Ever wonder what sets a good newsletter apart from a bad one? What the difference is between an email that’s crazy clickable and one that’s a total snoozefest? Get customers opening and clicking with these five super simple steps:

The ‘From’ is as Important as the ‘To’

A solid “from label” on outgoing messages – like the name of your company, your signature product or your fearless leader/CEO – lets folks know, in the blink of an eye, exactly who they’re hearing  from. Want to keep your subscribers coming back for more?  Ditch the alter egos and stick with one – and only one –  from label. Nothing freaks subscribers out more than a company that’s gone schizo!

Bait the Line

What kind of fisherman would go angling for a fresh catch without something juicy on the hook? Don’t expect to get too many bites without an appetizing (read: open-worthy) subject line. Just remember to avoid repeating the “from label,” over-punctuating or using all caps (nobody likes to be screamed at). And that’s how you reel ‘em in, hook, line and sinker!

Straighten Out Your Priorities

Feelin’ giddy at the thought of upping your bottom line? Want to use your newsletter to sell, sell, sell? Keep those urges in check by putting the reader first. Call them by their first name, don’t waste their precious time (using bulleted lists, columns, whitespace, bolding, hyperlinks and a max of five topics make scanning a cinch) and give ‘em something to sink their teeth into, like:

• Expert advice
• A customer testimonial
• A special offer/promotion
• An upcoming event
• A quick fact

Know That Image is Everything

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Heck yeah, especially when people’s eyeballs tend to scan pictures first. Just remember to edit photos to a Web-friendly size, include alt text for all those folks that have images turned off in their email browsers and have a good balance of images to text. Avoid, at all costs, sending your entire newsletter as one ginormous image – all those recipients who have images turned off won’t see a thing! Eeek!

Get to the Point

What’s the purpose of your newsletter? The call to action – or what you’re actually asking people to do – should always take center stage. Mental note: It’s even tougher to resist the temptation to “Learn More” or “Buy Now” when the “ask” is conveniently packaged in a colorful button that’s begging to be clicked on!

So there you have it; five super easy ways to create a successful email newsletter. Put them to work and see your results skyrocket!

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