Does this situation sounds familiar to you? The email inbox is overflowing with countless messages. Those messages are skimmed, prioritized and unimportant ones are immediately deleted, often including your newsletter.

How is it still possible for your marketing message to be read by your target group? This article will show you 10 tips so that your next newsletter does not end up unread in the email trash.

1. above the fold

In principle, the «above the fold rule» applies to newsletters. «Above the fold» refers to the area that is visible to the user without scrolling. Accordingly, the most important things must come first. The sender line, an appealing subject, as well as the salutation play a decisive role for a high opening rate of the newsletter.

2. appealing subject line

A meaningful subject line is crucial to whether your subscribers open your newsletter at all. The subject must be kept short and to the point. As a rule, a subject length of no more than 50 characters is recommended so that the subject line is also displayed in full on mobile phones. Formulate your subject line in such a way that the most important content of the newsletter is integrated. For example, registration for an event, a sales promotion, or important company information.

Some words and characters will ensure that your email ends up directly in the subscribers' spam folder. Therefore, refrain from using terms that activate the spam filter, such as free, gratis, urgent, $$$.

3. personal salutation

If possible, use a personal form of address. With «Dear Peter» the subscriber feels personally addressed and you give him/her the feeling of being an important contact. If you can't find the subscriber's name, you can still make the salutation personal. For example, with «Dear travel friend».

4. content suitable for the recipients

Once a subscriber has opened your newsletter, the content plays a central role. Content that is not relevant to the subscriber will not be read. Therefore, make sure that the content of your newsletter is appropriate for the recipients. Sort or segment your distribution list according to specific characteristics (e.g. personal interests, gender) and send out customized information. Note that your newsletter tool must have a corresponding function set up for this.

Reading newsletters is more like "scanning" - skimming - for important information. Therefore, make sure that you keep the texts short and concise. Seven-word sentences are the ideal form.

5. Work with visuals

Whether images, videos or GIFs - visuals make your newsletter appealing and attract more attention from your subscribers. However, pay attention to an optimal use here as well, at most 20 - 30 % should be the share of images. Furthermore, the visuals should support the newsletter text and not be chosen arbitrarily.

6. CTAs with action request

Wherever possible, include so-called "call to actions". Call to actions (CTAs) are buttons that actively prompt subscribers to take action: "download a brochure now"; "learn more here"; "buy a voucher now", etc. The CTAs make your newsletter attractive, should stand out in color and must also be able to be selected via mobile phone. In addition, they serve to increase your website traffic, if an appropriate link is deposited.

7. simple design

When it comes to newsletter design, the rule is «less is more». Keep your newsletter simple, even when it comes to design. Graphic elements such as dividers, checkboxes or headlines help the newsletter look visually appealing. Also, the design elements and colors should be in line with your web presence.

8. simple structure

With a clear structure, you create a pleasant reading experience for subscribers. The classic structure of a newsletter looks like this:

• Header: logo
• Body: salutation, introduction, content
• Footer: binder, organizational information, imprint

Try to stick to this structure whenever possible.

9. the best time to send

Besides the content aspects, the timing of sending your newsletter is also an essential factor. Pay attention to your target group when sending your newsletter. When are they online? In B2B, this would be on weekdays during working hours, for example. You can also test different mailing times to find out when your target group pays the most attention to the newsletter.

10. observe data protection requirements

Make sure that the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) must be complied with for e-mail marketing:

Newsletter distribution list: The newsletter distribution list may only consist of addresses that have expressly consented to receive your e-mail. You can obtain this consent with a single-opt-in or double-opt-in procedure.
Single-opt-in: Interested parties fill out your registration form and click on "Submit". The registration is confirmed on a subsequent page.
Double-opt-in: Interested parties sign up for your newsletter via registration form and receive an email message with a confirmation link.
 

Unsubscribe & Imprint: In every newsletter you send, it is mandatory to include an unsubscribe link and an imprint. It makes sense to include these two items in the footer.

Conclusion

Email marketing is still a very effective marketing tool. Your target group can be notified in a targeted manner and written to with content appropriate. This is an easy way to qualify subscribers into customers.

However, in order to stand out in the daily flood of e-mails and to ensure that your newsletter does not simply end up in your subscribers' email trash, it makes sense to observe certain principles. We hope that our tips have provided you with helpful input and wish you success with your next newsletter mailing.