Meet the-e-list

How a stylish, in-the-know gal stays connected to her subscribers and the Connecticut shoreline.

About the newsletter.

Every week, Erica Tannen provides her subscribers with news about art, restaurants, services, shopping and more near the Connecticut shoreline. the-e-list is “an excruciatingly opinionated guide” that brings attention to new businesses and trends near the shoreline, and it rounds out Erica’s other unique offerings, including the e-card and PeRKS programs.

Since she conceived the idea for her newsletter in 2009 (“my crazy idea is to develop an online community of like-minded souls on the shoreline”), Erica’s list has grown from just over 1,500 folks to nearly 5,000. Using Emma’s Social Sharing feature, she sees even more growth on the horizon — in this campaign alone, 12 audience members shared via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or email, leading to 83 visits from non-subscribers. Looks like her crazy idea is paying off.

Why we like it.

It’s packed with fresh and timely content. A July sale at a jewelry boutique. A gourmet cookie shop with extreme flavors like Kahlua and key lime. College students that started a mini-catering business. A farm-to-table oyster bar. Survey Tannen’s summer newsletters, and you’ll find these businesses and more enthusiastically profiled.
In short: Know your audience’s interests and create your campaigns with them in mind. Love the things they love, and they’ll be sure to love you back.

It utilizes ad space in a smart way. Erica worked with the Emma designers to create a custom layout with plenty of ad space along the newsletter’s right side. Now, Erica can feature rotating advertisements, and her sponsors reach thousands of inboxes weekly.
In short: Consider offering ad sponsorships in your newsletter. Pick a layout that will highlight ads in a prominent way, and you may just cover the costs of your mailing. Check out our suggestion for selling ads here.

The send-off, at a glance.

• Sent on July 14, 2010, to 4,856 people
• Open rate: 43% :: Click-through rate: 38%
• 12 shares via Social Sharing, 83 trackable visits
• Subject line: All good things in Essex, 7/14/2010
• Created using a custom layout

More details

See the campaign online
See the website