Ten tips for email newsletter success

— Published October 1st, 2003  |  by David Moore

Following a survey of a large number of email newsletters this month (and a very mixed bag they were), some clear recommendations can be made.

1) Know your audience

There are countless email newsletters out there, and the only reason people are subscribing to yours is because they expect something specific from you. Deliver content that meets their requirements, and that they couldn't get elsewhere.

2) Keep selling to a minimum

Your subscribers want news and information, not to be subjected to large amounts of marketing material. They'll accept a limited amount, however, if the rest of the content is useful and/or interesting.

3) Keep yourselves regular

Decide on a publication schedule and stick to it. The relationship with your readers partly depends on your reliability.

4) Offer a text-only version

Many are still unconvinced of the benefits of sending email newsletters in HTML format, so if you do choose this path, you'll need to offer a text-only version as well. Check both versions in a wide range of email clients to ensure consistent presentation.

5) Offer a web version

Online archives and extra resources help if a visitor is looking for an older article, and can also help in persuading new subscribers to join up - they can see what they're getting. Managing subscribing and unsubscribing through a site can be more straightforward for users.

6) Don't just link to the newsletter online

A newsletter has to contain news, not just a link to news. At least give people a paragraph or two to decide whether they want to continue reading. 'The latest newsletter is available. Click here to read it,' does not offer a valuable user experience.

7) Proof your newsletter

Typos are just as unsatisfactory in a newsletter as elsewhere. And, unlike a website, once the newsletter's sent, there's no changing it.

8) Respond quickly to Subscribe/Unsubscribe queries

Make the process as straightforward as possible. Include clear instructions in every mail and on your site. If people contact you directly with queries, respond quickly and politely. Even if they are unsubscribing, the success of your newsletter depends on your reputation.

9) Distance yourself from spam

Have a clear and available privacy policy, and stick to it. Never sell or give away your list, and never use it to send anything other than the newsletter people have subscribed to. Double-opt in lists (which require users to confirm their subscriptions) offer extra peace of mind. If you're in Ireland, check the legal framework at the Data Protection Commissioner's site: [http://www.dataprivacy.ie]

10) Syndicate your content

Especially if your audience is tech-savvy, an RSS feed is a useful addition, allowing you to reach people who may not want to subscribe to the newsletter. More and more people are moving to a news aggregator to manage their various content sources, and it's easy for you to join in.