Had the same newsletter template/design for 12 or more months? It is a good time for a facelift. Here are a few reasons why.
- It’s a good opportunity to do some in-depth analysis on what is working and what is not. If a section of your newsletter is not performing, yank it or change it up in the template. If anything, your readers will appreciate a fresh look.
- It goes without saying from best practices point of view you should always be adapting your emails to contend with image rendering issues etc.
- From a design stand point, try and keep it simple but aesthetically pleasing, and don’t be afraid of white space. It will clearly define your content.
Once you have your new template, now is the time to optimize your newsletter. I think all e-marketers struggle with how much is too much, or too little! Each month I suggest selecting a section of the newsletter and do an A – B test, example, if you have top 10 tips:
1) Version A- Feature 1 tip with a CTA to all 10 tips
2) Version B- Feature 3 tips with a CTA to all 10 tips
This is a great exercise, depending on the content I found anything from a 20% lift in click-through to a 20% decline.
Change is good – here is the header image layout for Gallery Exposure, that was tested well over 4 years:
« Why Social Media? Part 3 – Version Testing- in Apps »
Updating your template is a great way to re-vamp any email marketing program. People get sick of looking at the same thing, so a new, fresh look will always draw attention! Also, a new template shows that you care about your brand and how people perceive you.
Like you said, testing is also important. Before making any major changes to your template (like content sections), test them! I have also switched up background colors to see which return better results because there is power in choosing the right colors!
Comment: Roxanne Edwards – 26. October 2010 @ 4:37 pm
We are using http://www.smartemail24.com and we are fully satisfied. They have web based system for creating email newsletters and advanced email importing.
Comment: Mike – 19. July 2013 @ 4:02 pm