Social media may be all the buzz among marketers right now, but drafting really good emails remain a viable marketing medium. However, with the sheer volume of marketing emails users receive daily, your email newsletter needs to stand out.
According to Statista, over 50% of consumers prefer email as the medium through which brands can contact them.
However, with the sheer volume of marketing emails users receive daily, your email newsletter needs to stand out.
But then,
How do you achieve your email marketing goals in a heavily competitive market? The answer is simple: you must look at how the top-performing brands do it.
In this post, we are going uncover email marketing tips & tricks along with successful newsletter examples of brands and why they work. These newsletter ideas will also help your subscribers to click through to your site.
Table of Contents
What is an Email Newsletter?
Email newsletters are one of the most common forms of online marketing. They consist of a series of recurring emails that include informational and promotional content. Email newsletters don’t always sell but provide useful, actionable insights to subscribers.
They focus primarily on getting the subscriber to perform the desired action, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a product, or clicking through to a product page.
Why does your Brand need an Email Marketing Newsletter?
You might be asking yourself: why do I even need a marketing newsletter when I have social media to reach my audience?
Well, hold on there.
About 79% of small businesses say that email marketing is very important to them.
Email marketing has an average return on investment (ROI) of $38 per dollar spent, compared to social media, which generates 28 cents per dollar. By using email marketing newsletters, you increase your reach without having to spend too much.
It’s not surprising that brands continue to pour money into email marketing to come up with the best newsletter emails, even if social media is widely perceived as the more “hip” option. Close to 50% of companies are planning to start or expand their email marketing newsletters.
Follow the below-mentioned best practices for newsletters and watch as your email marketing objectives are achieved every time.
To further enhance your efforts, combine email marketing and social media you can reap the maximum benefits for your brand.
Use these email newsletter examples & tips from popular brands to start making a significant impact in your email marketing strategies.
7 Tips to Write Your Email Newsletters with Brand Examples
1. Use an eye-catching subject line
Before you hit “send”, you need to ask yourself: why should anyone open emails from your brand? Would you be tempted to open such an email if it landed in your inbox? What is the reader’s incentive or reward for stopping what they are doing and taking the time to click on your email?
An email marketing newsletter with a catchy and relevant subject line is more likely to be opened compared to one that’s boring or unclear. In addition, personalized subject lines (or those that contain the recipient’s name) have a higher chance of being read.
Take inspiration from: Converse
The email above from Converse starts with the subscriber’s name, makes an enticing offer, then puts a time limit on the offer so the reader would take immediate action. It also uses simple words that are easy to remember and search for.
When you create an email subject line, you don’t need to impress anyone with your vocabulary or make any promises you don’t intend to keep. Just keep it simple, personalized, catchy, and time-bound to get the best results.
2. Make it simple to skim over your material
People don’t have a lot of time on their hands. When they do open your email newsletter, they probably won’t read it all the way through. If they see that the email content doesn’t match the subject line or feel that you’re not making your point right away, they will probably close it and never read it again.
You need to structure your newsletter to catch the eye of your reader. Structuring your newsletter involves breaking content up into easily digestible parts that have a logical progression.
Take inspiration from: MBA.com
MBA.com above uses a simple but engaging layout that directs the reader’s eye to specific areas of the newsletter. For example, it uses headers such as “Practice Questions” so the reader will know what they can expect for each section. That way, subscribers who are looking for practice questions can find what they’re looking for.
One of the keys to a successful email marketing campaign is respecting your reader enough to make it easier for them to find what they need.
Likewise, make the call-to-action easily identifiable. That way, if your subscribers have just enough time to skim through your content, they can still click through to your product or landing page. We’ll discuss the elements of a good CTA later in this article.
3. Include photos that are both relevant and clear
Visually, an email marketing strategy should aim to break up the monotony of the newsletter. You can do this by adding compelling, clear, and relevant photos throughout the email.
Quality photos can bring to life the products and services you’re offering your customer. This way, they can see for themselves what it is you are selling. Remember, Interactive content helps your business stand out.
Not many of us are prepared to click on a link without seeing what it contains first. Adding photos can capture your subscriber’s attention while adding a short caption can make the intent of the image clearer. Combining the two elements will give the reader a good idea of your intentions.
Photos also allow you to add a link to the product or service located on your website. By adding a photo, you encourage your readers to drive traffic to your site.
