How to write an email newsletter people actually want to read

We know that newsletters are king. In fact, in an article over on WIRED, Oliver Franklin-Wallis once called them “the next (and only) hope to save the media.”

But with the average open-rate sitting at under 17%, how do you make sure people will actually want to read yours? Well, there are no guarantees in this game, but we’ve got a few tips so you can hit the ground running. The rest will be up to you.

Step 1. Read other successful newsletters

In your opinion, what makes a newsletter great? What makes a newsletter successful? The only way to learn more about writing a good newsletter is by reading them. Make sure you look at examples both inside and out of your industry – you never know where you’ll find inspiration.

Step 2. Decide what kind of newsletter yours will be

Why have you decided to start a newsletter? What exactly do you want to say? What does your audience need to hear? These are all good questions to ask yourself now. A big problem with email marketing is that they’re often trying too hard to do too many things.

An unfocused newsletter just ends up looking like a random mess in people’s already over-cluttered inboxes. Decide now what kind of newsletter you want yours to be, and stay focused. Whether you stick to a specific theme or format, figure out what your audience wants to read about… then write about it.

Step 3.Offer subscribers something new and exciting

Your newsletter should be original. We don’t mean it has to be something no other brand has ever thought of. There are, after all, only so many chord progressions.

We just mean that it has to be something that you can’t find elsewhere. Something that isn’t just copied and pasted from your website. People have already been on your website. So what are you offering them now?

Whatever you do, make sure you leave your subscribers with something to think about. If you can, try and encourage them to look further and deeper into your brand for themselves.

Step 4. Get creative – don’t just sell, sell, sell

Your newsletter content must be balanced. We suggest about 90% education or entertainment and only 10% promotional. The fact is, even your biggest fans don’t want to hear about your products and services 100% of the time.

The harder you sell, the less your readers will engage with your content. If you want people to actively open your emails, read them, and hey, hopefully even enjoy them, there has to be something in it for them.

Step 5. Hire a skilled copywriter

The most effective way of ensuring your newsletter is actually read by your audience, is to make sure it’s actually written properly.

Email copywriters are the pros when it comes to getting people to act – they can create perfectly formed content that’s concise, to-the-point and totally readable, all finished off with a strong call-to-action that’s bound to send your click-rates sky high.

Step 6. Adjust your expectations

If you read our  previous post about newsletters, you’ll know that the honest truth is that most people just won’t read your newsletter. No matter how brilliant it is, people are busy, inboxes are overflowing, and nobody really cares about your brand as much as you do. (Sorry.)

Like we mentioned earlier, the average open rates for all email marketing campaigns stands at just under 17%. We’re sure that the quality of the content in your emails will be well above average, but if you’re hoping that even half of your audience will read them – now is the time to adjust those expectations.

Honestly? A 20% open rate is amazing. 25%? Wow, incredible. Give yourself a pat on the back. (No, seriously).

Step 7. Test, test, then test again

Once you (or your copywriter) have crafted the perfect newsletter, it’s time to test it. Then test it again. And again.

Use different subject lines for different subscriber groups, and look at your analytics to see which ones perform best. Mix up the days and times you send your newsletter out, to see if there’s a pattern in your audience’s behaviour. Send them to different email platforms to make sure everything is working as it should. Preview it on mobile and desktop.

Feel free to experiment a little until you find something that works for you, and importantly, keeps your subscribers interested.

Step 8. Keep it up

It may sound obvious, but readers will only lose interest as quickly as you do. If you miss a week, or the quality very obviously dips, people will either have half-forgotten about you by the time the next one rolls around or, at the very least, be less keen to open it if last time was a bit naff.

Remember: the unsubscribe button is only ever a click away.

Got any more tips and tricks for running a successful newsletter? We’d love to hear them. Find us over on Instagram.