1. Determine the content – Ask yourself why you want to write an engaging business newsletter. What are your marketing goals? The answer can help you decide on the content to add. You can also address every stage of your buyer’s journey and personalize the content to build a relationship with readers.
According to a study of B2B e-newsletters by research and marketing firm Fenwick, four newsletter formats are common:
- The Summarizer: about 69 percent of the emails repackaged pieces the firms had already published
- The Hard Sell: 18 percent of the messages focused on product/service benefits
- The Homepage: eight percent of the newsletters curated content from across the web and provided analysis/context
- The Forwarder: five percent of the emails the firm generated when it published a new piece of content without any context
2. Your first issue –
- Make an introduction: explain why you’re sending it, when people can expect to receive it, etc.
- Consider where your readers are at: “send the right email to the right person at the right time” (HubSpot); address the “awareness” stage of the buyer’s journey to show how you can help them. Some questions to ask yourself:
- When will this contact see value from this email?
- Will they be able to do something with it right now?
- Is this information relevant to their needs or goals?
3. Getting Started – 
- Outline using AIDA, which stands for “attention, interest, desire, and action.”
- Put the most important information at or near the top.
- Start with a compelling subject or headline.
- Stick to one topic.
- Use simple words, short sentences, and action verbs.
- Keep each e-newsletter article to 300 words or fewer.
4. Saying “Goodbye” – Campaign Monitor recommends you show some personality at the end of your newsletter. Your final message should match the tone of the rest of your content. Overall, they suggest you:
- Know your audience
- Keep it pleasant
- Show gratitude when it’s appropriate
- Keep it short and sweet
5. Looking Professional – Edit and proofread before you click “send.” Follow these tips to catch errors:
- Check all links.
- Go over the design elements, such as font sizes and colors, to make sure they’re consistent.
- Check the readability level. Some grammar experts recommend that your content read at an eighth or ninth-grade level.
- Make sure everything makes sense and is correct, including any names, dates, and times. Figures should add up.
Need help writing an engaging newsletter? Not happy with what you have?
What are your tips for writing an effective e-newsletter? Feel free to comment further below.
Quotes
“Always. Add. Value. The subscriber is paying for the newsletter with their email address and attention. So think of it like a product with value. The actual elements vary with the audience.” ~ Ann Janzer
“The vast majority of newsletters get struck by the email marketer’s kiss-of-death: “Mark as read.” ~ Margo Aaron, HubSpot, “How to Write Email Newsletters That People Actually Want to Read”
Comments? Suggestions? Need help with your communications? Contact me.
