Emails and Newsletters
E-Mail Marketing
Newsletters: Formats That Work
By Chris James
Because most Internet users spend more time sending and
receiving e-mail than doing anything else online, sending e-mail
newsletters is one way to keep visitors coming back to your Web
site.
But despite an enticing subject line, great content, links to
greater content and more, your e-mail newsletter might still be
deleted without being read.
Why? Because you're using formats subscribers don't like.
Format messages so they're easy to read. Here's how.
HTML, Text or Both?
First, which is more readable? HTML or text? Both have
advantages and disadvantages.
Text downloads more quickly but HTML lets you apply visual
branding.
Text doesn't require HTML knowledge to format, just common
sense. HTML let's you format your content for maximum
readability.
Text can look boring and unattractive while HTML lets you create
visual interest with tables, varied fonts, color and graphics.
Offer All Options
Text can sometimes appear completely different than how you
formatted it. But HTML can be slow to download, which is
frustrating for recipients.
You could make a decision to use one or the other based on your
subscriber base, the message being sent or your personal
preferences, but the best thing to do is offer your subscribers
both options.
Naturally, this means more work for you, formatting the same
information two ways, but it also means having a subscriber
group whose members know you consider their preferences.
Whether you format for text, HTML or both, develop a format
that's easy to read.
Tips for Text
Separate newsletter sections clearly. Blank lines create
valuable white space, but too much can be boring. You can create
a multitude of different lines by using the special symbols on
your keyboard:
****************<< --- >>****************
-------------------###-------------------
@------> ----------------------- >------@
===================###===================
< -----------------&&------------------ >
+-------++------------------------------+
OOoooo............((0))............ooooOO
Use fixed-width fonts so your newsletter will look the same to
recipients as it does to you.
While all e-mail clients can render fixed-width fonts, not all
can render variable-width. Those that cannot render
variable-width fonts will automatically convert to fixed-width,
which will alter character spacing and therefore the look you
intended for your newsletter.
Examples of fixed-width fonts:
Courier New.
Lucida Console.
Letter Gothic.
Variable-width fonts include:
Times New Roman.
Verdana.
Arial.
Line length is another factor that can upset careful formatting.
Standard line lengths are around 76 characters. Not all e-mail
clients will format your message correctly if you go wider than
this. Besides, individual user e-mail settings will affect
formatting in unpredictable ways.
To preserve your formatting -- and your message's readability --
insert hard returns at 60 to 65 characters for each line of text
in your e-mail message. Set line length by typing the numerals 0
through 9 until you've reached the desired length. The line
below is set at 40 characters.
0123456789012345678901234567890123456789
Or set the character wrap to between 60 and 65 on your e-mail
client. In Microsoft Outlook choose Tools > Options > Mail
Format > Settings.
If you do this, make sure you compose with the message window
set exactly as wide as the designated line length. When typing,
the text will wrap to the size of the window, not to the limits
you've set. Only when you send the message will the e-mail
client format the text wrap to the character limit. If you
forget to set the window to the right size, what you see could
be very different from what your subscribers get.
HTML That Doesn't Hurt
Waiting for a large message to download when the file size
wasn't justified by the content is frustrating, especially for
people with limited access time or who pay by the minute for
their connections.
Optimize, resize or omit graphics altogether to keep your file
size small. If you can keep the total size to 20 Kilobytes,
you'll have happy subscribers.
Compatibility is a huge issue because individual e-mail clients
display HTML differently. Stay ahead of the problem by keeping
your HTML as simple as possible. Don't use frames, anchors,
DHTML and JavaScript.
If you're using tables, make sure readers don't have to scroll
horizontally to read the text.
Mail to a test group whose members use a range of e-mail
clients. Ask them to send a screen shot of your newsletter as it
looked when they opened it. Study the differences -- glaring or
subtle -- and rethink coding in those areas.
Design Simply
Design is another area to keep simple. Elaborate design
increases file size and detracts from the message, making it
difficult for recipients to appreciate the thrust of your
newsletter or find important information.
Design to highlight the relationship between your site and the
newsletter, using subtle similarities such as common fonts and
colors. Using similar navigation helps subscribers make a
comfortable transition between the newsletter and the Web site.
To save time publishing your newsletter, construct templates for
both text and HTML versions.
The template should include design elements, title, section
headings and any other static information such as subscribe,
unsubscribe and contact information. This way you can simply
paste your new content with few adjustments.
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