How to Write a Winning Email Newsletter

When your email is so good that customers click to open it, rather than deleting it or even unsubscribing, you know you’ve got a winning email newsletter!

The question is, “How do you manage such a success?”

1. Write about what interests your customers.

To me, this is the most important consideration. Your readers are busy. The whole world wants access to their inboxes. What makes your email different, and why should they care?

They’ll care if they figure out that you care about their problems.

Write about their interests, needs, concerns, and questions — and they’ll always open your email!

If you’re not sure what interests them, just ask. Really! Send out one email just on that topic, and invite them to reply.

You can also take note of the links and articles that readers click on or open. What topics do they forward to others? Keep a spreadsheet of these stats, and refer back to it often.

2. Interact with them.

Your readers want to know that you’re human, not a nameless face in a big corporation. Welcome their feedback, and respond quickly with a personal comment or email. You’ll build a strong relationship with each reader — one at a time — that will make them want to open your emails and hesitate to unsubscribe.

An excellent example of how to be human is Mr. Clean’s Facebook page. He’s just a cartoon character, but whoever writes his posts makes me feel like Mr. Clean is real. And yes, I remember that at the store!

3. Include great content.

And here are some ideas:

• Answer specific reader questions. If one person asked, ten others probably want to know.
• Share advice on a problem. If possible, make it a list that they can follow.
• Give information about products, keeping it honest.
• Tell stories. Case studies and testimonials are both sources of stories that will probably resonate with your readers.

4. Don’t write too often or too much.

One of the top reasons why people unsubscribe is that their inboxes are full to overflowing. Don’t add to the problem by sending too many emails.

If at all possible, keep your newsletter to a consistent, predictable schedule. Your readers will appreciate it. (I know I would!)

Not sure how often to write? Again, ask them! Feedback like this is valuable.

5. Share the love.

Connect with your readers by visiting their sites, liking their Facebook pages, replying to their comments, and subscribing to their newsletters. You know, do to others what you’d have them do to you!

Be authentic as you connect, doing it for their benefit and not just for profit. You’ll find that the more you turn the Internet into a relationship rather than a machine, you’ll in turn be rewarded with true loyalty from your readers.

An excellent book to help you perfect your newsletter is The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, by Eric Groves.

What other things make up a winning email newsletter? Please share below (and yes, I’ll reply!).

~Anne