Searching for a powerful way to build brand awareness and engage your audience? Look no further than email newsletters! From keeping your customers enlivened and engaged to advertising your latest products, email newsletters are one of the most effective forms of email marketing.
Below, we go through how to create a winning email newsletter that'll get opened every time.
In this guide:
What is an Email Newsletter?
An email newsletter is a form of digital marketing communication sent to subscribers on a regular basis. It's a way to inform your audience about your brand's latest news, product launches, promotions, and other company activity.
Businesses and nonprofits send email newsletters to drive brand engagement and conversion: they're the bedrock of any email marketing campaign. Like all forms of email marketing, your newsletters target existing customers – people who've chosen to subscribe to your brand. That means you can skip the basics and jump straight into building brand loyalty and nurturing long-term relationships.
With the right approach, email newsletters are one of your most powerful marketing tools.
How Effective are Email Newsletters?
Want to build a loyal and engaged customer base? Look no further than email newsletters! You've got a direct line to your subscribers for the cost of sending a monthly (or weekly) email. It's a marketer's dream!
Inform them of your latest news and promotions, send special unique offers, and launch products to your nearest and dearest customers.
Don't take my word for it. Here are some key email marketing statistics to consider:
For every dollar spent on email marketing, the average return on investment (ROI) is $36. [Litmus]
31% of B2B marketers consider email newsletters the best way to nurture leads. [Content Marketing Institute]
Email marketing revenue is estimated to reach almost 11 billion by the end of 2023. [Statista]
You can establish a deeper connection with your audience and drive engagement by consistently delivering valuable insights. All it takes is the right content.
What to Include In Your Email Newsletter
Creating a winning email newsletter – without becoming formulaic – isn't as easy as it looks. What's needed is a firm grip on the content and design elements that resonate with your audience.
All the best newsletters contain these:
1. Eye-catching Feature Image
The right image can make or break your email newsletter's success. Choose an image that aligns with your brand message and captures your audience's attention. Consider using a stock photos service like Unsplash or royalty-free images to find a visually appealing illustration or photo.
Even better if the image is wholly your own – think beautiful pictures of your products or services. If that's not viable, stick to the golden rule: Don't Be Boring!
2. Company Logo
Reinforce brand recognition by including your company logo in your email newsletter. Your logo should be prominently displayed and consistent across all of your emails to strengthen brand recall. The best location is the top centre – even including it as a watermark in an image.
3. Major News Stories, Product Launches, and Company Activity
What do the best newsletters include? The clue's in the name: news! Highlight your brand's latest news, product launches, promotions, and other company activity to keep your audience informed and excited. It's all about building that personal connection.
Remember: your subscribers are actively interested in your brand. Try different approaches to see what hooks their attention, then hone in on that. Most of all, be passionate! Whether you're talking about a new rubber sole for your running shoes or a top trick in tree surgery, write and explain with enthusiasm. Trust me – that sells!
4. Powerful Call-to-Action (CTA)
Encourage your subscribers to take action by including a strong CTA that aligns with your goals, such as signing up for a webinar or purchasing a new product. Your CTA should be prominently displayed and highly visible, ideally above the fold of your email newsletter.
I recommend including a CTA towards the beginning and end of your newsletter. Don't go overboard – no one likes the hard sell. Your CTAs should naturally integrate into the stories and items you discuss. But don't be afraid to point your subscribers toward a desired action.
5. Social Proof
Build trust and credibility with your audience by including social proof, such as customer testimonials or success stories. Consider this: every customer transaction is built on trust. If your friends or family recommend something, you will likely buy it. That's also true of fellow customers – especially one's as equally enthusiastic about a brand or product as you are.
Including social proof is a brilliant way to experience skyrocketing engagement and conversion rates.
Incorporating these five elements into your email newsletter will help you create a winning email campaign that drives engagement and achieves your business goals. Remember to keep your newsletter concise and visually appealing to maximise reader engagement.
How Long Should an Email Newsletter Be?
Unlike Goldilocks and her porridge, there is no perfect email newsletter length – that's "just right." Rather, the ideal length depends on your audience's preferences, the type of content you're sharing, and your business goals.
Nevertheless, keeping your newsletter concise and to the point is always good advice. In general, aim for a newsletter that's around 200 to 500 words in length. That's the sweet spot. Any longer, and your subscribers won't read the whole thing; any shorter, and you're unlikely to say anything of note. You need to balance the fine line between holding your subscriber's attention and delivering valuable content.
For any longer content, consider linking to a site page or blog post where readers can peruse a detailed run-down of a particular topic.
Remember that your subscribers' time is valuable. Avoid sending overly long email newsletters that will overwhelm or bore them – you're a guest in their inbox; respect the privilege. Instead, focus on delivering concise, high-quality content tailored to their interests and needs. This will ensure your email newsletters are consistently well-received and effective in driving engagement without seeing rising unsubscribe rates.
