eVision Media Resources

Writing compelling, effective e-newsletters

When first setting to task to write an eNewsletter (or eZine as some refer to it), it's important to have a solid grasp of who you are writing for, why, and understanding what will be the most effective way to communicate with your reader. First I will list some "must do's" I suggest you follow followed by some of the more technical aspects of the process:

• Understand the purpose of your e-newsletter. Why are you writing it? If your answer is to help you develop a personal relationship with your past, current and future customers, then you're right! Put yourself in their shoes - what do they want to read when they sign up for your e-newsletter? What's in it for them? You know your target market the best - give them something they will want and be eager to receive again the next time.


• Give your readers a call to action. Give them reasons to click on links that take them to your site - specials with an expiry date or more information on the subject matter (something that will prevent them from procrastinating and will take action when reading.)


• Write in first person - you need to relate to your audience and they want to relate to you. Being stuffy and too professional will a boring newsletter make.


• Write something of value - don't make it all about a sales pitch or you'll lose them fast to the spam/deleted folder.


• Always invite the reader to forward your newsletter to someone else. Use viral marketing as much as you can (where a friend tells two friends and they tell two friends and so on and so on and so on - just like that commercial!)


• Make sure you avoid certain words that will get prompt those Spam filters. Read this article for more information: 20 Words That Kill — At Least When It Comes to Spam Filters


• Use a compelling subject line that will prompt readers to read more. Read this article (and part 2) to get some great tips on how: Getting the Subject Line Right


• Sprinkle your e-newsletter with little tidbits, facts, or quotes to break up the sections and provide a nice interlude.


• SPELL CHECK!!

Creating Successful Newsletters

• Use short, informative subject lines. Make your message stand out in a crowded inbox with a concise description of what the recipient will find inside, e.g., "New Album Reviews at MyMusicSite.com" or "Find End-of-Summer Deals on MyApparelSite.com."


• Send messages in both HTML and text. Your e-mail will be most attractive and eye-catching when you send it in HTML, so you can include graphics and formatting. Many e-mail programs allow you to compose messages in both HTML and text, letting you send attractive graphics to most customers while still being able to reach those who prefer plain text.


• Reflect the brand of your Web site. Use similar colors, logos, and layouts to those on your Web site, so that frequent visitors will easily recognize your messages.


• Design for the preview pane. Many people use Microsoft Outlook's preview pane to glance at the beginning of a message before opening it. By designing your core message so that it fits inside the pane (which is around 500 pixels wide in the most frequently used setting), you can more easily grab your customers' attention.


• Include links to relevant content in all sections. Some customers may only read parts of your message, so make sure to provide appropriate links to your Web site from each section.


• Follow a regular schedule. Visitors to your site will begin to look forward to your newsletter if you establish a consistent, reliable schedule. You might start by sending it once or twice a month.


• Include great content. No matter how good your newsletter looks, it's the content that will create loyal readers. Make sure each message contains unique, valuable information that's relevant to your site's visitors.

Popular 3rd Party eNewsletter Service Providers

This is just a short list, but some options to consider when shopping around for a good eNewsletter provider:

Vertical Response is a popular eNewsletter provider. The prices are very reasonable being "pay as you use". For those with small lists, just starting out, or send out only occasional newsletters, this is an ideal service to use and begin to build your eNewsletter marketing program.

Get Response is a very robust eNewsletter service that offers lots of goodies such as auto-responders. With Get Response, you pay a set fee (either monthly, quarterly, yearly etc) and can use the system as much as you want, no matter how large your lists are or how often you send out newsletters.

Constant Contact is also a very popular choice for sending out eNewsletters. With Constant Contanct, you pay a monthly fee (with pre-pay savings) based on your list size, allowing you to send out as many campaigns as you wish.

AWeber: AWeber offers several bells and whistles for a starting price of $19 US a month. Features include: Email Newsletters, Website Signup Forms, Autoresponders, Unlimited Campaigns, HTML Email Templates, Email Deliverability, Blog Newsletters, Email Web Analytics, Subscriber Management, and Expert Customer Support.

Anti Spam laws and what you need to know

The art of e-newsletter writing and making it work optimally for you is just that, an art. But with some research and trial and error, you'll be able to make your e-newsletter efforts work for you in many ways!

Kind regards,

Susan Friesen, B.B.A.
eVision Media ~ Definitive eBusiness Solutions
www.evisionmedia.ca

About the Author: Susan is a professional website developer with over ten year's experience in the industry. With a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, concentration in Computer Information Systems, she is able to provide a unique and caring service to her clients not only as a website designer, but also an eBusiness Advisor; assisting individuals, businesses and organizations establish and brand product or service effectively on the World Wide Web. Contact Susan today for your free consultation on building your website presence to the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit www.evisionmedia.ca.