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How To Write A Newsletter That People Love To Read

Updated: Aug 22

How To Write A Newsletter That People Love To Read


Virtual Assistant - Top Virtual Assistants


We get it. You want your newsletter to be *the* newsletter. The one to stand out, be eagerly opened, read through, and anticipated for more. And with the flood of newsletters reaching their inboxes, we understand why it can be tough to catch your audience’s attention and keep them interested nowadays.


What if we told you that there are four critical areas that, when executed well, can address your concerns and make your readers stick around?


Intrigued? Let’s explore each one in detail:


1. Format: Your newsletter format needs to be designed for easy reading


When it comes to your newsletter format, there are key factors to consider that will make it more appealing and reader-friendly. Avoid common pitfalls like:


  • Big text blogs: Lengthy paragraphs can overwhelm readers and make it harder for them to follow along.

  • Scroll navigation: Having to scroll excessively can be tiresome and discourage readers from exploring your entire newsletter.

  • Static formatting: A monotonous layout without visual variety can make your newsletter appealing and uninteresting.


Instead, follow these best practices in content writing and cognitive psychology:


  1. Chunk down the text: In cognitive psychology, chunking is a technique that involves breaking information into smaller, easily digestible sections. By incorporating shorter paragraphs, you can make your content more manageable for people to read and for their brains to process what they’re reading.


  1. Grab attention with focal points: Elements such as pull quotes, images, and videos are cognitive focal points that can easily draw your reader's eyes. Use them strategically to direct your reader's attention to the most important pieces of information in your newsletter.


  1. Provide flexibility in navigation: Readers appreciate the freedom to explore the content in their way (see: The Theory of Self-Determination). Allow for non-linear navigation options like a table of contents or bold headings, so readers can jump into sections that interest them the most. This empowers them to spend more time engaging with your newsletter.


2. Content: Your newsletter content should follow the 60/40 rule


Did you know that our brains have a natural inclination toward visuals? In fact, they process images 60,000 times faster than any other type of data.


Are we saying that your newsletter should only be filled with pictures or videos? No, but rather it should have the right balance between text and images to make it appealing for the reader. The recommended guideline is to follow the “60/40 rule”, where you have 60% text and 40% images in your emails.


This recommendation is supported by studies that show when you combine text with relevant imagery, it significantly enhances the overall comprehension, memorability, and persuasiveness of your content.


3. Personalization: Your newsletter should be personalized to your unique audience


Personalization is not a new thing. It has long been a top strategy used by marketers to boost engagement rates, with 78% of them claiming it has a strong to extremely strong impact.


Where most fall short is that they think that they can simply insert someone’s name in the greeting and call it a day.


Successful marketers who truly excel at personalization take the time to understand their audience on a deeper level. They conduct surveys, dig into search intent, and leverage helpful tools like answerthepublic.com to gain insights into exactly what their readers want to know and hear about.


In short, newsletters that reflect the unique interests, challenges, and desires of your readers will always get them engaged and interested.


4. Subject Line: Your newsletter subject line should be irresistible


You’ve put in all the effort to create informative and engaging content for your newsletter, but it won’t matter if your audience doesn't even open it. That’s why your subject line plays a vital role in the process, though short.

We’ve written a detailed article on this topic with some fantastic examples! Feel free to check it out and learn more about crafting irresistible subject lines for your newsletters.


Final Thoughts


If there’s one common thread among all the tips we’ve mentioned, it’s that the reader has to come first. By focusing on their experience and making them the center of your content, your newsletters won’t just be one that people will read — it’s one that they’d love to read.


Ready to elevate your newsletter strategy? Schedule a FREE Strategy Session with us for more ideas!



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