How to write a newsletter article: 11 Tips

Grabbing attention is a difficult task in today's content-heavy world. You need your content to make your readers stop and take notice. It's also important that it's of consistently high quality so your readers will continue to read and even recommend your articles.

Here are our 11 tips for writing great newsletter articles.

1. Keep it short: remember, your readers are busy and need to consume content quickly. Bear in mind they may also be reading the article on their mobile phones. Stick to a concise word count with your newsletter articles. You can explore more in-depth topics in other ways – consider using video for example.
2. Make it relevant: this is a no-brainer, but you want to make sure you are including content that's relevant to your readers. You should use analytics to determine the type of content your readers are typically most interested in.
3. Have a catchy headline: it's all about grabbing readers' attention. By using a catchy headline you can pique interest. Write the article content first and then come back to the headline. Make sure it sums up the article but don't be afraid to be quirky or use puns. Making use of numbers is also a good idea to capture eyeballs.
4. Include a short intro that sums up what the article is about: often newsletters will feature a home page or cover page where articles are teased with a headline and short intro. Use this space to really sell the article. Give the reader an idea of what they'll be reading but don't give too much away, make them want to click through to read the whole article.
5. Use simple language: avoid using complicated language. You want your newsletter to be inclusive, and not to alienate readers with unfamiliar words or phrases. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
6. Add contextual links: by adding links to the content you can direct your readers to other relevant or interesting content. This gives people an opportunity to find articles they may not have already read.
7. Add a call to action: make it clear what you want the reader to do after they read the article. Do you want them to sign up for a workshop, read an important PDF, provide feedback, or simply read a follow-up article! Include a clear follow-on call to action at the end of the article.
8. Proofread final article: if you've written the article, get a colleague to cast their eyes over your final draft. You will seldom notice your own errors and it's always wise to get a new pair of eyes to look over what you've written. Errors and typos can leave a bad impression on your readers, so be sure you do a simple check.
9. Double check spellings of all names you mention in the article: if you are referring to people in your article be sure you have double checked the spelling of their name. People will always remember if you spell their name incorrectly and this might sway them negatively against your content.
10. Good imagery: an interesting or illustrative photo is a good accompaniment to any well-written article. Take time to choose an image that best illustrates the photos and make sure to use a good quality, high-res image. Poor photos can make the rest of the content look bad.
11. Include comments facility: to encourage engagement to consider adding a comments facility to each newsletter article. This offers your readers the opportunity to get involved in the conversation and could generate some interesting discussions or even spark ideas for future content.

If you're struggling to think of regular content for your newsletter, check out our blog with 26 ideas for newsletter content.