How can you design a corporate newsletter that people will actually read?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing or designing your newsletter, you need to have a clear idea of who you are writing for and what they want to know. What are their pain points, interests, goals, and preferences? How often do they want to hear from you and what format do they prefer? You can use surveys, feedback forms, analytics, or interviews to gather this information and segment your audience accordingly. This will help you tailor your content and tone to suit their needs and expectations.

2 Choose your content wisely

Your newsletter should have a clear purpose and value proposition for your audience. What do you want them to learn, do, or feel after reading it? How can you help them solve a problem, answer a question, or inspire them with a story? You should also balance your content between different types of information, such as news, tips, insights, testimonials, events, or promotions. Avoid being too self-promotional or boring, and focus on providing relevant, useful, and engaging content that aligns with your brand voice and goals.

3 Optimize your design and layout

The visual appearance of your newsletter can make a big difference in how people perceive and interact with it. You should use a clean, consistent, and responsive design that matches your brand identity and enhances your content. Use a catchy and descriptive subject line, a clear and compelling header, and a simple and intuitive navigation. Break up your text with images, videos, icons, or infographics that support your message and attract attention. Use white space, headings, subheadings, bullet points, or boxes to organize your content and make it easy to scan and read.

4 Test and measure your results

The only way to know if your newsletter is working is to test and measure its performance. You should use tools like A/B testing, analytics, or feedback forms to track and analyze different aspects of your newsletter, such as open rates, click-through rates, conversions, bounce rates, or satisfaction scores. You should also monitor and respond to any comments, questions, or complaints from your audience. Based on your findings, you should adjust and improve your newsletter accordingly and keep testing and measuring your results.

5 Encourage action and interaction

Your newsletter should not be a one-way communication channel, but a way to build and maintain a relationship with your audience. You should encourage them to take action and interact with you and your brand. For example, you can include a clear and relevant call to action that directs them to your website, blog, social media, or landing page. You can also invite them to share their feedback, opinions, suggestions, or stories with you or with other readers. You can also offer incentives, rewards, or recognition for their participation and loyalty.

6 Be consistent and creative

Finally, your newsletter should be consistent and creative. You should establish and stick to a regular schedule and frequency that suits your audience and your goals. You should also maintain a consistent tone, style, and format that reflects your brand personality and identity. However, you should also be creative and experiment with new ideas, formats, or topics that can surprise and delight your audience. You can also use seasonal, topical, or timely themes or events to spice up your newsletter and make it more relevant and timely.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?