In simple terms, a newsletter is a piece of content that details company and industry-specific news. These can include everything from developing stories to useful statistics to promotional material, all of which work together to create an experience that’s relevant to the user. While newsletters are often associated with traditional media, print to be more specific, they have found their way into the digital space. To this day, newsletter design and distribution is carried out by growth marketing companies, reaching audiences they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
There is something of a science to newsletter design, though, meaning that not all pieces of content will be created the same. In fact, even if a newsletter seems to be designed well on the surface, this alone won’t guarantee strong open rates or interactions on the newsletters themselves. Thus, there are certain do’s and don’ts that must be followed when developing newsletters for digital distribution. Here are just a few to keep in mind.
Branding is everything. When developing a newsletter, branding should be at the forefront. A newsletter should include a company’s name, logo, associated colors, and other details closely associated with the brand. This will quickly establish the company once the recipient opens the newsletter. From there, the user will expect the same branding across all promotional materials, whether they exist on social media, print form, or otherwise. Newsletter design places considerable emphasis on branding, so ensure that it’s as clear as possible at the onset.
Keep the content simple. Ask this question: who are newsletters designed for? Such groups can include long-standing customers and industry thought leaders. Thus, written content will vary in terms of what’s being presented. However, what should remain consistent is simplicity in the content in question. Keep the written word as concise as possible to ensure the material is digested in a snappy fashion. This is especially important early on, as users will develop an understanding of what to expect from future newsletters. The better this expectation is established, the more that open rates will improve.
Diversify the content. Next, consider a diverse array of content to be published in subsequent newsletters. One month may be focused on surveys, asking recipients questions about your company or products and services they would like to see in the future, just to name a few examples. Next month’s newsletter can spotlight customers, showcasing their social media posts, complete with relevant hashtags. These are a few ways that newsletter design can become diverse through different categories of content. Experiment with various options to see which email blast marketing strategy generates the most results.
Use white space. While on the topic of simplicity, newsletter design should emphasize white space as well. White space is integral to design, across multiple forms, for a few reasons. First, it allows content to breathe, preventing it from becoming lost in a sea of text. Second, it allows the mind to break up said content, which improves its digestibility. In other words, the mind will better retain what was absorbed. When developing newsletters, consider the implementation of white space. There will be a noticeable leap in quality.
Develop eye-catching subject lines. As stated earlier, a well-designed newsletter isn’t going to yield open rates or interactions by itself. One of the ways to increase the likelihood of users opening emails is with subject lines that grab their attention. Subject lines should be accurate to the content waiting inside. Furthermore, they must be enticing to the user. Simply writing “This Month’s Newsletter” may not prompt a user to open an email. More so, it may result in them deleting the message without even opening it. Spice up your subject lines, providing more context to the content waiting inside. You may be surprised by how much your open rates will improve.
Include a call to action. Also known as a CTA, a call to action is a term used to describe a prompt for a user to follow. This can include anything from visiting a specific webpage to following a company on social media. Nonetheless, a CTA should be included in every newsletter to increase its effectiveness. It’s important to note that CTAs will vary across all pieces of content, meaning that there is no exact science to this. Simply put, these will be dependent on the companies distributing newsletters. However, without a clear CTA in place, a newsletter is unlikely to perform to the level that it should.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service social media marketing agency located in New York. Utilizing the latest technologies and forward-thinking strategies, fishbat is able to create marketing plans that are tailor-made for specific needs and goals. The services that fishbat provides include, but aren’t limited to, social media management, search engine optimization, content marketing, email marketing, and branding. With these, businesses will be able to market directly to their audiences, increasing traffic, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
