How To Write An E-Newsletter
Part one of a series on how to write, build and send an email newsletter.
For a few years I was responsible for creating at least one e-newsletter a week for a company I worked for. The database grew from nothing to tens of thousands by the time I left (no, that’s not the entire population of New Zealand, but it’s a small town!).
Process of sending a newsletter
- First, promote the newsletter on your site and encourage your users to sign up, explaining why they should (exclusive content? competitions? free stuff?)
- Decide how often it will be sent (weekly is a suggested maximum) and what the key content will be, planning ahead by a few weeks so you don’t get stuck
- Write the text - see below for an example
- Write the code, or use a template (if using an html version, which I’ll cover later)
- Edit the template with text and images if using html
- Preview again and again
- Send via email or special software
Why send a newsletter?
- Promotes your site and key content to a targeted audience
- Increases traffic and conversions if you are selling a product
- Creates an added sense of community
- Provides a service to your user (bonus free content, exclusive offers etc)
- Little cost to your business and, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, not very time-consuming
- If you sell advertising, it’s more advertising space to sell
Writing an email newsletter: tips
- Keep it short
- Don’t write chunks of text
- Promote and link to your key content
- Keep the tone light
- Make the user immediately aware of the benefits of the newsletter
Example
Dear Bob Loblaw,
Welcome to Rich Minx Express, the newsletter with bonus content for Rich Minx readers. This week we have a $50 discount voucher on an iPhone, exclusive to Rich Minx Express members! See below for details.
It’s also been a busy week with our $5 million cash giveaway for the best site review; click here to enter if you haven’t already. A lucky winner will be chosen next week.
The most popular article this week on Rich Minx was How To Make Your Blog Not Suck Majorly, and the Rich Minx forum ‘buzz’ has centered round FrogMan’s thread about how he became a prince in just 90 days. Check it out!
‘Til next week,
The Team at Rich Minx
It’s a fake, but you get the idea.
Next post: How to build your newsletter.
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Posted
on
Monday, July 30th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
under
CRACK
No one will even remember his name
No real friends to mourn him now
That’s the way it is when you die in shame
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison I your vein
It will only drive you insane !
How many more will die in disgrace ?
Fated to die in shame
Wondering around lost in space
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison in your vein
It will only drive you insane !
Just another victim of smack ! or crack !
Found dead with a needle in his vein
Now he aint ever coming back !
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison in you vein
It will only drive you insane !
He now stands at heavens door
A lesson for all who remain !
Just another victim in this deadly drug war
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison in your vein
It will only drive you insane !
You don’t have to go the same way
Don’t be led by so called friends into drugs shame
More will die day after day !
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison in your vein
It will only drive you insane !
Read then understand my words
Then spread the message you have heard
Drugs aren’t welcome whatever their name
Crack ! Heroin ! Cocaine !
Don’t put that poison in your vein
It will only drive you INSANE .
DAVID BRIAN GOODWIN
March 18th, 2009 at 9:47 pm