Follow these email marketing suggestions to create e-newsletters consumers will look forward to reading

With social media algorithms leaving businesses scratching their heads, email newsletters are coming to the forefront as a dependable way to reach consumers.

“The question isn’t whether or not you should start an email newsletter; it’s how can you create a newsletter that people actually want to open?” writes Cayleigh Parrish in a July 24 post on FastCompany.com.

Some of the key takeaways:

• It doesn’t matter what day of the week or what time of day you send a newsletter. That said, open rates will be highest an hour after the email is sent. Parrish says these are the four most important aspects to consider:
  • Workflow: Pick a day that works with your schedule and is one you can replicate so you can get the newsletter out consistently. Give yourself enough time to create, get feedback and test the newsletter before it goes out.
  • Audience: Think about what your audience will be doing when they receive the newsletter. Will they be waking up? Commuting? Returning from lunch?
  • Competition: Figure out when your competition sends its newsletter and plan for a different time. Being the only new email in the user’s inbox will ensure yours stands out.
  • Goal: What do you want your audience to do? Click a link? Answer a survey? Read a long story? Plan your timing accordingly. People on a morning commute probably won’t want to read a lengthy article when short on time and preoccupied.

• Keep the design simple and easy to read on different browsers and devices. Parrish recommends designing for mobile first, with lots of bullets, short sentences and headers to break up text. Use photos but place them lower in the newsletter because they don’t always load quickly.

• Make your subject line intriguing. Fast Company tests its subject lines by sending out tweets that link to different articles in the newsletter. The one that gets the most engagement becomes the headline for the newsletter, Parrish says.

• Give readers something extra. Once the newsletter is up and running, it’s natural for people to lose interest after a few months, she writes. To keep them coming back, give them something that sets you apart, such as the giveaways in Creative Market, a unique format like the number-centric Significant Digits or the pop-culture references in TheSkimm.

• Encourage engagement with your readers. You can seek feedback, include one-question polls or ask questions within your newsletter. Encourage your readers to respond on other platforms, such as Twitter or Facebook, or during store events or trade shows, Parrish writes.

• Never stop promoting your e-newsletter. If you want to see growth, make sure people know about it. On that note, have you signed up for Sleep Savvy’s twice-monthly e-newsletter, Shop Talk? You can subscribe to Shop Talk right now. And if you are a subscriber, be sure to spread the word to your staff members and tell us what you think.