How to Write a Good Newsletter

Writing a good newsletter is, let’s be honest, a bit tricky. You need to focus on getting the required elements organized accurately and perfect them. The most important issue is the most obvious: you need people to read it.

A basic outline for your newsletter should look like this:

• Define your message
• Give a storyline to your content
• Identify the elements you will use
• Keep it mobile friendly
• Stick to a deadline

So what makes a good newsletter?

Inbox Display

Subject Line

You have mere seconds to grab your reader’s attention. Your subject line should be short and provide the complete gist of your message. Creative but informative. Try different subject lines for your newsletter. Don’t repeat them unless you are doing a series.

Sender & Pre-header Info
Your reader will see two things in their inbox: the sender name and the pre-header i.e., either a quick expansion to your title or call to action message. Both need to be personalized and edited to suit your criteria and your purpose. Never have a fancy or fake email name. That will punish creditability. Keep your pre-header to the point and pithy.

Header

Main Title
Introduce your story line with a catchy title. Keep it in-sync with your subject line. Make sure your title font color and style are balanced with your overall design. Don’t create too many different styles. It gets distracting.

Body
This is where you are going to provide your message to your readers. The body can be divided into various blocks, depending on the topics you are covering. Even when you have a unified story, you can have multiple pieces that talk about one single topic.

Three things in the body matter the most:

• Content: Stay relevant.
• Message: Don’t get lost in the details. Focus on your story.
• Design: Fonts and colors should be in sync with your overall design. Bad design can kill the message.

Footer

CTA
Depending on your message and purpose, you can have the same CTA used in the header. The color, size of the button and message matters. Make sure the button is well defined.

Company Logo and Information
Few people include company logo above the header, but the best practice dictates that it is in footer. Include your company logo and a very small description to help readers. You can include hyperlinks and contact information as well.

Social Profiles
Don’t forget your social media presence!

Unsubscribe Link
Readers determine if they are going to continue reading your email newsletter or not. Give them that option. Let them unsubscribe with just one click.

Too often, companies forget the basics of a good newsletter. Test, analyze, revamp and test again. That should be the mantra. Newsletters play a sophisticated role. They can help you educate your customers about the brand, but they can also be your undoing if they are annoying.