How can the company communicate with its customers? Via social media, phone calls, leaflets. But the best way that proved itself lots of times is using email newsletters. However, it is not an easy task to create an effective email marketing campaign and make your customers react to your call to action (CTA).
So, if you want to create a successful email newsletter or work on the current one, keep reading our blog posts. Here, we will give you the tips that provide value, useful information, and general ideas on how to create the best email newsletter examples. Maybe, after reading, you will understand why doesn’t your email marketing campaign perform in a way you’d like it to perform, or make sure you do everything right.
Take a look and enjoy the article. Hope, our marketing tips will be useful to you!
What Is an Email Newsletter?
An email newsletter is one more way to interact with your customers. Just as you are writing blog posts or doing activities using your social media, the newsletter is used to update subscribers mentioned on your email list. It is a great way to get in touch with people, tell them important information about your products or services, and make the experience with your brand more personal.
It is in no way spamming because subscribers have left their name, email, other details on your website, so they have a personal interest in the brand. The email newsletter itself is not only a text. For example, it can also include videos, images, gifs, surveys, or, of course, calls to action. It is an easy way to keep the subscribers interacted and be sure that they will definitely open emails from you in the future.
Email Newsletter Design
Your email newsletter is the reflection of your business. Its appearance should base on the looks of your website. If it has basic calm colors and has a classic simple style overall, the email design’s bright, colorful template can confuse your subscribers.
To make sure you are doing everything right and choosing the best email newsletter design, test a few variants (“Example one,” “Example two,” etc.). It’s a great way to find those flaws that should be changed or removed.
Here are a few tips that can be helpful in forming a perfect newsletter design for your emails (nevertheless, don’t forget that your company is individual, so it is essential to follow your own style):
- Blurred pictures are unforgivable. You will not get subscribers’ trust by giving them low-quality content, remember that;
- Branding is important. In marketing, it is vital to save your uniqueness. Use your logo and icons, the website’s fonts, etc. Help your business to get people’s recognition;
- Choose one template. Among thousands of different emails that have their own templates and newsletter design, your email design should always represent the brand;
- Create a unique call to action and always use it. The call to action should be simple and noticeable, so people didn’t have to search for it for a long time. It can look like a button, link, or a picture that leads to the particular webpage;
- Mobile optimization would do a great job. As we all know, most users read emails, check social media, and communicate with each other via smartphone. That is why the essence of emails should be understandable from the first two-three sentences, as well as the length of the email should not be too long. Moreover, it is important to check whether all links, images, CTA buttons, and text structures in the email design look good on both phone and laptop screens.
A little tip – you can take a look at pre-created templates and email newsletter examples to find inspiration for your own newsletter design.
Moreover, a new template for a particular occasion is also an excellent idea. For example, make an accent on the visuals if presenting a new product or service of the company, but if it is a promo for blog posts – try to stay minimalistic (in order not to give the essence away).
Remember the phrase “Why should I reinvent the wheel?”. There are hundreds of great examples you can use in your email, so don’t hesitate to combine different creations to get your unique one.
Is It Okay to Send any Type of Email Newsletters to Your Subscribers?
A simple answer to this question is no, you can’t. Your company is not the only one, people get hundreds of emails from different stores, websites, and schools every day. Among those emails are promotional newsletters, updates that are sent every week, and all types of company news.
With such a competition, every text should be thought-through, planned, and have a great newsletter design. Of course, you can send whatever emails you want, but the chances are subscribers will lose it or simply skip it.
So, what are the best email newsletter examples, what advice should you follow to get people to read emails from your company, and how to create a perfect text for the template? Let’s clear that out.
Tips on How to Write Email Newsletters that People Will Read
If you are not new in marketing, you are aware of the fact that not every email is seen by the recipient. There are lots of different reasons for it. For example, some can get into spam, others get lost among working emails, or contain too much information, so people skip it without paying any attention (not everyone has extra-time for a long-read in the email, you know).
Well, how to increase subscriber’s interest in your company’s email campaign and increase clicking on the call to action button, or simply get them more involve?
Provide Value
To do that, you need to understand and include your subscribers’ interests, priorities, and pain points in the newsletters. How can your company be beneficial for them? What problems can you solve? Give an example (or better a few) in the email. Show people what they can get with your help.
