After spending some time designing newsletters for different clients over the years. I thought I would share some of my experience. The latest project was redesigning NetComs e-marketing program according to the new guidelines. In this case we had a newsletter ”guru” helping us, and monitoring our work. We picked up a few points on the way and here are some.

Newsletters are a good way to connect to your customers. Its important to build trust with the readers, by sending them relevant information, not ”spam” or bombard them with uninteresting information and convince them to buy something. There is no reason for sending them information just because you have their email. Try to collect emails in any way you can, but always ask for permission. Its also gives you a good ROI (return of investment) and is easy to track.

There are different types of e-mail concepts all are effective in its way.
Newsletter — frequent, news that gives you traffic and activity
Information letters — not so frequent with beneficial content that builds loyalty and reputation.
Advertising – generates sales if it is used right
Personal – builds relations

In a website the user is more focused in functionality and finding what they are looking for. A newsletter feels more personal, and sometimes is being sent forward to friends and family. Compared to the website, this information can be ”fresh”. According to the Nielsen Norman Group Report an average user spend 51 seconds reading a newsletter. That means that the layout and content is important. Six out of ten blocks the images, so try to motivate the reader to load the images. Most people don’t read newsletters word by word, they skim through and look for keywords. That’s why it’s important to have these things in mind:

• Short short short
• Simple text
• Titles, links and bullet points
• Always think what’s important to the user, not yourself
• And did I mention short short short

Four out of ten has email on their phone. This means that you should consider making it mobile friendly. The email-clients on the phone have become better, but you may consider more airy design so it becomes more ”finger” friendly. Buttons and text links should have space, and use the smartphone functions, like having a phone number in the mail, so it’s always easy to call.

According to Nielsen Norman Group Report, 69% of the users accepted receiving newsletter. These good numbers tells us about the possibilities we have in e-mail marketing. Then it’s just up to the sender to give good and useful content so the receiver wants more.

Apsis has made a list of the “sevens sins” in newsletters, which is:

Not control and spam test the letter before sending it
The different email clients display the content different. In Apple Mail you can see pictures direct, and play video. In Outlook 2007 there is a different story. Too heavy files, to much text and pictures or use of some words can make the way to the spam filter short.

Use segmenting if you have the information
If you have gender, address and age, use it. You can even use click data from previous emails to see their interests.

Not testing the subject, sender, content, and date and time
You can send the email to a small selection on the list. And then decide by the response what to use.

Not using social media
Not having the possibility to share the newsletter

Play it safe
Don’t be afraid to try something new. If you have the same content, pictures and offers, the click rate is low.

Inconsistency
If you have built up the expectations for an email, don’t send it out randomly. Keep the same design, and send it out regular.

Too high expectations
If a newsletter works, you should hurry slowly. If you go overboard you might be considered as spam.

Good luck!

Sources and links
www.vergil.no
www.nyhetsbrev.no
www.nngroup.com
www.apsis.no