Writing Email Newsletters As Your Audience Actually Wants to Read

Email is a game-changer for marketers. It's a powerful tool with great returns, so it's a must-have in your marketing strategy.But, just sending any old content now and then won't cut it. To really make the most of email marketing, you need to know what makes a newsletter shine.Your newsletter is a goldmine for marketing. So, it's crucial to treat it as such. We've gathered tips from leading email marketing experts to help you level up your newsletter game. Stick around to learn how to make your emails stand out!

What Is an Email Newsletter and Why Should You Create One?

An email newsletter is like a friendly letter that arrives in your inbox regularly, typically every week or month. It's a fantastic way to stay connected with your audience and keep them up-to-date on your product, company, or industry.

You might hear it referred to as email updates or just "Newsletters." While they're usually sent through email, you can also find them on websites and social media.

How to Write a Perfect Newsletter 

1. Review successful newsletter examples.

Before you start crafting your own email newsletter, take a peek at some examples from your industry and beyond. We've rounded up a bunch of our favorite newsletters in an ultimate lookbook. It's a great way to get inspired and see what works well. Checking out what others are doing can give you ideas and help you figure out what you might want to include in your own newsletter.

2. Determine if an email newsletter is essential for you.

It can feel daunting to push back on a project assigned by your boss, especially if it's something like creating an email newsletter. However, if it's not the right fit for your marketing strategy, it's important not to invest time and effort into it.

Start by conducting research. Look into whether successful email newsletters exist in your industry and what they entail. Evaluate your available resources—budget, time, and support—to determine if you could achieve success.

Next, reassess your business goals. Are you aiming to generate more leads, improve lead qualification, close more deals, or retain customers? If an email newsletter doesn't align with these objectives or isn't favored in your industry, consider focusing your efforts elsewhere, such as developing a lead nurturing email workflow or creating blog content.

Armed with data and a clear action plan, discuss with your boss. Even if you disagree about pursuing an email newsletter, your boss will appreciate that you've come prepared with alternative strategies for success.

3. Figure out what kind of newsletter you want to send.

Email newsletters often suffer from clutter and lack of focus because they try to cover every aspect of a business, resulting in a messy mix of product updates, PR stories, blog posts, and event announcements. To combat this, it's essential to establish a common thread to tie the newsletter together.

One effective approach is to narrow the focus to a specific topic. Instead of covering your entire company, dedicate the newsletter to a single vertical or theme. For instance, BuzzFeed's "This Week in Cats" newsletter is a prime example. Despite covering a wide range of topics, BuzzFeed offers a newsletter solely focused on cats, catering to a specific interest group. This targeted approach allows the newsletter to generate higher engagement compared to a general newsletter covering various topics from the website.

4. Your newsletter content to be more educational and less promotional. 

Your email newsletter subscribers probably aren't eager to hear about your products and services constantly. While they appreciate hearing from you, bombarding them with sales pitches can lead to tuning out.

Take my experience with a shoe company, for example. I love their shoes and willingly signed up for their email list. But now, they flood my inbox with 2-3 sales emails every day, and it's overwhelming. Instead of constantly pushing products, they could provide educational content on the latest shoe styles or how to pair them with outfits. I'd be more likely to engage with their emails if they offered valuable information rather than just sales pitches.

Avoid being that company. Focus on delivering educational, relevant content in your email newsletters, and save the self-promotion for when you have genuinely exciting news to share about your products or services.

5. Do creative with email subject lines.

While subscribers may sign up for your emails, there's no guarantee they'll actually open them once they land in their inbox. Some marketers attempt to boost familiarity by using the same subject line each time they send out an email—whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly.

However, this strategy can backfire. Subscribers quickly tire of repetitive subject lines because they don't offer any immediate incentive to click on that particular email. A more effective approach is to craft unique, creative, and engaging subject lines for each newsletter you send. This keeps subscribers interested and increases the likelihood of them opening your emails.

6. Simplify your design and copy.

To maintain a clean and uncluttered appearance in your newsletter, focus on two main elements: concise copy and ample white space in the design.

Concise copy is crucial because you don't want your subscribers spending excessive time reading your email. Instead, provide a brief teaser of your content to entice them to visit your website or blog for the full piece. This approach encourages clicks and engagement.

White space plays a vital role in email newsletters by reducing visual clutter and enhancing readability. Especially on mobile devices, adequate white space makes it easier for recipients to navigate and click on the desired links.

7. Include alt text with clear descriptions for all images.

Since visual content plays a vital role in your overall marketing efforts, it's logical to want to incorporate it into your emails. However, email presents a unique challenge. Often, recipients won't have images enabled by default. That's where alt text comes in.

Alt text, or alternative text, is crucial for images in emails. It serves as a replacement for images when they fail to load. This is particularly significant if your calls-to-action (CTAs) are represented by images. Including alt text ensures that recipients can understand and act on your email content, even if images are disabled.

8. Make it easy for individuals to unsubscribe from your emails.

It might seem counterintuitive, but it's crucial for maintaining an active and engaged subscriber list. Avoid using confusing language like "Alter your communication with us" and refrain from hiding the unsubscribe button behind an image without alt text. In addition to keeping your list healthy, a clear unsubscribe process helps prevent your emails from being marked as spam before reaching the rest of your subscribers' inboxes.

9. Pick one primary call-to-action.

While a newsletter typically includes multiple pieces of content with various calls-to-action (CTAs), it's essential to prioritize and highlight one primary CTA above the others. This main CTA should stand out as the "head honcho," signaling the most important action you want your subscribers to take. Other CTAs can serve as supplementary options for subscribers to explore if they have additional time or interest. Whether it's directing them to read a blog post or encouraging them to share the email with a friend, clarity and simplicity are key in guiding subscribers toward the desired action.

10. Keep the Content Relevant

Staying on topic and maintaining brand consistency is paramount. For instance, if you run a professional web design company or a gaming company, discussing unrelated topics like recent sporting events, politics, or local weather in your emails is off-brand and unlikely to resonate with your subscribers.

To ensure you deliver the most relevant content, empower your readers to choose their preferences. Allow them to select the topics they want to read about and decide how frequently they receive emails. Providing customization options during the signup process enables your audience to tailor their experience to their interests and preferences.