Email marketing is a killer move. It really works. You should definitely do it. 

McKinsey & Company estimates that the average employee spends thirteen of their working hours per week scrolling through their inbox – and this spells good (and not-so-good) news for your brand. 

On one hand, this means you have the opportunity to make a big impact via email newsletters. On the other hand, more emails equal lower attention spans. 

But that doesn’t mean you should discard newsletters as a marketing strategy, but instead get creative with how you break through the clutter in people’s emails and make an impression. 

Email newsletters are a curious mix of information, how-tos, and hacks for life, which means they need to help your subscribers in some way. We may always have good intentions as marketers, but sometimes get stuck with sending clients irrelevant news, old content, and confusing messages. 

Utilising the help of a digital marketing agency like us can help you focus on what’s right for your target audience, and how best to create original content that they’ll appreciate and respond to. 

In this post, we’ve outlined some tips you can use to create an email newsletter that people will actually want to read, and boost your engagement and subscribers with the right amount of work. 

Keep It Mobile

With over 53% of emails opened on mobile, your content needs to be scannable at the size of your palm. Instead of long, no-break paragraphs, break up your text with 2-3 lines. You can separate sections with headlines for each, add bullet points for your tips, stay concise, and use a button instead of a hyperlink for your Call-to-Action (CTA). 

Purity Outside Of Social Media And SEO

An email newsletter is an incredible chance for you to have an honest and pure conversation with your clients. You don’t have to write with SEO in mind, or click-bait to rise above the noise on social media. If your clients appreciate it, they’ll make sure to open it every time it’s sent. 

Schedule It

Make sure your readers know when to look forward to your emails. Keeping a schedule for newsletters per week/month allows them to expect it. Who doesn’t love becoming a part of their clients’ schedules? 

Create Snazzy Subject Lines

First impressions do matter. Subject lines can determine if your email will be opened, or marked as spam. Personalise your subject lines by using your recipient’s name, or use time-sensitive lines to create a sense of urgency; it can be urgent information, or breaking news. Sometimes, even addressing a common issue, or asking a question/for help can make readers so intrigued they have to open your email.

You can use this subject line tester to check how readable and clickable your subject line is. 

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Go Minimalistic

Keeping your layout basic and neat creates a streamlined look. This means dividing content into sections and using white spaces effectively to eliminate the cluttered look, both on desktop and mobile. 

Include One Call-to-Action

Choice is the enemy of conversion. There should be one main thing you want your subscribers to do, that will lead them to a designated landing page, forward an email to a friend, or click through a blogpost. For example, for a gaming event, you can have a lot of colour and information, but what you want people to do should be clear: to buy a ticket to the event. Too many options makes it difficult for people to make a final decision, according to psychologist Barry Schwartz, who calls this the “paradox of choice”. 

Hello World, This Is Personal

The secret to success. No one wants to read an email addressed to sir/madam. Using their names or interesting graphics can help readers get the point of your email. Email segmentation can help you categorise subscribers to specific parameters and lists, and help you keep clients’ interests at the top.  

Click On Me For Credibility

Validate your email with data, recent studies, and quotes. You can link it back to credible sources for compelling newsletters. It adds a layer of authority and brand reciprocity – if someone refers back to your business, they’ll link you too. 

Balance

Be photographically bold, but maintain a balance. Image-to-text ratio is how much text there is in comparison to photos in your newsletter. Though there’s no perfect ratio, sticking with the 40:60 ratio (40% images and 60% text) works well. Image-only emails can go straight to spam, or else take longer to load – and people will leave before seeing everything you have to offer.  

Content Is Key

People like being involved. User-generated content, summarising, and making text easy to skim can help people appreciate your newsletter more. You can do these do keep content fresh: 

• Interview thought leaders in your field 
• Repurpose legacy (old) content that did well previously 
• Testimonials of your clients 
• Interactive content such as polls, tests, photos from audience and links to videos 
• Podcasts cover a lot of information in each session and create a centralised space for people to listen to your – literal and figurative – voice 

For more examples of businesses that have curated excellent email newsletters, check these out too. Creating compelling email newsletters can be a daunting task, but Tribe of Brands can help you stay on top of trends to effectively navigate the complex waters of the internet. Our marketing agency can help you with further ideas of how to design world-class websites, seamless user journeys and digital marketing campaigns.