Creating an email newsletter may seem daunting but once you establish a template, audience, send schedule and goals, it will become easier. Here are some tips I hope will help you get started.
Figure out the purpose of your newsletter. Is it to sell products and services? Provide educational or industry information? We have clients that sell products and services and we promote them specifically, generally offering a discount coupon or special promotion. For our clients who are consultants or in the medical profession, we promote their services and courses and provide educational information that is of interest to their audience.
Build your email list. Get email address through your website, social media and other channels. We do not recommend you purchase lists. Build your lists organically.
Design your newsletter. Choose one of Constant Contact’s great templates as a starting point. Use the colors of your brand, make sure you have your logo and contact information prominently displayed. Use call-to-action buttons throughout your email that link back to your website. Keep your email visually appealing, easy to read and mobile friendly. (You can check to see how it appears on a mobile device when you use Constant Contact’s Preview feature.)
Create interesting content. Write content that provides value to your audience. Product information and discounts, educational information, curated content. Anything that is relevant. For some of our clients, we sometimes add something that is of personal interest to the audience such as a local festival or event, or even a recipe.
Write a compelling subject line. Sometimes it is easier to craft the subject line after you’ve written the content. Make sure your subject line is short and to the point, but most importantly, make sure it is interesting enough to get someone to open your email. Your subject line is the “front door” to your newsletter. Constant Contact has a great tool to test and suggest subject lines.
Establish a consistent email schedule. Decide how often you will send your newsletter, weekly or monthly, and stick to the schedule.
Test and review how the email looks before you send it out. Use Constant Contact’s Preview feature to see how it will look on a desktop, on mobile and inbox.
Review the data. About 4 days after you send out the email, look at data such as open and click rates, bounces, etc. Learn what works and what doesn’t. We continuously refine the content, design and strategies we use for our clients to improve engagement and results.
Still overwhelmed? We are a digital marketing company that, among other services, has been creating email newsletters for clients in a variety of industries for well over a decade. Reach out to me for more information and answers. I am always happy to help.
... View more