| Email newsletters are clogging your inbox. | | | | |
| And it's not just you. It's everybody. Email | | | | For those of us who send out periodic email |
| newsletters are a great way for people to | | | | newsletters, there are a couple lessons we |
| stay in touch with their audiences and | | | | can learn from all this. For starters, if |
| everybody knows it. And that means everybody | | | | you're using a standardized newsletter |
| has a newsletter and they all want you to | | | | template, consider changing to a less |
| sign-up, giving them your email address along | | | | structured and more conversational format. |
| with an invitation to email you with whatever | | | | And by the way, this includes the title. |
| they might be offering. | | | | Don't reference "monthly newsletter" in the |
| | | | subject line. Instead, use something more |
| This is not entirely a bad thing. Fact is; | | | | timely and unique. Use a title you would |
| we're receiving more free information than we | | | | write to a friend, something that looks more |
| ever have before. All these merchants are | | | | personal. |
| trying to capture our attention and gain our | | | | |
| trust with valuable content. And of course, | | | | Anyone who uses Outlook knows that the |
| we have to option to sign up for whichever | | | | preview pane allows you to glance inside the |
| newsletters we might be interested in so the | | | | email before actually opening it. This is |
| information we're getting is essentially by | | | | where the standardized format can really hurt |
| request. But the sad reality is that most | | | | you. If the contents are just straight text |
| email newsletters never get read. In fact, a | | | | and appear more conversational, the chances |
| recent study found that only 19% of email | | | | of having the email opened goes up |
| newsletters ever get looked at. That's bad | | | | dramatically. And a strong timely subject |
| news for those writing them. | | | | line adds to that probability as well. |
| | | | |
| If you've had any experience with email | | | | Once the email is open or at least being |
| newsletters, you'll know that they tend to | | | | viewed through the preview pane, make |
| fall into two buckets. In the first bucket, | | | | absolutely sure your opening sentence or two |
| you'll find the cookie-cutter newsletters | | | | are dynamic and captivating. Make sure those |
| with standardized formats, nicely crafted | | | | opening words are well-written and that they |
| colorful layouts, interesting sidebars and | | | | clearly define the value available to the |
| perfectly positioned articles. In the second | | | | recipient if they read further. This is the |
| bucket, you'll find the emails that come to | | | | biggest mistake of standardized newsletters. |
| you regularly from a provider you signed up | | | | They always have some boring standardized |
| for but that look more like a personal text | | | | text at the very top. Don't do it. Make sure |
| email than a formal newsletter. And as it | | | | your opening sentence is unique for each |
| turns out, these two approaches deliver very | | | | newsletter and encourages the recipient to |
| different results. | | | | continue reading. |
| | | | |
| The probability of having a conversational | | | | Taking this approach may reduce the perceived |
| text-based email read are far greater than | | | | formality of your newsletter but it will |
| having a standardized and html-formatted | | | | definitely increase the number of people who |
| newsletter read and it's because recipients | | | | read it. Don't get caught up with the |
| perceive the former as a personal message and | | | | formality issue. If you're presenting |
| the latter as spam. Of course, it doesn't | | | | valuable information, your clients will |
| take long before they realize that the | | | | respect you plenty. The sad reality happens |
| supposedly personal message is spam as well | | | | when you send out valuable information and |
| but if the opening sentence or two are | | | | nobody knows because nobody read it. You're |
| captivating enough, the recipient may already | | | | better off catering to people's natural |
| be caught in the web and destined to read the | | | | curiosities and writing your periodic |
| whole thing. | | | | newsletters in a casual and personal way. |