How To Create a Great Digital Newsletter
Published on December 20, 2017
Why an Email Newsletter?
Producing original content for your site without offering a digital newsletter is a lot like putting a toy’s motor into your Ferrari - you’ve got great material, but it’s going nowhere fast.
For millions of us around the world, email is already a primary mode of communication, whether on a laptop, a smartphone, or a tablet; indeed, according to one study, people send more than 200 billion emails a day, which translates to more than 2 million emails every second.
With that being said, putting together a digital newsletter through online services (we tend to like MailChimp here at Geek) is a highly effective way to secure a consistent audience while:
- building brand awareness
- communicating company information
- making announcements about new products or services.
Distributing a regular digital newsletters gives your dedicated followers something to expect and allows you to stay in contact with them, on top of providing an outlet to freshen up old content and get it in front of new audiences. You could call that a win-win.
Like most content marketing techniques, however, there is some finesse and strategy involved in email marketing. Visualize your own inbox, for instance: Chances are that most of the promotional materials that you receive go unopened and gather digital dust as they slowly move into the void of unread emails, never to return.
Now, can you pick out one of these emails that you did open and read? As far as digital newsletters go, that’s a successful send.
When creating your newsletter, it’s helpful to consider what works and fails in your own personal experience. Here are some tips to help you get the juices flowing:
The Bad Newsletter
Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first. You’ve seen email blasts like these before, and you’ll more than likely see them again. You know the type. Here’s what constitutes a poorly written and sent digital newsletter:
Irrelevant Content
For example, a tech company could randomly send out a review of Britney Spears’ latest album. While this review could offer some sharp insight into bass drops and lyrical structure, is it actually teaching the audience anything that they’re looking for from this company? Nope. If it's not offering any value to the consumer or to the organization sending it, it's not effective content marketing.
Sloppily Segmented Lists
If you’re planning on sending out multiple emails to people within different, self-identified regions or groups (a process that we call "personalized marketing"), make sure that you’re organizing and coding them correctly. You don’t want your audience in Chicago receiving that killer top-10 list of Portland mixologists, or for your important clients to see the dreaded "Hello, [Name]" greeting.
Tarnished Company Image
Think back to the bad email in your inbox. Can you name the company? When was the last time you used their services or visited their site? Unless it’s a business that offers a necessary product, like insurance or electricity, you probably only still receive that email because you haven’t visited their site to unsubscribe. Bottom line? A poorly constructed or pestering email will actually do your brand more harm than good.
Ruins the Chance for Future Email Possibilities (i.e., Your Emails Become Hot Chunks of Spam)
Reported emails (or even too many unread sends) can result in your vital newsletters being marked as spam, meaning that they won't be received by those who actually might click through; in fact, a poorly maintained list or abysmal open rates may even cause your newsletter service to prevent your emails from being sent out. That’s right, the Internet can block you, especially if you don't follow CAN-SPAM laws! (Word to the wise - please don't do that.)
The Good Newsletter
Now on to the good stuff! If you want to create a truly great digital newsletter, one that consistently generates inbound traffic and leads, make sure that your email offering...
Offers Multiple Forms of Content
Bring on your visual, promotional, and blog content! Highlight the best content of the week and give audiences small, regular pieces to look forward to. The Geek Chicago Newsletter, Geek Speak, offers an “App of the Week” and “Gadget of the Week” alongside our weekly blog content to show what we’re interested in and what we’re thinking about in terms of tech. While it is important to keep the focus on content relevant to your brand your ideal audience, don't be afraid to diversify.
Follows the 90/10 Rule
Your email newsletter should be 90% informative and 10% promotional. Don’t bombard your readers with “Buy! Buy! Buy!” content. Instead, offer them some useful ways to use your product or service. For example, a wine supplier could write up a list of pairings for a few different bottles on special, instead of throwing a bunch of sticker prices at their audience. Get your audience involved in what you’re selling and focus on telling a story, rather than twisting arms and getting that hard sell.
Features a Subject Line With Personality
You might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can totally judge an email by its subject line. Provide an incentive to your audience to click and consume your email content. Make a claim. Ask a question. Don’t bring up the purchase in the subject line (except on the very rare occasion you're running a special and want to convey urgency, though this shouldn't be done more frequently than every 5 newsletters or so, as a rule of thumb).
Chooses One Call-To-Action
Your newsletter is supposed to provide momentum and encourage your audience to do something. Don’t give them multiple options. Choose one action and focus their attention there.
Boasts Clear Copy and Design Choices
Copy and design easily become cluttered, so consider the power of the white space. Clean, visually specific designs are easier to read and give off a sense of sophistication. Remember, you want your reader to do something with the newsletter, not parse through all of your groovy design choices. Break up content, and yes, use lists and visual content whenever you can! Here are a few of our favorite digital newsletters, for your perusal and pleasure.
Makes Unsubscribing Simple
Breaking up shouldn’t be hard to do when it comes to your email newsletter. Keep your email list healthy by making it easy for those who want out to get out. This is consistent with that CAN-SPAM compliance we referred to earlier.
Contains Focused Information
Keep content relevant and centered. Take a look at the following examples, and choose which one should be kicked out:
- “Cast Iron Wonders: 3 Recipes for Your Grandmother’s Frying Pan”
- “The History of Chocolate Pudding”
- “Understanding the Iranian Hostage Situation Now”
- “Whiskey and Whitman: 7 Book and Drink Pairings for Your Sunday Night”
Okay, obviously the Iranian Hostage article sticks out like a very sore thumb, but keep consistency in mind when putting together content. It will come across as more cohesive and encourage more clicks.
The Bottom Line: Ask Yourself, “So What?”
- Why would you want to read your content? What new information or voice are you bringing to the table? Be your best critic and don’t just slap together filler.
Sound a Little Complicated?
This is where the Geek Chicago team would love to step in! Subscribe to our newsletter or drop us a line when you’re ready to begin a digital marketing strategy that takes into account social media, written content, and web design!
