Newsletters are probably the oldest form of online marketing that is still relevant to this day. In fact, a lot of businesses in the international education sector issue their monthly or bi-monthly newsletters. Unfortunately this means that there is a lot of competition for the reader’s attention, so you need to make sure that the newsletter you are sending grabs the reader’s attention and urges them to read on. Here’s how you should go about creating the best and most engaging newsletter possible. 

Research Research Research

Before embarking on a new project you need to know what you’re getting into...even if this means that you are sending a newsletter about a topic that you know very well. Your email campaign goals need to be clear. List your goals and expectations out of this project; do some research on what subjects work for your industry; check out what your competition is doing in order to determine what would be best for you. While you’re at, it also check out what newsletter types are trending so you have a clearer picture on what to go for. Avoid having a cluttered email as this will discourage your readers. Instead have a clear focus on what your newsletter is all about and tie it to one specific topic. 

Keep it more Educational less Promotional

The era of bombarding clients with all the products and services that you offer is over, there are plenty of platforms where you can showcase what you do. Chances are that all your subscribers are already aware of what you offer and if you do send them email after email pushing them to buy or book, they will, most likely, relegate your email to the junk folder. Instead, focus on educating your subscribers, focus on educational information that is still tied to what you offer, this makes the reader intrigued and may entice them to want to know more.

Be Clear to your subscribers

Once you’ve decided on what all your content will be about, be sure to set expectations on your subscribe page. Tell your potential subscribers what they can expect out of your newsletter, as well as how often you intend to send your newsletters. Having this information upfront will help diminish your unsubscribe and spam rates as well.

Get Creative with your Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing your subscribers see. You want a subject that is enticing and encourages your subscriber to open your email and read further. Another option would be to stick to the same subject to increase familiarity, however, the more fun and eye-catching the line is, the bigger the chances of your subscribers opening your email.

Always include a Call to Action

Let’s face it, you want something to happen when those newsletters are sent, whether you want subscribers to contact you for further information, or there is an offer that you want them to click on, there is always an endgame. In fact, most of your newsletter is usually a group of these calls to action, but stick to a main one, make it prominent and show your readers what you want them to do. 

Simplicity is Key in Design

Newsletters are usually cluttered with all the details and updates that you want to put in; so when it comes to design it is your best option to focus on simple and clear outlines to create a balance. Leave white space as it alleviates the feeling of clutter. Keep your email concise with redirection links for your customers if they want to know more (after all you don’t want them to just read your email but to get them over to your website or other online location that can be fruitful to you).

Always include ALT Text with your Images

Nowadays visual content is essential, it not only attracts the eye but it can also convey what you want to say without your subscribers having to read a whole paragraph. When it comes to newsletters, there is one downside with images, some subscribers may not have images enabled and may lose context when going through your email. This is where the ALT text comes in. It is simply a text alternative to the image and it comes in really handy especially if your call-to-action is embedded in the image and you want your reader to click even if images are not enabled. This is also something that helps boost your SEO. So, in short, with every image that you include in your newsletter, include a small description of what the image is representing.

The Golden Rule

Always, and I cannot stress this enough, always have an unsubscribe button at the end of your newsletter. It helps to clear the clutter and maintain a healthy, engaging subscriber list rather than an endless list of people who simply ignore your effort. This will also help keep you out of those dreaded spam folders.  

You are now all set to send your newsletter, whatever subjects you are going to discuss. Always keep in mind that newsletters are there to keep your subscribers aware of your brand, services and whatever updates you might have on your company in general.