E-newsletters can be an inexpensive and helpful part of a company’s marketing and public relations, but there are a number of pitfalls you should avoid to prevent having your newsletter become just another annoying piece of unwelcome spam.
In order to be successful, an e-newsletter must have two key elements: interesting content and a neat, clean design. If either is missing, recipients are likely to be turned off and quickly add your address to their blocked junk-mail lists.
Give your e-newsletter an elegant, professional look with clear delineations between sections and plenty of open or “white” space. Avoid using too many graphic elements or sections, which can result in a confusing, cluttered or overly “busy” appearance. Most graphic designers can assist with a newsletter’s layout, and helpful templates are available online, though these usually will require some customization to ideally suit your specific newsletter.
Always include a mix of photos, graphics and text in your newsletter, and never use an approach where the entire document is included in a single graphic. Many e-mail systems automatically block the display of photographs and graphics, presenting an empty box instead because of security concerns. It usually takes only a click or two to download the missing photographs, but some people aren’t aware of this or decide not to out of concern about viruses. If you have a mix of text and photos, recipients will see your text, which probably communicates the most important parts of your message.
But what is that message you wish to communicate? Here are some tips:
Whatever you do, keep it brief. Recipients are unlikely to read through a series of long articles and probably will give your e-newsletter only a few minutes (or seconds) of their time. Put your most important content at the top of the newsletter. Don’t save the best for last because there’s a good chance people won’t read through to the end.
E-newsletters can be a helpful part of a company’s marketing arsenal, and new online services like Constant Contact make it easier than ever to publish one yourself or with a little bit of professional assistance. They’re inexpensive to produce, a good way to keep clients aware of your company and helps you connect with potential new customers. You should give them a try. The results might surprise you.
Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a leading Hudson Valley advertising and public relations agency. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 294-3342, ext. 303.