Work on the Subject Line in Your Email
The subject line in the email newsletter acts as a title in the book. In order to get your subscribers’ attention, you need to come up with a catchy, intriguing, yet simple subject line. Surveys show that a thought-through subject line brings an 80% of success because, if you have got the attention of the recipient, he/she will open the email.
Don’t forget about the limitations in characters. Try to fit everything you want to say in one short sentence. Moreover, remember about keeping people’s interest, depending on the subject line, they’ll decide whether or not to open your email and read the news.
Moreover, it is recommended to avoid words and phrases that can make your email end up in the spam filter. Among those words are:
- Manipulative words. Those that push people and create uncomfortable pressure;
- Desperate words and phrases. Usually, the email contains too many exclamation marks and sounds very needy;
- Cheap, cliche phrases. “Everybody wins”, “Prizes for everyone”, etc.;
- Too good to be true. The description is speaking for itself. Don’t promise people something you will not be able to give them;
- Shady, suspicious words and phrases. You may have good intentions, but some words in the email can still associate with bad things. For example, “casino”, “legal”, “money”, “passwords”, etc.
Writing a successful subject line is a kind of art. You should not stop on one example, prepare a few, test various templates, and remember about the specifics of different types of audiences. In this way, you will be able to make your email newsletter advantageous to the max.
Keep the Focus
It would help if you had an understanding that every person is different, so the text in newsletters you are sending to different types of audiences should also vary. One email that is perfectly fine for a middle-aged woman who teaches kids can be not the one for a twenty-five-year-old male influencer who works in the financial sphere. However, both of them can be interested in your company.
That is an excellent example that shows why a unique email for various kinds of the target audience is a must. Moreover, if you have a few different offers you’d like to share during the email newsletter, it is also recommended to create a few templates and use them in your marketing campaign.
Engagement is the Priority
Of course, big numbers will definitely have a significant impact on your self-esteem and create an illusion of your email’s great success. However, smart people in marketing know that, in the modern world, engagement matters much more than numbers. Even in social media, the number of followers and likes is not a priority, but the audience’s participation is.
Think logically: even if you have an email list of one million people, and you send email newsletters to all of them, what is the point when no one will open your text? Even with the best content, email marketing has no sense without those who will react to it.
Write Email from the Customers’ Perspective
People don’t want to read a bunch of facts about your company or a long boring history. They are always looking for things they can benefit from. So, try to make your email about them.
What benefits can they get? How can your business help them? Is it worth spending free time to read this email? Answer these questions in your newsletters, and people in the email list will definitely appreciate it.
A little tip – using storytelling in the email helps to feel more involved. In addition, with an individual template for people with different backgrounds, statuses, lifestyles, you can give them information or news in a format that will be easy to read and understandable. Consider this during your next email newsletter campaign.
Test and Experiment
Every batch of email newsletters should be tested on a small number of people to see how they would react, whether engagement level would be high or low, etc.
Try various templates to see what reaction they will get, maybe you should change the way of presenting the information. Make a few, and choose the example that performed the best. Remember, the text should always be easy to read.
Test various subject headings for your email. The one you should choose must be short, informative, and understandable after the first reading. Brevity is very important in email marketing.
Newsletter design is also significant, get creative here to find your perfect variant. Do not be afraid of experiments. In marketing, brave, and initiative, people are highly appreciated.
And of course, don’t forget about the unsubscribers. You can use them for your analytics as well as improving every email newsletter. Why did they unsubscribe? What can you do to avoid this situation in the future? Maybe there are some problems with a text? There are much more examples and reasons, but we are sure you have understood the essence. Consider every detail and you will not only be able to prevent this problem but also increase the number of subscribers in your email list.
As you can see, it is possible to take a lesson from every situation (it does not matter it is good or bad). So, don’t give up and do a great job whatever obstacles you will meet on your way.
Optimize for Smartphones
Nowadays, people do almost everything with the help of their smartphones or tablets. It doesn’t matter what the actual task is: do grocery shopping, pay bills or rent, search for the needed information. That is why it is important to optimize the email newsletter for mobile devices.
Make sure the essence of your message is understandable from the first few sentences, the text itself is not too long, and subscribers don’t have to spend a lot of time reading it. The secret of the great content is in its conciseness.
By the way, all pictures, links, buttons, and additional files should be optimized and tested on the laptop, tablet, and mobile screens as well.
Best Email Newsletter Ideas
We have told you everything you need to know about email newsletters. Now, we want to share some useful information.
