Bad Ezine Layout Example 🙂
How many newsletters do you receive per month? How many do you actually read? How many do you even scan, for that matter?
A newsletter that looks like the New York Times Sunday Edition is going to scare people away faster than a timeshare salesman offering one of those “free vacations” (BTW – if anyone wants to buy a nice timeshare in Vegas, just email me) :-). lol One of the simplest newsletter basics is – don’t overdo it.
Newsletter Basics – What to Include
- KISS is the rule of thumb for a newsletter these days. Keeping it simple will get the best response, and will improve the chances that your newsletter will actually be read.
- Do not complicate your newsletter message. It can just be a simple “Hey, look what I posted on my blog last week, and here’s what we’re up to lately.” People appreciate brevity more than ever these days.
- The more complicated your newsletter message becomes, the less likely that you will actually write it – AND the less likely that anyone will actually read it. If you’re too busy to read a long newsletter message, you should assume that your readers are too.
- Offer value for value. Your readers have given you something valuable (their email address). In return, you should offer valuable information (if you wish to keep them on your list).
- Think about the newsletters that you read – and brazenly copy them (no, I don’t mean the CONTENT!). Do you read the newsletter that has 15 sections of four page articles – or do you read the simple message that offers value?
People are simply too busy today to spend an hour or two reading your newsletter; or they think they are, which basically amounts to the same thing. A shorter newsletter published more often will be of much greater benefit than a monthly tome. Remembering these newsletter basics will improve your relationship with those on your list because you are not demanding more time than they have to give.