We send a lot of email, and we follow our own best practices to set an example for partners. But as devices shrink and the inbox evolves, our oldest tip is still the most important: Only send when you have something to say.
Our email newsletters help empower and inform Vendasta users. Here are the most common types of content we send by email:
Email newsletters generally follow the style points outlined in the Voice and tone and Grammar and mechanics sections. Here are some additional considerations.
Every email newsletter is made up of the following elements. Make sure they’re all in place before clicking send:
Keep your subject line descriptive. There’s no perfect length, but some email clients display only the first words. Tell—don’t sell—what’s inside.
Keep your content concise. Write with a clear purpose, and connect each paragraph to your main idea. Add images when they’re helpful.
Make the next step clear. Whether you’re asking people to buy something, read something, share something, or respond to something, offer a clear direction to close your message so readers know what to do next.
All campaigns follow CAN-SPAM rules. Include an unsubscribe link, mailing address, and permission reminder in the footer of each newsletter.
When sending an email newsletter from Vendasta, use the third person “we.” When sending a newsletter as an individual, use the first person.
Most readers will be scanning your emails or viewing them on a small screen. Put the most important information first.
Make the reader’s next step obvious, and close each campaign with a call to action. Link to a blog post, event registration, purchase page, or signup page. You can add a button or include a text link in the closing paragraph.
Some email clients disable images by default. Include an alt tag to describe the information in the image for people who aren’t able to see it.
It’s exciting to send to millions of users at once, but it’s doubtful that every subscriber is interested in every topic. Segment your list to find a particular audience that’s likely to react.
Once you’ve selected an audience, adjust the language to fit their needs. For example, users who developed custom integrations are more likely to understand and appreciate direct, technical terms.
Test your emails in different email clients. Read your campaign out loud to yourself, then send a test to a coworker for a second look.