Writing E-zines

Keep it Relevant
Anything you add must relate to your business, goals or newsletter topic. Don't just stick in a joke of the day or a trivia fact to fill space. Also, remember what your message is supposed to do. If your standard email message is a deal of the day, or you send three times a week or more often, keep the content short. On the other hand, if you contact subscribers weekly or less often, your added content might well give your newsletter more shelf life.

Keep it Short
Remember, even your best customers might be pressed for time. Add in content gradually, and survey readers to see how your enhanced version is going over. If you aren't seeing upticks in the metrics you most want to improve, hold off and reassess.

Keep it Consistent
Adding editorial content and features to a sales message will require time and money, two resources that often are in short supply for email marketers. The time comes in researching, writing and producing the additional newsletter copy. The money comes in paying that person or staff people.

A well-known retailer used to publish a stellar consumer newsletter for its direct line of outdoor gear, business-casual clothing and sportswear. One outstanding feature was a story that didn't always push products but told stories on topics subscribers might be interested in or capitalized on the company's rural Wisconsin location and sensibility. It also individualized each message with offers tied to buying history.

But the focus shifted during corporate restructuring. The writer who produced the content was let go and content reduced to product promotions. Although it's still nicely done, it has lost the features that made it a must-read.

Test, Retest & Listen to Feedback
Test and retest before you launch a major change. Survey a sample of your newsletter base for reactions and suggestions.

Then, when you go live with your new format, scrutinize your feedback emails and watch your delivery reports, in case you start generating more spam complaints and unsubscribes. Don't pull back immediately, but listen carefully to what your readers will tell you.

Changing your newsletter format can be tricky, and it will require a greater time and money commitment. But if you keep the content relevant and include readers at every turn, you will most likely deliver messages with greater value for them. That, in turn, can help you recover your costs with more sales and lower address turnover.

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