Email marketing is one of the most effective tools in your mix, but plenty of companies never get close to its full potential. Their newsletters become a chore for subscribers rather than something worth opening.
The practices below are not theory. Apply them and your subscribers will start looking forward to your emails rather than deleting them.
Have a plan and goal in mind
Before you build a single email, decide what the newsletter is supposed to do. Brand awareness and subscriber education are common goals. Promotions are another, though they work better as a secondary purpose than a primary one.
Once you know the goal, the rest of the planning follows: what content to include, where you want readers to go, and when you plan to send.
Craft a strong, compelling subject line
Your subject line is the first thing subscribers see and, for many of them, it is the only thing they read before deciding whether to open or delete. It introduces the email and needs to make someone want to read further.
Keep it short and descriptive. The optimal length sits around 41 characters. To find out what works best for your specific database, run A/B tests and let the data guide you.
Write email copy that adds value
Nobody wants to open an email and feel like they wasted 30 seconds. Newsletters are not promotional mailers, and your content should reflect that.
The bulk of your copy should offer something useful: a relevant blog post, a practical resource, a video worth watching. You can include a promotional element, but it should not dominate the email.
Focus on your email design
Layout and design directly affect how many people actually read what you send. Aim for clear contrast between text and background, readable font sizes, and imagery that supports the content rather than cluttering it. Use headings so readers can scan quickly.
Keep content short and to the point. The average subscriber spends around 13.4 seconds reading an email, so your layout needs to work for someone scanning, not just someone reading every word.
Optimise for mobile
Mobile accounted for 46% of all email opens in 2018. [99Firms] That share has only grown since. Your newsletter must display correctly on both desktop and mobile screens.
Beyond layout, consider how your subject line reads on a smaller screen and whether your email length feels appropriate on mobile. TouchBasePro's inbox test lets you preview your email across a range of desktop and mobile devices before you send.
Be aware of your sending time and frequency
There is a real balance to strike here. Send too often and you drive unsubscribes. Send too rarely and subscribers forget who you are.
The right frequency depends on your database, and you will need to test to find it. The same applies to send time. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 9 am and 11 am are a reasonable starting point, but your own data will tell you more than any general benchmark.
Keep these points in mind the next time you put a newsletter together. If you want some hands-on help, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should an email newsletter subject line be?
- Around 41 characters is generally the optimal length. Short enough to display fully on most devices, specific enough to tell the reader what the email contains. A/B testing against your own database will confirm what works best for your audience.
- How often should I send a newsletter to my subscribers?
- There is no single right answer. Send too frequently and you trigger unsubscribes; send too rarely and subscribers disengage. Start with a consistent cadence, monitor unsubscribe and open rates, and adjust based on what the data shows.
- What is the difference between a newsletter and a promotional email?
- A newsletter is primarily about adding value to the reader through useful content such as articles, resources, or insights. A promotional email focuses on driving a purchase or conversion. Newsletters can include a promotional element, but it should not be the main focus.
- How do I make sure my newsletter looks good on mobile?
- Use a responsive email template, keep subject lines short, and avoid overly wide layouts. TouchBasePro's inbox test lets you preview your email on a range of desktop and mobile devices before sending, so you can catch display issues early.