How can I spice up my monthly newsletter?
Dear Emma,
Our monthly newsletter's become pretty, well, predictable. It's looked the same way and said the same thing for almost a year now, and I'd really like to tweak a few things here and there. I don't have much in the way of time and resources, but what are some little ways that I can spice up my newsletter?
Thanks,
Stymied in Kansas City
Dear Stymied,
We're quite fond of spice - in newsletters, of course, and also in cakes. Spice cakes. They're delicious. But on with the question. Freshening up your newsletter every once in a while will help keep your readers interested and engaged, but it doesn't have to mean reinventing the newsletter wheel. In fact, we found inspiration aplenty just looking at the campaigns you and your fellow Emma colleagues are sending. So, with the help of our friends at Rule29 and Cookthink, here are a few tips for keeping things interesting in your own newsletter.
Oh, and we *know* you've been hatching your own plans toward newsletter greatness, and we really want to see what you're up to. See both our featured campaigns and share your own ideas on the newly minted Emma Blog (did we mention we have a blog now?). To join the conversation, just click to see more details about the campaign. You'll be able to add comments right then and there.
Rule29 and the art of the short & stylish campaign
About their newsletter.
Rule29 sends their newsletter quarterly to about 600 people, including clients (both current and hopeful) and friends of Rule29. One of their primary goals in sending their newsletter is highlighting the breadth, quality, and level of creative service they offer through their agency, as well as staying in touch. And it's working - their results are fantastic, their business is growing, and they're planning to spend even more time and energy developing their newsletter's content and delivery.
Why we like it.
It's easy on the eyes. Spend just a minute or two browsing the Rule29 site, and you'll see that stylish design plays a big role in everything they do. Their email newsletter is no exception. With a single font style and a single font color, the clean formatting helps you start reading and keep at it...
[see the full campaign & learn more on the blog]
A Closer Look at Cookthink
About their newsletter.
Every week, Cookthink's Root Source newsletter arrives in a few thousand inboxes and feed readers, to the delight of foodies and gourmands everywhere. And as readers learn all about a particular ingredient, Cookthink enjoys watching the newsletter bring traffic to their site and blog, boost search results, and expand their readership through word-of-mouth. In fact, the newsletter is such an integral part of what they do that the process of developing, researching and writing it frames the whole company's production schedule. And with food bloggers plugging it as the best food-related email newsletter out there, Cookthink is looking to expand its sponsorship by developing targeted, regional opportunities down the road.
Why we like it.
The content is lively. The folks at Cookthink do a great job of putting engaging, useful content in front of their readers, and they do it all with a natural, personal touch. When you're thinking about simple ways to add interest to your newsletter, be sure you consider copy in addition to design, look and layout...
[see the full campaign & learn more on the blog]
There are plenty of great ideas afoot in these newsletters - and many others out there, no doubt. We hope you'll join the conversation on our blog to tell us how you're adding a little interest here and there to your own campaigns. And as always, if you have any questions or thoughts to share with us, just drop us a line, compadre...
Cheers,
Emma