PR University - E-Newsletters

Ineffective e-mails and e-newsletters ... we've all received and read them (maybe). 

Avoid making a few common mistakes that lead to recipients ignoring or deleting your company's correspondence.

E-newsletters allow you to communicate the latest updates, news and information related to your business in a cost-efficient and convenient way.

Here are a few tips on how to create an effective e-newsletter:

• Keep Emails Brief: 3-5 bullet points should be enough to communicate your action items without losing the audience’s attention.
• Action Items First: Statistics show between 70-80 percent of people read their emails in preview screens, so they may only catch the first few points. This is where you should highlight contracts, forms, deadlines, etc.
• Add Links When Possible: Put a short description in the newsletter and then link to important documents for more information.
• Include Company Site: Include the link to your company website and make sure your recipient knows they are there in case they cannot read the email you send or they want to revisit it later.
• From and Subject Lines: The FROM line should always be your company’s name. The SUBJECT line should be the most important feature of the newsletter (i.e., call to action, deadline announcements, etc.)
• Send on Appropriate Dates: E-Newsletters are best sent earlier in the week. Emails received on Monday or Tuesday and early in the morning give readers the opportunity to address the message before the week's the business takes over. Thirty-three percent of survey respondents said they prefer to receive e-mail on Monday and 36 percent said Tuesday. Preference for the remainder of the week declines sharply each day.
• Avoid Spam Filters: There are many tools on the web to check your subject line to make sure it doesn’t get caught in spam filters. Try http://spamcheck.sitesell.com/.
• Include Visual Graphics: Appropriate graphics are a great addition to any newsletter. Whether copying and pasting or pulling from the server, make sure you can see the graphic in a test email. If not, your message will be littered with red X’s, looking less than professional.

Ineffective e-mails and e-newsletters ... we've all received and read them (maybe). 

Avoid making a few common mistakes that lead to recipients ignoring or deleting your company's correspondence.

E-newsletters allow you to communicate the latest updates, news and information related to your business in a cost-efficient and convenient way.

Here are a few tips on how to create an effective e-newsletter:

• Keep Emails Brief: 3-5 bullet points should be enough to communicate your action items without losing the audience’s attention.
• Action Items First: Statistics show between 70-80 percent of people read their emails in preview screens, so they may only catch the first few points. This is where you should highlight contracts, forms, deadlines, etc.
• Add Links When Possible: Put a short description in the newsletter and then link to important documents for more information.
• Include Company Site: Include the link to your company website and make sure your recipient knows they are there in case they cannot read the email you send or they want to revisit it later.
• From and Subject Lines: The FROM line should always be your company’s name. The SUBJECT line should be the most important feature of the newsletter (i.e., call to action, deadline announcements, etc.)
• Send on Appropriate Dates: E-Newsletters are best sent earlier in the week. Emails received on Monday or Tuesday and early in the morning give readers the opportunity to address the message before the week's the business takes over. Thirty-three percent of survey respondents said they prefer to receive e-mail on Monday and 36 percent said Tuesday. Preference for the remainder of the week declines sharply each day.
• Avoid Spam Filters: There are many tools on the web to check your subject line to make sure it doesn’t get caught in spam filters. Try http://spamcheck.sitesell.com/.
• Include Visual Graphics: Appropriate graphics are a great addition to any newsletter. Whether copying and pasting or pulling from the server, make sure you can see the graphic in a test email. If not, your message will be littered with red X’s, looking less than professional.