Email newsletters remain one of the most effective ways to engage an audience and drive conversions. However, creating a newsletter that people actually want to open and read takes skill.
The design of your newsletter impacts everything from open rates to click throughs. Follow these proven tips to craft compelling email newsletters that convert subscribers into customers.
Choose the Right Newsletter Service
Your first step is selecting an email service provider (ESP) to send and manage your newsletters. Leading options like MailChimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, and Klaviyo each have their pros and cons. Compare capabilities like templates, automation, analytics, integrations, deliverability monitoring, and pricing to pick the best fit.
Top 4 Tools To Use For Building Your Newsletter
- MailChimp – Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms. It has excellent templates, automation features, and detailed analytics. The free plan lets you send to up to 2,000 subscribers.
- Constant Contact – Constant Contact focuses on easy email creation for small businesses. It has great tools for building emails visually and managing subscriber lists. Pricing starts at $20 per month.
- Klaviyo – Klaviyo is a robust platform focused on segmentation and personalized email campaigns. It offers powerful automation with advanced features like predictive modeling. Pricing starts at $40 per month.
- AWeber – AWeber has been around for over 20 years and offers a robust feature set for broadcast and autoresponder emails. It integrates nicely with many CRMs and ecommerce platforms. Plans start at $19 per month.
Other top options are ConvertKit, Campaign Monitor, GetResponse, and Sendinblue. The right email newsletter builder depends on your specific needs and budget. Most platforms have free trials to test out the features before subscribing.
Set Up Your Newsletter Account
Once you’ve chosen your ESP, set up your account. Most platforms make it quick and easy. You’ll need to connect your email lists, configure settings like your sender name, create signup forms for your website, and set up onboarding automation flows. Taking the time to optimize these foundational elements will pay off when launching your first newsletter.
Design Your Newsletter Template
Now comes the fun part – designing an email template that reflects your brand. Start with your ESP’s template options to save time. Then customize the layout, images, colors, and fonts to create a polished, professional look. Having clearly defined brand guidelines will help maintain visual consistency. Leave ample negative space and make sure columns aren’t too cramped on mobile.
Craft Compelling Content
Quality content is what convinces subscribers to open and engage with your emails. Determine the overall positioning and voice for your newsletter. Create an editorial calendar to map out themes and topics in advance. Interview experts, share insider tips, or provide analysis – deliver unique value. Balance educational articles with promotional content and lifestyle stories. Photos, infographics, and videos are excellent visual assets to incorporate.
Optimize Message Structure
How you structure your newsletter impacts readership. Open with a branded header to orient readers. Summarize the highlight story or deal in a H1 tagline below. Use brief paragraphs and lots of headers to chunk long form content. Links should have descriptive anchor text. Insert inline CTAs to drive conversions. Close by recapping and inviting feedback. Follow this logical flow through each edition.
Refine and Evolve Over Time
Expect to refine your newsletter strategy through testing. Try different calls to action, subject lines, content formats, send times, and layouts. Study analytics on opens, clicks, and unsubscribes to see what resonates. Survey subscribers directly for feedback. Continually fine-tune your design and content to maximize engagement and ROI.
Create World Class Email Newsletters
Launching a newsletter is simple but optimizing it for conversions takes work. Prioritize your ESP choice, branding, content quality, message flow, and ongoing improvements. With this checklist, you’ll be ready to publish email newsletters that captivate your audience and amplify your business impact.
