How to Create an E-Newsletter People Will Actually Read
Thursday, August 22, 2013

E-newsletters have proven to be a great way for attorneys and other professionals to keep in regular touch with clients, prospects and referral sources. But an e-newsletter does you no good if no one is reading it. Here are 10 tips to ensure you create an e-newsletter that people actually want to read:

1. Ask why. Before you begin an e-newsletter program, ask yourself why you want one. As I noted above, one of the main reasons law firms send out e-newsletters is that it’s an inexpensive and effective way to keep in touch with clients who may need you again or referrals sources who need reminding that you exist. The goals for your e-newsletter should align with your business goals.

2. Find your focus. Your e-newsletter should have a singular topic focus that reflects what you do.

 

3. Remember the 90/10 rule. Your e-newsletter content should be 90% educational and only 10% promotional.

4. Set expectations. In the subscribe box of your e-newsletter, offer a preview of what subscribers can expect in each issue in general terms.

5. Create compelling subject lines. Take extra time with your subject lines to make sure they really entice people to open your email. 

6. Have one call-to-action. Choose one main thing you want your subscribers to do and make it simple for them to do it.

7. Feature a clean design and minimal copy. Readers can be overwhelmed by too much content. If you have a longer feature you want them to read, send them to your blog or website.

8. Include alt text for images. If your recipients don’t have images enabled on their email, your images will appear as question marks. Be sure that your images have alt text, which is the alternative text that appears when images are not loaded in an email. 

9. Make it easy to unsubscribe. You want an engaged subscriber list, so don’t make it difficult for those who don’t want to hear from you to unsubscribe. This will also protect your e-newsletter from being marked as spam.

10. Keep testing. It takes a little time to determine what resonates with each audience, and the way you do this is to test. Try different subject lines or calls-to-action to see what works best for your firm. 

 

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