All people who work in email marketing have a creativity crisis sometimes. That’s understandable, considering that the number of texts you should write is more than one email every week. If you are one of those people and have trouble creating these templates, use the simple and useful tips we have collected for you below.
Get-to-Know Emails
By using this type of email, it is possible to give new customers an opportunity to learn more about your company and business. Make a small presentation, or add some photos to your template. It is an easy way to introduce your business, show its strong sides, and tell more about all the benefits and possibilities your customers get.
After sending an introductory email, it is recommended to wait for two-three days and only then send your weekly newsletters. In this way, you will always be in your subscribers’ subconscious (at least, at some level).
Weekly Newsletter
Include company updates in your weekly email newsletter. It can mention new offers and products, employees updates, stories from behind-the-scenes. Do not forget to think about what your audience would like the most, and write something you would be potentially interested in yourself.
And do not push yourself too hard while creating an email, it should not be an example of a masterpiece. It is important to give people all the necessary information in the quickest and the most comfortable way, they will not have time to read a literal poem. So, instead of wasting your time and stressing yourself up, think about this – what would you enjoy reading in the email newsletters?
Industry News
It will always be beneficial to educate your subscribers and give them some interesting information in your sphere (logically, if they have agreed to get your email newsletter, they are interested in your field in general).
However, there is a vital thing you need to consider while writing an email. Do not use too many technical terms. It is important for people not only to read the info you have prepared for them but also to understand it. Adjust to the level of your subscribers’ awareness of the topic.
Holiday Emails
The purpose of this email is to entertain, congratulate or spread awareness. The variety of formats is great: for example, you can use bright pictures in your template, tell people a funny story related to the holiday, or help find an excellent gift for their beloved ones.
In addition, with the help of those newsletters, you can share info about special holiday offers! Or, maybe there will be some exciting events? If so, an email newsletter is the best way to spread the news and get as many people involved as possible.
Don’t be afraid if it looks like a promo. Many subscribers are waiting for holidays because great discounts and offers come with them.
Inform about Opened Positions
With a special email newsletter campaign, you can not only get new potential customers but also find employees who are already aware of your business, know some specifics, and will be happy to join your company. Just don’t forget to mention “An opened position” in the subject line.
Product or Service Tips and Tutorials
This type of email is considered to be very successful among all the newsletters, as it assists in solving your subscribers’ problems and answer their questions.
There are a few variants of “guides” you can provide people within your email:
- A classical text guide. Here, you can write a step-by-step instruction, a text written in the form of storytelling, etc.;
- Pictures guide. Show people how they can use your tool or product with the series of photos that show that;
- Video guide. This variant is one of the most popular these days. As most people are visuals, they get information the best while watching. The example of how to use the things they can potentially do or get will do a great job.
Do not be afraid of getting creative here. The more unique and exciting your email template will be, the more chances subscribers will find it interesting and remember you.
Special Offers and Discounts
In an email newsletter campaign, it is vital to give people a reason to open your email. Why should they pay attention to it? Is it worth their precious time? Why should they choose you among thousands of other interesting companies?
There are a few ways you can use to attract users’ attention. For example, you can “Special offer” emails for those who have not been updated for a while to encourage them to go to your website and enjoy that possibility.
Or, you can try a “Bring a friend/family/beloved ones – got a discount” type of offer. In this way, you will be able to kill two birds with one stone – make subscribers pay attention to your brand and get new potential ones too.
And of course, you can create “Subscribers only” discounts. Think about it, people will never ignore or delete this email because it will make them feel both special and happy to get a little money off. It sounds like a win-win, don’t you think?
Surveys and Feedback
Customers’ experience is a priority of every business. That is why nothing stands still, business owners constantly optimize everything and searching for new variants and possibilities. But how to know what should be transformed, what added, and which parts are useless and should be removed?
Well, my friend, here is where surveys get extremely helpful. What is the point of inventing the wheel if people are already riding bikes? Just ask your customers what they would want to see in your updates. Add a survey to your template and send it to those who have already interacted with your business. To encourage them to participate in it, add some bonuses for everyone who took part in the survey.
Moreover, feedback will also be helpful because, in the future, you can collect them and place them on your company’s website or social media. It will increase the brand’s trustworthiness, show newcomers that you are not a scammer, and increase the reputation overall.
Birthday Wishes for Regular Customers.