Email Newsletter Posting Schedule
It's not just the length you've got to worry about. Choosing the right posting schedule is also important for maintaining optimal brand engagement. As before, there's no hard and fast rule for how often you should send email newsletters. However, recent studies suggest that sending at least one email per week is ideal.
61% of consumers want to see at least one email a week from brands they follow. [Campaign Monitor]
We recommend deciding on a posting schedule at least once a month and no more than twice a week. After all, the last thing you want to do is bombard your subscribers with endless emails.
In addition, you also need to consider when to hit send. Weekdays tend to be better than weekends for sending emails, and Mondays and Tuesdays are considered the best days to send. This is likely because people tend to focus more on work-related tasks at the beginning of the week.
The key to providing valuable content to your subscribers is consistency without being overwhelming. Find the right frequency and timing for your email newsletters to ensure your subscribers remain engaged with your brand and continue to look forward to hearing from you.
How to Create an Effective Email Newsletter
Creating an effective email newsletter requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are seven steps to follow when crafting your next newsletter:
1. Determine Your Metrics and KPIs
What's your goal? What metrics do you monitor to determine success? You need to answer these questions before you start creating your email newsletter.
Are you looking to drive traffic to your website, generate leads, increase sales, or simply keep your audience engaged with your brand? Identifying your key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics upfront will help you measure the success of your email campaign and adjust your strategy as needed.
2. Choose an Email Marketing Platform
Email marketing platforms are more common than ever. Because running an email marketing campaign from Outlook or Gmail isn't an option, businesses turn to these services.
You're spoilt for choice, from user-friendly options like Mailchimp to more advanced platforms like Hubspot and Campaign Monitor. When choosing a platform, consider your budget, the size of your email list, and the features needed to create effective email newsletters. Look for a platform that offers mobile responsiveness, customizable templates, and the ability to segment your email list for targeted messaging.
3. Build an Email Subscriber List
Your email newsletter is only as effective as the audience it reaches. Think about it – a 100% success rate with ten subscribers is less than a 10% success rate with a thousand subscribers. Quantity has a quality entirely of its own.
Building a high-quality email list takes time and effort. But integrating an email opt-in form into your website – whether it be as a lightbox or banner – is the simplest option. Consider offering incentives like discounts or exclusive content to encourage people to sign up for your email list. You can also use social media or paid advertising to reach new subscribers.
4. Create a Consistent Format and Size
Establish a consistent format and size for your email newsletter. Not only will this build brand recognition and create a cohesive experience, but it also speeds up the creation process.
Choose a layout that works for your content and stick to it for each issue. Your subscribers will soon familiarise themselves with what to expect, easily navigating to the bits they like best.
5. Craft a Minimalist Design
A clean and minimalist design helps your email newsletter stand out in a crowded inbox. Choose a simple colour scheme, use plenty of white space, and avoid cluttering your newsletter with too many images or graphics. Use headers and subheadings to break up text and make scanning easier.
6. Use Personalisation Tokens
Personalisation significantly improves the effectiveness of your newsletter. Use personalisation tokens to include your subscribers' names in your newsletter's greeting or subject line. After all, we're far more likely to click on something that speaks to us directly – "Hey Janet! Have We Got a Story For You?"
In addition, you can also use data you've collected about your subscribers' preferences and behaviours to create targeted messaging that speaks directly to their interests and needs.
7. Write Engaging Email Copy
Nothing is more important than the content of your email newsletter: words matter! Your subscribers wade through dozens of daily emails; yours needs to stand out from the inbox, from the subject line to the final CTA.
Use a catchy subject line to grab their attention and deliver high-quality content your subscribers want to read. If in doubt, ask yourself if you'd open your own email – be honest. Avoid overly salesy language and focus on building a relationship with your subscribers.
8. Segment and Send
Finally, segment your email list and send your newsletters at the right time. Create targeted messaging that speaks directly to your subscribers' interests and behaviours by segmenting your list based on demographics and buying habits.
Sending your newsletter at the right time also significantly improves its effectiveness (as discussed). Use data from your email marketing platform to determine the best time to send your email newsletter based on your audience's open rates and engagement levels.
Best Email Newsletters at Impeccable Writing
At Impeccable Writing, we know how to create email newsletters that get opened and drive results. Here are a few ideas for the best email newsletters, along with a brief summary of what makes them so effective:
Industry Insights: Keep subscribers up-to-date with your industry's latest news and insights. For example, a Weekly Roundup newsletter could summarise the latest news and stories, along with helpful tips and resources.
New Product Announcements: When you launch a new product or service, send out an email newsletter to announce it to your subscribers.
Social Proof and Testimonials: Showcase your credibility and build trust with your audience by including social proof and testimonials in your email newsletters.
Special Occasions: Use email newsletters to celebrate holidays, milestones, and other special occasions with your subscribers.
Ready to create a winning email newsletter that gets results? Book a consultation today and learn how we can help your business succeed with email marketing. Let's get started!
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