| Introduction | While success or failure of an eMail newsletter (eNewsletter) should be directly tied to bottom line goals (sales, revenue, etc.), there are some things that can help - or hurt - an eNewsletter’s chances of achieving those goals.
We have10 guidelines for designing an effective eNewsletter, to be used with a Mequoda scorecard that will help analyse the eMail newsletters of successful B2B and B2C publishers.
As with Mequoda's other scorecards (landing page scorecard and website design scorecard), the goal is to use these guidelines to improve your own eNewsletters and to analyse those of your competitors.
The marketer should look at their last 3 to 5 issues of their company’s eNewsletter before completing the scorecard.
The goal of these reviews is to educate your marketing team on eNewsletter standards and best practices and to provide constructive feedback - not to criticise. |
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| Delivery | If your eNewsletter doesn't get delivered to the recipient’s inbox the chance of it being read greatly decreases.
Getting through Internet Service Provider (ISP) filters requires a mix of technology and relationships; most eMail service providers (ESP) provide what you need.
It’s harder to get through filters that reside on the recipient’s desktop, like those offered by Microsoft Outlook, McAfee and Cloudmark; your best bet here is to ask readers to “Whitelist” you by adding your eNewsletter’s from address to their address book.
The timing of your delivery can also make or break your ability to reach readers.
The eNewsletter should be sent at regular intervals and delivered at an appropriate day/time (weekdays during business hours for B2B, weekends or evenings for B2C). |  Score one point for each of the following: |  | The eNewsletter is delivered to the Inbox | | The eNewsletter contains a prominently placed request for a White Paper | | The eNewsletter is sent at regular intervals | | The eNewsletter is delivered at the appropriate date/time |
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| From Line | The from line of an eNewsletter should clearly identify the sender and be quickly recognisable to the recipient. Studies have shown that when viewing their Inboxes, readers start by looking at the from line; engaging readers here has been shown to increase open rates.
Each eMail should actually have two entries in the from line - the display or friendly from address and the actual from address. Here’s an example:
From Line: Mequoda Daily
In this instance, “Mequoda Daily” is the display from address; mequoda@e.mequoda.com is the actual from address. Most recipients will see the display from address; AOL and some other eMail clients show only the actual from address.
The actual from address is what is used in the desktop “Whitelisting” we discussed above. It’s important that both from addresses feature your key brand prominently; it’s also important that both stay consistent from send to send, so that your readers - as well as desktop white lists - recognise you. |
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| Score one point for each of the following: | | The eNewsletter from line clearly identifies the sender | | The eNewsletter from line is immediately recognisable to the recipient | | The eNewsletter contains both a display and an actual from address | | The eNewsletter from address is consistent from end to send |
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| Subject Line | The subject line should be engaging; benefit oriented and talk about the content of this issue of the eMail newsletter.
The key message in the subject line should be first as subject lines are often truncated. When writing subject lines, companies should be sure they don’t sound “spammy” by avoiding over-the-top claims and language favoured by less reputable eMailers. |
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| Score one point for each of the following: |
| The eNewsletter subject line is engaging and benefit-oriented | | The eNewsletter subject line features something unique in the current issue | | The eNewsletter subject line places the most important information first, so that it’s not missed by readers | | The eNewsletter subject line doesn’t sound “spammy” |
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The preview pane is the top 2” to 4” of the eNewsletter; many eMail clients show readers a “preview pane” window as they scroll their inbox. This area is another tool that should be used to engage readers.
A company logo in this space that’s instantly recognisable to readers is important; a strong benefit-oriented headline or newsletter title helps as well. Image blocking (which is getting more prevalent) makes it important to include a link to view the eMail online in case images aren’t visible. Make sure that the key messages of the preview pane get delivered even if the images aren’t visible. |
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| Score one point for each of the following: | | The eNewsletter preview pane includes a recognisable logo (or in the case of a text eNewsletter, a brand or company name) in a prominent position. | | The eNewsletter preview pane includes a strong, benefit-oriented headline or title to help pull readers in. | | The eNewsletter preview pane includes a strong, benefit-oriented headline or title to help pull readers in. | | The eNewsletter preview pane includes a link to view the eMail online. |
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| First Screen | The first screen, which includes the preview pane, is another important part of your eMail newsletter. It should include an opening paragraph that draws people into the issue with reasons why they should take time to read it right now.
The eNewsletter should come from a real person or real people; it should not appear to be automatically generated with no human intervention. There should be a table of contents that is specific to this issue:
Bad :
1. Top Story
2. Case Study
3. Special Offer
Good :
1. Top Story: Interview with Tyler Thomas, President of XYZ Publishing
2. Case Study: How ABC Publications Increased Online Revenue by 50%
3. Special Offer: Save £100 on our eMail Marketing Report
The table of contents should include links so that the reader can “jump” directly to the item in the eNewsletter or to the Website with the full story. |
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| Score one point for each of the following: | | The eNewsletter includes an engaging opening paragraph specific to this issue. | | The eNewsletter comes from a “real” person or group | | The eNewsletter includes a table of contents specific to this issue | | The eNewsletter table of contents includes links, either to each item in the eNewsletter or to the full text on a Website |
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| Look and Feel | If your eNewsletter doesn’t look engaging people will be less likely to jump in and read it. It should have a design that’s appealing to the eye and draws people in.
This design should be consistent with that of your Website/landing pages so the relationship between them is clear.
The eNewsletter should use images to support the content and business goals but not overuse them. It should be easy to skim through with: short paragraphs; bullet points; and ample white space. |
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| Score one point for each of the following: | | The eNewsletter has a design that’s engaging to the eye and draws the reader in. | | The eNewsletter has a design that’s consistent with the sender’s Website/landing pages | | The eNewsletter uses images responsibly and judiciously to add to the reader’s experience, not detract from it. | | The eNewsletter is easy to skim with: short paragraphs; bullet points; and white space. |
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