Make customers feel special on their special day. For example, you can send personalized letters wishing them a very happy birthday, or even offer a little discount. Get creative, people always remember such sweet sentiments.
Inform People about New Products
How would everyone know about the exciting addition to your wide range of products if you will not inform them with an email newsletter? The possibility that they will remember about your company and check the website now and then is extremely small. Choose a special template for your newsletters and tell them this exciting news.
Send a Message from the Company Owner or CEO
We have already talked about the importance of making people feel special. Well, once again, this is that kind of situation. A message from a “big boss” will definitely make customers feel valued and appreciated. You can create separate newsletters for this purpose. For example, let the boss write a few encouraging paragraphs, scan his/her signature, and add it as a picture to your email. Or, ask your CEO to write a handwritten letter, make a scan and send everyone with an appropriate subject line.
Behind-the-Scenes News
Make your customers feel more involved in the whole working process. Include the footage of how your team is working on new products in the email newsletter, show some bloopers (because we are all people), or videos from team buildings and office celebrations. Remember that every time someone opens your email, there is a real person on the other side of the screen. They will be interested not only in promotional but also in real-life content.
Blog Posts Alert
Everyone appreciates high-quality, exciting content. If you are not only trying to sell something with the help of emails but also ready to be useful for your customers, create a separate template for informing subscribers about a new blog post.
In this way, you will manage to not only pay people’s attention to your brand itself but also increase the traffic on your company’s website, which is also a pretty significant benefit.
Thank your Customers for Their Presence
It is extremely useful to practice it sometimes. People like to feel special. Use an email newsletter to remind them about it. In this way, you will update the subscribers and cheer them up a little. And we always remember those who made us smile, don’t we?
Why Are Newsletters Important?
Any business is nothing without its customers. Everything is always done by people and for people. And that is why emails are so important. They give companies an opportunity to keep in touch with clients constantly. Moreover, suppose the template you use for emails is personalized, includes valuable info, and can deal with their pain points. In that case, you will become a great example of a company that sincerely cares about customers.
Besides, there are few more important reasons that are worth mentioning:
- Sometimes email newsletter is more effective than social media. With this statement, we do not say that social media are not crucial. However, they work more on a brand reputation and interaction with the audience in general. Emailing helps to convert those followers into loyal customers, works individually with everyone, and gives them precisely the info they need;
- It saves you money. Email marketing is a perfect variant for beginners or small business owners because, with its help, it is possible to attract a lot of new customers with the price of almost nothing per email. Moreover, it is a much better choice than traditional old-school methods like ads on the radio or TV or direct mail. And it has definitely proved its effectiveness because it is the twenty-first century, and thousands of marketers are coming back to emails. According to the latest studies, for every $1 spent on email marketing, companies get approximately $40 back;
- Emails feel more personal. You can divide the email list by names and address people by their names (if their name is mentioned in the beginning, the chances they will open the letter a higher). You can also divide your listing by interests and create templates specifically for different targeted audiences. That is the difference between social media and email marketing: in the first variant, you make one text and show it to everyone, it does not matter if it is a potential customer, the current one, or maybe a business partner. But with emails, you can include all the specifics of different audiences, test them, and find out what works best;
- Emails are actions oriented. Believe it or not, most people have a reflects on doing something with their email in their core – whether it is to read it, delete, click a call to action button or maybe buy straightforward. That is why you should use it for your business’s benefit and at least direct traffic to your website. It does not matter if the person has bought something or no, it is a win-win situation after all;
- Mobile devices give the opportunity to check your offers immediately. As we all know, people do not go anywhere without their phones. They use it while in lines, in traffic, or wait for someone. As surveys show, 91% of people use their smartphones to check their emails. So, do not forget about mobile optimization (as we have mentioned before) and follow your success.
As you can see, the number of email newsletters’ benefits is endless. Do not underestimate them because it may seem old-fashioned, some things are simply immortal and will never be out of trend. People will always appreciate the personalization and connection, and any type of business should always remember this fact.
Final Word
When making your weekly newsletters, remember – people have chosen to receive emails from you. Do not be afraid to look like a spammer, instead of that, work on the emails with your team in order not to look like one.
Email marketing is a great way to always keep in touch with your customers (potential and current ones), update important news and new products, and show that you actually care about them.
Hopefully, our ideas were helpful, and you have got the inspiration to create something new, memorable, and special for your email newsletter. Do not be afraid of experiments. Good luck!