How to Write an Email Newsletter

In this article you will learn how to write an email newsletter to get your message across and keep subscribers reading every issue. The 4 paragraph format below is an example to keep your email short and to the point.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Formatting Overview
   
   Keep your email newsletter short. Use headings for each new topic. You may choose to publish the newsletter in html to take advantage of graphics and animations, but keep in mind not all email software will automatically open the email in html format. Depending on your audience, you may be best to stick with a text only format and not put the newsletter within an attachment.

2. Timing - Writing for the season or week ahead
   
   Send out your newsletter to coincide with your topic's major events. For example, you might publish a sports newsletter every Sunday evening recapping the weekend's sporting events. If your topic contains tips for gardening, publish it to coincide with planting spring bulbs in the winter, and planting summer vegetables in the spring.

3. The First Paragraph
   
   Start off each newsletter with the most useful, interesting, or controversial news. Provide opinion and discussion to keep the reader's interest. Highlight regional topics of interest and weekly news.

4. The Second Paragraph
   
   Broaden to include newsworthy national or international happenings on your topic. Discuss longer-term items of interest, such as next year's Superbowl game, if you are writing a sports related newsletter.

5. The Third Paragraph
   
   Email is hard to personalize. To overcome this, in each newsletter, briefly highlight something about one of the subscribers. This will keep people reading and make your newsletter personal and unique.

6. The Fourth Paragraph
   
   Tease the next newsletter. Always end with a sentence to entice the subscriber to read your next newsletter and ask subscribers to submit their opinions for the next issue. Here's where you market your future product.
   
   Always offer a way for subscribers to unsubscribe at the bottom of the newsletter.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your newsletter short and to the point
• Encourage subscribers to submit opinions and publish them

[kingkurtus]

on 8/4/2009 I need to get more advice. I'm trying to figure out how to start a newsletter of my own. I want it to market my articles on a wide array of subjects Does anybody know how I would go about doing this?

[vintage]

on 7/16/2009 good info, and article 5*

[daverizz]

on 7/14/2009 I like this article a lot! This is handy information for clubs, parent groups, sports teams, and neighborhoods.

[didi8u]

on 7/7/2009 great tips and advice on how email newsletters. 5* and rec