If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you may have wondered how I publish these high quality e-mails on a consistent basis. The answer: I don’t!
As any small business owner will tell you, outsourcing is the key to getting all the stuff done without pulling your hair out. So, while I DO write the content of my newsletters, I rely on the mad skills of Social Seed Marketing to make it look nice and send it out.
Today, I’m excited to feature Katie Tocquigny to tell us about how to create effective e-newsletters.
KS: What is it about an e-newsletter that makes people want to click and open it versus just deleting it or unsubscribing? Is it the graphics? The information? A joke or pithy quote? Links to other resources?
KT: This is really an art worth mastering because as we all know too well, people receive a daily deluge of emails in their inboxes!
In my opinion, a successful newsletter is short and sweet, and has a personal touch that draws you in. It contains information that adds value to the reader regardless of whether they buy a product or service. If you have a newsletter following, they know it won’t take up too much of their time to read, they will find it interesting, and will probably learn something new or useful.
Jokes and graphics definitely add to the entertainment appeal! And resources are often appreciated. But above all: keep it concise, catchy, and personal.
KS: Do you have any tips for writing an eye-catching subject line?
KT: Keeping the subject line short and descriptive is key. Think of the subject line as a mini advertisement for your newsletter – you want it to be compelling and grab the reader’s attention. Creating a sense of curiosity, urgency, or excitement can help accomplish this.
Make it personalized when it makes sense – people love to see their name! Use merge tags when setting up your newsletter to add the recipient’s name to the subject line. This has been shown to increase clicks and open rates.
And one item of caution – use punctuation and emojis sparingly. While using a couple of emojis in a subject line can increase open rates by almost 30%, too many can make your email look like spam… and nobody likes spam!
KS: What are three mistakes you see with e-mail marketing?
KT: A big mistake that I’ve seen is when an author uses writing that is too lengthy and lofty. People have limited attention spans, especially when it comes to emails – you want your writing to be accessible and to-the-punch.
An email that doesn’t add value to the reader is a misstep, too. You don’t want to just push a product or service and not offer something relevant to the reader in your campaign.
Lastly, and this is so important – don’t hide your personality! People are drawn to a personal touch. If that consistently shines through, people will keep wanting to come back to your emails to see what you have to say next.
That concludes my two-cents on e-mail marketing – good luck to all!
Katie has a long history in the insurance and finance industries. After pursuing a career in insurance brokerage and account management at Aon Risk Services, she shifted gears to Digital Marketing.
With Social Seed Marketing, Katie focuses on social media scheduling, research, and many other aspects of day-to-day operations. When she’s not working, she enjoys time with her family, running, and practicing yoga!