Take inspiration from: BBC
In the newsletter example above, the BBC featured stories on their website that they thought the recipient would want to read. The combination of images and text arouses interest in the reader and promises a series of good reads.
For instance, the iconic photo of writer Sylvia Plath is easily recognizable to her fans, while the naked athlete statue makes readers pause for a bit and think of the possible effects of a return to clothing-optional Olympics.
Compelling photos need to complement your text and add something of value for the reader. Otherwise, they’ll just take up space in your email.
4. Include CTAs that are clear and simple
A call-to-action is a vital email marketing tip that, when used correctly, produces high surges in your click-through rates.
There are several ways that you can include a clear and simple CTA in your marketing emails. The most popular method is to add photos that the customer can click. These will usually be specific products or services that lead the customer straight to a product page, which takes them one step closer to making a purchase.
Some businesses like to offer a discount coupon as their call-to-action. It is then up to the customer to click through to your website and choose the products they want to buy using that coupon.
Regardless of the action that you’d like your subscribers to perform, your CTA should be clear, visible, and encouraging. A strong CTA also helps you create an effective overall sales funnel.
Take inspiration from: Instacart
In the example above, the CTA button uses a strong color that sets it apart from the background. It also uses button copy that urges the user to click on it right away; otherwise, they won’t be able to use the coupon again.
Using the reader’s fear of missing out (FOMO) is a time-tested technique for generating click-throughs, and Instacart used it very well in this newsletter.
Interesting read: 7 Best Email Marketing Campaigns to Learn From
5. Include valuable information or advice
Based on the newsletter examples discussed until now, your email marketing newsletter stands a chance of being read if it contains something of value to the reader! You need to ensure the information or advice contained in this newsletter is worthy of being read.
Email newsletters are undeniably valuable marketing strategies. But ultimately, they work because they feature relevant content that is useful to the audience.
Too many of us receive an onslaught of emails desperately trying to sell us something every day. However, this leads to email fatigue – a state where subscribers stop opening emails altogether. To cut through all the noise, your newsletter should acknowledge common user needs and give advice that deals with those concerns.
You may also keep your reader updated with what is taking place in your business each month. Discuss what products and services are the key focus right now. You could even include a regular topic of the week/month.
Take inspiration from: edX
The newsletter from elearning platform edX is a good example of a newsletter that addresses customer needs and features recurring topics. For example, when I signed up for a short cybersecurity course, edX sent the newsletter above that told me about career prospects for cybersecurity professionals. It also features programs from different schools that might be of interest to me.
By addressing my key concerns and making useful suggestions, edX has turned me into a fan of the way they do newsletters. In fact, I’m already thinking of signing up for another program.
6. Limit the number of emails sent
The key to getting a good reception and action from your email marketing newsletter is to get the balance right. This means no spamming your customer or overloading them with non-stop emails.
One way some businesses solve this problem is by sending out regular emails at spaced-out intervals. This can mean anything between twice a week to weekly. But the idea remains to keep in contact yet not overstep the mark.
Too many emails sent in succession may result in the customer adding your email address to their spam list.
Take inspiration from: Le Creuset
To ensure your customers get the correct number of emails, you could ask them about their preferences. Le Creuset, shown above, allows new subscribers to specify how often they’d like to receive a marketing newsletter. Now isn’t that great?
7. Make your email one of a kind
The best practices for newsletters will be unique to your business and set you apart from your competition. When you create newsletter titles, keep them concise and, at the same time memorable for the reader.
A customer should instantly recognize that the email in their inbox has come from your company.
The way you use colors, fonts, and graphics will help readers identify your emails. If your emails use the same colors, fonts, and tone of voice as your website, your subscribers will easily recognize emails coming from you.
Take inspiration from: Virgin Experience Days
Virgin Experience Days’ newsletter above uses its primary corporate color, which is red. They then use the color to accentuate their call-to-action in their newsletters. By establishing a strong visual identity, Virgin Experience Days makes it possible for subscribers to recognize their email newsletters right away.
Wrapping Up
An email newsletter is a highly effective channel for promoting products and content on your website and engaging with your subscribers and followers. However, it will only be effective if you write, design, and time it properly.
If you can create a newsletter that ticks all the boxes above, your readers will start looking forward to receiving emails from you. By following these newsletter examples, you will gradually see an increase in website traffic and revenue.
