Style & Decor

How to write a newsletter

Why have one?

There are many reasons why your business should produce a regular newsletter. First and foremost, it’s a cost-effective way to keep in contact with existing and prospective customers. Awareness of what you do – and how well you do it – is key in today’s competitive corporate environment. In fact, a newsletter provides a great opportunity for you to boost this awareness. It also helps your clients to fully understand what your company can offer and, importantly, why it would benefit them.

Easter newsletter example Christchurch Creative

But a newsletter is not just about raising and sustaining awareness. A good newsletter allows you to showcase your company’s expertise and USP. In theory, paid adverts do this, too. But a newsletter builds a broader picture and incorporates more detail. So, done correctly, it can encourage your readers to find out more. Just see our example of our spring newsletter here – you can sign up to our summer one, which will be out soon, by visiting our website.

In short, a great newsletter is a very versatile tool. It can complement an existing ad campaign and can help to successfully launch a new product or service. In fact, a newsletter can entice customers with special offers or promotions. And it can communicate and celebrate corporate success. By including appropriate links, it can also drive traffic to your website and even generate direct sales.

Newspaper with tablet on wooden table showcasing a newsletter

How should you write a newsletter?

Knowing why you should write a regular newsletter is one thing. Knowing how to write a good one is another matter altogether. We believe the key to a successful newsletter is content worth reading. Just think about some newsletter examples you receive. How many do you delete without opening or perhaps just mark as read. After all, clients today are busy and they have a short attention span. They won’t waste their time on dull, poorly written content they can’t relate to. So, to be successful, your newsletter should be relevant, well written and engaging; something that’s not always easy to do.

That’s where Christchurch Creative can help. Our team of highly skilled and experienced journalists and bloggers specialises in copy and content creation. We have a proven track record in creating tailored content that will appeal to your clientele. Our qualified writers have decades of experience within dedicated sectors of both B2B and B2C publishing, so you’re in safe hands. We can also help your newsletter look good. After all, it’s not enough to just write the greatest copy. In fact, if your newsletter looks visually unappealing, your recipients just won’t read it. However, our design team can create a fresh, accessible, appealing format/template that will keep your clients engaged from start to finish.

News concept for a newsletter

Inbox appeal

But the first hurdle is convincing clients to open your newsletter in the first place. Because, if nobody bothers to read it, you’ve wasted a lot of time and effort for nothing. Therefore, a great newsletter starts with crafting a catchy subject line. After all, everyone is overwhelmed with emails every day. So, you need to make yours stand out from the crowd. In fact, the best subject lines grab the reader’s attention instantly and make them want to click. You need to give your clients a reason to open your newsletter and read it straightaway. Don’t let “I’ll read that later” be a possibility. So this means your subject line should always be urgent, useful and unique. Where appropriate, personalising a subject line with the recipient’s name can also significantly improve open rates. However, make sure you don’t disappoint your clients with a misleading subject line. Trust is important – and fragile. If your enticing subject line bears no resemblance to the content of your newsletter, your reader will feel cheated. That won’t strengthen your client relationship. And they will almost certainly unsubscribe.

Relevant writing

Know your audience and know what you want your newsletter to achieve. This might not be exactly the same thing every time. So define your goal before you start. And make sure that what you write is relevant to your readers. In fact, how you write something is just as important as what you write, so think hard about your tone of voice. Don’t forget that writing is branding, too. So the words you use will affect how your clients perceive your business. Make sure you use terms that your readers understand. How formal/informal would you like to sound? Are you aiming for authoritative and professional? Light-hearted and quirky? Identify your brand values and make sure your newsletter content reflects them. Then keep it consistent.

SUBSCRIBE FORM FOR NEWSLETTER

Less is more

Keep it short and simple, too. Make it easy for your clients to extract the information they need. Don’t bury it in the newsletter equivalent of War and Peace. If your newsletter is too long, the key information will be lost and your reader will lose interest. So don’t make it hard for them. Instead, reward them with succinct copy that has an obvious benefit for them. Above all, send it regularly, when they are expecting it. Respect what your clients have signed up for. So, don’t bombard them with daily emails if they are anticipating a monthly or quarterly newsletter. If you do send too many, they will either unsubscribe or even report your efforts as spam.

Subscribe newsletter concept on tablet and smartphone screen

Keep it clean

We’re talking about your distribution list, of course. Let’s fact it, size isn’t everything where your database is concerned. In fact, it takes time and effort to create a good newsletter. Both are wasted if you’re not targeting the right readership. So, review your distribution regularly. Don’t be afraid to clean your list when needed, to make sure you are sending your newsletter to interested subscribers.

Lastly, it goes without saying (but we will!) that your list must comply with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) legislation. Make sure you are only sending email newsletters to clients who have opted in to receive them. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous – and you’ll need to keep a record of it. Furthermore, you must let your subscribers know how their data will be used and stored.

3d rendering cubes word news for newsletter

OUR MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: A SIMPLE SUMMARY FOR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS 

  1. Define your newsletter goal
  2. Identify your target audience
  3. Craft a catchy subject line
  4. Create valuable, tailored copy
  5. Present it within an accessible, engaging design
  6. Keep it short, simple and regular
  7. Ensure everything is GDPR-compliant

Want to know more about SEO and why this may be important for your business? Read our blog here now!

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