. Aside from keeping your list healthy, having a clear unsubscribe method will ensure that your email is not identified as SPAM before it reaches the rest of your list’s inbox.
Take a look at the charity: water newsletter below to learn how to accomplish this correctly. The unsubscribe link is bolded and capitalized, making it very easy for you to take action (if you wanted to). There’s no need to dig through the footer to find out where you can update your email settings.
#7: Test And Measure The Effectiveness of Your Newsletter
Ready to improve your newsletter performance? Download the template today and start turning insights into action!
While the above steps are a helpful guide for getting a newsletter up and running, testing is how you learn what works best for your business. Top considerations include:
- Subject lines: About half of email recipients will decide whether or not to open an email based solely on its subject line. A/B test this element to learn the length, tone and keywords that resonate.
- Copy: Test personalization, copy length and calls to action.
Send name: Are subscribers more likely to open an email sent by the business, the CEO or a day-to-day contact? Test various senders to see which one earns the most opens.
Send time: Test different dayparts and days of the week to learn when subscribers are most likely to open and read your newsletter.
Tips For Effective Newsletter
Members and partners must receive updates, information, and action actions linked to your advocacy and policy efforts. You can choose whether to include these changes in regularly scheduled newsletters or create a new one. You can also choose whether to send them regularly (for example, the first Tuesday of each month) or only when an event occurs that necessitates the sharing of information or action steps. If you ask marketers what their most valuable assets are, newsletters are certainly near the top of their list. But what exactly is a newsletter, and how can it help your business generate more revenue? Use these tips to enhance your email marketing approach and boost growth!
#1. Be Timely And Relevant
it is vital to send the correct email at the right time and, of course, to the correct person. Otherwise, you risk losing opportunities to build trust with your customers or receiving spam reports, both of which could harm your brand authority.
To reduce your email scope, specify your email purpose before moving on to design and copywriting. To maximise your chances of success, remember to personalize your emails and split email lists. You can even design seasonal marketing campaigns, such as Christmas or Halloween recommendations, to meet client demands that are “in the making!”
#2. Stay Transparent
If you want to gain your consumers’ trust and loyalty, demonstrate that they have the ability to influence how you connect with them. For example, you can do this by including your “Terms and Conditions” and “Privacy Policy” in the footer, as well as any further information they may require.
Furthermore, by having a “Manage Preferences” button, you can gather more detailed data about your clients, which can improve your segmentation strategies. Don’t forget to include an “Unsubscribe” link in the footer so they can cancel their membership if they want.
#3. Include A Clear Call To Action
You don’t want your audience to simply read about what you’re doing; you want them to participate! When you employ captivating words, links, and bold key phrases, you provide readers with an immediate indication to take the next action.
#4: Include Hyperlinks
Make it as simple as possible for your readers to access relevant web pages by inserting links throughout your email. Include a link to your homepage or another relevant website in the newsletter banner. This is significant since readers frequently click on images, banners, and buttons when reading emails on phones or mobile devices, as these locations are larger than a link in the text.
#5. Include Images
Whenever possible, use images to keep things interesting. Make sure the photographs you choose are clear, crisp, and not blurry. You can use photos of real children, families, and educators in your communities as long as you have the necessary photo releases. You may also want to consider subscribing to stock photo services such as istockphoto.com or shutterstock.com to add variety and professionalism to your newsletter’s images!
#6. Update Your Subscriber List
It takes a lot of “maintenance work” to keep email lists healthy, but the end result is worth it. Remove unsubscribed followers from your lists to avoid spamming them, and consider segmenting them regularly to keep your lists up to date and grow faster.
This practice will also improve your newsletter metrics if done right and lead to better strategic decisions around email marketing in the future.
#7. Get Social Media in the Game
Another tactic you can use to increase consumer engagement through newsletters is to encourage them to follow you on social media.
Redirect your readers to your social profiles using the appropriate Call-To-Action buttons, and invite them to join your community. Mention what they will benefit, and don’t be afraid to give some incentives to attract more followers.
#8. Do Not skip A/B Testing
Aside from testing emails to ensure that the design is correct and that all links work, you should try A/B testing. A/B tests can help you decide which types of emails your target audience enjoys. You can also conduct A/B testing to see what works and what doesn’t when it comes to CTA placement and other elements.
#9. Test And Adapt
Have you heard of A/B testing? It’s a strategy used by marketers to test multiple email variables side by side in order to achieve the best results. Some of the top email marketing platforms support it. For example, you can compare two distinct preview text versions to see which is more engaging.
As you can see, this can be a useful tool for experimenting with different aspects of your email and determining which are more effective. What are the takeaways? Increased conversion rates and traffic, among other important results.
What is The Purpose Of a Newsletter?
The purpose of newsletters can be as varied and dynamic as the businesses that utilize them. While the overarching objective is maintaining a consistent and valuable communication channel with subscribers, the specific aims can diverge significantly.
#1. They Can Lead to Endless Growth
On weekdays, customers spend an average of 2.5 hours checking their emails. You can use tailored newsletters to expose your products or services to clients and drive demand where they are most likely to be. Those email boxes!
Based on the statistics above, knowing that half of them will purchase promotional emails eliminates any doubt that newsletters are effective!
#2. They Can Boost Brand Awareness
You can use company newsletters to offer everything clients should know about your brand to gain their trust. Remember that your features and products are not the only things that matter to them. You may also capture their attention by using good storytelling and appealing pictures, as well as your brand values and objectives. If you can win their heart, they’ll be around for long!
#3. They Can Boost Website Traffic
Every email newsletter you send invites the recipient to complete the desired action, known as Call-to-Action (CTA). The CTA button will lead the users to your website or other quality content you’ve decided to share with them. This will ultimately boost your traffic and, why not your sales, too.
#4. Sharing Relevant And Valuable Information
Businesses and organizations use newsletters to deliver relevant and valuable information with their customers, prospects, and subscribers. Newsletters provide direct access to your target audience’s inbox, allowing you to publish relevant content, boost sales, and drive traffic to your website.
#5: Educate Customers
Your subscribers should look forward to your newsletters because you provide information on a topic in which you are an authority. You can also use your newsletter to promote your top blog entries or articles created for third-party websites.
Conclusion
Internet newsletters are more than simply another marketing medium; they provide an opportunity to establish a real connection with your target audience. As you begin to create your newsletter, remember that personalization, consistency, and value are your best allies.
Throughout my journey, I’ve discovered that the most successful newsletters are ones that prioritize the audience, deliver value and gradually gaining trust. It’s much more than just making a quick sale; it’s about establishing something that people actually look forward to every month. Now it’s your turn to test these techniques and see how a well-executed newsletter can benefit your business.
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