A Closer Look at Cookthink

The send-off, at a glance.
Sent on May 31, 2007, to 1005 people
Open rate: 54.3% :: Click-through rate: 42.5%
Created using a custom layout
See the campaign online :: Visit the Cookthink website

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. After all, your email campaigns are about staying in touch. And when your newsletters feel more like a conversation, your audience is more likely to respond in kind *and* share your newsletter with their friends. One idea? Try reading your campaign content out loud, listening for phrases that sound a bit awkward, overly-formal or out of place, and rework those sections to make the content sound more natural and personal.
-> In short: Try creating conversational content that sounds natural and fluid to help keep readers engaged in your emails month after month.

A little sponsorship goes a long way. Cookthink devotes the right sidebar of their newsletter to a modest, good-looking advertisement – why shouldn’t you? It’s an easy way to generate a bit more revenue, good for covering newsletter costs, funding a bit of design work, or buying that office dartboard (finally!). If a limited budget stands between you and the newsletter you’ve always dreamed of, the extra source of income may be just what you need. For more on sponsorships and tips for getting started, click here for a helpful article from the Ask Emma archive.
-> In short: Try adding a few sponsorships to help fund yet more creative newsletter ideas.

If you’re visiting this page from our Ask Emma newsletter series, click here to see the other featured campaign from Rule29.
[tags]myemma.com, email marketing case study, newsletter tips, newsletter content, ask emma, emma, Cookthink, sponsorship[/tags]