Are you new to creating newsletters? There are many questions that come up when you’re designing your first template. What format should a newsletter follow? How much text should you include? And how often should you send it? How can you make sure that Jeanne will actually open her email during her lunch break to read the latest news you have to offer?

While, like any marketing strategy, the effectiveness of email campaigns isn’t an exact science, it can be optimized to meet the specific needs of a well-defined audience. A few best practices can help you build an effective email marketing strategy. Because our customers deserve it.

Tip #1: Get to know your newsletter’s audience and provide them with tailored content

It may seem obvious, but the starting point for creating a newsletter is capturing the attention of a specific audience: yours.

Whether you've collected your contacts from a paper form, through an online pop-up on your website, or through the sale of products and services, it's important to realize that your database is very important.

Some members of this database are very loyal, while others are a little less so. Nevertheless, at some point, they all agreed to receive additional information from you, in addition to your usual communications (website, marketing campaigns, and social media).

The first thing you need to do before you start creating a newsletter template is to figure out who you’re sending your newsletters to. That will determine everything else!

💡 Be careful not to violate the GDPR rules governing your audience’s data. Certain rules must be followed to the letter, such as not adding a contact to your database without their prior consent. Including an unsubscribe form is also required in all newsletters.

Find out who's behind the contacts subscribed to your newsletter

Depending on where your contacts came from, you can gauge their level of interest in your brand. Did they sign up as a result of a sponsorship campaign on your social media? A promotion on your homepage? Or an event where you met potential customers?

To organize your database, feel free to create lists based on the type of customers you’re targeting. This way, you can tailor each campaign you send to a very specific audience.

In Mailchimp, you can also create different contact segments to divide your audience into several categories based on criteria you choose. These can include the following:

Contact information: last name, first name, email address;
The contact's personal data, such as age or geographic location (provided that the person consented to the inclusion of this information when filling out the registration form);
The contact's activity and engagement (for example, to select contacts who have opened one or more of your previous newsletters).

Create a targeted campaign for your audience

Once you've imported and organized your contacts, you can start designing a newsletter template tailored to your lists. You can create a separate newsletter template for each mailing list to make it easier to edit your future campaigns.

Statistical data on email sends allows you to determine, for each mailing, whether your database is active and whether it responds more strongly to a certain type of content.

Tip #2: Get straight to the point.

Keep it short and simple! Do you strive to write short but effective texts in your day-to-day writing? This rule also applies to newsletters. Each sentence should contain one main point—not five.

The text should be easy to read and engaging. Remember that you’re not the only one sending newsletters, and that your target audience is inundated with various email solicitations. To ensure your contact opens your email, they need to immediately understand the purpose of your content right away. Beating around the bush or writing long, unstructured blocks of text only works against you. Instead, prioritize your information by using bold headings, subheadings, and short paragraphs.

The idea isn't to cram an entire blog post into a newsletter. The newsletter serves as a supplement and a bridge designed to encourage your readers to visit your blog.

✅ RECOMMENDED: Add a “Read More” button

Tip #3: Create a clean, user-friendly design.

First, make sure you have a well-balanced layout that’s optimized for all devices (mobile, PC screens, and tablets), keeping in mind that more than half of all emails are now read on mobile devices.

Use your template to make your content more dynamic. Add eye-catching images—and why not some GIFs? (Just be careful to strike the right balance so your email doesn't end up in the spam folder.)

✅ RECOMMENDED: Create dedicated sections

to the video by embedding a video player or a GIF

💡 Before sending your email, you can preview how your newsletter will look (on mobile or desktop):

Tip #4: Include an “exclusive” element—something you don’t offer anywhere else

For your audience to see the value in opening your newsletter, it must contain information they can’t find on other platforms, websites, or social media. The content of your newsletter should therefore not simply be a copy-and-paste of a LinkedIn post or blog post.

Add a touch of exclusivity to your email campaign by including an offer reserved exclusively for your most loyal customers—those who have taken the time to subscribe to your newsletter.

Delight your audience: offer them a personalized and attractive deal! This could be a percentage discount on a product or service, personalized practical advice, or contests (the results of which you’ll announce in a future email).

Tip #5: Come up with a compelling email subject line

Many people overlook this aspect of the newsletter, even though it’s very important. The subject line is, in fact, the very first thing your reader will see when they receive your newsletter: turn it into a strength! Choosing a short, catchy line (ideally no more than 9 words and accompanied by an emoji) that moves, inspires, or intrigues the reader can effectively encourage your audience to open your newsletter.

The Emotional Object

This type of content is designed to pique your audience’s curiosity by appealing to their emotions or desires. This approach is risky because it can be misinterpreted or seen as too intrusive or off-putting for certain audiences. Be sure to keep your comments fairly general and avoid making value judgments.

The Inspiring Object

Positivity breeds positivity. You can use the “short, uplifting phrase” method to pique the reader’s interest. This could be aplay on words, a seasonal phrase, or even an inspiring quote. Now’s the time to let your creativity shine!

The Object in FOMO Mode

“FOMO” (short for “Fear Of Missing Out”) refers to the panic-stricken fear of missing out on something. It may seem like a lot of pressure, but leveraging FOMO is an effective way to give a little boost to last-minute offers and sales if you’re launching a marketing campaign.

In short, to create an effective newsletter:

✔️ Know who you're talking to

✔️ Be clear

✔️ Offer interesting and original content to your target audience

✔️ Learn how to spark curiosity in your audience

Newsletter: 5 Tips for Creating Effective Content