Creative email graphic design newsletters

Three powerful tips to create email newsletters people will love

 You've been firing out some email newsletters for some time. They seem to be going well. Why would you need to change anything? Email marketing is one of those areas that we never dedicate enough time to. It's an after-thought. A quick fix, when we remember we've not sent anything for a while.But all that is about to change. If you've been chewing over the idea that you could do better with your e-marketing, then the following tips will boost your efforts and give more return. That is, more opens, more click-throughs and more potential customers. Awesome. 

1. Supercharge your subject lines

You really can make all the difference if you take a closer look at your subject lines. It's the first and only chance to entice people to read your email. Don't just write "latest news from me". Consider the reasons why your audience might be encouraged to click "open" in the first place.According to the Advanced Marketing Institute, "reaching your customers in a deep and emotional way is key to successful copywriting, and your headline is unquestionably the most important piece of copy you use to reach prospects."How do you know if you're hitting the mark? This free tool will analyse your headline to determine the Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) score. The higher the score, the better. As well as your EMV score, you'll find out which emotion your customers will feel the most:

• Intellectual: Words which are especially effective when offering products and services that require reasoning or careful evaluation.
• Empathetic: Words which resonate in with Empathetic impact often bring out profound and strong positive emotional reactions in people.
• Spiritual: Words which have the strongest potential for influence and often appeal to people at a very deep emotional level.

But it's not just about tapping into emotions. You have to treat your subject line as though it's a headline in a newspaper. What would make people click to find out more? BuzzFeed or Bored Panda are great examples of having enticing headlines. They might write up to 30 different versions, and then test them to see which works best. It really is a job in itself. 

2. Get the design just right

When designing email campaigns, the general rule of thumb is that you should focus on your message and keep the design straightforward.In Mailchimp's Email Marketing Field Guide, it suggests that you "lay out all the elements for your campaign in a hierarchy, putting your most important information or the main takeaway toward the top so people can quickly scan your email if they’re short on time." This makes total sense when you consider how we consume content these days – we might not scroll because we have so little time. So put the important stuff at the top.Readability is the next important design tip: you want your emails to be as easy to read as possible by not being afraid of white space, dividing content into sections, choosing legible fonts within the 14-16px range, and adding a clear call to action. Mailchimp's Email Design Guide is highly recommended and offers some fantastic tips.You should also consider mobile, and how your e-newsletters will look on a smaller screen. Mailchimp emails are thankfully responsive, and you can have some control over mobile design within their templates.

 

3. Take a fresh look at your writing style

Do you enjoy writing newsletters? Do you think the copy reflects you and your brand? Is it personal? Will it emotionally connect with your audience? Because one of the biggest mistakes we make with our email marketing is that we go into "drone" mode and write copy that's long-winded and boring.It's easily done. Writing can be hard work. You want to impress, but remain humble. You want to be friendly, but stay professional. You want to connect with people but avoid being gushy.If this sounds familiar, and you're struggling to write great copy, then write the way you talk. It's as simple as that. This one piece of advice will transform the way you create content forever.

• Don't overthink it: Struggling to find your authentic spoken voice? First of all, relax. Ditch the insecurities and stop over-thinking it. Be yourself. Throw out the rule book and just start writing. Allow the words to naturally spill out. Just focus on covering what you want to say, and you can go back and edit later.
• Imagine you're in a pub with an old friend: How would you tell them about your business or latest news? You wouldn't use long sentences or complex grammatical structures. You'd be short, punchy and light-hearted. You wouldn't be afraid of full stops.
• Get personal: Don't talk about your community or subscribers, write as though you're only emailing one person. And throw in the word "you" whenever possible – it will engage your reader and make them feel special.
• Smile while you type: It might sound ridiculous, but if you grin your head off while you write, you'll end up with vibrant and positive copy. And as positivity is something that appeals deeply to everyone, you'll be writing copy that will make others smile too.
• Record yourself: Still can't write like you talk? Record yourself and listen back. You'll notice you're more laid-back and relaxed. Start typing out what you're saying and you'll soon get into the flow. Don't be afraid to use a little slang either – this isn't the time to be formal.
• Read your copy aloud: Before you hit "publish", read your copy to yourself or someone else. Is there anything that feels awkward? Any words that you stumble upon? You'll be able to make any final tweaks to turn your copy into something people will enjoy reading.