It appears that nearly every human is fed up with email (us included), and services attempting to solve the problem continue to emerge. All the while, however, newsletters remain a driving force for countless companies, including the likes of Thrillist, Daily Candy and Refinery29. In addition, email is the most common online activity of US adults, according to Statista. So you better get it right.
The content
Content fueled companies, like those listed above, are major proponents of newsletters. That said, companies like FullContact and Groove — ones which aren’t content-based at their core — have found ways to engage with their community and potential customers.
I’ll leave you to the specifics of creating engaging content, but be sure to research the standout companies in your industry and focus on creating value for your readers.
The pitch and design
This part is tricky — even for the experts. What’s the point of a newsletter if nobody is reading it?
We’ve gathered together some examples of interesting pitches, also known as calls-to-action, from a variety of companies. Take a look at them below.
For the newsletter design itself, we recommend you check out Designspiration, the Campaign Monitor gallery and MailChimp’s gallery.
The service
When it comes to sending out newsletters, you have two choices: you can self-host with options like Sendy, or you can go the traditional route and pick a service like MailChimp, Emma, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, and the like. The choice is yours, but if you’re not interested in getting your hands dirty, you may want to avoid self-hosted options.
Set expectations
With the above in mind, it’s worth noting that newsletters are all about setting expectations. Email is a touchy subject for many, simply because it’s all too common for the average user to find their inbox an overwhelming mess; it’s not fun when they feel like you’re the cause.
To avoid looking like a spammer, be transparent and clear upfront: always include your emailing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) in your messaging, and always make it easy to unsubscribe.
The tips above are just a starting point. If you have any tips to share, please do so in the comments below!