“Not these guys again,” you think. “I really can’t be bothered with them right now – delete!” That’s certainly what some of your customers think to themselves when they see your newsletter pop up into their inbox. All of that hard work that you put into your newsletter vanishes in an instant.

Now, there are all sorts of theories about why someone won’t want to read an email. Most of them contain valid points, but the annoying fact is that sometimes people don’t feel like reading your newsletter. It’s nothing personal, they just can’t be bothered with it right now. And probably not later, either, for that matter.

One of the most obvious reasons that people won’t read your newsletter is simply that they find the subject matter boring. Maybe your customers don’t want to take 2 minutes out of their day to read about door knobs, second-hand tyres, or the rights of the North American speckled-fur rabbit.

But if you’ve decided that a newsletter is a good way for you to raise awareness for your brand or market your product, then you need to make sure that you do it well. That means writing interesting content and not falling into any of the common traps below:

Trap #1 – Waffling long newsletters.

Always ask yourself “can I make this any shorter?” People are never impressed that you took the time out of your day to write a mini essay. They’ll take one quick glance at your newsletter, decide that they’re not in the mood to read through a wall of text, and unsubscribe.

Whether someone is reading the newsletter from work or home, they’re taking precious time out of their day to have a look at it. Instead, they could be working, replying to emails, talking to co-workers, or playing Freecell. Your newsletter has to be more interesting than all of those things. If you write long waffling newsletters, then it’s the written equivalent of an unlikeable co-worker who comes up to you and tries to talk your ear off…about door knobs, second-hand tyres, or the North American speckled-fur rabbit.

So keep it short and to the point. You’re like a commando – you just want to get in, do your thing, and then get out again.

Trap #2 – Not being consistent

Consistency is so important when you’re sending emails. Decide when you want to send out regular emails (every week? Every fortnight? Every month?), and then make sure that you stick to your schedule.

It’s astounding how quickly people can forget who you are and why they signed up to your newsletter if you haven’t emailed them for a few months. Being consistent takes a big commitment, but it ensures that you keep a loyal database of clients.

Trap #3 – Tone of voice

If I were only allowed to name one trap that I see people falling into time and time again, this would be it. So often people who write their own newsletters object fervently to the idea of saying something in a fun, friendly, or funny tone of voice. Their reasoning is that they want to sound professional and credible – which is a perfectly valid point.

However, their argument is that in order to sound ‘professional’ and ‘credible’, you must sound formal, dull and dry – and that’s simply untrue. I can guarantee you that customers will have plenty of their own dry, boring reports and things that they’re being paid to read; they’re won’t put themselves through the torture of reading an equally boring newsletter! They’ll hit the unsubscribe button faster than you can say: “these antique door knobs are laced with 20^th century bronze gilding.”

Reward your customers for bothering to read your newsletter. Include interesting content that’s to the point and gives the reader a smile. It’ll encourage them to read the next newsletter that you send their way, too.

We hope these tips help you when you’re writing your Christmas newsletters. If you ever need any help, you’re always welcome to give the lovely ladies at Intelligent Ink a call – we’ll be happy to help!