How to Write an Email Newsletter

Email newsletters are strange beasts.

I sign up knowing I probably won’t have time to read most of them.  I write them knowing they’ll probably be skim-read at best.

So why bother?

In my case, a major reason is that I’m no longer active on certain social-media channels, so I write a monthly newsletter partly because it proves that I still exist.  I’m also eager to talk directly to the small, select, slightly strange group of people who have actively chosen to hear from me.

That’s what makes an email newsletter so effective, I think… the fact that people have chosen to receive it.  This can instil a certain confidence when writing updates; if someone no longer wants them, they can always unsubscribe.

(I’m not saying unsubscribes don’t sting – I can tell you they do! – but at least you’ll know what’s what.)

What should an email newsletter say?

Whatever you like.

Some companies use their newsletters as part of specific marketing campaigns.  Others use them to promote certain products or services, maybe with exclusive subscriber discounts.

Mostly, I use mine as a monthly ‘check-in’.  My goal, if I’ve got one, is for my newsletter to inspire a quick break with a cuppa and some friendly words… some of which might be about a project I’m working on, or a thing I’d like them to know about.  If someone feels compelled to get in touch after reading, so much the better!

The moral of the story is, if you know what your newsletter is for, the easier it will be to know what to say.

So, start there.

Then, decide how often you’ll write it.  I like my monthly updates because they feel less intrusive than weekly, or (shudders) daily.  I’ve also got ample time to decide what I’m going to write.

Keep it simple

Your newsletters should have a short and catchy title – something that indicates what the message is about, and can be easily taken in at a single glance.

Some email marketing platforms allow you to personalise the subject line.  I choose not to, because I think it can look a bit tacky and salesy (you and I both know this is a mass-sent email, after all), but apparently statistics show that it does increase engagement, so it’s your call.

The rest of the content should be clear and to-the-point, nicely broken up for easy skim-ability, and with a few images thrown in for good measure (full disclosure: I don’t always add images myself!)

You do you

You might have noticed that I’ve peppered this ‘ideal’ advice with asides that indicate I don’t always follow it myself.

But that’s the point of a newsletter.  It’s yours, to do what you like with.  To “make your own,” as Louis Walsh always used to say on the X Factor.

Your readers will soon let you know what they like, and what they don’t.  Use your goals and their feedback to guide you, and stay regular.  That way, you’ll naturally build trust and engagement over time… and maybe even achieve the Holy Grail of readers refreshing their inboxes, anxious to read your latest update!

(Well, we can dream.)

If you need help with newsletter content-writing, I’m here for you.

You can also sign up for my own email newsletter, should you wish.  I’m sending the next update on 7^th February, so you’ll be just in time!