Are you a startup, savvy small business owner or artsy entrepreneur?  👋 Ready to start communicating with your audience through email? Don’t know where to begin?

Then let’s chat about creating a regular email newsletter. One that’ll have your audience looking forward to it hitting their inbox because they can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

Before we begin, let’s just clarify what an email newsletter is. And what it’s not. 

An email newsletter is a regularly sent email communication that informs your audience about your business, your products or services and any related news and tips. 

An email newsletter is NOT a promotional or sales email, even though there may be aspects of selling in some of your newsletters. Selling will not be the primary goal. If it is, then that’s actually a marketing email.

Email marketing allows you to target specific users or potential customers through segmentation and with personalised messaging. Marketing doesn’t just involve sales however. It can also include retention, launch sequences, welcome sequences, engagement and driving a specific action. 

Newsletters on the other hand cover wider themes and look to educate and inform a wider audience, giving value and creating a stronger connection between your brand and your reader’s everyday life. 

The two are interlinked though and provide support to one another. You’re less likely to trust a company that spams you with only sales emails every week. And you may not stay subscribed to a newsletter that never produces any offers or promotions. So the two are very much complementary.

Absolutely! In fact the average ROI (return on investment) of email is 36:1, as of 2022. That means £36 for every £1 spent.

And although this is more likely to be in relation to specific marketing emails, your newsletters are really important in building long-term trust. They’re brand building without the higher costs that can be associated with other forms of paid advertising.

There are lots of options for email platforms. It just depends on what features you need and what your budget is. 

This email newsletter is coming to you through Substack – completely free. But it has limited features and design elements.

Other well-known and highly recommended platforms include Mailchimp, mailerlite and Flodesk. There are different tiers available for each of these and pricing and features vary, but they tend to have more design features and the ability to segment and personalise easily. 

But now let’s get to those top tips. If you’re just starting out and sending your first email, or if you’ve been doing it a while but aren’t sure if your newsletters are hitting the mark, these tips will help optimise in 7 simple steps.

Ahhh, the million-dollar question. Before you start typing away, or having an existential crisis ask yourself:

• Why am I sending this email? (And no, “because I have to” doesn’t count!)
• What’s in it for my awesome readers?
• What do I want them to do after reading? (Spoiler: It’s not always “buy stuff”)

If you’re scratching your head, your email might end up being as exciting as watching paint dry. And trust me, nobody wants that!

You’re not here to be a pushy salesperson (ew), but you do need a game plan. Maybe you want your readers to:

• Check out your snazzy new website
• Read your latest mind-blowing blog post
• Watch that video where you finally nailed your dance routine (I mean, tutorial)

Whatever it is, make it crystal clear. Your readers aren’t psychic.

Speaking of spooky, it’s time to channel your copy charm! Your subject line is like the cover of a book – it’s gotta be good, or no one’s opening that baby. Here’s what to do:

• Snoop through your own inbox. What makes you click? What makes you cringe? Take not of both. Make your own swipe file for future reference.
• Keep it short and sweet. No one likes a rambler. And a long subject line will get cut off by most email providers. 
• Get creative! Funny, mysterious, personalise it – mix it up!
• Emojis can be fun, but use ’em wisely. No one wants to see 🎉🎊🥳 every time.

And don’t forget that preview text. It’s like a movie trailer for your email!

Most people skim read online. So make it easy for them to pick up the jist and focus on the areas they’re interested in:

• Use headers to tell readers what each section is about
• Bullet points are your BFFs – if you’ve got a list to share
• Keep paragraphs and sentences on the shorter side. It’s easier to read and digest information. Especially if someone is reading on a mobile. A few sentences looks like a pretty chunky bit of text on a phone screen. 
• Throw in some pics to break up the text (bonus points if they’re of cute animals or funny gifs)

Pro tip: Add a little intro and outro. Something like, “Hey there! I’m Jane, and I paint dreams on canvas. New here? Scroll down for a special ‘welcome to the madness’ discount!”

Your outro can include a link to your website and ways to work with you.

Links and Calls To Action (CTA’s) are going to take people away from reading your email, so be aware:

• Don’t go link crazy. Choice paralysis is real.
• Make sure links open in new tabs. Don’t kick people completely out of your email.
• Buttons are the bee’s knees for important stuff. 
• Get personal with your CTAs. Instead of “Download the free guide,” try “Gimme that free goodness!”
• Or better yet, go for value: “Yes, I want to paint like a pro!”

Coming up with content ideas shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. Pick 4-5 themes and stick to them:

• Your weekly adventures
• Tips for fellow professionals in your field or a lifestyle topic that your readers will relate to
• Behind-the-scenes peeks
• Industry hot takes

Mix and match. Your readers will know what to expect, and you won’t be staring at a blank page wondering what the flip to write about each time.

Before you hit send:

• Get a second pair of eyes on it. Every great writer had an editor!
• Read it out loud. If you sound like a robot, rewrite it.
• A/B test. Most email providers have that feature available. 
• Avoid sketchy “hacks” that will land you in spam jail.
• Run it through a spam checker. Better safe than sorry!

Remember, writing the perfect newsletter is like perfecting your signature dish. The same formula doesn’t work for everyone. It takes time, practice, and a willingness to try different things. 

If you see everything as an experiment, then you can’t fail. You only win or learn. 

Now, off you go! Time to create an email newsletter that’ll make your audience hit reply just to say “Wow!” And if you need a hand with that writing magic, you know where to find me. ✨