How to create a really effective eNewsletter  |  |
| | |  | There are many factors that make good eNewsletters but there are just two simple maxims: make it easy to use and inviting to read!
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| 1. The main navigation bar  | Just as every PC and Mac program has a main navigation bar include one to assist your readers to find their way easily round your eNewsletter.
Studies have shown that, on average, a navigation bar, with embedded links, gets over 25% of the total clicks in any one eNewsletter. Make it stand out, easy to understand and easy to use! |
| 2. De-emphasise little-used
features | | Research shows that search engines are used far less than the navigation bar. So, de-emphasise the search engine. Keep it in, as some users will want to use it, but don’t allow it to clutter the page. |
| | 3. Catch the eye | | The main graphic device will either catch the reader’s eye or not. Good graphic design is just as important in eMail newsletters as it is in printed newsletters. |
| | 4. Minimise the copy | | Line upon line of text can be real turn-off. I find that a short sound bite, with a link to a micro web site or the company’s website for the full article, is much more effective. Generous line spacing is another well-established graphic design feature – this creates both style and improves legibility. |
| | 5. Forward this eMail | | Research has shown when this link is placed near the top left-hand side, it is more effective than at the very top, or at the very bottom of the eNewsletter. |
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|  | | 6. Personalisation | We’ve all moved on from a simple “Dear Norman” type of personalisation, but if the reader has used a “Register here” facility to confirm a particular product interest, then eNewsletters can link the reader directly to a landing page on the website containing more relevant detail.
Better still, using a sophisticated eMail distribution system, like our ePartner ASP software, the eNewsletter itself can contain personalised sections.
For example, a front page section could be called “Recommendations for you” which includes only products relevant to the reader’s stated interests. |
| | 7. Conclusion | Using these tips, unsubscribe rates will fall, and click-through rates will increase. Personalisation is the real key. You will need to collect this extra data and run a sophisticated eMail distribution system to use it effectively.
I have seen many personalised eNewsletter campaigns and have come to the conclusion that they work so much better than the generic, “one size fits all”. |
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